Shortly after Apple announced it would be ending its built-in photo printing service, RR Donnelley came forward and shared that it was the vendor providing the service for Apple and announced its upcoming Motif Photos app extension for Mac. Now Motif has officially arrived for iOS (after quietly launching last month) to bring an easy way for Apple users to print beautiful photos books right from iPhone and iPad. RR Donnelly announced the expansion of Motif in a press release today:...

However, time has elapsed such that the rest of Apple’s submitted documents are now available to the public. Vitally, this includes a user manual which immediately signals that this iBeacon hardware was meant for developers, presumably to test iBeacon integration in their own apps. It’s unclear, though, if this is meant to be used ‘in the wild’. Read on for an exposition on the workings of this mysterious device. The Apple iBeacon mounts to a wall with a standard screw....

On its French YouTube channel this evening, Apple has shared a short film from French director Michel Gondry. The film, entitled “Détour,” was shot completely on an iPhone and was funded by Apple. The film clocks in at 11-minutes long and follows a short story… Here is how Apple describes the premise of Détour: In addition to the 11-minute film itself, Apple has also shared six additional tutorial videos that offer a behind-the-scenes look at the production of Détour, while also offering iPhone users some basic tips on things such as slow-motion vide, night shooting, time-lapse, and more....

New banks and credit unions across the United States, Italy, Russia, the UK, and China have joined Apple’s list of participating partners since the last refresh earlier this month. Check out the latest Apple Pay banks below: In the United States: Almena State Bank American Bank & TrustCompany N.A. Associated SchoolEmployees Credit Union Bank of Star Valley Bofl Federal Bank Caprock Federal Credit Union Central Bank (AR) Central National Bank ofPoteau City First Bank Continential Finance Co....

An Apple patent granted today suggests that a future version of the Apple Pencil could have an interchangeable tip that sees it become an Apple Paintbrush too. The patent also shows how haptic feedback could be used to simulate the feeling of using different implements like pens, pencils, marker pens, and paintbrushes … Apple starts by acknowledging the limitations of the existing Apple Pencil as an artistic implement. It then describes how an interchangeable tip could be the solution, with a paintbrush attachment measuring the degree of flex in each bristle....

Following the release of iOS 13.5 developer beta 4 yesterday, Apple today has released the fourth developer beta macOS Catalina 10.15.5 as well. The new update is rolling out now via System Preferences. The biggest change in macOS 10.15.5 is a new Battery Health Management feature. The goal of the change is to reduce the chemical aging of a MacBook’s battery and extend its lifespan, but without comprising battery life....

Earlier this year, Apple began renovations of its Fifth Avenue retail store with the goal of more than doubling its size. Details on the project have been somewhat unclear throughout the project, but a new report today from MacMagazine says that Apple’s flagship retail location will reopen towards the end of 2018… The report explains that construction is currently slated to come to an end on October 31st, 2018, that’s according to signage posted around the construction site....

At the “It’s show time” event earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook invited several new faces on stage to explain the company’s newfound Services push. One of those people was Peter Stern, Apple’s VP of Services. A new profile from Digiday sheds more light on Stern’s career and his role at Apple. Stern joined Apple in 2016 after serving in various senior roles at Time Warner Cable. Last year, Eddy Cue put Stern in charge of business operations for Services....

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is out with its yearly study on PC and tablet satisfaction in the US. Apple just managed to edge out Samsung and once again earned the highest PC and tablet ratings from consumers with iPad and Mac. However, compared to the customer satisfaction scores Apple often shares, these are notably lower. The PC and tablet market overall saw customer satisfaction remain unchanged in the US as ACSI reports that came in at 78/100 just like last year....

Apple’s Developer Center is now allowing certain developers to add up to 200 iOS devices to their account, double the previous amount allowed. Devices registered in this list can beta test a developer’s applications as well as the unreleased versions of iOS (and related software like iTunes). Developers have been wanting the limit to increase for quite some time, since removing a device does not increase the count again until membership is renewed:...

As Apple continues to look to India as a market for extraordinary growth, it has now stopped selling the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c in the country in an effort to raise the average selling prices of its devices and increase profits. The Economic Times reports that Apple made the decision due to its profitability and average selling price being “under strain” in India. Apple had been selling the iPhone 4s in India for as little as Rs 12,000 ($175 USD), while the iPhone 5c had been available for Rs 20,000 ($292 USD)....

Apple is rolling out additional changes to its retail store practices as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Business Insider reports that Apple Store employees are being told not to offer Apple Watch or AirPods try-ons for the foreseeable future. This is part of Apple’s work to protect Apple Store employees and customers during the coronavirus outbreak, the report says, but there is not an outright ban on try-ons. If a customer specifically requests to try-on AirPods or an Apple Watch, employees can oblige....

Apple was the largest corporate user of solar power in the US last year, says a new industry report, underlining the Cupertino company’s environmental credentials. The Solar Means Business report was compiled by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which says that it provides visibility into the usage of clean energy by some of the world’s biggest brands. The top 10 companies are: “Top companies are increasingly investing in clean, reliable solar energy because it makes economic sense,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)....

While it is not much of a surprise, Apple officially unveiled its all new “next-generation MacBook Pro” that Phil Schiller described today as a “breakthrough in engineering.” At just 4.5-pounds and 0.71-inches thick, the new MacBook Pro has an all-new slimmed-down design that we noted previously makes the device almost as thin as the MacBook Air. It also has a 15.4-inch Retina display that boasts a resolution of 2,880-by-1,800 and 220 ppi....

Apple Pay support is still slowly rolling out from more banks, retailers, and apps, and two notable updates added Apple Pay in-app checkout options this week. First up is Priceline, the app that aims to save you money on flights, hotels, and car rentals anytime you’re traveling. While the app allows you to book plane tickets and reserve rental cars, Apple Pay checkout is currently limited to “Express Deals” for paying for hotel reservations....

Via email, Apple is now promoting Xcode 5.0.1’s new automated continuous integration feature to developers. Continuous integration via automated bots in the new Xcode will multiple developers working on different aspects of a software product to integrate their code with the other projects in development. This eases up the development procedure of pulling parts of an app together to make the final copy… Additionally, to go along with this promotion, Apple is now (for the first time) offering iOS App Developers a free copy of OS X Server....

Seemingly through a server-side change, Apple is quietly updating some of the international Siri text-to-speech synthesizers. Last month, some readers commented that the British male voice had been upgraded and we can confirm that the British female voice has also been updated as of this week. The change can be heard on iPhone and iPad as well as the HomePod. Unlike when Apple upgraded the US female voice in iOS 11, the raw human voice talent does not seem to have changed....

[slideshow] Apple today released a new free Mac App called Configurator which allows you to administer many iOS devices at a time like in a school or business (or my house) setting. At first blush it appears to be much simpler than the Windows/Mac configuration utility. Description follows: Apple Configurator makes it easy for anyone to mass configure and deploy iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch in a school, business, or institution....

Apple has released iOS 10.0.3 for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The update includes a bug fix for users who were temporarily experiencing loss of cellular connectivity on new iPhone models. Apple also pushed out an update to its Classroom app that should fix issues with the education app not being able to find other student devices. Today’s iOS 10.0.3 update should resolve some of cell network connectivity issues our readers have been experiencing....

Apple is rolling out the seventh iOS 10.3 beta for developer testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The upcoming software update includes Find My AirPods support, CarPlay improvements, Apple’s new filesystem, and more. Apple is also rolling out the seventh macOS 10.12.4 beta for developer testing. The upcoming version of macOS Sierra is the first to bring Night Shift to the Mac. We’ll update and highlight any additional changes discovered below....