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After releasing iTunes 12.1 in January adding a Notification Center widget for OS X Yosemite users on the Mac, Apple has released a minor update to iTunes 12.1 specifically for Windows users. According to the release notes, iTunes 12.1.1 addresses an issue that caused audio playback to glitch while also improving syncing between Outlook and iPhones and iPads. Apple also says the update “improves compatibility with screen readers.” The latest version is rolling out now so iTunes users on Windows should be able to update soon....

Apple has released the second public beta version of iOS 10.2 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Previously only available to registered developers for testing, iOS 10.2 beta includes several upcoming features like a preview of the new TV app, Unicode 9.0 emoji, iPhone 7 wallpapers, and new camera features. Apple’s public beta program is free to participate in unlike its paid developer program. iOS 10.2 will be released to everyone likely next month, and the public beta allows more users to test pre-release versions of the software update before it’s finalized....

According to a new report from the Financial Times, Apple is expected to bundle the Beats Music streaming service with an upcoming version of iOS next year. The report comes amid rumors that Apple is planning to rebrand the Beats Music subscription service for a potential relaunch around February, although FT has added that the bundling is expected “as early as March.” Apple, of course, acquired the Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre-founded subscription music service alongside the Beats headphones and speaker line earlier this year as part of a $3 billion acquisition....

Apple’s website listed the refreshed Mac Pro as “new” after the opening keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, but complaints from critics, including an ex-Apple engineer, likely spurred the company to remove the alerting icon. Former Apple engineer and current Google employee Andy Hertzfeld expressed his disappointment in the new Mac Pro through a Google+ post this morning. He said the high-end desktop “seems like it’s stuck in time in 2010” and only received an “inconsequential processor clock bump....

From 9to5Toys.com: Best Buy has the iPod nano 16GB (8th Gen – Latest Model) for $140 shipped or the open-box from $122 shipped. Walmart is essentially matching that price with a slightly wider color selection while retailers like Toys R Us and Target have it listed up at $150. As for the iPod shuffle 2GB (6th Gen – Latest Model), Best Buy has all color options at $50 shipped with an open-box price starting at $43 shipped....

As Business Week (and, later, MacRumors, informs), Apple plans to begin its own ad-attack when Win 7 climbs out of the trenches on October 22. And Apple VP Phil Schiller thinks Microsoft’s handing Apple an advantage in the desktop OS game… The ads will extol Mac OS X’s real virtues – lack of viruses, happy connections with iPods and iPhones and its simple upgrade process….after all, Windows XP users (still a big slice of Microsoft’s user base) are expected to jump through hoops and engage in mystical mantras if they want to upgrade to WIn 7....

Apple has seeded OS X Lion 10.7.2 build 11C55 to developers today, and it is the first OS X Lion 10.7.2 build to include iCloud for Mac built-in. Previously, developers had to download a separate iCloud for Mac package. OS X Lion 10.7.2 includes the ability for users to easily enable iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Find my Mac on their computers. The software release will most likely ship alongside iCloud sometime this fall....

Apple has begun sending out a limited number of invitations to a developer workshop. It’ll be held next week at the Station F start-up incubator in Paris. As spotted by Mac4Ever (translated), Apple has set up a workshop for what seems like a limited amount of attendees for next Friday, March 23. The workshop is said to last two hours with the topic of app development and a focus on helping developers “improve and promote” their software....

TSMC is Apple’s primary chipmaker and serves as the exclusive supplier of A-series and M-series Apple silicon chips. The company today reported strong earnings results for the first quarter, with downstream partners such as smartphone, tablet, and laptop makers seeing strong demand as people continue to work from home. However, it warned that the global chip shortages will continue for the foreseeable future and well into next year. Naturally, this has concerning implications for Apple’s product rollouts....

According to MacRumors, the technology conglomerate is looking to produce scripted TV shows, which would be available to stream on Apple Music. As far as content genre, it looks like the company wants to emulate some recent critical hits. According to the report: These series will allegedly roll out by the end of the year. Apple is also potentially looking to produce original movies, but “those plans are more preliminary.” According to the company, their intention is actually not to compete with Netflix, et al, but rather to set themselves apart from music streaming competitor Spotify....

Apple made a small change to its website last year upon the public release of OS X Yosemite that has led some to question the release date of Photos.app for Mac. Originally announced for an “early 2015” release, the Mac app has had virtually every mention scrubbed from Apple.com, save for a single help article that now lists it as being “available at a later date.” Following a tip from a reader, we noted the change in the original version of this article....

After lots of praise for its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Apple has bought the documentary Boys State. It’s described as a “political coming-of-age story, examining the health of American democracy” and should land on Apple TV+ with the help of film studio A24. The Hollywood Reporter shared the exclusive on the deal, with Apple and its film studio partner A24 allegedly spending $10 million for Boys State. Here’s a summary of the documentary directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine....

Apple TV has made its latest straight-to-series order, this time for an adaptation of the popular Strange Planet series by Nathan Pyle. And teaming up with Pyle as a co-creator for the new TV series is Dan Harmon, best known for Rick and Morty and Community. Detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, Apple’s straight-to-series order is for 10 episodes of the new comedic animated series based on Pyle’s Strange Planet best-selling graphic novels and webcomic....

Google is already hitting major hurdles in its quest to transform the TV industry, with major US broadcasters blocking their Web shows from being broadcast via Google TV. Google meanwhile is in negotiation to agree rights, but is likely to face similar rectitude from some broadcasters as faced by Apple with Apple TV. ABC, CBS and NBC have all blocked access to their shows from Google TV. These problems come just weeks since Logitech and Sony began selling devices running Google’s software....

Apple Pay continues to pick up new banks and credit unions every few weeks — and most recently new countries with Poland and Norway. These are the latest new banks and credit unions added in the US, Japan, and Spain that let you pay with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac… In the United States: 4Front Credit Union Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union Crossroads Bank Dacotah Bank Downriver Community Federal Credit Union Emery Federal Credit Union Farmers and Merchants Bank First State Bank First State Bank (NE) Gallup Federal Credit Union Houston Metropolitan Federal Credit Union Howard Bank Iowa State Bank Luso Federal Credit Union Prairie State Bank & Trust PS Bank The City National Bank of Taylor TLC Community Credit Union Tri Counties Bank In Japan, Mitsubishi UFJ Nicos is no longer limited to just MUFG Visa and Mastercard and UFJ JCB cards....

Update (7/10 9:00am): Looks like the store got pretty popular this week. It has been updated with the following message: “More inventory coming in on Friday – We are currently replenishing our inventory for our Factory Certified store, please check back soon!” In late 2012 we uncovered an eBay store that was selling Apple certified refurbished products (iPad, MacBook, iPod, more). Though never officially confirmed by Apple itself, this storefront had all the makings of being officially tied to Apple in some capacity....

Apple is releasing the third developer beta of iOS 14.3 today, which includes new features such as Apple ProRAW for iPhone 12 Pro users. Today’s release of iOS 14.3 beta 3 comes two weeks after iOS 14.3 beta 2 was released to developers. Update: Public beta now available too. iOS 14.3 beta 3 is available to developers via an over-the-air update in the Settings app. As usual, if the update does not immediately appear for download, keep checking as it sometimes takes a few minutes to roll out to all registered developers....

Apple today has released the fourth public beta of macOS Catalina to testers. This update comes following the release of the fifth developer beta yesterday. Apple has also today released a supplemental update for macOS 10.14.6. macOS Catalina public beta 4 is now available via System Preferences, if you’re already running the public beta. If not, you can sign up to do so on Apple’s website. Apple released the fourth public beta of iOS 13 to testers on Tuesday....

Update: iOS 10 Public Beta 1 is now live. It features the same build version (14A5297c) as iOS 10 Developer Beta 2. Following the latest iOS 10 beta for registered developers, Apple is releasing the very first iOS 10 public beta for non-developers to test on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch today. Back in mid-June at WWDC 2016, Apple first promised iOS 10 would hit public beta status sometime in July....

Apple retail executives John Browett and Bob Bridger at an Apple Store opening (via Flickr) Earlier this month, we heard several reports that Apple Store part-time employees were seeing layoffs and that Apple was cutting hours for some employees. Apple followed up by stating that these new policies would be reversed. It seems that affected employees got their jobs back, however, IFOAppleStore comprehensively reports that newly implemented revenue-emphasizing policies and budget cuts remain in place....