With September’s iPhone release in the rearview and the iPad Pro set for an early November launch, Apple is ready to add some new Mac hardware into its fall product line. Apple is currently planning to announce new 21.5-inch iMacs with 4K screens next week, according to multiple reliable sources. While the new computers are likely ready to begin showing up in stores as soon as Tuesday, October 13th, Apple will ramp up larger quantities for November, according to the sources, so finding one early on may be a slight challenge....

Apple is seeking to cement its business position in China for the long-term with an expansion of its Cupertino-based Apple University program to the region, according to a person with knowledge of the plans. Apple Vice President and Dean of Apple University Joel Podolny is currently interviewing candidates for a new Dean of Apple University position for China, according to the source. Started in 2008, Apple University is an extensive and growing program within corporate Apple that trains mid-level employees and managers on the decisions made by Steve Jobs and other key executives throughout the company’s resurgence....

Apple today has published a redesigned version of its Human Interface Guidelines website for Apple Watch WatchKit application development. The new website is far cleaner than the previous website, and introduces lengthier and more interactive descriptions of the different Apple Watch interface paradigms… The new website includes short video tours of specific Apple Watch input elements, such as Force Touch, the Digital Crown, and the side button, in order to provide developers with a better look at how WatchKit apps should be developed....

Apple will release the first developer beta of iOS 13.4 today. This update comes after the public release of iOS 13.3.1 last week, which included new privacy settings, Screen Time updates, and more. Update: Apple has released the first developer betas of macOS Catalina 10.15.4, iOS 13.4. iPadOS 13.4, watchOS 6.2, and tvOS 13.4. Read our full roundup of all of the new features in iOS 13.4 here. We don’t yet know what to expect in iOS 13....

As we previously reported to expect in March, Apple has released its iOS 7.1 software update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users. The software update delivers a number of user interface tweaks and much needed bug improvements and dramatically faster animations and transitions. Changes include a dedicated list and tray view button in Calendar, power toggle and phone animation and shape changes throughout the system, and animation speed improvements. The update also includes additional features including an indicator in Camera used when auto flash will activate the light as well as a new auto HDR mode and an indicator when HDR will be activated....

Apple today is releasing the third public beta of iOS 13.1 to testers. This comes after the release of the third developer beta yesterday afternoon. Apple has also confirmed the official release date for both iOS 13 and iOS 13.1. Apple confirmed yesterday that iOS 13.1 will be released to all users on September 30th, following the release of iOS 13 on September 19th. The focus of iOS 13.1 is adding back features that were removed from iOS 13 beta testing, such as Shortcuts Automations and Share ETA in Maps....

Apple seems to be struggling with its hardware lately as the company has today began rolling out a replacement program for the iPhone 8. The company says devices sold between September 2017 through March 2018 in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, and the U.S are affected. Just like most of Apple’s other repair programs, you’ll need your serial number handy as you’ll have to punch that into the program’s website....

Tim Cook last month told the Chinese government that Apple would be building its first research and development center in China by the end of the year, and local media now appears to have some specifics. The center will reportedly be located in Beijing’s Zhongguancun Science Park and employ 500 staff. The Digitimes report – citing local media – says that the role of the center is expected to go beyond research …...

We know the iPhone is sold at AT & T and Apple retail stores in the US and at O2, Apple and Carphone Warehouse stores in the UK. Similar deals are also revealing themselves across Europe now, with the latest information revealing a range of German retailers will be offering the device when it goes on sale there on 11 July. Die Welt reports Metro AG’s Media Markt and Saturn shows will join Debitel in offering the iPhone 3G to German high street shoppers....

Yesterday we reported on the news that Apple recently started performing repairs on iPhones with third-party batteries. Now we’ve gotten a look at the official repair guide that details how Apple will handle repairs with non-original batteries. But in the case that Apple determines the third-party battery hasn’t caused the issue a customer is looking to have resolved, the non-Apple part shouldn’t change the service and warranty eligibility. Notably, non-Apple parts are defined as third-party batteries as well as counterfeit batteries....

This is similar to the AppleTV shortages we noted over the weekend but may not be for the same reason. Time Capsule constrains could be linked to the Thai floods that have led to global shortages of hard drives and subsequent jacked prices by as much as 28 percent. A disruption in the hard drive supply already affected the 27-inch iMac. That, plus the fact that other AirPort-branded products stay in stock only reinforce the notion that constrained supplies of Apple’s Time Capsule is likely caused by global hard drive shortages....

According to several news sources, the partial shutdown of key Apple manufacturer Catcher Technology due to environmental concerns could lead to supply constraints for the company’s MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups. Financial Times reports: If you’ve never heard of Catcher Technology, you’re probably more familiar with their work than you think. The unibody casing of Apple’s current MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups is perhaps the main reason Catcher is one of the world’s biggest makers of metal casings for computers....

Following the Samsung Smart TV announcement earlier today (and now Vizio), Apple has updated its AirPlay page to give a bit more detail on the newly-unveiled AirPlay 2 integration with television sets. Apple says AirPlay 2 will be available on TVs by leading manufacturers, suggesting more manufacturers beyond Samsung will be announcing their support. The Apple page notes all the new AirPlay 2 videos features are ‘coming soon’, whereas Samsung gave a more fine-grained time window of the ‘spring’....

Apple has just seeded the very first beta of what will become the first update to the redesigned OS X Yosemite that was launched last month. The update to version 10.10.1 has a build number of 14B17. The change notes indicate that Apple is making improvements in the areas of Wi-Fi connectivity, Exchange support in the Mail application, and the Notification Center, which gained support for widgets in the new operating system....

Only RBC Capital Market’s Mike Abramsky had anticipated global iPhone sales on the launch weekend would reach one million, while Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster had anticipated less than half this mark, 425,000 unit sales. The news is certain to please investors, and provides slight justification in terms of the activation problems which plagued most customers in the US and the UK on launch day Friday 11 July. Apple’s UK network partner O2 last week told Macworld UK: “Demand is really high....

Apple today shared a minute-long trailer for its upcoming Apple TV+ drama ‘The Morning Show’. Apple TV+ is Apple’s original content video subscription service, first previewed at the March event, and is set to launch this fall. Watch the new trailer after the jump… The Morning Show is a drama starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell. Aniston and Witherspoon were reported to be earning $1 million dollars per episode....

UK case manufacturer Proporta has distributed a press release offering cases for the as-yet unannounced iPod nano. The manufacturer hasn’t yet released any images of the new range, presumably being under an NDA of some kind with Apple Inc. – but has confirmed the new models will feature cameras, or at the least it believes they will. “The new Apple 5G iPod nano looks set to be a typically beautiful new product from the Apple stable, building on the already impressive 4G nano by adding a camera and improving the size of the screen,” the company said, announcing its new range....

Following the July 19th release of iOS 10.3.3, Apple has this evening stopped signing iOS 10.3.2. It means that, from this point forward, users will no longer be able to upgrade or downgrade their devices to iOS 10.3.2. In almost every case, Apple stops signing older firmware shortly after the release of updated firmware. Doing so is a gentle way of nudging users to the latest and greatest version of iOS when performing upgrades, and prevents users from downgrading to older versions....

We’ve been getting word that whatever is going on in the Apple Stores this weekend is hitting all over the world. A tipster from Australia notes: Additionally we’re hearing the phrase “Apple Store 2.0” thrown around. Something big? VM is rarely so private, and is never followed by an all staff meeting. First Kickstarter-funded iPod nano wristbands rolling to Apple Stores this week (9to5mac.com) Starbucks? Apple opens another Store across the street from the original (9to5mac....

The Vancouver Sun reported police in Vancouver, British Columbia are currently on the lookout for three suspects involved in a robbery of the Oakridge Mall Apple Store on Monday night. The suspects apparently entered the store at 7 p.m. “blasting bear spray then taking off with a number of items” while around 40 customers were still in the store: Five customers were treated at the scene by paramedics for inhaling the powerful spray, the release said....