We’re pasting without (much) editing some of the different tips we’ve gotten below: As noted, the home button does not work when Smart Sign app is running so it cannot be exited. The only way to get the home button to work again is to reset the iPad using the home and lock buttons. The Apple Store App will be updated tomorrow, and will be available world wide. It will support CTO orders, and should also be available as an iPad optimised app....

Apple is planning another expansion for its data center facilities in Reno with the Reno Gazette-Journal reporting the company recently submitted plans for additional data center buildings. The expansion brings the total number of buildings on Apple’s site up to nine: While Apple’s main site continues to grow, the report also notes that plans for a downtown Reno location— required for Apple to receive around $80m in tax breaks— haven’t progressed....

The White House shared earlier this year that Apple is a participant in President Obama’s ConnectED education program focused on bringing Internet access and technology to schools in need, and today Apple has provided a micro site profiling its effort in the program. While it was already known that Apple has pledged $100 million to provide iPads, MacBooks, and other products toward the program for schools across the United States, Apple has shared that Apple ConnectED grants are being received by a total of 114 different schools across the country with these schools spread out across 29 states....

[Update: Public beta too.] [Update 2: tvOS 11.2.5 beta 5 is also out.] Apple has released a new beta version of iOS for developer testing. iOS 11.2.5 beta 5 is now available on the developer center and over-the-air. The new version comes just two days after beta 4, although today’s release appears limited to iOS only. We’ll update to the latest versions and note any changes below. The latest beta follows the official release of iOS 11....

Apple has just begun rolling out iOS 10.3.1 for iPhones and iPads. With Apple’s iOS 10.3 release we saw a lack of support for 32-bit devices, but that’s changed with today’s update. iOS 10.3.1 brings back support for 32-bit devices and is available for the iPhone 5 and 5c. Release notes for this particular update are light, only noting bug fixes and security improvements. Today’s update follows Apple’s release of iOS 10....

Apple has officially issued a statement regarding the iPhone 6 bending controversy saying the issue is rare during real world use and that it’s only received complaints from 9 customers (via CNBC). Apple adds, according to the reports, that the “new iPhones feature steel/titanium inserts to reinforce stress locations and use the strongest glass in the industry.” Apple also commented that bending is “extremely rare” during normal use and that it performs a number of strength and durability tests (as you’d expect) before it ships new devices (via WSJ):...

Apple made its first formal appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) since 1992 today. Apple’s senior director of privacy Jane Horvath joined a “Chief Privacy Officer Roundtable” discussion to talk the state of user privacy, Apple’s privacy standards, and more. The roundtable was moderated by Rajeev Chand, head of research at Wing Venture Capital. Alongside Horvath, privacy executives from Facebook and Procter & Gamble also joined the discussion: Erin Egan — VP, public policy and chief privacy officer for policy, Facebook Jane Horvath — Senior director, global privacy, Apple Susan Shook — Global privacy officer, The Procter & Gamble Company Rebecca Slaughter — Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission Horvath’s focus during the discussion was on promoting Apple’s stringent privacy standards, and the steps it takes to protect the user....

If you once had an iPod with Click Wheel, you might remember a mini game called Music Quiz, which consists of correctly guessing which song is being played. With iOS 14, Apple has quietly revived this game as a complex shortcut — and it works just like the old version running on iPods. On the iPod, Music Quiz plays a number of songs in shuffle mode, and it provides five different options for you to choose which song is playing....

Apple today has released a new “30 Creative Activities for Kids” worksheet designed specifically for those learning from home due to COVID-19. The worksheet includes 30 creative tasks for kids, ranging from photo walks to creating a comic strip and more. Apple says: In a post on Twitter, Tim Cook said the new programming is designed to keep kids creating during COVID-19 quarantine: And for more recommendations, Apple says parents and teachers should check out the “Everyone Can Create Teacher Guide,” which is available on Apple Books....

With recent reports of the iPhone 6 Plus suffering from a bendable body while in pockets and other tight places, YouTuber Lewis from Unbox Therapy decided to put together a proper “bend test” and see what all of the fuss is about. Obviously this is going to be an extreme situation, but as others have specified it doesn’t take much to bend Apple’s new phablet… In the video below, Lew puts the iPhone 6 Plus through a forced bend session....

Yet more wheels within wheels on Apple’s move to abandon Infineon for Qualcomm subsequent to Intel’s acquisition of Infineon, manufacturer of baseband chips for the iPhone. Now we’re told Qualcomm will contract Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to make the 3G wireless chips that will equip Apple’s iPhone 5 and iPad 2, which will be launched in mid-2011, as reported by the China Economic News. The chips are expected to be manufactured using TSMC’s 65-nanometre process....

Apple saw record-setting sales this holiday season, according to Localytics. So well, that 12.5 times more iOS devices were activated over Christmas than past weekends. For comparison sake: there were 21 times more iPods compared to 14 times more iPhones. The iPods were most likely gifted to younger children who do not yet have a cell phone. At any rate… there were many people enjoying iOS devices on Christmas Day....

Apple today has debuted a pair of new ads for its iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The two ads, one simply titled “Live Photos” and the other titled “Less Time,” are fast-paced 30 second spots that quickly jump between using a pair of features that differentiate the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus from their predecessors… In “Live Photos,” Apple touts the new Live Photos feature of the iPhone 6s lineup....

Apple acquired transit mapping startup HopStop in 2013 to help form the basis of the new transit mapping feature in iOS 9. Now, as is tradition when Apple launches a product based off of an acquired technology, Apple says it is shutting down the still-running HopStop app in October. This message was shared as a banner on HopStop’s website: Unfortunately, Apple shutting down the HopStop service will create a gap in transit support....

A day after the iMac and Mac Pro (besides a spec-bump that popped up in the store) were neglected from this year’s slew of Mac announcements, an Apple spokesperson confirmed to Forbes that new models and new designs of the iMac and Mac Pro are likely to release in 2013. Connie Guglielmo said today: This confirms what New York Times’ columnist David Pogue said yesterday: An Apple spokesman just told me that new models and new designs of the Mac Pro, as well as the iMac desktop, are in the works and will likely be released in 2013....

Apple will expand its support capabilities for Beats by Dre hardware products, like headphones and speakers, next week by launching web-based chat support, according to sources. Customers in need of support for their Beats devices will be able to instant message with a support representative via Apple’s support website beginning on Monday, February 23rd. In January, Apple began moving Beats phone-based support wholly in-house after still using the headphone maker’s outsourced support for most of last year....

Update: We’ve recieved reports from a number of Israeli readers who told us it is the local Apple reseller outfit iDigital that is opening a huge store. According to the Jerusalem Post Apple is looking to open a 5000 square-meter store (that’s 54K square feet! – which seems unlikely) in Jerusalem, Israel. The report claims this store will house the “Apple Digital Library,” and if anyone knows what that is feel free to let us know....

Update: Apple Pay is now rolling out in Poland, according to Think Apple. Thus far, two banks are live with their support, but more are expected to come. Apple Pay is reportedly rolling out in Poland as early as tomorrow, June 19. Apple Pay just launched in Poland at 5 a.m.@9to5mac @MacRumors @appleinsider pic.twitter.com/fQqAu8QffP — Baerok (@Baerok) June 19, 2018 As reported by Polish blog Cashless.pl, the service will be landing in Poland this week with the following banks: Alior, BGŻ BNP Paribas, BZ WBK, Getin, mBank, Nest Bank, Pekao and Raiffeisen Polbank....

Despite comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook last year about India remaining a lower priority than many other emerging markets, a report from Reuters today detailed how Apple is “aggressively pushing” the iPhone in India through payment plans and a new marketing campaign. Cook suggested last year that India wasn’t the biggest international focus for Apple and multi-layer distribution in the country “really adds to the cost of getting products to market....

A report suggests that Nintendo is being forced to limit its sales targets for the Switch game console due to component shortages in part created by Apple … The WSJ reports that the games company has limited its sales target for the year to 10M, though it really wants to make double that. Flash memory manufacturer Toshiba says demand for its NAND chips is ‘overwhelmingly greater’ than supply due to demand from Apple and other smartphone manufacturers....