Apple is continuing to fine tune the upcoming watchOS update for Apple Watch ahead of the software update’s release this fall, and now registered developers can test their apps against the latest build as watch OS 2 beta 5 is now available. The watchOS 2 update allows developers to build native (read faster) apps that do not rely as much on the iPhone for processing power, third-party complications or widgets for the watch face, and closer access to hardware like heart rate sensor data and more....

Apple has updated Safari Technology Preview, its developer browser for experimental web features, with mitigations for the Spectre vulnerability disclosed earlier this month. Version 47 can be found in the Mac App Store or online for Safari Technology Preview users. While its developer browser received its update today, Apple already updated the official version of Safari on iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, macOS Sierra, and macOS El Capitan through software updates on Monday....

Following the release of iOS 10.2 last week, Apple this evening has stopped signing iOS 10.1 and iOS 10.1.1 for all devices. This means that users are now longer able to downgrade to the operating system if they are having some sort of issue with the latest iOS 10.2 release. Generally, Apple stops signing older iOS releases to prevent users from downgrading and being vulnerable to security holes that have since been patched....

Apple has stopped signing iOS 13.1.2 and iOS 13.1.3 today. This comes after last week’s release of iOS 13.2, which included additional bug fixes, performance improvements, and new features. Apple generally stops signing older releases of iOS within a few weeks of releasing an update to the public. iOS 13.2 was released last week, while iOS 13.1.3 was released two weeks before that. When Apple stops signing an iOS build, it means users are no longer able to downgrade to that version via iTunes....

Apple and Tim Cook have spoken out about the company’s efforts to protect DACA employees in the past, and now it is taking another stance. According to Axios, Apple is among long list of companies who today have signed a brief in support of legally challenging Trump’s efforts to end DACA. Alongside Apple, companies such as Twitter, Google, Microsoft, IMB, and Lyft have expressed their support for for the challenge. The companies are backing an effort from several state Attorneys General that seeks an injunction to keep the federal government from ending the DACA program....

Update for Apple TV The latest update for Apple TV supports iOS 10 and was officially released earlier this week on Tuesday. To update your box manually, go to Settings > System > Software Updates and select Update Software. Or, turn on Automatic Updates and then you won’t need to remember to do it. The new TV OS includes some interesting new features including support for more third-party apps, “Memories” which is an automated collection of photos based on date and location....

Apple’s list of supported banks and card issuers for Apple Pay is growing again today with the addition of 8 new banks and credit unions, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. The full list of newly supported card issuers includes: Security Service Federal Credit Union Consumers Credit Union Virginia Credit Union Cyprus Federal Credit Union Fairwinds Credit Union Mountain America Credit Union Partners Federal Credit Union Customers Bank...

A few weeks ago, reports indicated that Apple was testing its upcoming Apple Pay Cash service internally using iOS 11.1. Now, Apple appears to be expanding testing of its peer-to-peer payment service with a new batch of employees. According to MacRumors, Apple has extended Apple Pay Cash testing to retail employees, which opens the platform up to a much larger crowd of users. Retail employees allegedly gained access to the platform yesterday, using an internal iOS profile to enable it on their iOS 11....

Staples has revealed that Apple Pay is now the most popular form of payment in its iOS app, used for 30% of purchases made using the app. Apple Pay also appears to have driven new sales, with almost two-thirds of those transactions being from first-time Stapes customers, reveals FierceMobileIT. Vemana also revealed that while Staples has both iOS and Android apps, with usage split pretty evenly between the two, Apple owners are more profitable, generating 70% of mobile purchases … “Apple Pay has been one of the most successful implementations when it comes to payments....

A $17.5 million project led and partly funded by Apple to increase the use of recycled water in Sunnyvale and Cupertino has been approved by city officials. Mercury News reports that the Santa Clara Valley Water District has given the project the go ahead this week which will see the city of Sunnyvale, Apple and the California Water Service Company work together to lay 13,300 feet of pipeline to bring recycled water into Sunnyvale and Apple’s new campus in Cupertino:...

What’s New in the iOS 11.3 Update and Should You Upgrade? While version 11.2.6 fixed minor bugs related to crashes that could be triggered when viewing text in Indian characters, 11.3 introduces a laundry list of fixes, features, and improvements. A critical addition is a battery health feature, which lets users get a better understanding of how well their iOS device is performing. This was partly attributed to the backlash Apple received when it was discovered the company was slowing down older devices to compensate for battery life when new versions of iOS were released....

As we reported this morning, Apple has today launched a new version of the iPod touch, featuring a 64-bit A8 CPU. This breaks a long run of neglect for Apple’s cheapest iOS device, which last received an update way back in 2012. It will be a huge leap in performance over the previous iPod touch which featured an A5 SoC. Both the front and back cameras have been improved, with the back shooter now featuring 8 megapixels of resolution....

Update: Public betas for iOS and tvOS also now available. Apple has released the third iOS 11.1 beta for iPhone and iPad. iOS 11.1 beta includes the return of 3D Touch gestures for multitasking as well as hundreds of new emoji characters including “Woman with Headscarf, Bearded Person, Breastfeeding, Zombie” and plenty more. Apple has also released the third beta versions of watchOS 4.1 beta with Apple Music and Radio streaming as well as tvOS 11....

Apple has begun rolling out a redesigned version of its iTunes Store “Report a Problem” tool to a select batch of customers. Up until earlier this month, the tool has been exclusive to inside of the iTunes application on OS X and Windows. However, the new version of the tool is accessible via web browsers on computers and mobile devices. The ability to access Report a Problem on your mobile device feeds into Apple’s recent post-PC device initiative....

Apple’s iTunes U service, a resource for teachers to create and manage educational content for students on iPad, is today receiving a big update that brings a long list of highly requested features. Starting today, teachers and students using the platform will get access to new additions including 1-to-1 discussions, homework hand-in & grade book features, PDF annotations, and more. One of the most notable features rolling out today is an improved way for teachers and students to communicate via new one-to-one discussion functionality....

Apple’s new Classroom app for iPad is now available in the App Store. The educational app enables shared iPad experiences, task/group assignment, and much more on iOS 9.3 and beyond. Here’s the full description: Classroom for iOS requires iOS 9.3 or later running on the iPad 3 or later, iPad Air or later, iPad mini or later, or iPad Pro. Assign Shared iPads to students – Once configured, Classroom connects to nearby student devices – Classroom intelligently assigns students to the Shared iPad they most recently used – Log students out of Shared iPad at the end of a session to prepare for the next class...

Apple’s commitment to environmental sustainability is well established, but the company is going one step further in its new Danish data center. In addition to powering the center entirely from renewable energy, the company is capturing the waste heat generated and feeding it into a district heating system, to warm local homes … As MacWorld spotted, that’s not the only example of Apple’s desire to combine environmentalism with being a good neighbour....

Apple has long been committed to using renewable energy for its own operations, and in 2015 extended that goal to its suppliers, starting with China. In its 2016 supplier responsibility report, the company said that its energy efficiency program had reduced carbon emissions by more than 13,800 metric tons. Today, Apple has announced that the program has reached Japan, with component supplier Ibiden pledging to power all of its Apple manufacturing with 100 percent renewable energy …...

Apple has informed the social media network Parler that it has 24 hours to rid the platform of inappropriate content, or else face removal from the App Store. The news was first reported by Input Mag, who obtained a copy of the email sent from Apple to Parler. Apple wrote in the email that it disagrees with Parler’s hands-off approach to moderation, emphasizing that it will not distribute apps that include the types of content found on Parler....

Apple is releasing a big update to its Apple School Manager service this week that allows administrators to quickly and easily setup, deploy and manage iOS devices and Macs being used in the classroom (and with Apple’s own Classroom app). The entire Apple School Manager web portal is getting refreshed with a brand new user-interface and handful of features highly requested by users. Among the new features is an Activity Manager, which will serve as one central location that users can monitor and take care of most bulk tasks....