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The second wave of the month for new banks and credit unions supporting Apple Pay is happening now adding to the more than 60 institutions already supporting Apple’s mobile payment service. The mid-February wave includes 19 additional banks and credit unions bringing the total to more than 80 institutions. Here are the new banks listed as supporting Apple Pay as of today: Affinity Federal Credit Union Cabela’s CLUB Central Bank Credit Union of Southern California Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach First National Bank of Omaha First Sentry Bank FirstBank Grow Financial Federal Credit Union Ideal Credit Union Morgan Stanley Redwood Credit Union State Department Federal Credit Union Teachers Credit Union Technology Credit Union The Northern Trust Company TIB-The Independent BankersBank United Federal Credit Union Utah First Federal Credit Union...

Hong Kong residents have waited a long time for Apple Pay Octopus support to go live, but it’s finally happened. The rollout began yesterday, and officially launches today … The company made the announcement on its website. Octopus supports Express Transit, so you don’t need to unlock your iPhone or double-press the side button on an Apple Watch: just hold your device close to the reader. Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch simplifies the way you ride transit and shop....

Apple’s interest in exclusive video programming is stretching beyond its original content TV show efforts. Digiday reports that Apple paid Buzzfeed to show the first three episodes of its ‘Future History’ video series on Apple News, a week ahead of Buzzfeed’s other distribution platforms. Apple gave Buzzfeed a cut of the ads shown on the videos, in addition to upfront payment. Apple has highlighted video stories more prominently in Apple News since iOS 11....

After more than three months in beta, iOS 8 brings actionable notifications, improved group chat support, new picture and voice messaging features in Messages, Continuity and Handoff, third-party Today widgets in Notification Center, sharing extensions and much more. Apple has released iOS 8 for almost all of its devices that run iOS 7. The full list of supported devices is as follows: iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad with Retina Display, iPad mini, iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina Display iPod touch, fifth-generation iOS 8 is now available as an over-the-air update or through iTunes....

Apple has released Xcode 7.3 for developers, following a lengthy beta period, with several new features, enhancements and bug fixes. First and foremost, Xcode 7.3 includes the latest SDKs for iOS 9.3, watchOS 2.2, OS X 10.11.4. It also bundles the latest release of Swift version 2.2. Xcode 7.3 include several new features, including more intelligent code completion so developers can more quickly write their programs. It also lets developers more easily handle developing for Apple Watch, with quick switching between paired Watches....

Apple is preparing its supply chain for the onslaught of next-generation iPhone sales in the fall, expected to be a bumper year with much anticipation for the radical ‘iPhone 8’ redesign. According to ETNews, via Digitimes, Apple has agreed a two year contract with Samsung Display to supply curved iPhone OLED panels. Samsung is apparently upping capacity to as much as 92 million units in 2017, as demand from Apple rises....

Update: A likely explanation for this comment has now emerged. An explanation for Apple’s controversial decision to begin scanning iPhones for CSAM has been found in a 2020 statement by Apple’s anti-fraud chief. Eric Friedman stated, in so many words, that “we are the greatest platform for distributing child porn.” The revelation does, however, raise the question: How could Apple have known this if it wasn’t scanning iCloud accounts… ?...

Apple’s rollout of iPhone 7 continues early next month as the company today confirms a November 4 launch date for four additional countries. iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will arrive in Armenia, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, and Central African Republic on November 4. Apple still has over 30 countries that it has yet to confirm a launch date for, including much of Latin America and the Caribbean. It has, however, already launched the device or confirmed launch dates for over 75+ countries....

Apple has been quietly adding custom artwork to its Apple Music playlists, designed by iconic artists. The Verge reports that Apple’s goal is to give its content some personality and recognition. The company will be updating the more popular playlists first, and will continue to work over time to update its vast catalog of curated playlists. Apple’s global director of editorial Rachel Newman says that the custom artwork is meant to “connect more directly with the communities and the culture for which they were intended....

While health tech has to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency will be taking “an almost hands-off approach” to fitness-oriented wearables like the Apple Watch, says policy advisor Bakul Patel in an interview in Bloomberg. Patel said the FDA would be drawing a distinction between products whose health claims focused on fitness rather than diagnosis … “We are taking a very light touch, an almost hands-off approach,” Patel, the FDA’s associate director for digital health, said in an interview....

With many students out of school and lots of companies having employees work from home during the coronavirus pandemic, we’re seeing business and education app downloads grow almost 300%. Meanwhile, Apple is now offering a 10% bonus when you add money to your Apple ID for the iTunes and App Store. When you head to add funds to your Apple ID for the App Store or iTunes Store, Apple is now highlighting that it’s adding a 10% bonus credit to whatever amount you purchase (up to $200 purchase limit)....

Apple today is further expanding its legal battle against chipmaker Qualcomm. According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple has filed petitions with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to challenge four of Qualcomm’s patents… For Apple, the end goal of this move is to have the patent office cancel the four Qualcomm patents in question. All four are involved in the patent infringement lawsuit Qualcomm levied against Apple last year....

Apple last month suspended its sales in Turkey due to the economic crisis that led the local currency to crash with high inflation. Although the company has now resumed sales in the country, prices for Apple products have been raised there – and now the same will happen to App Store prices. The company confirmed today on its Apple Developer website that it will soon raise App Store prices in Turkey....

Apple just released iTunes 11.0.3 with several new features including enhancements to the MiniPlayer, an improved Songs View, and multi-disc albums. Apple’s new MiniPlayer, which it first introduced in iTunes 11, today gets a new “beautiful view that showcases your album artwork” as well as a progress bar viewable right from the MiniPlayer. The new view for MiniPlayer can also be expanded to show an entire playlist (as pictured above)....

Apple has just begun rolling out watchOS 3 beta 4 to developers today. Those looking to grab the new release can head over to the Watch app on their iPhones, select General and then Software Update. watchOS 3 beta 4 is available to download as a Configuration Profile from the Apple developer center for newer users looking to test out the upcoming system. Release notes fixes are now at the bottom of the post....

What is all of Apple’s money for? According to some analysts, it might be for a rainy day – perhaps the tech industry will hit a dry spell? Maybe Apple will hit an innovation wall? More likely however, Apple wants to give itself the ability to make a megabuy – like the Microsoft-Yahoo deal. (But one that makes more sense hopefully) The trends have implications for both companies. Cash translates into the ability to consider acquisitions and other potentially business-boosting deals....

Yesterday, Apple blocked Samsung’s Galaxy Tab in the EU as it had in Australia previously. Today, it is blocking Motorola’s XOOM. According to Reuters, this is a high risk strategy for Apple maintaining its market share lead. The cases could take months, if not years to come to court and Apple will have to provide more substantial evidence in subsequent court cases that the design of the Galaxy infringed its patents or copied their designs in order to make any bans permanent....

Apple today launched a new Lightning to USB-C cable that allows 12.9″ iPad Pro users to take advantage of faster charging afforded by its 29W USB-C Power Adapter. The cable, which comes in 1 meter and 2 meter varieties, is priced at $25 and $35 respectively. The new cables are now available for purchase on Apple’s online store, and will only work with the larger 12.9″ iPad Pro model, not the just-launched 9....

In addition to launching its annual Back to School promotion today, Apple is also now offering students an extended Apple Music trial. Now, when you sign up for Apple Music’s student plan, you get a six-month trial of the service, double the length of a normal trial. Apple typically offers a three-month free trial of Apple Music though promotions from retailers, and carriers sometimes extend that to four months. This is the first time, however, that Apple itself has offered an extended six-month trial....

Apple has made a nice change to the Mac purchasing experience. Starting this month, the company is no longer charging users for Data Migrations with the purchase of a new Mac. Previously, Apple charged $99 for this service. The change was first noted by TidBITS, which confirmed the change with an Apple Store Operations Specialist: Data migration with new Mac purchases was originally part of Apple’s One to One training program at retail stores....