According to Bloomberg, the technology is being enabled by Apple’s 2020 acquisition of a Canadian startup called Mobeewave. The firm, which cost Apple around $100 million, created assets that would allow existing smartphones to process credit card payments via built-in chips, like the ones that power Apple Pay in all modern iPhones. It worked with Samsung to bring similar payment acceptance functionality to its Galaxy series smartphones before its acquisition....

Apple confirmed back in January plans to open its first ever retail store in Samsung’s home city of Seoul, South Korea – close to the headquarters of Samsung. A new report from Korea says that the store will open on December 30, with retail head Angela Ahrendts in attendance … ETNews quotes the construction company saying that work on the store is all but complete. The report says that Apple had originally targeted a completion date of November 30, with construction continuing through both nights and weekends to ensure that the new date is hit....

Apple has launched a new web service called Maps Connect that allows small business owners to manage their listings on Apple Maps along with a tool for setting up indoor positioning in select areas. Companies can enter their own listings and verify via a phone call or email address. The iBeacon-powered indoor mapping tool allows businesses to setup interior views of their businesses on Apple Maps to help guide users through their venues....

Apple has its own magnetic charging bracelet for Apple Watch, but it will likely be limited to retail displays to keep devices on retail store floors charged for extended periods of time. In addition, the company has developed a special case capable of storing and charging 10 Apple Watches at once, allowing retail employees to help customers wanting to try the Apple Watch on in-store. An FCC application for the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Bracelet was recently published online detailing “a stainless steel magnetic charging bracelet which includes an inductive charging coil to charge the Apple Watch....

Apple has today started offering certified refurbished models of its iMac Pro available on its website. These refurbs of the most powerful Mac yet are going for 15% off and the higher end configurations are also included. While we’ve seen discounts on iMac Pro before, most of them have been on the base model from third-party retailers. Today marks the first time Apple has offered certified refurbished stock of its iMac Pro, and in particular, 8-, 10-, and 18-core models are available at a discount at the time of writing....

With the introduction of the revamped Mac App Store on macOS Mojave, Apple had to remove some features along the way. Today, the company is adding app analytics for Mac App Store applications in App Store Connect. Apple announced the change through its developer portal today. The new Mac App Store follows suit with last year’s iOS App Store refresh, heavily focused on curated content, better app categories, and a more streamlined design....

Photo via Foursquare According to employee tweets and photos, Apple opened a stunning new Caffè Macs employee cafeteria at the corner of Bandley and Alves Dr. in Cupertino this past Tuesday. Located close to the company’s first campus building, Apple received approval to build at this location in early 2012, and after 2 years of work, the new cafeteria is complete. Unlike Apple’s main employee cafeteria at their Infinite Loop complex, which visitors can enter if signed in by an Apple employee, this new cafeteria is off limits to anyone but Apple staff....

First announced by Steve Jobs in 2006, Apple kicked off construction on its new 176-acre “Campus 2” in late 2013/early 2014 and expects to move in around 12,000 of its employees when the project is complete. Apple currently plans to wrap up construction by late 2016, so it’s possible the company could move into the new 2.8 million sq ft location starting sometime in early 2017. Apple has been providing sporadic updates on progress on the site, but we have a more comprehensive timeline below that we’ll update as we follow along with Apple’s progress on the under-construction Campus 2 facility in Cupertino....

Apple Pay has been growing at a steady pace since its initial release, consistently adding new banks both in the United States and overseas, while continuing to come to more retailers. Speaking at the CodeCommerce, Apple Pay head Jennifer Bailey talked about the continued growth of the mobile payment platform, offering up some details as to what we can expect next year… Bailey teased that in 2017, Apple expects that two-thirds of the top 100 retailers will support Apple Pay....

In the aftermath of the devastating explosion in Beirut, Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced that the company will be donating to both short and long-term relief efforts. On August 4th, a massive warehouse fire broke out in Beirut, Lebanon that led to a massive explosion believed to be caused by almost 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate. So far the death toll is almost 150 with thousands of others injured in the incident....

A set of 14 analyst forecasts compiled by Bloomberg predicts that Apple’s quarterly profits – due to be reported tomorrow – will have fallen for the first time since 2003. Apple’s shares recently fell below $400. Despite widespread expectations that the company is working on two new product categories – an HD TV and a smartwatch – its famous refusal to confirm or deny such rumors is leaving investors nervous. Apple is expected to raise its dividend in an attempt to appease shareholders, with Bloomberg predicting a quarterly dividend of around $3....

Right after Apple’s September keynote, the company introduced iOS 15.1 beta, which reintroduces some features removed from iOS 15.0 and also adds some new ones. Now iOS 15.1 RC (Release Candidate) is available for developers and public beta users. One of the key iOS 15 features announced at WWDC 2021 in June was SharePlay, which lets users share songs, videos, or even the screen during a FaceTime call. However, that feature was pushed back and is now returning with iOS 15....

Two weeks following the first beta, Apple has released iOS 8.3 beta 2 to developers for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. As we reported upon the first beta, the upcoming release includes a Wireless CarPlay feature, a new Emoji picker, improved login for Google services, an updated voice for Siri, and support for Apple Pay in China. iOS 8.3 is coming later this year, and sources say that Apple will release a public beta of iOS 8....

Just three days after releasing the RC builds of iOS 15.2 and macOS Monterey 12.1, Apple on Friday released new updates to developers. iOS 15.2 RC 2 and macOS 12.1 RC 2 can now be downloaded on the Apple Developer website or as an OTA update. Update: According to Apple, iOS 15.2 RC 2 is only available for iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro devices. iOS 15.2 brings a few notable changes for iPhone and iPad users....

Just as Apple published a new letter from Tim Cook and an update on privacy and security policies, a new report points to evidence the company has recently received new government demands for user data under the Patriot Act. GigaOM reports that language previously included in Apple’s Transparency Reports noting the company had “never received an order under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act” has since been removed. That could signal, according to the report, Apple’s involvement with controversial National Security Agency programs that demand data from companies:...

As Apple moves more of its services into the cloud, and more Apple users adopt iCloud for photo library and file storage, the company’s infrastructure requirements keep on rising. Although Apple manages many of its own data centers, it also relies heavily on third-party cloud companies as well. The Information reports that Apple’s spending on Google Cloud services has increased by 50% year over year, and is set to spend about $300 million this year managing more than 8 exabytes of total data....

Apple updated its Environmental Initiatives website and has issued its 2014 Environmental Responsibility Report today. Today’s update fulfills a promise from Earth Day in which Apple said that it would more frequently update consumers on its environmental progress. Apple has always been focused on the environment, but it has pushed its attention to new levels with the hire of former EPA head Lisa Jackson last year. Today’s report has several updates....

Apple today announced a new Service Program, also known as recall, for its AirPods Pro wireless earbuds. According to the company, some AirPods Pro units have been affected by a manufacturing problem that may cause “sound issues.” Users with affected AirPod Pro models will notice crackling or static sounds in some situations, besides Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected. Apple says the affected units were manufactured before October 2020....

Apple Marketing SVP Phil Schiller has been known to take to Twitter in the past to voice his views on rival platforms, and today the Apple executive is once again taking a jab at Android through his Twitter account. Today, Schiller points us to some more Android “shenanigans” with a link to a story from ArsTechinca about inflated Galaxy Note 3 benchmarks. Ars reports: Earlier this year Schiller took another shot at Android on Twitter by tweeting the words “Be safe out there” with a link to a study showing a much higher number of threats on Android compared to iOS....

Apple’s list of supported banks and card issuers for Apple Pay is growing again today with the addition of 8 new banks and credit unions, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. The full list of newly supported card issuers includes: Security Service Federal Credit Union Consumers Credit Union Virginia Credit Union Cyprus Federal Credit Union Fairwinds Credit Union Mountain America Credit Union Partners Federal Credit Union Customers Bank...