One week after releasing watchOS 7.5 beta 3, Apple has seeded the release candidate for the build to both developers and public beta testers. The update brings the ECG app to two new countries, Apple Card Family Sharing support, Podcasts subscriptions, and more. If you’re enrolled in the developer or public beta program, you should see the watchOS 7.5 RC on your device (Watch app > General > Software Update) shortly if it’s not showing up already....

iPad sign inside of Chinese Apple Store (Credit: Yahoo) According to the Associated Press, Apple has ended their long-running iPad name dispute in China with Proview with a $60 million settlement. The ruling was made Monday by the Guangdong High People’s Court. While it got $60 million, Proview wanted even more: Apple had purchased the iPad name from Proview in 2009 under a shell company, but the use of the name iPad in China by Apple was ruled to never officially been granted....

Apple today has spoken out against a controversial new bill in Mississippi that was signed into law by the state’s governor earlier this week. House Bill 1523 is spun as protecting religious freedom but has been criticized for enabling LGBT discrimination. Apple today has joined a variety of technology companies in voicing its opposition to the law. In a statement shared by The Clarion-Ledger, Apple said that it believes the new law “empowers discrimination,” while also reiterating that its stores are open to anyone, as is the company as a whole:...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghdTqnYnFyg&start=120] (Substitute PowerPC for Intel and Intel for ARM) There are a lot of people who think Apple is going to eventually move its “Mac” line to iOS. In fact we found it curious when Apple turned ‘MacOSX’ to ‘OSX’ as of Lion earlier this year. Steve Jobs and Apple in general are very sensitive to CPU power issues with their push to make high end devices thinner. As part of the WSJ article on Intel spending $300 million on developing MacBook Air alternatives (a hint in itself – why does Intel need to create competition for its own Air), it was revealed that Apple was threatening to leave Intel’s ‘low power’ processors if they didn’t drastically cut power....

Apple has released its annual diversity report which is the first since former HR head Denise Young Smith moved to her newly created role as VP of Inclusion and Diversity. Apple highlights key data points and comparisons in the latest report compared to the last three years in an update to its Diversity microsite. The latest data shows a 2% increase in women at Apple globally compared to the first report released in 2014, but men still make up 68% of the company globally which is unchanged from last year....

Apple has released a Mail Update for Mavericks that is designed to resolve many of the bugs that users of the OS X Mavericks Mail application have experienced since launch. The update was released to Apple employees last week, and subsequently to registered Mac Developers earlier this week. The update is in the form of a patch to the Mail update already in Mavericks. Fixes an issue that prevents deleting, moving, and archiving messages for users with custom Gmail settings Addresses an issue that may cause unread counts to be inaccurate Includes additional fixes that improve the compatibility and stability of Mail Instructions on installing the update, below:...

This morning, Apple has released iOS 7.0.4 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The update is a bug fix release with improvements. Apple notes that the update includes a fix for FaceTime calls that could fail for some users. The update is available over-the-air via the Software Update section in the iOS Settings app… Apple has also released iOS 6.1.5 for fourth-generation iPod touch users. That iOS 6 update is designed to fix the FaceTime bug on the non-iOS 7 capable iPod touch....

Apple has pushed a minor iTunes update this evening, which comes on the heels of the release of macOS 10.13.2 to the public. The update brings the application to version 12.7.2… The update doesn’t bring any notable new features, but Apple says it should include app and performance improvements, which are always appreciated when we’re talking about iTunes: Apple originally released iTunes 12.7 earlier this year, bringing major changes to the content types offered in the app....

Apple has seeded developer and public testers with the sixth beta for macOS 11.3. Version 11.3 features new sorting options in Reminders, expanded support for Xbox/PlayStation controllers, autoplay in Apple Music, mentions of the first Apple Silicon Macs, and more. macOS 11.3 beta 6 is available now and the OTA should be showing up in System Preferences > Software Update if you’re enrolled in the developer or public beta program (keep checking back if you don’t see it yet)....

Update: The second developer betas of iOS 13.4.5, iPadOS 13.4.5, watchOS 6.2.5, and tvOS 13.4.5 are now available. Apple has yet to release a new update for macOS Catalina 10.15.5 beta. Apple today is releasing the second developer beta of iOS 13.4.5. The update focuses on bug fixes, performance improvements, and it also brings some new features to Apple Music subscribers. In addition to iOS 13.4.5, Apple has also released iPadOS 13....

Following Apple flicking the on switch for iCloud’s implementation of Find my iPhone, multiple readers have let us know that Find my Mac is live as well within iCloud. The feature, as we revealed in February, is simply Find my iPhone for the Mac; hence the name Find my Mac. The user can turn the feature on in the iCloud control panel within system preferences and then their Macs will show up on iCloud....

Back in November, it was reported that Apple was working with film studio A24 to produce original movies. Now, Variety reports that the first initiative to come of that partnership is a feature film starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. The film is entitled “On the Rocks” and will mark the reunion of Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray, who previously worked together on the iconic film “Lost in Translation.” Rashida Jones of “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” will also star in the film....

Apple TV 4 isn’t the only new hardware coming out of Cupertino today. Announced earlier this month, the new Beats Pill+ is now available to order for $229 in black or white finishes. The new portable Bluetooth speaker is the first new design to come out of Beats since Apple bought the headphones and speaker company last for $3 billion last year in part to use its Beats Music service as the foundation for Apple Music....

We first learned about Apple’s plans for a research and development center in Yokohama, Japan back in 2014, with the country’s prime minster saying that it would be “on par with Apple’s biggest R&D centers in Asia.” Construction was originally expected to be completed in 2016, but was delayed into 2017. Now, a new report from Macotakara claims that we’re nearing the March 2017 opening of the center… The report says that Apple’s R&D center in Japan will be its “first technical development site” in the area....

Angela Ahrendts’ move from Burberry to Apple in 2014 saw her make Fortune’s ‘Most Powerful Women in Business’ list for the first time, entering at #29. She’s been working her way up the list since, this year climbing to #13 … Ahrendts has this year climbed one place, from last year’s #14 ranking. Fortune noted that she was second on stage at this year’s keynote. Apple stores have offered free workshops for many years, but rebranding them as Today at Apple, and expanding the program, has turned them from a relatively well-kept secret into a key marketing initiative....

Following the release of iOS 13.6 to the public last week with Apple News+ Audio and Car Key, Apple today has stopped signing iOS 13.5.1. That means users can no longer downgrade from iOS 13.6 to iOS 13.5.1. Like other iOS updates, iOS 13.6 comes with several security enhancements by fixing different vulnerabilities. These security breaches can be used to access internal system files, which in some cases leads to the jailbreak process....

Apple Stores are motivating customers to try Apple Fitness+ with dynamic new displays and a curated selection of third-party workout equipment. The new fixtures rolled out to select Apple Stores today and highlight the seamless integration between Apple hardware and the subscription service. Set against a wooden backdrop, the new Fitness+ Avenue features two Apple Watches paired with an iPhone and iPad that offer workout metrics and sample workouts from the Fitness+ library....

Within testing the next iteration of iOS, v4.1, Apple may be testing a shadowy third product along with the expected future iPod touch and iPad. Is this a new 7-inch iPad, an Apple TV or a completely new product? The latest beta of iOS 4.1, due to ship in the coming weeks, includes three new “Configuration Descriptors” within its USB configuration files. These descriptions all relate to products described as made by Apple Inc....

A new report from CNBC today dives into the differing usage of mobile payment platforms such as Apple Pay around the world. The report explains that while mobile payment usage is growing in many countries, adoption in the United States continues to lag. One of the drivers of mobile payment adoption by consumers in other countries is the fact the main alternative is cash. Gerard du Toit, partner and head of Bain’s banking and payments financial services practice in North America, explained that economies in countries such as China and India have long been heavily reliant on cash....

After launching Big Sur to the public last week with macOS 11.0.1, Apple has released the 11.1 beta to developers. Apple made the macOS Big Sur 11.1 beta available via its Developer website and should arrive as an over-the-air update for those already enrolled in the beta. The macOS 11.1 beta just includes generic release notes, but it should come with bug fixes and performance improvements that many will be waiting for before upgrading to the major new Mac release (or since upgrading)....