MacRumors

Apple today launched a new privacy site that outlines all of the privacy features of Apple's products and services, offers tips on managing privacy, details government information requests, and explicitly states Apple's Privacy Policy.

The site comes alongside a letter on privacy from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who says that the company respects user privacy and protects it with "strong encryption." Privacy and security are of the utmost importance to Apple, according to Cook, and the company designs all of its hardware, software, and services with privacy in mind.

In the letter, Tim Cook says that Apple is aiming to be more transparent about what happens with personal information, detailing how and why it is used by the company. Cook also states plainly that Apple aims to sell great products, not collect user information.

We're publishing this website to explain how we handle your personal information, what we do and don't collect, and why. We're going to make sure you get updates here about privacy at Apple at least once a year and whenever there are significant changes to our policies.

A few years ago, users of Internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you're not the customer. You're the product. But at Apple, we believe a great customer experience shouldn't come at the expense of your privacy.

Our business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We don't build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers. We don't "monetize" the information you store on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don't read your email or your messages to get information to market to you. Our software and services are designed to make our devices better. Plain and simple.

The first section of Apple's new privacy site details the privacy built into "the things you use every day." The site gives information on the ways apps and services are protected and the data that Apple can collect. Services detailed include iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, Safari, Maps, Siri, Mail, Apps and the App Store, Apple Pay, Health, HomeKit, Spotlight Suggestions, and Randomized Wi-Fi addresses.

For example, Apple states that it cannot access content in the Messages app due to the encryption, and it explains how iCloud data is encrypted.

A second Privacy section is clearly the result of a recent hacking incident that saw several celebrity iCloud accounts compromised. In the section, Apple suggests ways users can improve the security of their devices, pointing towards passcodes, Touch ID, and Find My iPhone.

Apple also instructs users how to create a strong password, how to create proper security questions, and it directs them to turn on two-step verification. In addition, it details phishing scams, suggests users change their passwords on a regular basis, and tells them to keep an eye out for emails sent after Apple ID login attempts.

The final two sections of Apple's privacy site explicitly outline all government data requests that the company has received and offer details on Apple's privacy policy. The site lists examples of the personal information that Apple collects and exactly how that personal information is used. According to Cook, the new site is the result of a "commitment to protecting your privacy." "We know that your trust doesn't come easy," writes the CEO, "That's why we have and always will work as hard as we can to earn and keep it."

Apple today released OS X 10.9.5, after approximately a month of testing and two months after the release of OS X 10.9.4.

The update, which is recommended for all Mavericks users, improves the reliability of VPN connections that use USB smart cards for authentication and it improves the reliability of accessing files located on an SMB server. Also included with OS X 10.9.5 is Safari 7.0.6.

OS X 10.9.5 will likely be the final update to Mavericks ahead of the release of OS X Yosemite, which is expected in October. OS X Yosemite brings several improvements to the operating system, including a revamped look and several new features that improve integration with iOS.

Update: Apple has also released Safari 7.1 for 10.9.5 users. Safari 7.1 adds DuckDuckGo as a built-in option in the search field, encrypts Yahoo searches from the search field, and improves website compatibility with both Reader and Autofill. DuckDuckGo is a search engine that does not track users.

iOS 8, released to the public earlier today, included a slew of new APIs for developers. One of those APIs opened up Touch ID to third-party apps, letting developers use the fingerprint scanner for authentication purposes within apps.

Quite a few apps have been updated to take advantage of Touch ID integration, replacing passwords and PIN codes. We've gathered up a comprehensive list of the most popular apps that now use Touch ID, which you can find below.

- 1Password (Free) [Direct Link] - Password management app 1Password allows Touch ID to replace a Master Password, providing access to the app.

- LastPass (Free) [Direct Link] - Like 1Password, LastPass uses Touch ID to protect a user's LastPass vault. It replaces the Master Password.

- Amazon App (Free) [Direct Link] - The newly updated Amazon app for iOS 8 allows users to sign into their Amazon accounts using Touch ID instead of a password.

- Discover Mobile (Free) [Direct Link] - Banking app Discover Mobile lets users log into their accounts using Touch ID instead of a password.

- Evernote (Free) [Direct Link] - Evernote allows Evernote premium users who have protected their accounts with a passcode to log in with Touch ID instead of a number.

- Mint (Free) [Direct Link] - Money management app Mint allows users to substitute Touch ID for a passcode when logging into their Mint accounts.

- Scanner Pro ($6.99) [Direct Link] - Scanner Pro's newly updated iOS 8 app lets users protect their scanned information with Touch ID.

- Simple (Free) [Direct Link] - Banking app Simple lets users log into their bank accounts with Touch ID.

- Lowe's (Free) [Direct Link] - The mobile app for home improvement store Lowe's allows users to log into their MyLowe's personal accounts.

- Day One ($4.99) [Direct Link] - Day One allows users to unlock their journals with Touch ID, replacing a passcode.

- ETrade* (Free) [Direct Link] - ETrade has been updated with Touch ID authentication, which allows users to enter the app through fingerprint verification rather than a password.

- Keeper Password Manager (Free) [Direct Link] - This password management app is now able to use Touch ID fingerprint authentication in place of a master password.

Other apps with Touch ID integration: Yplan, Memoir, eHarmony

These are just a sampling of the apps that have integrated Touch ID so far. Additional app developers will likely be rolling the feature into their apps in the near future, now that iOS 8 is widely available. Want more iOS 8 info? Make sure to check out our iOS 8 roundup, our iOS 8 Hidden Features roundup, our list of apps with widgets in Notification Center, and our list of third-party keyboards.

iOS 8 was released today, which means hundreds of app developers are releasing newly updated apps that take advantage of all the APIs introduced with the operating system upgrade. Those include third-party keyboards, which we covered earlier today, and app extensions, a set of APIs that allows apps to interact in new and innovative ways.

One of the neatest app extension features lets developers create widgets that show up in the Today view of the Notification Center. These widgets let users interact with apps and get information at a glance. Several apps have been updated to take advantage of Notification Center widgets, and we've rounded up a comprehensive list below. Many of these app updates are already available, but some will be coming later today and tomorrow.

Dropbox (Free) [Direct Link] - Dropbox's new Notification Center widget displays all of the files that have been recently uploaded. Tapping on one of the files opens the file in the Dropbox app.

Duolingo (Free) [Direct Link] - Duolingo displays how close a user is to reaching their daily language learning goals. Tapping on the widget in the Notification Center opens the Duolingo app and lets users continue with their current language lesson.

Evernote (Free) [Direct Link] - Evernote's Notification Center widget is especially useful, including five different icons that let users create a document, reminder, or list, as well as snap a photo or access photos stored in the app. Tapping one of the icons opens the Evernote app and begins the task immediately.

Clear ($2.99) [Direct Link] - Clear's Notification Center widget includes a handy list of upcoming reminders. Tapping on one of the reminders will open the Clear app for direct access.

iTranslate (Free) [Direct Link] - iTranslate's Notification Center widget is a nifty tool that will let users one-tap translate whatever happens to be copied to the clipboard to the selected language.

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At its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple unveiled Metal, an API designed to improve game performance on iOS. Epic Games took the stage during the event to show off Epic Zen Garden, a game built using the Unreal 4 Engine and the Metal API.

The game, which was designed to show off the impressive graphic enhancement features possible with Metal, demonstrated an expansive world with a fully interactive environment. Users could touch a tree to send a cascade of leaves and cherry blossoms swirling to the ground or interact with a group of koi fish.

As of today, Epic Zen Garden is available for download, letting users see some of the things that will be possible in iOS games in the near future. The game supports a resolution of 1440 x 1080 at 30fps, and can display 3,500 butterflies at once. One of the major features of Metal is that it allows for more draw calls, letting a huge number of objects be displayed on the screen.

Epic Zen Garden is a beautiful graphical environment showcasing the power of iOS 8, developed by Epic Games with Unreal Engine 4. Tap to navigate this interactive oasis brimming unmatched detail on mobile. Swipe the Sakura tree to make thousands of cherry blossoms swirl in the air, graze the koi pond to summon leagues of fish, and rake the sand with your finger to create subtle designs. Touch the well to bring throngs of butterflies out of hiding.

More information on how Metal works, Epic Zen Garden and the Unreal Engine 4 can be seen in the video below.

Epic Zen Garden can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

(Thanks, Eli!)

Just before the public launch of iOS 8 earlier today, we noted that Apple had begun pulling HealthKit-related apps from the App Store, apparently due to a last-minute issue that cropped up in the new operating system. The issue has put a significant dent in the usefulness of the Health app that was to be a key feature of iOS 8, while also subjecting a number of third-party developers to uncertainty about the fate of their apps.

While details on the issue are still unknown, Apple has confirmed to Tim Bradshaw of Financial Times that it has discovered a "bug" in HealthKit that will require a software update to fix. Unfortunately, Apple is not necessarily promising an immediate turnaround on the fix, saying only that the company is aiming to "have HealthKit apps available by the end of the month".

iOS 8 is available now to owners of recent-generation iOS devices, and will be included on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus when they officially launch on Friday. Aside from Health, iOS 8 includes a number of other features such as a new QuickType keyboard with word suggestions, support for systemwide third-party keyboards and Touch ID integration, Photos and Messages improvements, and Continuity features to make iOS device and Macs work more smoothly with each other.

iOS 8, released to the public today, includes an API that allows developers to create system-wide third-party keyboards for the first time, which will let users select from a range of different keyboards with unique functions.

We've rounded up a list of the best third-party keyboards currently available to you find the keyboard best suited to you. Some of these keyboards are in the App Store now, while others will begin rolling out today following the launch of iOS 8.

SwiftKey (Free) [Direct Link] - SwiftKey is a gesture-based keyboard that allows users to type by dragging their fingers from key to key. Along with offering predictive suggestions, SwiftKey integrates with SwiftKey Cloud to let a user's preferences be backed up and synced across all devices.

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Apple released iOS 8 to the public today, giving millions of users their first look at the new operating system. Along with all of the major features, like Continuity, Notification improvements, Messages upgrades, and the introduction of third-party keyboard/Touch ID access, there are also dozens of other minor tweaks and changes that have been introduced in iOS 8, both ahead of the OS's initial launch to developers and across the beta testing period.

Outlined in the video below are some of the most interesting and handy tweaks in iOS 8, including automatic credit card scanning, expanded weather options, quick access to contacts, a hands-free mode for Siri, hidden photos, and more.

We've been collecting and cataloguing minor feature changes to iOS 8 since the first beta was released, documenting the development of new features and providing a one-stop location for all the changes that have largely gone under the radar.

A complete list of all of the hidden features in iOS 8 can be found in our dedicated Hidden Features Roundup, which also serves as a way to see the progress iOS 8 made over the course of the beta testing period.

For example, in beta 4, Apple introduced a Tips app that offers iOS 8 users information about all of the new features in the operating system. Beta 5, meanwhile, added location information to photo collections in the Photos app, and beta 4 saw a Control Center redesign.

We've also compiled a walkthrough of all of the major features introduced with iOS 8, which can be found in our iOS 8 Roundup.

iOS 8 can be downloaded immediately for free. It can be installed on the iPhone 4s and later, 5th-generation iPod touch, iPad 2 and later, and the iPad mini.

In a wide ranging interview with Bloomberg covering culture changes at Apple, Tim Cook's personality, the company's move into Apple Pay, and the development of the Apple Watch, Tim Cook, Jony Ive, and Jeff Williams share some fascinating details on the work that went into creating Apple's new wearable device.

According to Jony Ive, Apple first began developing the Apple Watch three years ago, before wearables caught on in Silicon Valley. The Apple Watch, he says, is "probably one of the most difficult projects I have ever worked on." A huge amount of research was conducted for the watch, which was touched on at Apple's introductory keynote event.

Apple invited several watch historians to speak at Cupertino, with one, French author and antique expert Dominique Fléchon saying that discussion centered around "the philosophy of instruments for measuring time." Ive himself delved into horological history, studying clocks and watches throughout time.

Clocks first popped up on top of towers in the center of towns and over time were gradually miniaturized, appearing on belt buckles, as neck pendants, and inside trouser pockets. They eventually migrated to the wrist, first as a way for ship captains to tell time while keeping their hands firmly locked on the wheel. "What was interesting is that it took centuries to find the wrist and then it didn't go anywhere else," Ive says. "I would argue the wrist is the right place for the technology."

Ive and his team experimented with a variety of interface interactions for the Apple Watch, including pinch-to-zoom, which the company joked about during the keynote as an unsuitable way to use the device because fingers cover the small screen. The team settled on the "digital crown" a physical button that can be used for a variety of tasks, including scrolling through options and accessing the home button. Ive went on to develop high-quality wristbands and unique packaging that "doubles as a charging stand."

A staggering number of employees with various specialties worked on the Apple Watch, under the direction of Apple's VP of operations, Jeff Williams. Hundreds of designers and engineers came together to design the S1 processor in the device, the heart rate sensor, and the special alloys used in casings and bands.

According to Williams, while Apple could have launched a watch in time for the holiday season, it wouldn't have been "at the fit and finish and quality and integration of these products." Apple wanted to make "the best product in the world" and is "willing to wait."

Apple's first wearable device is expected to be available to consumers in early 2015. Pricing details remain largely unknown, with the company stating that pricing will start at $349.

Cook and Ive's complete interview with Bloomberg, which also has several details on how Apple runs under Cook, Cook's personality and values, Jobs' ongoing influence, recent hirings and acquisitions, and Apple's partnership with IBM, is well worth reading to get a glimpse inside the walls of Apple's Cupertino headquarters.

Apple today released iOS 8 to the public, making the download available to all users who have an iPhone 4s or later, iPad 2 or later, 5th-generation iPod touch, or iPad mini. The update can be downloaded via iTunes or through an over-the-air update accessible by going to the Settings app and tapping General ---> Software Update.

While iOS 8 is currently available for download, it may take a few minutes for the update to propagate to all users due to demand. In past years, Apple's servers have been overwhelmed with traffic.

iOS 8 includes the same general design elements introduced with iOS 7, but introduces several under-the-hood improvements. Improved integration between Apple devices, both mobile and desktop, is a major focal point of iOS 8, with Apple introducing several new "Continuity" features designed to connect the iPhone, iPad, and Mac "like never before." This video walks through the major new features:

The operating system also includes interactive notifications, app widgets in the Notification Center, and Messages improvements that let users manage group conversations for the first time.

Third-party access to both the keyboard and Touch ID has been enabled, and Apple has implemented its own keyboard improvements, in the form of its QuickType predictive keyboard. A new Health app is included with iOS 8, aggregating health and fitness data from a variety of apps and devices, and a new Family Sharing feature lets families of up to six people share apps, music, books, and more.

Our iOS 8 roundup has a complete rundown of all of the major new features introduced in iOS 8, and our separate features roundup showcases all of the smaller changes and additions made to the operating system throughout the beta testing period.

In addition to being released to the public today, iOS 8 will also come pre-installed on the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, which will be available beginning on Friday, September 19.

Apple appears to have discovered a significant last-minute issue with its HealthKit services for iOS 8, a problem that will result in a delay for the launch of new and updated apps that include HealthKit functionality. Apple reportedly has pulled HealthKit-compatible apps from the App Store and is confirming this issue to affected developers. As highlighted by MacStories' Federico Viticci, both CARROT Fit and MyFitnessPal have disappeared from the App Store after being updated with HealthKit support earlier today.

While the exact issue is unclear, it is certainly significant that one of the key features of iOS 8 does not appear to be ready to launch on time and that it is having a significant effect on third-party developers who have prepared their apps to take advantage of the new feature.

Apple introduced HealthKit alongside its new iOS 8 Health app as part of a new initiative into the health and fitness marketplace. The feature taps into data from sensors within the iPhone, as well as from accessories and manual data input. HealthKit will also be key for the launch of the heart rate sensor-enabled Apple Watch early next year.

With its iPhone 6 announcement completed, Apple reportedly is preparing a second announcement event that will will launch new iPad models, claims AppleInsider, citing a trusted insider familiar with the company's pre-launch logistics. The report points to the second half of October for the event, but The Daily Dot has gone a step further and predicted an October 21 event based on its own sources.

A person familiar with the company's pre-launch logistics says Apple has set internal project and marketing deadlines of mid-October, ahead of the planned unveiling of major new products during the second half of the month. That would align with an anticipated media event previously rumored to be held at some point during October. The same source who spoke to AppleInsider has shared reliable information on product introduction and timing in the past.

If true, the schedule would align with Apple's pattern for the last several years, which last year saw the company unveil its new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display in October with an availability date in early November. This year's event may introduce updated iPad models that include a faster A8 processor, anti-reflective display and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, although one report suggests most of the upgrades will be limited to the larger iPad Air model.

Aside from new iPads, Apple is also expected to use the October event to finalize the details and availability date for OS X Yosemite, which was initially introduced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in June. According to The Daily Dot, Yosemite will be released immediately following the October event, similar to the release of OS X Mavericks just after the conclusion of last year's October event.

Other Apple devices in need of upgrades include the Mac mini, MacBook Air, iMac, and the Apple TV, but few details suggest updated these models will be updated before the end of 2014, particularly given Intel's delays with its next-generation Broadwell processors. One recent rumor has, however, claimed Apple may release a new ultra-high definition 27-inch monitor with 5120 x 2880 resolution in 2014, but details on this desktop accessory remain sparse.

Update 12:35 PM: Bloomberg is also reporting that Apple plans to introduce new iPads in mid-October.

Apple Inc. will unveil the next generation of iPad tablets around mid-October, a person with knowledge of the plans said, as the company bolsters its product lineup ahead of the holiday shopping season.

The report reiterates earlier claims that new iPad and iPad mini are already in production or soon to be so, while a larger 12.9-inch iPad is scheduled to begin mass production early next year.

Update 12:41 PM: The Loop's Jim Dalrymple says Apple is not planning an October 21 event. He does not, however, address the possibility of new iPads in that general timeframe.

Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus supplies may continue to be constrained as Foxconn reportedly is struggling to keep up with demand for the handsets, reports the Wall Street Journal. Unlike previous years that saw Foxconn handling the launch of one flagship handset, the manufacturer is now tasked with producing two iPhone models that are in high demand.

The Taiwan-based manufacturer, which has more than one million workers in China, is operating about 100 production lines around the clock in Zhengzhou. The challenge is to manufacture two complicated new iPhones on a large scale at the same time because Foxconn is the sole assembler of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. It also makes the majority of the iPhone 6 that comes with a 4.7-inch display, the people said.

Foxconn reportedly has hired more than 200,000 workers at its Zhengzhou site to work on Apple's new iPhone. Even with this large labor force and daily output volumes of 140,000 iPhone 6 Plus units and 400,000 iPhone 6 units, the company is still not able to meet pre-order demand.

One issue reportedly facing the manufacturer is a shortage of 5.5-inch displays, which are still only at being produced at a 50-60 percent output rate, leading suppliers to reject almost half of the display units that come off the production line.

Apple has faced similar shortages with previous iPhone models and has been able to gradually ramp up supply to meet demand. Apple will begin selling its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus starting Friday, September 19th in a handful of launch countries. A larger global rollout is planned the following week with sales beginning on September 26th.