Alongside the introduction of iOS 10.1 and watchOS 3.1, Apple has switched on support for Apple Pay in Japan. This makes the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 compatible with the FeliCa contactless payment system used by almost two million payment terminals in the country. Supporting Apple Pay in Japan was not a trivial undertaking for Apple. Although FeliCa is an NFC-based contactless payment system, it’s not compatible with the systems used in most other countries....

Apple currently plans to use its next major release of the Mac operating system, known as OS X 10.12, this fall to continue to expand Siri across its product lines. Last year, Apple implemented Siri as cornerstone features of both the Apple Watch and new Apple TV, and for 2016, Siri is planned to finally make its way to the Mac. Apple had been testing versions of OS X internally with Siri integration since at least 2012, but sources now say that Apple has a clear vision for Siri on the Mac along with a polished user-interface and is nearly ready to launch the feature publicly....

Apple has published a new press release on its Newsroom website today underscoring the economic impact of the App Store. Ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference kicking off next week, Apple touts that developers grow total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem by 24% to $643 billion in 2020. Apple’s press release cites a new study from the Analysis Group, which it helped support. The study says that the number of “small developers” worldwide has increased by 40% since 2015 and now makes up more than 90% of total developers....

One of iOS 10’s cool new features is the ability for developers to create sticker pack animated emojis for iMessage using the Messages API. Apple is showing how it is done, so to speak… Apple last night released 4 apps for iOS 10 beta testers, most of which will look familiar to Apple Watch users. The Classic Mac sticker packs, originally designed by Susan Kare in the 80s was included with iOS 10 but is now there if you’ve uninstalled and want to reinstall....

Apple is rolling out the fourth iOS 10.3 beta for developer testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The upcoming software update includes Find My AirPods support, CarPlay improvements, Apple’s new filesystem, and more. We’ll update and highlight any changes discovered below. iOS 10.3 is currently only available in beta for registered developers and public beta testers. The public beta version of each update usually follows a few days after the developer version if not the same day....

It’s time for iOS 13 beta 3 — for developer build testers at least. Apple has released the third developer beta version of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 alongside new seeds of watchOS 6, tvOS 13, and macOS Catalina. Apple’s public beta builds should follow at a later date after the latest developer beta has been tested for some time. Apple’s new software version won’t be complete until the fall, however, so testers should still expect performance and stability issues when running the iOS 13 beta on primary devices....

One week after the first tvOS 9.1 beta for Apple TV, developers now have access to an updated build of the software update to test. While the initial tvOS 9.1 beta contained no visual changes for users yet, Siri has since been enabled to work with Apple Music on the beta version of the software. Non-developer Apple TV users also recently saw the very first software update for Apple TV yesterday with the release of tvOS 9....

Bloomberg reports that representatives from Apple held meetings with suppliers of parts for augmented reality devices at CES 2018. The company is believed to be working on an AR headset of its own, with an approximate 2019 release timeframe. Apple famously doesn’t partake in public demos at the consumer electronics show, but always has engineers and managers in attendance to find potential future manufacturers for its products and keep abreast of new technologies....

Apple subsidiary FileMaker today introduced version 14, the first major update since 2013, of its popular iOS and Mac-based platform, which includes the FileMaker Pro, Go, and Server software suites. This new version focuses on separate enhancements for speed across the different software versions, with the Mac and Windows applications gaining improved features for productivity, and the iOS Go apps for iPad and iPhone receiving end-to-end redesigns for iOS 8. Below, we break down the most significant new features for the Pro, Go, and Server versions....

Apple has just shared a new video to its official Apple Support YouTube channel showing how to use an iPad with the new Magic Keyboard and other trackpads, highlighting some available gestures and settings. The video demonstrates how the advanced cursor feature works on iPadOS 13.4, which appears when you’re using it and disappears as soon as you stop touching the trackpad. It shows that users can slide up with three fingers to open the App Switcher, slide to the right corner of the screen to see the Slide Over apps, and more....

iPhone and Apple Watch launch day at an Apple Store is always a special experience. At six locations throughout the U.S., Japan, and China, Apple made this year’s release a little more special by unveiling all-new and remodeled stores. The first customers to pick up their new phones and watches were also among the first to step inside. The largest and most notable store reopening on September 20 was Apple Fifth Avenue in Manhattan....

The GTAT mess may have forced Apple to abandon its presumed plans to replace iPhone Gorilla Glass screens with sapphire, but next year’s iPhone displays could still prove up to twice as shatter-resistant, says glass-maker Corning. Corning said that studying hundreds of broken phone screens had revealed the unsurprising fact that shattered screens most commonly occurred in a one-meter drop onto a rough surface like concrete or asphalt. Drop tests in these conditions found that Gorilla Glass 4 survived up to 80% of such impacts – twice the record of the Gorilla Glass 3 used in current iPhones....

Apple continues to face scrutiny over throttling older iPhones as their batteries age. In addition to questioning from lawmakers in the U.S. and other countries around the world, the company today testified in front of a House of Commons committee regarding the iPhone slowdown controversy… As noted by iMore, Geekbench’s John Poole and Apple Canada testified in front of the House of Commons committee responsible for looking into the controversy and how Apple handled the situation....

Apple has just wrapped up its media event and has pushed several new pages online. The first is a new page dedicated to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and the second is a page for the Apple Watch. But Apple has gone even further, revealing a whole new look for its entire website that features a flattened navigation bar. A new page about the U2 “Songs of Innocence” album is also live, and includes details on how to redeem your free copy of the album....

Apple has released macOS 10.12.2 beta 5 for Mac. The new update follows the initial macOS 10.12.2 beta at the end of October and multiple additional builds since. Today’s build is 16C60b compared to 16C53a and is available from the Mac App Store. macOS 10.12.2 includes Unicode 9.0 emoji support, which matches compatibility in beta versions of iOS 10.2 and watchOS 3.1.1. macOS 10.12.2 will be released to everyone in the future (expected this month), and the beta allows developers to test pre-release versions of the software update before it’s released....

Following the release of OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 a little over a month ago, Apple has released a new version of the operating system to users with bug fixes. This bug fix update will come automatically in the download for those who are still running earlier versions of Snow Leopard, but a patch is available for those who are already on 10.6.8. The update is available via the Mac’s Software Update application and the direct links are after the break....

Update: Developer betas are now available including iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, tvOS 12.2, macOS 10.14.4, and Xcode 10.2 beta 1. Now that Apple’s bug fix beta updates to iOS 12.1 are now available to all users, it’s time for the next big point release of iOS 12. Apple will release iOS 12.2 developer beta 1 today. watchOS 5.2 beta 1 for developers is also arriving today. The software update should be available at the top of the hour....

Apple 12-inch MacBook + iPad Pro see big one-day price drops Woot is currently offering a selection of certified refurbished MacBooks and iPads on sale. Free shipping is available for Prime members; otherwise a $6 delivery fee may apply. Our top pick is Apple’s 12-inch MacBook 256 GB in certified refurbished condition for $760. That’s good for nearly $540 off and $70 less than our previous mention. You’d pay $340 more direct from the manufacturer for a comparable model....

Software on Apple’s App Store may be reviewed by human editors and approved before distribution, but one business owner claims the iPhone maker is not doing enough to prevent copyright infringement. The Roanoke Times published a piece this week highlighting the issue of paid iOS apps scraping content from the web and packaging it in paid apps. While developer relations issues often get a lot of attention, the problem with the App Store according to Brian Raub is not a story heard often… Raub runs a travel review site called Lakelubbers....

Honda was noticeably slow to the CarPlay scene despite being committed from day one to support Apple’s infotainment feature in 2014. The automaker eventually delivered with CarPlay in the 2016 Accord and Civic, and 2017 Ridgeline, and today Honda announced CarPlay will be returning in the 2017 Accord, one of the most popular cars on the road. Honda’s new Accord is hitting showroom floors on Monday and will start at $22,355....