There is now a conclusion to the patent dispute between Apple and software company OpenTV. Back in March Apple lost its case brought on by OpenTV in a German court ruling, and today OpenTV owners Kudelski Group announced that the two companies have reached a patent license agreement and all pending litigation has stopped. As we noted after the March ruling, OpenTV in the United States was suing Apple over the same use of video streaming technology....

Apple just released an update to their iAd Producer developer tool that assists in the creation of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript-powered content for the company’s interactive, motion-rich iAd platform. Version 2.0 brings a number of enhancements to animations and effects, overall improvements to the “visual designer” editor, and enhanced Project Validation features that “automatically checks the size and type of image assets, and that pages and components are configured correctly”. There is also a new “Object List” providing one-click access to any element, improvements to JavaScript editing and debugging, and the usual fixes and performance improvements....

[UPDATE 10/5: iOS 10.1 beta 2 is now available for public beta testers as well.] Apple has released the second iOS 10.1 beta which includes the Portrait camera for iPhone 7 Plus that applies a DSLR-like blur effect over photos using the dual lens system. iOS 10.1 beta 2 is available to registered developers. A public beta of iOS 10.1 for non-developers is also currently active. tvOS 10.0.1 beta 2 for Apple TV and watchOS 3....

Well, I was sitting on my own watching Apple’s latest event, so who else was I going to talk to? And I’m always easily impressed. In this case, Angela Kyazike, Apple’s iPad engineering program manager, showed off the latest and clearly most wonderful iPad Air. She sold it with a script that contained all the aplomb of the small print you always click “agree” under. She said the new Air is “up to two times faster than the best selling Windows laptop in its price range....

As schools wrap up their school year and prepare for a summer of new deployments, network upgrades, and backup plans for distance learning, Apple has begun to release updates to their K-12-focused iPad app. The Classroom app and Schoolwork app have now been updated with some new features and workflows to assist teachers and technical directors. In version 3.2 of the Classroom app, the following features were added: Automatically access classes set up through Apple School Manager by signing into your device with a Managed Apple ID Use AirPlay to project class details to Apple TV when inviting students to join a teacher-created class Easily adjust the size of students’ screens by pinching to zoom in or out In version 2....

Apple has just begun seeding iOS 5.1 beta 2 on the Developer Center, and weighs in at 801MB. While 5.1 beta 2 brings bug fixes, the update also now allows users to remove images from their iCloud Photo Stream – – which was a huge complaint that Apple has now addressed. Along with the iPhone and iPad, the Apple TV and Xcode have also seen an update. Let us know if you find anything interesting down below or at tips@9to5mac....

Apple today officially celebrated the opening of its new flagship retail location at the Dubai Mall. We previously shared some images of the store and its surrounding amenities, but now that it’s officially open to the public, Apple itself has offered up some video and imagery from the grand opening… Posted to Apple’s Newsroom website this evening, the amigos show a packed hours for the opening of the Dubai Mall retail store....

Apple today has shared a new ‘Shot on iPhone‘ video on YouTube. This time, it’s a 3-minute video that showcases American Samoa, a U.S. territory located the south pacific ocean, and specifically focuses on Eddie Siaumau, a 17-year-old athlete on the island. The video was taken by photographer and director Steven Counts. Apple explains that American Samoa is far more likely to produce NFL athletes than anywhere else in the world:...

As it generally does after a product has been on the market for long enough, Apple today added the 2016 MacBook Pro without Touch Bar to online refurbished store. While the selection is limited, these refurbished models represent a good way to get a discount while still buying straight from Apple, though we’ve seen better on 9to5Toys for devices in brand new condition… Currently, Apple is offering two models via its refurbished store, one in silver and another in space gray....

Update: Registration is now open. Apple’s annual Hour of Code workshops are kicking off this year at Apple Stores across the world during the week of December 5, and this year there’s a new app in play: Swift Playgrounds. Apple introduced user-friendly coding app for iPad earlier this year as a way to introduce new developers to Swift, Apple’s programming language. Bringing Swift Playgrounds to the annual free coding workshops will enable new lessons, Apple says....

Counting tablet PCs as personal computers, Apple is about to overtake Hewlett-Packard and become the world’s top personal computer vendor. All should be known soon when Apple reveals holiday quarter earnings in a conference call with analysts scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 24. HP CEO Meg Whitman was first to admit that such a turn of event neither would nor be entirely unsurprising given Apple’s lead in the post-PC world. Whitman said back in November, “It’s possible if you integrate tablets....

It’s been two years since Apple introduced us to its iPhone disassembly robot Liam, and now it’s time to meet the company’s newest bot: Daisy. Apple says Daisy — who you can see in action below — offers “the most efficient way to reclaim more of the valuable materials stored in iPhone” with the robot capable of disassembling and sorting parts from up to 200 iPhones per hour. Daisy’s introduction is accompanied with Apple adding Earth Day donations through its GiveBack program to the non-profit Conservation International....

We’ve gotten word from sources that Apple is preparing to release (in some fashion) a single, additional iPad model. This would be a new SKU for the current fourth-generation iPad with Retina display line. At this point, we do not have pricing information, so it is definitely difficult to pinpoint exactly what this new iPad model is. Here is what we do know: It is a fourth-generation iPad, not a new design....

Apple has released the fifth beta of iOS 14 for public beta testers. The update arrives two weeks after the fourth public beta and just a day after the latest iteration arrived for developers. Beta 5 includes a few notable changes and even a new ‘Hidden Album’ toggle for the Photos app. Head to Settings > General > Software update to check if the fifth public beta is available on your device....

With OS X El Capitan releasing today, Apple has also updated iOS to version 9.0.2 with an over-the-air software update. This bug fix update marks the second release since iOS 9.0 launched earlier this month. The update includes bug fixes and performance improvements for iCloud Backup, iMessage activation, Apple’s Podcasts app, and issues with cellular data usage. The release cycle suggests Apple is moving faster to ship small updates to address specific issues with iOS 9....

Just one week after the last beta was pushed out to developers, Apple has released a third version of the iOS 9.1 beta to software makers for testing. Like the two previous builds, the new beta comes with a handful of new emoji and, as of the last beta, an option for disabling contact photos in the Messages app. Update: This build has also been seeded to users on the public beta....

UPDATE [Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 7:35am ET]: Apple has made some backend changes fixing the App Store bug. Users of iThings running iOS 3.1.3 are apparently able to download App Store apps without a hiccup. Let us know if the bug has been fixed for you down in the comments. As you know, Apple launched a replacement program last month addressing the overheating issues stemming from defective batteries from one of their suppliers....

Reuters reports that Japan Display Inc, an Apple parts supplier, just announced plans to build a new $1.4 billion LCD plant that will reportedly help it become a primary supplier of smartphone displays to Apple. The report also claims that Apple has invested in the plant, but didn’t disclose any financial details related to the investment: The company did not name Apple, in line with its policy of not identifying clients....

Apple’s China problem may require a new type of iPhone designed specifically for the country, say some former Apple execs. Apple has already taken one small step in this direction, with a physical dual-SIM model of the iPhone XS/Max available only in mainland China. It’s also widely believed that Apple’s decision to offer gold-colored phones was driven by China and the Middle East. But it’s being suggested the company may need to do much more …...

Following the release of iOS 11.3.1 last week, Apple today has stopped signing iOS 11.3. Following the release of a new version of iOS, Apple routinely stops signing older ones to ensure the highest numbers of users are up to date. With Apple no longer signing iOS 11.3, this means that users cannot downgrade from iOS 11.3.1 for any reason. For example, prior to today, a user running iOS 11.3.1 would have been able to downgrade to iOS 11....