Apple has released the second iOS 10.3 public beta for testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10.3.2 public beta 2 follows one day after the second developer version of the upcoming software update. Apple has also released the second public beta version of macOS 10.12.5. Apple’s public beta program is free to participate in unlike its paid developer program. iOS 10.3.2 will be released to everyone in the future, and the public beta allows more users to test pre-release versions of the software update before it’s finalized....

We heard already from various Apple suppliers that they were cutting their sales forecasts, suggesting the latest iPhone models were not doing as well as expected. The Journal today says that Apple reduced orders for both iPhone XS and iPhone XR. Apple has apparently found it hard to accurately predict demand for its three model lineup amidst an overall slowdown of the smartphone market and seemingly-weak Chinese demand. The changes to the production schedules are frustrating suppliers, according to the Wall Street Journal....

The Apple Watch’s launch is scheduled to occur in the “spring,” according to Apple Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores Angela Ahrendts, later in 2015 than some had originally anticipated. Ahrendts stated the timeframe to retail employees in a video message, a transcript of which was provided by a source. While explaining that employees need to conserve energy for upcoming shopping seasons, Ahrendts stated, “we’re going into the holidays, we’ll go into Chinese New Year, and then we’ve got a new watch launch coming in the spring:”...

The Golden Globes are today announcing their nominations and it turns out Apple has a chance to make a splash this awards season with The Morning Show. Apple’s flagship original show received multiple nominations across a couple of categories, most significantly as a candidate for best TV series drama. Stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon also picked up best actress nominations for their roles in Apple’s show. Update: Apple highlights Golden Globe nominations and notes “Apple TV+ Becomes First Streaming Service to Earn Nominations in its Launch Year....

Today’s best deals include Apple’s M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro, plus you can save on various iPads, and Samsung storage. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Take $100 off Apple’s M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro Apple’s new MacBook Pros feature the brand’s first silicon chips, which promises a “giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance.” This model offers up to 20 hours of battery life, the best ever for a MacBook Pro, 8GB worth of RAM, and 512GB worth of solid-state storage....

Apple has officially launched its Black Friday promotions in the United States. As usual, the company isn’t offering straight cash discounts on any of its products, but rather rewarding customers with an Apple Store gift card with select purchases. You can get up to a $150 gift card with your purchase, but that hardly compares to deals we’re seeing elsewhere. We’re also seeing significant accessory deals across the web… Apple has never been one to go all-out with Black Friday discounts and this year is no different....

Apple recently hosted a Mario-creator Shigeru Miyamoto interview with Katie Linendoll at one of its retail stores to promote Super Mario Run for iOS, and now you can view that interview on iTunes or Apple’s Podcasts app. Apple published both audio and video versions of the 41 minute interview over the weekend (via MacStories) which you can download or stream for free. Here’s the description: Super Mario Run launches exclusively on iOS Wednesday as a free download with a single $9....

In the latest development of the Epic vs Apple battle, the former is giving a heads up to customers who have used the Sign in with Apple feature to change their login credentials for Epic accounts. That’s because Apple will stop allowing the login option for Epic games accounts on September 11. Follow along for what to do if you have been using Sign in with Apple. Yesterday we saw Apple officially file a countersuit seeking damages from Epic Games breaking its developer contract....

Claris, the Apple subsidiary formerly known as FileMaker, has announced the beta launch of its new Claris Connect platform. According to the company, Claris Connect allows powerful integration with third-party apps and services to help businesses automate workflows. Claris Connect is an integration and workflows service that uses a graphical interface, allowing developers to create workflows of different complexity levels by simply stitching together third-party services. That means there’s no need for custom coding, with Claris Connect automatically handling the back-end configuration across the third-party applications....

Also updated is the Apple TV’s user interface. It is now more streamlined and taking advantage of the full 1080p video resolution. The new interface takes clues from iOS with its shiny new icons and the beautiful Cover Flow view. The new Apple TV has the same low price of just $99 and is available for pre-order today with shipments beginning March 16. In addition to the new Apple TV, Apple has tweaked its pricing matrix for movies and television shows on iTunes to reflect 1080p content....

UPDATE: More details from Apple after the break. Scott Forstall is onstage at the Apple media event right now introducing a new iOS app called “Cards” that allows you to “create and mail beautiful cards right from your iPhone or iPod touch.” It comes with over 21 template designs for greeting cards. Interestingly, Apple will provide you with high quality prints of your greeting cards mailed to you on 100% cotton paper....

Update: KBC Bank has retracted its original statement, now saying in a second tweet that Apple Pay is “not yet in scope.” Apple Pay may be making its way to Belgium following WWDC, KBC Bank indicated on Twitter today. The bank recently added NFC support to its payment cards, prompting a customer to ask if the institution would ever add support for Apple Pay. The bank replied that the service would be available starting this summer, indicating a possible announcement at WWDC....

Apple Pay now supports dual-network debit cards in Australia. This enables users to avoid credit card fees at merchants that support eftpos (electronic funds transfer) at point of sale. For now, this feature only applies to Australia where dual-network cards are quite common. The default Visa payment often sees customers incurring fees that they could otherwise avoid using physical cards. The Choose Payment Option feature enables an Apple Pay user to select at time of purchase whether they want to use Visa or eftpos on their dual network cards....

Reuters reports that Apple is reducing orders from Samsung for internal iPhone 5 components. While Samsung is said to still supply some components for the next-generation Apple smartphone, Apple is still trying to lessen its reliance on the South Korean technology firm. It seems that Apple’s latest supply chain move is an effort to widen its supply chain as the Reuters report denies that the move is not in response to Apple and Samsung’s global patent disputes....

Following up on this morning’s release of iOS 7 beta 2 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to developers, Apple has released the second Developer Preview of OS X 10.9 Mavericks. The new seed is available as a Software Update via the Mac App Store. The build number is 13A497d. This compares to Preview 1’s version number of 13A476u. As always, if you find something new, you can reach us at tips@9to5mac....

Apple has released a new version of its beta software distribution app TestFlight. The new version includes a new design that fits in with iOS 11 (also just released) including a new app icon, 3D Touch features, and more. A new version of Swift Playgrounds for iPad is also now available. Here’s what’s new in TestFlight: What’s New in Version 2.0.0 This update includes a redesigned user interface for iOS 11 The app list displays apps currently being tested, previously tested apps (including expired and removed apps), and apps that are incompatible for the device being used A new welcome screen appears when opening the TestFlight for the first time after updating You can now use 3D Touch on the TestFlight app icon to redeem a code or update all apps Split view is supported And here’s the latest for Swift Playgrounds:...

Apple is apparently increasing production orders for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which will be officially unveiled at the company’s fall media event on Wednesday September 7, according to a new report by Digitimes. Although Digitimes makes often unreliable claims, it is more accurate with supply chain reporting like this one. The report says Apple has boosted production for iPhone 7 components by about 10%. A reason for the spike in production is not given but it implies Apple is more confident about iPhone 7 sales this year than it was initially....

Apple is seemingly getting out of the router accessory business, ‘disbanding’ the division inside the company according to Bloomberg. This means Apple will no longer develop its $99 AirPort Express, $199 AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule products. The report says Apple is reallocating employees to focus on its core consumer products that generate the vast majority of its revenue. The newest AirPort devices are more than three years old, so the future of the products has been in doubt for a while....

Apple’s Campus 2 project will also house a 1,000-person auditorium off the main R&D ‘Mothership’, though this structure looks even more other-worldly. The Norman Foster mockups from Cupertino.org, and dug up by Apple Gazette last week, show an auditorium entrance surrounded by glass and with a metal roof. The auditorium itself will be underground from the glass-surrounded auditorium. For its product launch events, Apple has typically either used its own Town Hall at its main Cupertino HQ or buildings in San Francisco such as Moscone West or the Yerba Buena Center....

However, a figurative trademark is much stronger as it “confers the exclusive right to the trademark in its concrete figurative version, whereas a word trademark confers the exclusive right to the word(s) in any font with or without figurative elements”, the publication explains. The patent application was filed today with the Patent & Trademark Office in China and covers covering cases, sleeves, sheaths and pouches for computers as well as business cases, claiming the above three-dimensional shape as an element of the trademark....