Apple, Google, Microsoft and 44 other organisations and security experts have signed an open letter condemning a proposal to secretly add law enforcement organizations to encrypted chats and calls. The proposal by GCHQ – Britain’s equivalent of the NSA – seeks to provide an encryption workaround that would breach privacy and security in apps like Messages, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Signal … The proposed workaround, aka ‘ghost proposal’ So far, companies like Apple have been able to tell law enforcement that it has no way to provide them with access to Messages chats and FaceTime calls because the services use end-to-end encryption....

One week after the release of the second beta, Apple is now rolling out iOS 15.5 beta 3 to developers. iOS 15.5 includes small under the hood changes, as well as updates to the Wallet app, Apple Cash, HomePod, and the App Store. Head below for the details. Today’s new release of iOS 15.5 beta 3 is available to developers via an over-the-air update in the Settings app. As usual, if the update does not immediately appear for download, keep checking, as it sometimes takes a few minutes to roll out to all registered developers....

Just days after releasing iOS 6.1 to the public, Apple has released iOS 6.1.1 beta 1 to developers for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The download is available via Apple’s developer center for registered developers. This beta, according to Apple, has major enhancements to Maps for Japan: iOS 6.1.1 beta 1 includes the following improvements to Maps for Japan: Improved pronunciation of roads during turn-by-turn navigation Optimized directions to more strongly prefer highways over narrower roads Now indicates upcoming toll roads during turn-by-turn navigation Added labels for junctions, interchanges, on-ramps, off-ramps, and intersections Added indicators for transit station buildings, subway lines, and traffic lights Updated freeway color to green Updated icons for some location categories including fire stations, hospitals, and post offices Added 3D buildings including Tokyo Station, Japan Imperial Palace, and Tokyo Tower It also seems that this beta has no expiration date, unlike previous iOS betas:...

Alongside the arrival of iOS 16.1.1, Apple has released the first public update to macOS Ventura with 13.0.1 today. The new software squashes a range of bugs plus includes fixes for two security flaws that allowed arbitrary code execution on Mac. macOS 13.0.1 is now showing up for users running Ventura. Head to System Settings > General > Software Update to see if it’s available for your Mac. Apple notes two specific security issues were patched with today’s release:...

Apple has released OS X 10.9.1 for Mac via the Mac App Store today. The update includes a number of Mail related fixes including improved support for Gmail as well as numerous bug fixes. The update also fixes a VoiceOver issue that prevented sentences with emoji characters from being read… Apple previously released a Gmail fix in early November after issues with Mavericks created instability. Apple first issued OS X 10....

Apple has released the second iOS 11.3 public beta loaded with new features for iPhone and iPad. Apple originally previewed several new features prior to the first developer beta: 4 new Animoji on iPhone X: Lion, Skull, Bear, and Dragon ARKit 1.5 with support for vertical surfaces like walls, irregular shaped surfaces like circular tables, support for auto-focus, and 50% higher resolution Business Chat for iMessage in beta with Discover, Hilton, Lowe’s and Wells Fargo on board Health Records in Health app automatically updated from select partners More prominent music video features in Apple Music HomeKit software authentication without chip certification Advanced Mobile Location for sending your location to emergency services when calling from iPhone Other new features include:...

Alongside iOS 9.3.2, Apple has also released a bug fix update for Apple Watch in the form of watchOS 2.2.1. The release notes indicate the OTA update (weighing in at around 30 MB) includes various bug fixes and security updates. Given the version number, we aren’t expecting any new features but we’ll update if we see anything new. Check the Apple Watch app on the iPhone to update to the latest firmware....

Apple seems to be simplifying its range of accessories for its older iPhones ahead of the iPhone 6 launch on Friday. As shown above, Apple has removed every color of iPhone 5s case apart from black from its website. Although it is strange for Apple to reduce its potential for accessory sales (given that it still sells the iPhone 5s for only $99 on contract and many 5/5s models are out in the world), it is seemingly focusing on its new range of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus leather and silicone cases instead....

Apple’s rumored HomePod mini is set to be unveiled during the “Hi, Speed” event next week, according to a pair of early morning reports on Friday. The HomePod mini will reportedly be available for $99 and announced during the event, but availability won’t begin until November. Today’s report from Kang follows earlier reporting from L0vetodream, who said that a HomePod mini was coming this year but that we should not expect a followup to the full-size HomePod in 2020....

Apple fixed these, too, while improving reliability of Thunderbolt Target Disk Mode performance. Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) updates also addressed problems with Lion Recovery from an Internet connection. Thunderbolt updates are available by choosing Software Update from the Mac menu, unlike the updated iPhoto which is deployed via the Mac App Store client. Release notes after the break… What’s New in iPhoto 9.2.1 Addresses an issue that could cause iPhoto to quit unexpectedly on Macs with the 3ivxVideoCodec plug-in installed...

Apple has announced that its new Metal 2 Developer Kit, which launches later today, will support external graphics units over Thunderbolt 3. That means that eGPU setups featuring units like the Akitio Node, will officially support AMD’s popular RX 580 GPU. But not just that, the Metal 2 developer kit will make it possible to connect to VR headsets. Apple is partnering with Valve to support SteamVR, along with support for the Unreal 4 engine and Unity....

Apple Music for Android has received a huge revamp today to match the release of iOS 10 for iPhone and iPad last September. That redesign is now making its way to the streaming service’s Android app. The interface is nearly identical with features like iOS 10-specific features including lyrics and an improved Library available on Android for the first time. Jumping from version 1.2.1, today’s 2.0 update is modeled exactly after iOS 10’s design with large headers denoting what section of the app you are viewing....

Apple Music is joining several other music streaming services in a movement to stop promoting R. Kelly’s music in its playlists as he is facing multiple sexual misconduct and assault allegations. According to Rolling Stone, Apple’s decision on the songwriter was made several weeks ago, and is now starting to take effect. Other music streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora are also taking similar approaches. Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora all say that artists will be judged on a “case-by-case” basis, and the severity of the artist’s offenses will determine whether the services will stop promoting the artist, or if their music will be removed completely from the catalog....

[UPDATE 6/6: Going to Uber…] Axios reports that Apple Music executive Bozoma Saint John plans to leave her role at the company. Saint John has served as the Head of Global Consumer Marketing for Apple Music since the company’s Beats Music acquisition in 2014. Bozoma Saint John has also made several public appearances and given press interviews during her role at Apple. Saint John demoed iOS 10’s Apple Music update on stage at last year’s WWDC, an appearance which was widely praised, and even an Apple Music ad alongside Eddy Cue and James Corden....

Apple Music has started teasing a special announcement coming soon, on the main Browse tab in the Music application. The teaser comes as Apple is rumored to announce a new lossless audio tier for its music subscription service, perhaps with Spatial Audio enhanced 3D music. We’ve already heard rumors that Apple was planning to launch a new hi-fi music tier imminently, possibly alongside new AirPods on May 18th. The beta Android version of Apple Music somewhat tipped the hat on the news, with the app readying support for 24-bit/48kHz and 24-bit/192kHz lossless music streaming....

Apple News monetization – or lack of same – is still a huge problem, say large publishers, who describe the situation as ‘abysmal’ and ‘atrocious.’ We heard back in September that while traffic was growing, ad sales weren’t generating meaningful revenue for publishers. Indeed, we saw one stark example back then … Media and marketing site Digiday has spoken with seven publishers, who suggest this is a widespread issue. Publishers said there were three problems with Apple News monetization....

Apple has just started sending out emails to WWDC student scholarship winners informing that they are now eligible to this year’s conference free of charge. Steps for claiming a ticket will be arriving in winners’ inboxes soon. Those who didn’t win a ticket are also being notified. Apple notified winners in the ticket lottery earlier this month that they would have a week to purchase a ticket to the event for $1,599....

Apple CEO Tim Cook announced this afternoon during the company’s earnings call that Apple Pay will be rolling out to Germany later this year. Apple Pay, the company’s mobile payment solution, has been rapidly rolling out to more countries as of late and will now be coming to Germany later this year. Apple didn’t specify a date, but those who live in Germany should expect support for the service relatively soon....

Apple has made several improvements to its Podcasts app and service over the last year, and while features may still lack in comparison to popular third-party apps like Overcast, it’s hard to deny the sheer size of Apple’s podcast platform. Now, Fast Company reports that Apple Podcasts has passed a notable milestone in downloads and streams… The report says that in March of 2018, Apple Podcasts hit 50 billion all-time episode downloads and streams....

Apple last night added a new webpage focusing on the enterprise features offered in iOS 7, covering everything from configuration to data security. Apple dominates the enterprise market according to a report last year revealing that iOS last year accounted for 74 percent of business smartphone activations and a staggering 97 percent of business tablet activations. In total, iOS devices took six of the ten top slots in the enterprise league tables....