Apple has released two new ads that use Animoji to sing Grammy nominated songs, as spotted by Adweek. The exclusive iPhone X feature has been very popular and also controversial as some see it as gimmicky. Apple has just added an additional four Animoji characters in iOS 11.3. The 60-second clips each feature a Grammy nominated song. The dog Animoji sings ”Stir Fry” by rap trio Migos, and the alien Animoji performs “Redbone” by Childish Gambino....

Over the last week, Apple executives have made appearances on several podcasts to talk iPadOS, Project Catalyst, the Mac Pro, and more. Now, Apple’s Josh Shaffer and Wiley Hodges have joined the Upgrade podcast to talk more about SwiftUI. At Apple, Wiley Hodges serves as a director of product marketing, focusing on developer tools, security, and privacy. Shaffer, meanwhile, is a software engineer at the company. Speaking to Jason Snell on the Upgrade podcast, the two offered interesting context on SwiftUI and its role in the developer community:...

For a few months, Apple has maintained a secretive office near the MIT campus. Now, Xconomy reports the company has been hiring notable speech recognition talent to use the location as a speech recognition research office. Many companies build small liaison offices near suppliers of products and technology to help in cross-collaborative work… Based on their online job profiles, we can say that members of the Apple speech team here are working on Siri, the company’s voice-activated virtual assistant....

The most significant change to Apple’s developer ecosystem this decade has been the introduction of the Swift programming language – and we’ll probably see the next big change come during this year’s WWDC with the introduction of third party UIKit apps on the Mac. As for Swift, the new language was announced at WWDC 2014. With contributions from both Apple engineers and the open-source community, it has seen constant updates and is now in version 4....

Reliable supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities has published a new report focused squarely on Apple keyboards. Kuo lays out an updated timeline for when he believes Apple will begin using more reliable keyboards in MacBooks. Butterfly to scissor switch Kuo’s latest research for investors shares a fuller timeline for when we should expect each MacBook model to transition from the current butterfly switch keyboard to the more reliable scissor switch keyboard....

Apple TV+ has announced a new series in partnership with Oprah Winfrey, dubbed “The Oprah Conversation.” The new interview show will debut on July 30 on Apple TV+, and was filmed remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by Variety, the first episode of “The Oprah Conversation,” entitled “How to Be an Antiracist,” will feature author Professor Ibram X. Kendi. In the episode, the two will “speak with white readers who confront their own racist beliefs....

From the main menu, go to Settings » General. Then scroll down and select Parental Controls. Now select Turn on Parental Controls. Next, set a four digit Passcode. This is where the the Remote app for an iDevice comes in handier than the physical remote. Verify your Passcode then select Done. Passcode is confirmed. Select OK. Now select the media services available on the Apple TV. Change the options between Ask, Show and Hide....

In what was a notable change this summer, Apple opted to not remove the dedicated Apple Events channel on Apple TV after WWDC 2015 as it has done several weeks after media events in the past. Instead the Apple Events channel has become a permanent app on the Apple TV, serving as a central spot for viewing prior major product announcements without relying on searching the YouTube channel (which has since been removed from Apple TV 2 boxes)....

Apple’s rather bumpy ride in China continues with the state-run People’s Daily including the company’s App Store in a list of online stores and websites investigated for ‘providing pornographic content’ in China. It’s an ironic charge for a company with a well-known opposition to pornography. Apple does not allow pornographic content in its App Store, and has a record of removing apps which are found to be in breach of this term …...

Blockchain, the most popular Bitcoin wallet app, has become the latest casualty of Apple’s apparent crackdown on Bitcoin apps. The app was removed from the App Store yesterday without explanation. Apple had previously removed BitPak and Coinbase, leaving Blockchain the only remaining Bitcoin wallet app. Blockchain had been in the store since April 2012, and has around 120,000 users, and developer Nicolas Cary is accusing Apple of having an ulterior motive for its removal … The reality is likely to be rather more mundane: with governments and financial authorities unsure of how to respond to the unregulated artificial currency, Apple has most probably decided to play it safe until the legal position is clearer....

Even though Apple’s fight over the San Bernardino iPhone is essentially over, the overall debate regarding encryption versus national security remains. In an effort to continue to beef up security options on consumer devices, Reuters today reports that Apple has rehired well-respected security expert Jon Callas. News of this hire comes as we’re hearing from sources that Apple is in the midst of entirely overhauling its security team. Today’s report details that Apple has rehired Callas this month....

Apple has just released the first beta version of tvOS 13.4.8 to developers, following the announcement of the first iOS 13.5.5 beta earlier this week, as well as tvOS 13.4.6 public launch. We don’t know the reason Apple skipped tvOS 13.4.7. Compared to tvOS 13.4.6 (17L570), today’s build number is 17M5535f. Apple does not specify what new features are included in tvOS 13.4.8 beta, but it’s likely that the update includes bug fixes and improvements....

Just a few days after the retail launch of the fourth-generation Apple TV set-top-box, Apple has seeded the first beta of the device’s first software update to developers. The new version, labeled tvOS 9.1, is available for download via the developer center, much like iOS and OS X betas have been seeded. The release notes for tvOS 9.1 indicate improvements coming to WiFi network compatibility, in-app-purchases for App Store apps, and improved scrolling....

There’s a new iOS 9.2.1 update within the Settings app awaiting all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users today. Apple released the first developer beta version of the software update in mid-December after shipping iOS 9.2 earlier in the month. The second iOS 9.2 beta was later released at the start of January. Apple has since started testing iOS 9.3 with developers and public beta testers. As the version number suggests, iOS 9....

Back in November of last year, Apple confirmed plans to build a new stunning waterfront flagship retail store on the Chicago River. At the time a few renders of Apple’s plans for the location were floating around courtesy of architect Foster + Partners, which Apple has worked with on several projects including the design of the company’s Spaceship campus, as well as the redesign for London’s Regent Street store. But Apple has rapidly made progress on demolition of the existing site and construction on the new store in recent weeks, as evidenced by these photos sent in by a reader (Thanks Tim King!...

There’s been no shortage of controversy surrounding the new iPhone 6/s battery case released yesterday. Most complaints were around the capacity which is at the low end, the shape, or its actual existence which would seem to indicate that Apple made the iPhone 6 with too small a battery. Tim Cook, in discussing with Mashable the new accessory, had an alternate take on its use: Cook expanded on some of the nuances of the battery pack design:...

After one week since the release of macOS 11.4 beta 2, Apple is now seeding developers with the third beta of macOS Big Sur 11.4. Update: macOS 11.4 beta 3 is now available to public beta users as well. While macOS 11.3 comes with new sorting options in Reminders, the ability to set audio output to Stereo HomePods as default, and support for the latest Xbox/PlayStation controllers, autoplay in Apple Music, and more, macOS 11....

Apple gave a heads up to developers today that there is planned downtime for the App Store Connect this weekend on October 20th. The downtime for scheduled maintenance will occur from 6 am PT to 2 pm PT this Sunday, October, 20th. Apple gave a reminder to developers to make “critical deliveries or changes” before that window in a post today on its developer site. Apple introduces new Billing Grace Period feature for failed App Store subscription renewals Apple adjusted App Store algorithm to reduce presence of its own apps in search results Apple delaying crack down on third-party analytics and advertising in kids apps App Store Today editorial stories are now available on the web in full

Apple’s third store in Japan to feature modern styling opens alongside the release of the iPhone XR this Friday. Before customers begin lining up, Apple Shibuya’s design details have been revealed. The renovations represent the culmination of 11 months of construction work during which two more stores opened in Japan. Compact and tall, the new Apple Shibuya extends three public stories above the Tokyo district’s pavement, with a fourth floor accessible for meetings only....

Apple has published a new extended video ad called ‘The City’ where it showcases the iPhone 7 Plus and shooting photos with Portrait Mode. The special camera feature is only available on the iPhone 7 Plus which has a dual camera system for 2x optical zoom. Portrait mode creates a similar effect to dedicated cameras with large lenses that can focus on the subject up close and capture the background out of focus....