MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of a new tvOS 12 operating system to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the sixth beta and two months after introducing the new software at the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the tvOS 12 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV using a profile that's installed...

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming watchOS 5 update to developers, one week after releasing the sixth beta and two months after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference. To get the beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be downloaded ...

Costco today kicked off a new "5 Days of Deals" event just for its members, and one of the discounts is for Apple's AirPods. Today only Costco members can purchase the headphones for $139.99, down from $159.99 -- one of the best deals online for a new pair when compared to retailers like Adorama and Best Buy. Free shipping is also available. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of ...

The latest offering for users looking to add mesh networking to their homes has been revealed by Samsung today, called the SmartThings Wi-Fi (via The Verge). The router includes mesh networking technology from Plume, which itself recently revealed its "SuperPod" mesh router along with a $60/year subscription. Samsung's SmartThings Wi-Fi isn't subscription-based, and in addition to the usual...

Spotify today announced that listeners across the globe can now tune into the BBC's podcast catalog directly within the Spotify app, including "hundreds of programs across thousands of episodes." In the announcement, the company focuses on podcast listeners in the United Kingdom, but it appears that BBC podcasts on Spotify are also appearing for users in the United States and elsewhere outside of ...

Firefox received an update on iOS today that brings a new dark theme and a handful of new tab functions to the popular web browser. For some time now, Mozilla's mobile browser has had a "Night Mode" option, which inverts the colors of web pages except for images and certain other elements, similar to the way Apple's Smart Invert works for the iOS interface. From left to right: Standard ...

Ever since iOS 7, Apple has provided a Text Message Forwarding service that can push SMS messages received through your iPhone's cellular network to your other Apple devices. Using the same network, the forwarding service also allows you to send messages from your iPad or Mac to other phone numbers, even if they don't support Apple's iMessages platform (dumbphones and Android devices, for...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with ColorWare to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a set of custom-painted AirPods that have been designed to look like a classic Macintosh. The AirPods Retro case has been painted a soft beige shade that matches the design of Apple's earliest computers, with gray lines representing faux vents. There's also a rainbow colored button at the back...

Apple Music this week began rolling out a new section in Browse curated by Deutsche Grammophon, known as one of the biggest classical musical labels in the world. In this section, classical music fans will find featured playlists of specific composers, highlighted radio stations, and all-new visual albums stocked with the "full-length performance" of select operas (via Engadget)....

Over the summer, a few new and upcoming Philips Hue light fixtures leaked online, including an Outdoor Light Strip and White Ambience Adore Vanity Mirror. This week, the company has announced prices and confirmed an August 20 launch date for most of these products, as well as revealed a collection of new Hue lights. As usual, all of the new Hue lights are compatible with Apple's HomeKit platform. ...

Nearly one year after Qualcomm received a $773 million fine by Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission regarding how the company prices smartphone chips and patents, Qualcomm this week reached a settlement agreement with the Taiwanese regulators that "reverses most" of the $773 million fine. In the settlement, Qualcomm will invest $700 million over the next five years to "boost research activities in ...

Spotify has begun a test for select users in Australia, allowing free tier listeners to skip "any" audio and video ads that they come across "as often as they want," according to a new report by Ad Age. Currently, users who don't pay for a Spotify Premium subscription ($9.99/month) have to listen to ads and can't skip them. Spotify's head of partner solutions, Danielle Lee, explained that...

The Unicode Consortium is working on the list of emojis that will be added to Unicode 12 in 2019, and today Emojipedia shared some details on new emoji candidates that have been suggested for inclusion. New candidates for Unicode 12 include service dog, deaf people, and mixed race couples. Because the list of emojis has not yet been finalized, these new emoji candidates won't be included...

Google this week debuted a new app called "Cameos," which lets celebrities record video answers to "the most asked questions on Google," and then post the recordings directly to Google's search results (via TechCrunch). The company says that this will let users "get answers directly" from the source when searching for facts and trivia about certain people in the spotlight. Although anyone...

Apple has begun selling the Eve Aqua Smart Water Controller on its United States website today, following a few weeks after the HomeKit accessory previously launched on Eve's own website and on Amazon (via HomeKit News and Reviews). On Apple.com, you can buy the Eve Aqua for $99.95, and the free shipping option currently designates a delivery date on Monday, August 13. The Eve Aqua is a...

Just a few days after Bloomberg revealed Apple's revamped India strategy, including changes that the company hopes will boost its lackluster smartphone market share in the country, a report by Reuters today has pointed out another hurdle for Apple's India plan. The new report concerns Apple's work with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) over the development of an anti-spam...

Apple Pay is offering a $20 promo code when you spend $100 or more within the iOS Nike app through August 16. This is the latest offer in Apple's long-running Apple Pay promo series, now themed as a back-to-school sale for any students looking for new shoes for the school year. To get the code, download the Nike iOS app [Direct Link], make a purchase worth $100 or more, and then pay with...

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined Tim Cook in celebrating Apple's "Everyone Can Code" initiative on Wednesday at the company's Michigan Avenue store, where a special Today at Apple session got underway. In a special session titled "One Summer Chicago Student App Showcase", young coders presented their latest app creations to onlookers with the help of the store's giant TV display. Rahm...