Apple is preparing a new Reserve and Pickup system at its retail stores that will roll out in time for the Watch launch on April 24th, according to sources. The Reserve and Pickup system for the Apple Watch will differ from the existing Personal Pickup system for other products, which allows customers to fully purchase items online before picking them up at Apple retail locations. The new system will allow potential Watch customers to reserve a desired case and band combination online, then try the specific Watch in-store before completing the purchase....

Apple today announced the release date for its highly-anticipated limited series starring Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery and more. Defending Jacob debuts April 24 on Apple TV+. The show tells the story of a father who is dealing with the aftermath of his teenage son being accused of murder. It is based off a novel of the same name. The first three episodes of Defending Jacob will be available on Apple TV+ starting April 24....

Apple Pay may soon be available in another country. Following last year’s expansion to more countries in Europe, including Slovakia and Portugal, there’s now evidence that Apple’s payment service is coming to Mexico. According to some users on Twitter, it’s already possible to add cards from Mexican banks to the Wallet app by changing the iPhone region to another one that already supports Apple Pay. The cards are successfully added, but it’s not yet possible to verify them with the bank since Apple has not yet officially launched Apple Pay there....

Now-deleted code on an Apple server suggests that Apple Pay Octopus support is coming as part of iOS 13 – almost certainly with the Express Transit feature, meaning no authentication is needed. The physical Octopus transit card is used by almost everyone in Hong Kong, thanks to a combination of convenience, automatic top-up and a rewards scheme … Octopus notes that the cards can be used for more than just travel....

Apple shared which Macs will be compatible with the Pro Display XDR and very notably, the iMac Pro wasn’t on the list. However, we’ve got confirmation today that it will work, but with a limitation. In the Pro Display XDR Display’s tech specs, Apple only lists a few Macs able to drive the 32-inch 6K display(s). Those include the 2019 iMacs, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro (plus any Thunderbolt 3 Mac paired with a Blackmagic eGPU)....

Apple has released the first iOS 9.2.1 beta to developers for testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The new software version features build number 13D11 which compares to last week’s iOS 9.2 release at 13C75. The update is available for registered developers currently through the iOS Dev Center. The first iOS 9.2.1 update likely includes further bug fixes and performance improvements after last week’s public iOS 9.2 release. That new version included a long list of under-the-hood tweaks plus a few public facing features including more 3D Touch support in iBooks, better support for Classical music in Apple Music, Arabic Siri, and support for Apple’s Lightning to SD Card Reader adapters, both new and old....

Apple released the third beta of its iOS 7.1 software (build 11D5127c) to registered developers today. Apple released the first iOS 7.1 beta for developers in November bringing with it a handful of UI tweaks, performance improvements, and accessibility features. That release was followed by a second iOS 7.1 beta in mid-December which brought button shapes as an accessibility feature as well as a calendar design mirroring iOS 6 and prior....

Somewhat out of the blue, Apple has released a minor software update for the third-generation Apple TV. This is technically listed as iOS 7.2.1, the same version number as the previous public Apple TV operating system. However, the build number has been bumped up, indicating Apple has rolled in some minor bug fixes and improvements. The update comes as a welcome surprise for third-generation Apple TV owners, who had felt somewhat abandoned ever since Apple released the brand-new tvOS-based Apple TV 4 last fall....

Apple this week has launched a new beta version of iCloud on the web with the overhauled Reminders app, a new launch screen, and more. The change was first pointed out by Federico Viticci on Twitter. The Reminders app on iOS 13 and macOS Catalina was given a major overhaul, and now the same app can be accessed directly on the web. On the non-beta version of iCloud on the web, Reminders is simply listened as “coming soon....

Customer experience tests of three recent iPhone ads find that Baby Boomers – those aged 55 plus – find them annoying and worrying. The tests were carried out by UserTesting, who also explained why Apple likely made the decision to run the ads despite knowing the effect they would have on older people … The firm studied the reactions of two age-groups to three different video ads (shown below). Gen Z (18-25) Baby Boomers (55+) The panel of 200 people included both iPhone and Android users, and found that there was little difference in their reactions....

Apple released a new iPad Air 2 campaign during Sunday football today showcasing various unique physical and software applications for the iPad Air 2. Featuring the song “Who Needs You” by The Orwells [iTunes Store, YouTube], the ad is a departure from last year’s iPad Air which were focused on a single user. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROZhrRm88ms] iPad Air 2 isn’t just the thinnest and lightest iPad we’ve ever created. It’s the most powerful....

With a new MusicKit API, developers will be able to offer Apple Music trials and receive rewards for new subscribers through a referral program starting with iOS 15. This news was highlighted by developer Tim Isenman on Twitter, but Apple also gave a preview during the “Meet MusicKit for Swift” session on WWDC21 week. According to Apple engineer Joel Lopes da Silva, this new “MusicKit accelerates the way your apps integrate with Apple Music API, which is our set of server-side APIs for accessing the wide array of catalog content from Apple Music, thus making it much easier for you to build compelling apps that tie into Apple Music....

Apple’s report card 2020 is the latest in my annual look back at the company’s product launches and other key activities across the year. It follows similar pieces in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Normally, I’d kick off with the latest iPhone lineup, but not in 2020 … M1 Macs Any other year, the new iPhones would be Apple’s headline news, but this year they were – in my view – completely eclipsed by the new M1 Macs....

Apple has just seeded iOS 5.1 to developers, a pre-release version of iOS that runs on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. In addition, Apple has released Xcode 4.3 beta to developers, a required version of Xcode for those wishing to develop and test their applications with iOS 5.1 devices. This iOS 5.1 release is crucial. The 5.1 beta brings along an under-the-hood change for alternative interpretations for Dictation input in different apps....

Ahead of the Apple Music exclusive stream of the documentary ‘808’ set for Dec. 9, Apple has tweeted a new trailer for the film that focuses on Roland’s iconic TR-808 drum machine. ‘808’ was originally shown at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival and is just shy of 7/10 stars on IMDb as of this writing. Atlantic Records is offering the soundtrack album now and looks to be selling apparel in the near future....

Apple last week released iOS 13.5 to everyone, bringing new features such as the Exposure Notification API and Face ID upgrades. Now, Apple has stopped signing iOS 13.4.1, which means users can no longer downgrade from iOS 13.5 to iOS 13.4.1. Reverting to older iOS builds is common for those in the jailbreak community and can sometimes also be useful for users who experience significant bugs after updating to the latest version of iOS....

Apple posted a new page today on its website outlining how the company is “creating jobs through innovation.” To be exact, Apple said it “created or supported” approximately 514,000 U.S. jobs. About 304,000 (47,000 at Apple) are in fields such as engineering, manufacturing, and transportation, and 210,000 are attributed to the iOS app economy. The numbers mirror our recent report discussing how jobs created by the iOS app economy are often overlooked during discussions about low-wage jobs in China....

Following a humorous new Face ID ad earlier this month, Apple today continues its iPhone X advertising push. The company has debuted a new 1-minute ad that highlights the A11 Bionic processor… Apple is calling the new ad ‘Unleash,’ touting that the iPhone X allows you to “unleash a more powerful you” thanks to the A11 Bionic chip inside. Throughout the ad, an iPhone X user can be seen walking through the street playing the game Vainglory 5V5 on his device....

Apple may face an anti-trust investigation in Europe over its iPhone contracts with carriers as it defends itself against separate investigations for alleged price gouging in Australia. Apple was informed last year that it would be required to attend a hearing by Australia’s Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications to explain why its pricing of digital content was higher in Australia than in the United States. The hearing is now underway, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, with Apple asked to explain why content sold through iTunes is marked up between 30 and 70 percent higher than in the U....

All of today’s best deals are headlined by a rare discount on Apple Pencil 2 at $115. That’s alongside up to 50% off Twelve South Apple gear and the latest Anker sale from $11. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Apple Pencil 2 sees rare deal to $115 Redesigned for the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air, the second-generation Apple Pencil improves on the original model with wireless charging, magnetic attachment, and a refreshed form factor....