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

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.2 update to developers for testing purposes, just over one week after seeding the fourth tvOS 10.2 update and more than a month after releasing tvOS 10.1.1, the current release version of tvOS. Designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV, the fifth tvOS 10.2 beta can be obtained by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C to...

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.2 update to developers for testing purposes, just over one week after seeding the fourth watchOS 3.2 beta and more than a month after the release of watchOS 3.1.3, the current public version of the operating system. The watchOS 3.2 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -->...

Vimeo today announced that 360-degree video support has arrived for the service's web and mobile app platforms. The update will provide a place for creators to learn and upload videos in the popular format, as well as a community hub of 360-degree video content for viewers to browse and watch flat, or using compatible VR headsets. Vimeo's 360-degree videos will support 8K content in both...

Just one day after Apple Pay launched in Ireland, there is now evidence to suggest the service could launch in Belgium soon too. Belgian bank CBC Banque & Assurance on Tuesday tweeted that Apple Pay will be available in May, as spotted by French blog iGeneration. Meanwhile, another Belgian bank Belfius Bank said it will begin accepting contactless payments on May 2, although it did not...

Streaming movie and TV service VUDU has confirmed that it is currently in the development stages for an upcoming fourth-generation Apple TV app, although the official launch timeline is unclear at this point. A Redditor spotted the confirmation from a VUDU engineer named Jake, who posted on the company's forums in response to a user's inquiry about the long-requested debut of a VUDU app for Apple ...

Yesterday, a handful of blogs ran with a rumor speculating that Apple could host an event on April 4 given that was the date Apple's online store listed for in-store availability of 12.9-inch iPad Pro models in the United States at the time. The rumor is likely false, however, and here's why. The problem is that Apple's in-store Personal Pickup tool is generally not a reliable indicator of a ...

Twenty-two United Kingdom-based charities now support donations through Apple Pay in apps and on the web, making it easier for interested patrons to give money to their favorite nonprofit organizations through Apple's mobile wallet (via Civil Society). The collection of UK charities have begun accepting Apple Pay beginning today, so users can begin donating with an Apple device, including on...

Nest is in the process of making a cheaper edition of its Nest Learning Thermostat as well as a new line of home security products, according to someone familiar with the company's plans speaking with Bloomberg. Nest is said to be "seeking a bigger share of the connected home market" in its move to make a cheaper version of its flagship thermostat device. The cheaper Nest Learning Thermostat...

The iPhone captured 79 percent of global smartphone profits in 2016, according to new research from Strategy Analytics obtained by The Korea Herald. Global smartphone profit stood at $53.7 billion, with Apple's iPhone profit accounting for $44.9 billion. Apple held 14.5 percent global smartphone marketshare in 2016, second behind Samsung's 20.8 percent global marketshare. For comparison,...

AT&T today announced a new loyalty reward for its DirecTV Now subscribers, offering free HBO for 12 months or $5 off for six months. All existing customers with active DirecTV Now accounts that were created before March 6, 2017 can claim the loyalty reward. Customers with the "Go Big" and "Gotta Have It" plans will get 12 months of free HBO, while customers with the "Live a Little" and "Just...

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Foxconn, two companies who work with Apple, are teaming up to place a bid for a stake in Toshiba's memory chip unit according to Chinese site Liberty Times (via DigiTimes). The partnership could perhaps give TSMC and Foxconn the tools to gain a serious foothold in the flash memory market that's currently dominated by Samsung. Via the...

Smart home accessory company Nest today announced the addition of two-step authentication into its mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, which will act as an extra layer of security that prevents intrusions into a user's Nest account. The company said that these extra security measures can help prevent malicious access to private information, particularly camera feeds of Nest Cam products....

Porsche and Honda today each announced new sports cars that will be compatible with Apple's CarPlay infotainment system. In its unveiling, Porsche detailed the all-new 2018 911 GT3 street-legal sports car with a 4.0 liter flat-six engine that produces up to 500 horsepower -- an engine based on the one used in all of Porsche's 911 race cars. Other than CarPlay, the Porsche 911 GT3 has a...

Adobe has announced that the latest update to its Lightroom mobile app now allows users to capture HDR images in RAW format. The upgrade means the app now automatically determines the ideal exposure range of the subject before capturing three photos as RAW DNG files, before applying align, merge, and tone mapping algorithms to generate the final 32-bit RAW image. We're excited to...

Apple was awarded a patent today that details a method of detecting faces in a digital video feed through the use of depth information. Published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the document describes how face detection algorithms could identify the presence of faces in a live video when people in the scene are located at different distances from the camera. To reduce processing...

Apple has updated its Italian website with an Apple Pay page, confirming its introduction in the country is close at hand. Last month, Apple added complete translations of Apple Pay support documents to its Italian and German regional websites, indicating the launch of the mobile payment system in those countries is just a matter of time. Today, for Italy at least, that launch appears one ...

Sonos today announced the PLAYBASE, its newest speaker designed for home theater sound systems. According to Sonos, the PLAYBASE is a thin, powerful speaker that sits under a television set to offer enhanced sound for TV shows, music, and movies. The PLAYBASE measures in at just 58mm tall, but it includes 10 drivers (six mid-range, three tweeters, and one woofer) for what Sonos says is great...

Fitbit today announced the Fitbit Alta HR, which the company is calling the "world's slimmest fitness wristband" that has a continuous heart rate monitor. The Alta HR launches just over a year after Fitbit debuted the original Fitbit Alta, which included new "Reminders to Move" to tell users to stand up and move around a bit, like Apple Watch stand notifications. The main upgrade for the...