During its earnings call earlier this week, Apple touted the continued growth of Apple Pay and teased support for new apps and transit services this year. Now, the UK government has started accepted Apple Pay for some online payment services. As detailed by ITV, the gov.uk website is now accepting Apple Pay for four of its online services. The online platforms supporting Apple Pay include the Global Entry Services, the disclosure and barring service checks, the Registered Traveler Service, and the Electronic Visa Waiver Service....

The Center for Hearing and Communication announced today that Apple is being awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for its “major strides in creating accessible technology for people with disabilities.” The award was first noted by reporter Steven Aquino on Twitter. Accepting the Eleanor Roosevelt Award on Apple’s behalf is Sarah Herrlinger, the company’s senior director of global accessibility policy and initiatives. Herrlinger will be presented the award tonight at the Center for Hearing and Communication’s “Transforming Lives” event in New York City....

Out of the blue, Apple has today launched their first battery case, the Apple iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case for $99. The case comes in Charcoal Gray or White and is compatible with iPhone 6s or iPhone 6. The case is like the Apple Silicone Case, with the addition of a back bump for a battery. Third-party iPhone battery cases have existed for a long time, this is the first version of the product from Apple itself....

Apple has released the first iOS 10.2 beta for iPhone and iPad to registered developers. The update follows the public release of iOS 10.1.1 earlier today for all users. We’ll update with details about what’s included shortly. Apple has also released several other betas for developers to test including watchOS 3.1.1, tvOS 10.1, and macOS 10.12.2. The update is available over-the-air for developers already using the developer certificate. Otherwise checkout the Dev Center to access the update....

Apple is continuing to emphasise its ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign, where it features photos and videos taken by ordinary iPhone users, with two new video commercials. One of the ads features a macro close-up clip of an ant carrying a leaf by Tim W. The other is another close-up of a squirrel eating a nut, credited to Linda H. Watch the two fifteen-second commercials below … Apple’s long-running ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign conveys the power of the iPhone as a camera, with negligible marketing copy....

Update: Powerbeats Pro have officially been unveiled with the features we’ve been expected at a price tag of $249. Read up on all the details of the sharp AirPods alternative here. The ad shows a picture of the earbuds with the text “Totally Wireless” beneath the Powerbeats Pro name. In the full photo below, you can also see a second landscape ad for the product. We’re told that one says “coming soon....

Apple appears to be testing same-day delivery for some of its products in select markets for customers using the Apple Store app on iOS. First noticed by MacRumors, same-day shipping options fulfilled by the on-demand shipping service Postmates now appear for certain items when checking out with the app. Not at all in-stock items qualify for the $19 flat rate same-day shipping option, however. The option doesn’t seem to be available within the Apple Store app for all markets with Apple Stores that Postmates serves, either, suggesting the same-day delivery option is being tested on a small scale for now....

Apple announced today that it is partnering up with popular actress and talk show host Oprah Winfrey. The company says that together it will produce original content that showcases Oprah’s unparalleled abilities. Presumably, Apple is talking about content that will be released in the Apple Music app for now, as the company has yet to officially announce its work in TV or film. Winfrey’s projects will be released as part of a lineup of original content from Apple....

Apple has launched a new marketing campaign in India focused on the iPhone 6s. The campaign focuses on the fact that the iPhone 6s is “made in India,” and highlights the device’s low cost. Apple started manufacturing the iPhone 6s in India back in June of last year. Apple supplier Winstron first received approval for its iPhone plant in India in March of the same year, starting production of the iPhone SE in the country....

Apple is rolling out iOS 12.5.4 to older iPhone and iPad devices today. This update brings security fixes and is recommended for all users, according to Apple. The update fixes a trio of vulnerabilities affecting memory corruption and WebKit. The update is available for the iPad Air, the iPad mini 2, and iPad mini 3, as well as the 6th gen iPod touch, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus....

Apple today released the third beta of iOS 8.4 to developers, labeled build 12H4098c. The update is available via Software Update on iOS and it should be hitting the developer center soon. The second Public Beta is available as well for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Xcode 6.4 beta 3 is also available. As with the first pair of betas, iOS 8.4 brings a revamped Music application with a new design, Up Next functionality, a Mini Player, and a new version of iTunes Radio....

Apple is rolling out the first pre-release seed of OS X 10.10.3 to testers and developers today including the all-new Photos app with support for iCloud Photo Library beta. Previously, iCloud Photo Library was only available for desktop users through iCloud.com using a web app. The new Photos app replaces iPhoto while Aperture is also no longer being developed. Apple first announced the new Photos app at WWDC 2014 and later added that development would no longer continue on either iPhoto or Aperture....

A week and a half since Apple introduced the first iOS 12.4 developer beta for testing, and Apple appears to be ready to release iOS 12.4 beta 3. We also expect Apple to release the second watchOS 5.3 beta today. iOS 12.4 beta doesn’t yet include any visible changes for users, but there are some under-the-hood changes to prepare iPhones and iPads for Apple Card, the new credit card coming from Apple later this summer....

Add another startup to the list of those under Apple’s wings: PRSS. The company launched in 2012 and gained coverage in 2013 as a simple tool for creating magazine apps for the iPad and Android tablets. TNW explains the startup well in a 2013 article: Essentially, this is a web-based version of iBooks Author that is oriented toward magazines. It’s no secret that Apple’s Newsstand platform, originally launched in 2011 with iOS 5, has not taken off to Apple’s largest ambitions....

Taiwanese site UDN is reporting that Apple has rejected both Samsung and Sharp as potential third suppliers of displays for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in favor of local company Innolux. Apple is believed to have already chosen LG and Japan Display as its primary display panel suppliers, but was said to be seeking a third to help meet likely demand. While Innolux is a major global player in LCD panels, Taiwanese media is not always the most reliable of sources when it comes to reports of contracts awarded to local companies....

Update: Reuters reports that Michel Coulomb has been appointed to replace Kaul. According to a new report out of The Economic Times, Apple’s head of India operations is leaving the company with “immediate effect.” Sanjay Kaul has been in charge of Apple’s operations in India for the last year and a half, during which Apple has faced mixed results in the country… The report cites unnamed sources and says Kaul will likely begin “another venture in an industry that may not be directly connected to the mobile phones business....

Apple TV+ has added a Golden Globe to its lineup of accolades. Last night, Jason Sudeikis picked up an award for his lead role in Ted Lasso. The show has been a breakout hit for Apple’s streaming service with wide recognition from viewers and critics alike. Sudeikis accepted his award virtually from London, where he is currently shooting season two of the hit show. The new season is expected to be released in the summer....

Jen Folse is a name that may be familiar to Apple keynote viewers. As the design lead for Apple TV, Folse has had stage time in recent Apple events where tvOS has been demoed. We heard a few weeks ago that Folse was leaving Apple to join other ex-Apple TV team members at Caffeine. Now the social broadcasting startup has made the news official. At Caffeine, the former Apple TV exec is taking on the role of VP of Product:...

A report in the WSJ backs an earlier suggestion that Apple may be planning a hi-res curved-screen iPhone next year, possibly as a new top tier handset known as an iPhone Pro. The company is said to have gotten as far as prototyping the new device. We’ve been hearing rumors for some time now of a third iPhone tier next year. The majority of these reports suggest that the top-tier model will be distinguished by an OLED screen while the two other models remain for now on IPS LCD – but we have heard one previous credible report of a curved-screen model …...

Apple has just released macOS Big Sur 11.4 RC to developers. This comes ahead of the final release, which is expected sometime later this month or early June. The update brings support for paid subscriptions on Apple Podcasts, compatibility with new AMD GPUs, and more. The macOS 11.4 beta comes with expanded GPU support for “cards based on the AMD Navi RDNA2 architecture (6800, 6800XT, and 6900XT).” This update also enables paid podcast subscriptions in the Apple Podcasts app, a feature that was announced last month and will soon be available to users....