This evening Apple shared a new ad that’s part of the Behind the Mac campaign, aimed at newly admitted college students. Like Apple’s previous Behind the Mac ads, this one features black and white clips of people interacting with their Macs. In this new ad you can see a series of college students reacting to acceptance letters on their Macs. Cheerful students and excited families explode with joy as they read letters on MacBooks....

Ahead of its major media event next week, Apple has issued a significant update to its Apple Store shopping iOS app. The first addition is a complete redesign for the iPhone and iPod touch application’s interface. The new design is more in-line with the recently released iPad variant. Speaking of the iPad version, the tablet-optimized layout is now a universal bundle (single download) with the iPhone/iPod touch version, and it has also gained support for making Apple Store One to One reservations....

Something new in iOS 7 that hasn’t been getting much coverage is the improvements Apple is making to Core Bluetooth for better integration with Bluetooth LE accessories. Apple is making a lot of changes to its Bluetooth APIs in iOS 7 that will not only allow your iOS devices to work with more Bluetooth LE devices, it will also introduce new features for everything from time to notifications, keyboards, and stereo sound....

Following Apple CEO Tim Cook giving remarks at the EU data protection conference CPDP this morning, the company’s senior director of global privacy Jane Horvath also partook in a roundtable discussion. Horvath was asked specific questions about Apple’s use of Google as the default search engine on iPhones and more. Horvath explained during the discussion that “we are truly at an inflection point” in regards to user privacy. She questioned whether users should “continue with the current norm which involves a privacy trade-off, providing unlimited personal data in order to enjoy free services....

Apple has released an update to iTunes that enables iOS users to sync their photo libraries from the new Photos app that was included in yesterday’s 10.10.3 update. Previously users could sync their iPhoto libraries to their devices, but the release of the Photos app marks the end of Apple’s support for the old software. The iTunes update also includes “several refinements to the Get Info window,” and improves the app’s stability....

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple will revamp the iBooks app later this year with a major redesign, with a new ‘Reading Now’ tab, a separate section for audiobooks and a store interface that draws from the same design language as the iOS 11 App Store. The report follows the launch of iOS 11.3 beta, which includes a renaming of the iBooks app to simply ‘Books’. In the current beta, there are no meaningful UI changes to the Books app....

A report from the Daily Mail over the weekend claimed Apple is working with fuel cell company Intelligent Energy on a project that hopes to embed fuel cells in mobile devices “within a few years.” The Daily Mail doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to accuracy, but the report claimed “senior sources in the US” have confirmed the partnership between the two companies. The report noted that Intelligent Energy already has ties to Apple with former Apple Computers product specialist Joe O’Sullivan sitting on the company’s board and a new office in San Jose not far from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino....

Apple is temporarily closing many of its 20 retail stores in France as the country prepares to re-enter a national lockdown. Temporary closures will take effect starting October 30. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced new lockdown measures set to begin on Friday and last through December 1. Nonessential businesses, restaurants, and cafes will be closed in an effort to slow a recent uptick in COVID-19 infections. The restrictions also impact Apple Stores....

Business Insider reports that the FBI served search warrants ordering Google to hand over emails belonging to suspects in a criminal investigation. The emails in question were stored on a server stored outside the USA, and Google refused, arguing that a domestic search warrant could not apply to data stored in a foreign country … The filing does not suggest that the government is necessarily wrong to seek to extend the law to data stored overseas, but rather argues that the current law does not permit this, and it is for Congress – and not the courts – to make this call....

. The Verge just reported (and The Loop concurred) that Apple sent invites for that iPad 3 introduction you have waited for, likely with tingling anticipation. The presser is March 7 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10 a.m. PST. The three app icons featured on the shot hold subtle clues: The Maps icon shows an infinite loop (it is the “who,” as Apple’s address is 1 Infinite Loop); the Calendar displays Wednesday, March 7 (the “when”); and, the “what” is conveyed through the self-explanatory Keynote app icon....

According to a recent Job posting, Apple is looking for an “iPhone Advertising SDK Manager”. This job opportunity obviously stems from their recent purchase of Quattro wireless, a mobile advertising platform. What’s interesting (and different from Google) here is that Apple appears to be integrating the advertising engine INTO the iPhone SDK so developers who want to put advertising in their apps will likely be able to do so from within Apple’s iPhone SDK environment and get payouts from the same place that they currently receive payments from paid apps....

Approximately two weeks following the launch of the revamped iTunes 11 application, Apple has released iTunes 11.0.1 via the Mac App Store Software Update tab to users. The update is generally a bug fix release. It includes fixes for items from iCloud not properly appearing in user libraries, an issue with the AirPlay button not appearing, and making libraries with several items more responsive. Additionally, this new update restores the ability to display duplicate items in user libraries....

Following the launch of iOS 13.4 and watchOS 6.2, Apple today has released macOS Catalina 10.15.4. This update includes several improvements and bug fixes across the system, in addition to the iCloud Drive folder sharing, Apple Music time-synced lyrics, and more. The Music app on macOS Catalina 10.15.4 now offers the same time-synced lyrics feature that came to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac last year. This feature allows you to follow along with a song in real-time....

Apple has released the second beta of WatchOS 2.0 to developers. First announced at WWDC earlier this month, the new version of WatchOS brings both new features to the Apple Watch and support for native applications. This new beta will allow developers to continue testing apps that run directly on the Apple Watch hardware with access to local sensors, the Digital Crown, and the device’s own processor. For consumers, new WatchOS 2 software features include a new Nightstand Mode for seeing the time and alerts in a larger font, three new watch faces, access to third-party watch face complications, a new Time Travel mode for seeing past and future calendar events and weather data on clock faces, and a more feature-rich Music app....

Apple demoed the technology to the Associated Press earlier in the week in New York City. Apple has setup over 20 iBeacon transmitters in its flagship 5th Avenue store. However, starting today, everyone can benefit from the update, as the Apple Store app has been updated silently from the server side. Customers in the US can sign up inside the app today … Upon opening the Apple Store app, users will be asked whether they want to install In-Store notifications....

Today’s best deals include Apple’s latest 13-inch MacBook Pro at $100 off, plus previous-generation iPhones are on sale, and Logitech’s Slim Folio for iPad Pro gets a discount. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro Trusted Apple retailer Expercom is taking up to $100 off the new 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro. Prices start at $1,234. Every other retailer out there, like Best Buy, is charging full price at this time....

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the Apple veteran employee who has been overseeing the company’s “Project Titan” electric car initiative is leaving the company. The report, citing “people familiar with the matter,” says Steve Zadesky, who has been with Apple for 16 years, is leaving the company for “personal reasons.” The timing for Zadesky’s departure is unknown at this point, as are his specific reasons for leaving, although the report makes it clear that it was for “personal reasons and wasn’t related to his performance....

Apple’s iPad is rapidly emerging as the most quickly adopted consumer electronics launch in history, with sales rates surpassing the last de rigeur consumer tech purchase, the DVD player. Sounds incredible? Yes, perhaps so, but these aren’t my words but the findings of new data from Bernstein Research, who point out that sales are blowing past Q1’s one million and already massively eclipsing the 350,000 DVD players sold in year one, the previous “most quickly adopted non-phone electronic product....

We’re starting the week off with fresh discounts on Apple’s new 2020 MacBook Air, plus a new Anker Work from Home sale, and various price drops on official iPhone cases. Head below for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Apple’s 2020 MacBook Air hits all-time low Anker’s work from home essentials sale Official iPhone cases see fresh discounts Save 25% on Logitech’s Slim Folio for iPad Pro CalDigit’s Thunderbolt 3 Dock is $45 off Best trade-in deals Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!...

We’ve been watching as banners go up at Moscone West in preparation of Apple’s WWDC developer conference on Monday, and now the company appears to have revealed “Yosemite” as the name for its next OS X release. The image, however, appears to be of El Capitan, a rock formation in Yosemite and another name Apple has reportedly trademarked as “El Cap”. For that reason, there’s a possibility Apple could go with either the El Cap or Yosemite name for 10....