Apple releases iOS 9.1 beta 4 & tvOS beta for testing.

Apple has released iOS 9.1 beta 4 to users participating in the developer beta and public beta programs. The new build arrives as 13B5136 and continues to focus on bug fixes, feature enhancements, along with the addition of new emoji icons.

Users running a prior version of iOS 9.1 beta can find the new version available to download now from the Software Update mechanism in Settings. Developers can also download the IPSW from the Apple Developer Center for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices.

With New API Apple to Open Up Apple TV's Universal Search

“At launch we’ll have iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, and HBO — so we’ll have five major inputs into universal search initially,” Cook said. “But we’re also opening an API, so that others can join in.” 

2015 Apple TV Supports 2BT Controllers at Once

Well, this is a bit of a bummer. We just got word from one of the developers who were lucky enough to win the Apple TV dev kit lottery (Who we're not naming because we don't want to cause more Apple TV NDA drama!) who raced out and bought a ton of MFi controllers with the hopes of making a 8 player party game.

Target Stores U.S sells Apple Watch from October 25

Popular retailer Target this morning announced that the Apple Watch would begin arriving at some of its stores this week, with a plan to have the wearable device available at all of its United States retail locations by October 25. Customers who are interested in buying the device online on Target's website can do so beginning October 18. The move sees Target gearing up for the holiday season, calling Apple's wearable "one of the season’s hottest gift items."

‘if it’s not an iPhone’ Apple’s latest ad

Apple has added a new video to its "if it's not an iPhone, it's not an iPhone" campaign, highlighting the camera on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The ad shows off crisp pictures and videos spread out across the screens of several iPhones over 30 seconds.

Facebook Messenger app Completly launched for Apple iPads

Facebook has finally launched a tablet optimized version of its Messenger app for the Apple iPad. Messenger for iPad introduces a new multi-window layout, in addition to carrying over features from the iPhone including voice calling, and stickers among others

The first thing that you will notice on firing up the app is the layout. There is a multi-window layout that keeps both the chat list and the IM window on-screen simultaneously, for easier navigation between conversations. It is quite similar to the Messaging page on the web version of Facebook.

As mentioned above, it also carries over other features like voice calling, easy group chat navigation, and stickers among others. Just like on the iPhone, if you have both the Facebook and the Messenger app on your iPad, you will be switched to the latter when you click on the message tab.

Facebook has been quite serious about the current social messaging trend and its $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp earlier this year proved it. It has been pushing its users to adopt its Messenger app for chatting with one’s friends. Back in April it removed messaging capabilities from its Facebook app to make it mandatory to download the standalone Messenger app. It has since also introduced features like stickers, voice calling and the ability to send messages to contacts not your Facebook friends, and also debuted on Windows Phones this year. Last year, the company also tied up with local carriers to offer free access to its service to users.

You can head over to the App Store to download Facebook Messenger for iPad. There is currently no word on when the social giant plans on launching an Android tablet optimized version.

iPhone 5s With 'Touch ID' Fingerprint Sensor.

At iPhone media event, Apple introduced the new iPhone 5s. The new iPhone 5s will be the same size and design and the current iPhone 5 but will feature improved specifications and will be available in three colors: Silver, Gold, and Space Gray.

Colorful New iPhone 5C, Starting at $99 on 2year Contract

At iPhone media event Apple announced the new lower-priced iPhone 5c, replacing the iPhone 5 in Apple's phone lineup. The new iPhone 5C is available in five different colors -- green, yellow, blue, white, and red -- in a polycarbonate design. The phone uses the same A6 processor and rear-facing camera as the iPhone 5.

Apple has posted a new video for the iPhone 5c.

iOS7 goes for Public Launch on September 18

At iPhone media event, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced iOS 7's public launch date -- September 18, two days before the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c release. He also highlighted iOS 7's major redesign and the slew of new features the operating system will introduce, including Control Center, a revamped Notification Center, AirDrop, iTunes Radio, and new multitasking capabilities.

Apple iPhone event Sept 10 2013 in Cupertino

‘This should brighten everyone’s day’ 

Apple has just sent out invites for their September 10th event, scheduled for 10 AM PST, via The Loop.
Apple is hosting the event on campus in Cupertino. he event will begin at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and will be held at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The tagline on the invitation reads "This should brighten everyone's day."

The event is expected to include the introduction of two new iPhone models: an iPhone 5S successor to the current iPhone 5 and a lower-cost iPhone 5C that will reportedly have internal components very similar to the iPhone 5 but wrapped in colorful new plastic shells. 

Aside from new iPhone hardware, Apple is also preparing its "biggest change" yet: a major UI overhaul to its iOS software. iOS 7 has been in beta for months, but it's likely that Apple will have some surprise additions on the software side that take advantage of the new iPhone hardware. Existing iPhone users will also be waiting to hear when the final version of iOS 7 will be made available.

Apple iPhone event Sept 10 2013 in Cupertino ‘This should brighten everyone’s day’

Apple has just sent out invites for their September 10th event, scheduled for 10 AM PST, via The Loop. 

Apple is hosting the event on campus in Cupertino. he event will begin at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and will be held at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The tagline on the invitation reads "This should brighten everyone's day."
The event is expected to include the introduction of two new iPhone models: an iPhone 5S successor to the current iPhone 5 and a lower-cost iPhone 5C that will reportedly have internal components very similar to the iPhone 5 but wrapped in colorful new plastic shells. 

Aside from new iPhone hardware, Apple is also preparing its "biggest change" yet: a major UI overhaul to its iOS software. iOS 7 has been in beta for months, but it's likely that Apple will have some surprise additions on the software side that take advantage of the new iPhone hardware. Existing iPhone users will also be waiting to hear when the final version of iOS 7 will be made available.

‘This should brighten everyone’s day’ Sept 10 2013 iPhone event in Cupertino

Apple has just sent out invites for their September 10th event, scheduled for 10 AM PST, via The Loop. Apple is hosting the event on campus in Cupertino.

he event will begin at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and will be held at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The tagline on the invitation reads "This should brighten everyone's day."

Phone 5C packaging surfaces online with multi-color

 

After sharing blurry photographs of the supposed plastic iPhone 5C showing the devices’s packaging and printed manual, the same Chinese source is back at it and now has posted a pair of new images. The photos appear to picture the blue, white and yellow iPhone 5C units in their boxes and a close-up shot of the blue iPhone 5C.
First, Chinese site iApps.im has shared two new photos, one showing a blue iPhone 5C partially unpackaged and a second showing yellow, blue and white iPhone 5C units in their packages. 

The latter is especially interesting as we’re treated to a nice scene of the device’s supposedly rounded edges, part of its Unibody enclosure in matte finish. It’s quite compelling, have a look below…

Top of post: the cheery pastel hues of blue and yellow, and white. I’m loving the iPod touch-style boxes. Right below: the blue iPhone 5C closeup.

 Apple's iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S are both expected to be revealed at a media event on September 10, with the two new devices expected to be released in the first wave of markets on September 20. 

Green iPhone 5C packaging surfaces online with multi-color

 

After sharing blurry photographs of the supposed plastic iPhone 5C showing the devices’s packaging and printed manual, the same Chinese source is back at it and now has posted a pair of new images. The photos appear to picture the blue, white and yellow iPhone 5C units in their boxes and a close-up shot of the blue iPhone 5C.

Apple Introduces New Apple TV Set-Top Box with 1080p Video and Updated Interface

Apple announced a new Apple TV today, physically the device looks the same as the old version, but that’s where most of the similarities end. The new Apple TV is more powerful, and boasts 1080p output, and includes a completely redesigned UI with iCloud integration.

Here’s what we know so far:

    All new user interface, looks more like iOS
    1080p output
    Single Core A5 Processor
    Supports iCloud movies
    Connected to iCloud, including Photo Stream, iTunes, Netflix etc
    $99
    Shipping starts March 7

People are going to love streaming movies and TV shows in 1080p with the new Apple TV, and photos look beautiful displayed at the maximum resolution of your TV,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Apple TV is easier than ever to use with its new icon-based interface and the ability to access your purchased movies, TV shows and music right from iCloud.

Apple's iCloud services have also been updated to support 1080p video, allowing users to stream their content to any linked device including the new Apple TV. AllThingsD notes, however, that not all studios are participating in the iCloud video streaming, with Fox and Universal having to hold out due to agreements with HBO. 

Live Coverage of Apple's iPad 3 Media Event

The media, Apple executives and other "special guests" have been seated and are waiting for the event to begin.
- Lights are dimming, Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken the stage.
- Cook: "Good morning! Thank you very much for joining us. We have a great morning planned, and I’m very excited to be here. I’d like to get started by talking about the post-PC revolution, and Apple is at the forefront of leading this revolution."
- "We're talking about a world where the PC is no longer the center of your digital world. A world where the devices you use the most need to be more personal and more portable than any PC has ever been."
- Apple has three post-PC devices: iPod, iPhone, iPad.
- "The iPad 'defined a whole new category. In many ways, the iPad is reinventing portable computing and it's out-stripping the wildest of predictions.'"
- Sold 172 million Post-PC devices, making up 76% of Apple's revenue in 2011. "Apple has its feet firmly planted in the Post-PC future."
- "The post-PC world plays to our strengths." Talks up Apple Retail Stores. "These devices are new to many people. There needs to be a place to discover​ them."
- Apple sold 315 million iOS devices -- iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone -- through last year, 62 million in Q4 2011.
- Talking about Siri. "Siri is your best friend... who gets things done just by asking." Demoing what Siri sounds like in other parts of the world.
- Siri coming to Japan as part of iOS 5.1. 5.1 launches today, with siri rolling out in Japan over next few weeks.
- 585,000 apps on the App store. 25 billion apps downloaded, 25 billionth app downloaded in China.
- 100 million iCloud customers.
- iCloud now supports movies, in 1080p, re-download movies you've purchased on any device.
- New AppleTV announced, supports 1080p, new "streamlined" user interface. UI is full-1080p resolution.
- iCloud now supports iTunes playlists, better implementation of third party apps like MLB.tv.
- Eddy Cue demonstrates Apple TV, including National Geographic screen savers, Photo Stream, and more.
- Recommends movies based on what you've watched previously.
- "That's the new Apple TV and we think you're gonna love it."
- $99, available for preorder today, ships March 16th.
- Now the iPad. Sold 15.4 million in Q4 2011. "iPad is the poster child for the post-PC world."
- Apple sold more iPads than any individual PC-maker sold PC's.
- "When we set out to create the iPad, we set out to create not just a new product, but a new category. In order to do that, the iPad had to be the best device for doing some of the things that you do most often."
- "When we asked iPad users who had a notebook a desktop and a smartphone about their favorite device ​for email, they responded 'iPad.'" Same for web browsing, reading, and gaming (even versus home consoles).
- Remarkable for a device that has only been out two years.
- More than 200,000 apps designed specifically for iPad. "They can help you create or learn or do almost anything."
- 100+ tablets came out last year, none have same user experience as iPad.
- Comparing Twitter on Android (looks like a blown up smartphone app) to Twitter on iPad. "Clearly designed to take advantage of the large canvas."
- Compares Yelp apps. "Lots of white space. Tiny text, hard to read. Compare that to the iPad. This is a reason momentum on the iPad that continues to build."
- New iPad. "We’ve taken it to a whole new level, and we are redefining the category that Apple created with the original iPad."
- It has a home button. And Retina Display. "Until you see it you can’t understand how amazing it is."
- "This presents a problem for us in presenting it to you. For the first time, an iPad has a higher resolution than this entire display behind you... that's a fun challenge."
- "Photos are just going to look amazing on that gorgeous high-resolution display."
- 2048 x 1536 resolution. Higher than a 1080p display. 3.1 million pixels, 264 pixels per inch, "enough to call it a retina display". iPhone 4 was held at 10 inches, iPad held at 15".
- 44% greater color saturation.
- A5X Processor, quad-core graphics.
- New iSight Camera. 5MP rear camera, backside illuminated sensor on the back, 5-element lens, IR filter, and ISP built into A5X chip. Same design as iPhone 4S. Auto-exposure, auto-focus.
- HD video recording in 1080p.
- Siri-like voice dictation. Microphone button on keyboard. Supports US English, British, Australian, French, German and Japanese.
- Supports 4G LTE. Supports HSPA+ up to 21MBps, DC-HSDPA at 42 Mbps, and LTE at 73 Mbps.
- Supports AT&T and Verizon LTE in the US. Telus, Rogers, Bell in Canada.
- Two different models of iPads for AT&T and Verizon because they use different bands. Same as CDMA/GSM iPad 2's.
- All are 3G world-ready, can roam world-wide.
- iPad can be a personal Wi-Fi hotspot, if carrier supports it.
- New iPad supports most bands ever.
- Running down features.
- Battery life on iPad 2 was 10 hours, 9 hours on 3G.
- New iPad has 10 hours of battery life, with 9 hours on 4G.
- 9.4mm thin, weights 1.4 lbs. iPad 2 was 1.33 lbs. and 8.8mm thick.
- $499 for 16GB model. $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. Same pricing as iPad 2.
- 4G is $629/$729/$829.
- Available March 16th, preorders start today.
- US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan. Apple's biggest rollout ever.
- All the stock apps have been updated and optimized for the new display.
- Existing apps will be scaled up and text automatically rendered for higher-resolution display.
- Developer demo time.
- First is James Shelton, Game Design Director from Namco.
- New flight sim game, "Sky Gamblers"
- Planes dogfighting. Shake the iPad to eject the pilot from the plane. Clever.
- Sky Gamblers exclusive to iOS, launches later this month.
- Chris Cheung from Autodesk, demoing Sketchbook.
- 10 million customers for Autodesk on desktop, "tens of millions" of new users on iOS.
- New app: SketchBook Ink "A new drawing app that focuses on line art."
- Can export images greater than 100 megapixels.
- MIke Capps from Epic Games. "An amazing new project."
- Infinity Blade Dungeons. "We're excited to raise the bar for gaming with the new iPad."
- Player is on a quest to craft "the ultimate weapon": The Infinity Blade.
- HDR Graphics and tone-mapping.
- More memory or screen resolution than Xbox 360 or PS3.
- "Coming soon"
- New versions of Pages, Keynote, Numbers updated for Retina Display. Free update if already purchased, same $9.99 price otherwise.
- Updated GarageBand. Smart Strings, Note editor, iCloud integration. $4.99 or free update for previous owners. "Jam Sessions" allow multiple iPads to be used to create a band"
- iMovie updated as well. Adds Movie Trailer creation, with visual storyboards like iMovie for OS X.
- iMovie is $4.99, free update for current owners. Available today.
- iPhoto for iPad. "It is amazing."
- For those who love the photos they take with family and friends and want to do even more with them.
- Same photo library, new browsing, new ways to edit with multi-touch, professional-quality effects, brushes, and Photo Beaming let's users move photos between devices.
- Randy Ubillos, Chief Architect for Photo and Video Applications on stage.
- By double-tapping a photo, iPhoto finds all pictures that look similar. Swipe down to remove them, double-tap to go full-screen.
- App supports up to 19 megapixel photos.
- Share photos through email, Flickr, Twitter and more.
- Built-in horizon finding tool. Locates horizon and rotates image as appropriate.
- All non-destructive editing.
- Tilt-shift and watercolor effects.
- New "Journal" feature, allows users to highlight photos with captions, like a scrapbook. Add notes and text, calendars, geotags, weather, and more.
- Very easy sharing, publish to iCloud, viewable in any browser.
- $4.99, available today on iPad and iPhone.
- Demo video, recapping all the new features.
- iPad 2, $399 for 16GB Wi-FI model, $529 for 16GB 3G model.
- Says education is big reason for keeping iPad 2 around. "So many more schools can afford this."
- The new iPad is apparently called "The new iPad."
- Showing new iPad television commercial.
- Cook says it is the privilege of a lifetime to work with Apple employees, "the most innovative" on earth.
- Lots to look forward to in 2012, "we are just getting started."

Apple Invitations for iPad 3 Media Event on March 7

Yes, it's finally, really happened. We just received our invite for Apple's next big event — almost certainly where the announcement of the iPad 3 (or iPad HD, or some other name no one has guessed yet) will take place. The event is being held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10AM PST, on Wednesday, March 7th, and the Verge team will be there covering the news live as it happens. Until then, let your imagination run wild about the next iteration of the world's most popular tablet!

Apple is of course expected to introduce the iPad 3 at the event, with an upgraded Apple TV set-top box also reportedly in the plans. Rumors have also suggested that Apple could show off a new high-definition audio format with "adaptive streaming" that could allow Apple's iCloud and iTunes Match services to send varying qualities of audio files to different devices depending on bandwidth and hardware requirements.

85 million iCloud Users

Apple: 85 million users now using iCloud, ‘strategy for the next decade’

Apple is discussing its record numbers from Q1 2012 in a live call occurring right now. During the call, Apple’s SVP and CFO Peter Oppenheimer revealed that in only three months, 85 million users are now using iCloud. That is 5o million more iCloud accounts than iPhone 4S’s sold. Impressive.

How important is iCloud?  Cook’s remarks:

    I think Peter shared earlier the number of customers that had signed up for iCloud, and it’s already over 85 million, so it’s incredible that this has happened in just a few months’ period of time. We’re thrilled with it, and the response from customers has been incredible. It’s solved a lot of problems that customers were having and made their lives much much easier.    It was a fundamental shift recognizing that people had numerous devices and they wanted the bulk of their content in the cloud and easily accessible from all of their devices, and you know, I think we’re seeing the response from that. With 85 million customers in just three months, it is a very very important part — it’s not just a product, it’s a strategy for the next decade.

Inside Apple, a book about how Apple works

Inside Apple, a book about how Apple ‘really works’, now available in the iBookstore

Apple has just emailed customers who have pre-ordered the book Inside Apple from the iBookstore to let them know that the book is now available to download and read. Those interested in downloading the book can do so from this direct link.  The Amazon Kindle version should be available in less than an hour.

Apple No. 1 smartphone maker with 37M iPhones sold

Apple just announced its Q1 2012 earnings in a press release a few minutes ago, which revealed very impressive numbers from the company. Apple revealed it sold a whopping 37 million iPhones during the holiday quarter, which now gives the company the No. 1 smartphone manufacturer spot —back from Samsung, who previously held the title. Earlier this month, Samsung gave estimates of 35 million phones sold during the holiday quarter. This means Apple beat the company by 2 million.