Following the recent release of the iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 to developers, Apple today started pushing out iTunes 10.5.1 to the public. You should see the update appearing in Software Update any second, otherwise it’s already available for download from Apple’s site here. Apple also confirmed the availability of iTunes Match in the U.S., with the following announcement on their iTunes page. iTunes Match syncs users’ music to iCloud for $24....

With both the iPad Pro’s Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil showing availability of 4-5 weeks, and neither available in-store, Apple has issued a brief statement to Mashable acknowledging the issue and promising ‘regular shipments.’ Customers are very excited for iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. We have limited supply of Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard in Apple Retail stores. Our stores will continue to receive regular shipments and we encourage customers to visit Apple....

Black Hat, famously known for its information security conferences, has just released the ‘Behind the Scenes of iOS Security’ video from this year’s USA event. The talk, led by Ivan Krstic, dives into some of the security methods that currently exist in iOS and what Apple does to keep users secure. This talk was also where Apple had introduced its first security bounty program. This year has been a major year in security for Apple....

According to our sources, Apple’s new, smaller 9-pin dock connector is dubbed “Lightning” internally. As of this evening, we believe that this name will extend to the new connector’s marketing name. The moniker makes sense for two reasons. One: it goes along with the Thunderbolt connector name on the Mac (Thunderbolt and lightning!). Two: perhaps “Lightning” means that the new dock connector will be able to sync via a computer at faster speeds than the current 30-pin connector....

Earlier this year it was reported that Apple is developing augmented reality features that will eventually appear in glasses after coming first to iPhones. Now a newly leaked document may have accidentally acknowledged Apple’s prototype AR glasses for the first time. Gizmodo reports that it has acquired a safety incident document accidentally distributed to Apple employees that mentions a prototype device that has caused eye strain for testers. Incidents in the report appear to have occurred in February and March which offers a timeline for the possible AR glasses prototype testing based on the document’s title: Impact Descriptions Reported in [Santa Clara Valley] from Last Month....

Apple has finally gone on the record regarding the ongoing story about iOS location tracking by putting out a press release this morning. The document entitled “Q&A on Location Data” begins by saying that “Apple would like to respond to the questions we have recently received about the gathering and use of location information by our devices.” It immediately flatly denies allegations of deliberate location tracking for unknown purposes. “Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone....

Apple yesterday released iOS 9.1 to the public with a handful of improvements, but the one that the general public was most excited about was new emoji. While most of the emoji additions were self-explantory, one piqued the interest of many users: an eye inside of a speech bubble. Wired and Jeremy Burge both now note, however, that this emoji is Apple’s way to show its support for a new anti-bullying campaign launched today by the Ad Council....

Apple Park’s Visitor Center now has an opening date. According to a sign posted at the building shared on Twitter, the new Visitor Center will officially open on November 17th, while employees and other Cupertino residents have been invited to the grand opening event… Apple hasn’t shared many details about the grand opening and there’s no exact time set just yet. While the grand opening event will be held on November 17th, Apple is inviting Cupertino residents to get a look on November 16th....

Apple is preparing to make significant changes to its stores to simplify the experience by relocating iPod stock to accessory shelves and removing iPad-based Smart Signs, according to several Apple Retail managers briefed today on the plans. Apple will begin rolling out these notable changes overnight on Tuesday of next week to stores in the United States so that customers who begin coming in on Wednesday see the refreshed look....

Apple just released iOS 10.3 beta for developers and within has surprised with a new Find My AirPods feature that allows users to locate their missing cord-free Apple earbuds. The feature lives inside Apple’s Find my iPhone app, which allows users to locate their missing iOS devices on a Map via iCloud and a standalone iOS app. But since the AirPods rely on Bluetooth connectivity, it will only be able to locate the AirPods if they are in range of your other Apple devices....

Apple has released the first software update for Apple Watch today with the release of Watch OS 1.0.1. The update is available through the Apple Watch app on iPhone. The update measures in at 51.6 MB and includes “performance improvements and bug fixes” as Apple notes. In addition to adding support for the 300+ new Emoji characters added in iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3, Apple lists these as improvements areas:...

Apple has released the first iOS 11.1, tvOS 11.1, and macOS 10.13.1 public betas for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. Each public beta versions come one day after the release of the first developer beta updates to iOS 11, tvOS 11, and macOS 10.13. None of the new public betas appear to introduce any new user-facing features, at least in the first betas, although we expect Apple Pay Cash, Messages in iCloud, and AirPlay 2 to launch during a future update....

Alongside an update for Logic Pro X today to version 10.3, GarageBand for iOS is also getting an update that introduces Logic integration, a refreshed design, and a handful of new features. Perhaps most notably, version 2.2 of GarageBand for iPhone and iPad introduces a mobile version of the Alchemy virtual synth that it picked up through its Camel Audio acquisition and first integrated into Logic last summer. New recording features |...

Apple has now released iOS 11.2, bringing the fix for the repeated crashes users experienced since the date rolled over to December 2, as we reported on earlier today. iOS 11.2 also includes Apple Pay Cash, for peer-to-peer payments between friends in the US, but it is not yet available to use (it will be activated OTA in a few days). Download iOS 11.2 now for your iPad, iPhone and iPad touch....

Apple has released a handful of silicone and leather cases for the new iPhone SE. There are three silicone cases for the device, priced at $35, and three leather cases, priced at $45. iPhone SE leather cases are available in three colors: midnight blue, black, and PRODUCT(RED). You can order the leather cases now, with deliveries starting on April 17. iPhone SE silicone cases area also available in three colors: pink sand, white, and black....

Apple has released the second tvOS 11.3 public beta for Apple TV (fourth gen) and Apple TV 4K. tvOS 11.3 beta follows the release of tvOS 11.2.5 for all customers. When used with iOS 11.2.5 on iPhone and iPad, content playing on tvOS 11.2.5 appears as a Now Playing option in Control Center. Here’s what’s new in tvOS 11.3 beta so far: Apple TV shows up in Home app with tvOS 11....

Apple announced plans for two new European data centers back in 2015, one in Ireland, the second in Denmark. The Irish one hasn’t had the smoothest of rides when it comes to planning permission, so it’ll be hoping for better luck with the Danish project, now confirmed to be situated in Foulum, a small village in Central Jutland. The Danish foreign minister Kristian Jensen told CPH Post that the DKK6.3B ($950M) project would represent the largest foreign capital investment in the country’s history....

Apple’s Employee Giving Program saw its best year ever, says the company. The iPhone maker said that 2020 was “a landmark year of giving” by its employees. Apple supports charitable donations and volunteering by its employees by matching every dollar donated and giving an additional sum for every hour of voluntary service by its staff … Apple didn’t break down 2020 specifically, but did highlight the totals achieved since the program was launched back in 2011....

In an open letter being sent to artists today (below), Apple for the first time broke down how it pays artists for streams on the service. It said the average play rate is $0.01 per stream, but it didn’t break down specific streaming rates that vary based on geography and discounted Apple Music plans. Some of the highlights: Apple said it paid an average of $0.01 per stream for individual paid plans last year It paid the same 52% headline rate to all labels Royalties were paid out for more than 5 million recording artists worldwide in 2020 The number of artists that generated recording and publishing royalties over $1 million per year increased over 120% since 2017 The number of recording artists that generated over $50,000 per year has more than doubled....

Apple today has shared a new commercial for the Apple Watch Series 2. The new ad is titled “Live Bright” and highlights using the Apple Watch to live an active and healthy lifestyle. Throughout the ad, the Apple Watch is shown in a variety of different environments, including swimming, running, and even skydiving. The new ad also showcases features that can help improve a sedentary lifestyle, such as the Stand feature of the Activity app and the Breathe app....