Apple has released the watchOS 7.1 Release Candidate build to Apple Watch developer and public beta testers today. The update brings new headphone level features and more. Apple is moving away from the previously-used golden master naming for near-final beta releases. Instead, going forward the company will use the term “Release Candidate,” or RC to reference a near-final beta release. We first saw this with last week’s release of the iOS 14....

Update: A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the situation to The Verge: According to a report from The Next Web that cited sources close to Microsoft, Apple is currently preventing Microsoft from updating its SkyDrive iOS app due to a disagreement over whether Apple should collect its usual 30 percent cut of additional storage purchased through the service. TNW explained: The difficulty began when Microsoft rolled out the ability for SkyDrive users to purchase more storage space on the service....

Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty says that an analysis of Apple’s recent SEC filing strongly suggests that the company has not only made a big bet on the success of the iPhone 6, with large advance orders, but also that it is likely to launch the long-awaited iWatch this quarter. The graph, obtained by Business Insider, shows the historical correlation between off-balance sheet commitments – the technical financial term for money invested in things like tooling, component purchases and manufacturing contracts – and quarterly revenue....

Less than a week following the previous seed, Apple has released build 14D105 of the upcoming OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 to both developers and users of the Public Beta. Apple has not yet said when 10.10.3 will be released to all OS X Yosemite users, but the increase in seeds in recent weeks likely indicates that a wider launch is fast approaching. As we’ve previously detailed, 10.10.3 will include the all new iCloud-based Photos app for the Mac, developer APIs for the new Force Touch Trackpad on the MacBook and MacBook Pro with Retina display, and a new Emoji picker across the system....

Apple is launching a new Apple Pay promo that will run beginning today (July 19) through August 1. Users will be able to get discounts through select stores and retailers when using Apple Pay in apps or on the web. Users will be able to get discounts such as $5 off 2 or more movie tickets with Fandango or free shipping with Houzz. The full list can be found below....

In honor of World Emoji Day tomorrow, Apple has previewed the new emojis coming to iPhones, iPads, and Macs later this year. As detailed by Emojipedia, new emoji coming this fall include a ninja, a boomerang, a coin, and more. These emoji were approved earlier this year as part of the Emoji 13.0 release by the Unicode Consortium. Today marks the first time that Apple has actually previewed the new emoji designs that will come to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac later this year....

Apple has just released the official build of iOS 10.1 to the general public which includes the new Portrait Mode for the iPhone 7 Plus. After being available to developers and public beta testers for the past few weeks, iOS 10.1 is now available to users on compatible iOS devices. iOS 10.1 also includes a list of other changes for all iOS devices. Jump through to read the full release notes....

On the same day as iOS 14 beta 6 was released to developers, Apple is also releasing the sixth public beta of iOS 14. This update is available to all users enrolled in Apple’s beta software program. As we explained this morning, Apple is switching to weekly release schedule for iOS 14 betas as we near the general stable release this fall. Today’s release of iOS 14 beta 6 to public beta testers includes a variety of small changes such as more interface tweaks the date picker and some notable bug fixes:...

That said, iOS is the company’s crown jewel, and the latest version got a surprise 11.2 update over the weekend, fixing several bugs discovered in version 11.1.2 and adding new features and functionality such as Apple Pay Cash and faster wireless charging for the newer iPhone X and iPhone 8 devices. But, we always ask, should you upgrade? You might want to wait—read on to find out why. What’s New in the iOS 11....

Update: McLaren has issued a statement in response, rejecting the report and denying any discussions with Apple about a potential investment. A separate report from the New York Times also indicates Apple is in talks to acquire Lit Motors, a startup working on a self-balancing motorcycle. The Financial Times is reporting that Apple is in talks to acquire McLaren, a supercar manufacturer to aids its own automobile efforts for the long-rumored Apple Car....

Apple announced today that it is rolling out a new version of AirTag firmware with a notable privacy improvement. Here’s how to check your AirTag firmware version to see if yours has updated to the latest build. Apple, unfortunately, does not make it possible to manually update your AirTags. Instead, the company says that firmware updates will install automatically when AirTag is in range of your iPhone. This is similar to the way that Apple rolls out AirPods firmware updates....

Apple’s share of the smartphone market in Japan has hit 37 percent, greater than the 36 percent share in the USA, reports the WSJ. Given that most of that share was acquired before DoCoMo offered the iPhone, the prediction of one analyst doesn’t seem quite as far-fetched as it might sound. Japan is the world’s fourth largest smartphone market, behind China, the USA and India, and it had previously been predicted that the DoCoMo deal would enable the iPhone to become the market leader....

Alongside Apple Watch pricing and availability announcements, Apple just released a handy sizing guide that will give you an idea of what band will be best for you. For some models, like the Sport collection, Apple is including two bands in the box—“Small-Medium” and “Medium-Large”— while others, like the Modern Buckle straps, allow customers to pick from various strap sizes. There will be some exceptions: the gold model with Sport band is only listed as coming with one strap that “Fits 130–200mm wrists”....

Apple’s system status page is displaying problems with a significant number of cloud services. At the time of writing, it is showing ‘intermittent issues’ for ‘some users’ for the following services: App Store Apple Music Apple TV iTunes in the Cloud iTunes Store iTunes U Mac App Store Volume Purchase Program … Additionally, the corresponding page for developers is showing a similar message for both In-App Purchases and iTunes Sandbox....

Alongside its new hardware and software unveiled this afternoon, Apple has published a full security guide for its T2 security chip. The T2 is featured in the new Mac mini and Retina MacBook Air, and Apple is highlighting its many benefits in today’s security document. As first highlighted by TechCrunch, one of the most notable details revealed in Apple’s T2 security chip guide is that the chip works directly with the microphone hardware to cut off access when the display lid is closed....

A trusted source provided a first-hand look at the Nest packaged at an Apple Store today—complete with the part number. Priced at $249.99 (the same as Nest’s price through its online store), the Nest has a part number of H9279ll/a in Apple’s systems. Our source was not able to say when the Nest will go on sale at Apple Stores, but the source indicated it will be soon. Deliveries of the Nest are now being made at multiple Apple Stores....

As the United States and other countries make progress in vaccinating against COVID-19, some public health agencies and private companies have started to ease mask requirements. According to a new report from Bloomberg, however, Apple will leave its mask mandate and other COVID-19 precautions in place at retail stores in the United States for the time being. The news comes after the CDC in the United States adjusted its guidance on Thursday to say full vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask....

Apple is the only large US tech company to announce plans to repatriate and spend the cash currently held overseas … Apple has not gone into specifics about its own plans, but did say during its recent earnings call that it plans to end up cash-neutral – implying that it will spend around $163B of its overseas cash holdings to bring its cash in line with its debt. The most likely scenario is that Apple plans to spend the bulk of the cash on stock buybacks and other returns to shareholders....

As announced in December, Apple TV is now available globally on the Chromecast with Google TV. The new app allows you to watch original Apple TV+ content, as well as access existing iTunes movie and television show purchases. The UI is quite straightforward, with a bar at the top letting users navigate between Watch Now, original content, Movies, TV Shows, Kids, Library, search, and settings. The app makes use of large cover images and card carousels....

[UPDATE April 7: Apple has also made the OS X 10.11.5 beta available to public beta users, as well.] Just moments after releasing the first betas of iOS 9.3.2 and watchOS 2.2.1, Apple this afternoon has pushed fresh developer betas of tvOS and Mac OS X. The latest tvOS version released to developers today is 9.2.1, while OS X El Capitan has been bumped to 10.11.5. The first developer beta of tvOS 9....