Apple has debuted a new marketing tool for podcasters today. Through the Apple Podcasts Marketing Tools website, podcasters can now create new embeddable web players for their shows as well as individual episodes. Through the marketing website, podcasters can create a custom embeddable player that includes the most recent episodes of their podcast. The player is fully interactive, so people can click or tap on an episode to list to it without going to another webpage or app....

Apple is releasing iOS 13.4.1 and iPadOS 13.4.1 to the public today. These updates follow the public release of iOS 13.4 last month and focus on bug fixes, performance improvements, and security enhancements. Apple started beta testing iOS 13.4.5 last week, leaving many to wonder where iOS 13.4.1 was. The update is rolling out now to iPhone and iPad users. Here are the release notes: Fixes an issue where devices running iOS 13....

A little under a week after releasing its second beta, Apple has released the third developer beta of iOS 9.3.2 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 9.3.2 appears to be a smaller update compared to the past significant iOS 9.3 update that brought about features such as Night Shift and Touch ID notes. iOS 9.3.2 Beta 3 release notes are not yet available through Apple’s Developer Center, but the update is propagating to iOS devices now....

Apple was just granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office (via Patently Apple) detailing 3D display & imaging technologies that could potentially lead to advanced Kinect-like navigation through performing gestures or manipulating holographic images within a virtual 3D space. Essentially, this would allow you to perform hand gestures within a virtual space while your hands are displayed on a screen, allowing for precise manipulation of on-screen elements....

Apple this morning confirmed it intends opening its Mac App Store on Thursday, January 6. The store will be available in 90 countries at launch and will feature both paid and free apps in various categories. “The App Store revolutionized mobile apps,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We hope to do the same for PC apps with the Mac App Store by making finding and buying PC apps easy and fun....

Apple Maps started listing electric vehicle charge points as points-of-interest late last year, and now Apple is expanding that functionality to Europe. The new feature rollout will include listings for bike rental hubs in three cities around the world as well. Apple tells Bloomberg that the new features for Apple Maps in Europe come as part of a partnership with Munich-based Cirrantic’s Moovility service. Bike rental hubs will appear in Apple Maps for users in London, New York, and Paris as well:...

Apple closed the majority of its 510 retail stores on March 13th following deteriorating public health due to the coronavirus outbreak. The company originally planned to begin reopening stores by March 27th, but rapidly changing conditions necessitated extended closures. O’Brien’s message to store teams notes that Apple now anticipates some stores may be able to reopen in the first half of April. Local conditions will be assessed on a store-by-store basis to ensure the safety of team members and customers....

It seems scarcely a week goes by without Apple and Qualcomm facing off in court, and the latest trial kicks off today in San Diego. Qualcomm alleges that iPhones with Intel radio chips violate three of its patents, and it is seeking damages amounting to $1.41 per iPhone … Reuters reports that the trial is scheduled to last for eight days. Last month’s developments Last month alone saw multiple developments in the long-running legal disputes between the two companies....

The lengthy and aggressive Apple/Qualcomm patent dispute was eventually settled back in 2019, but the legal battle isn’t quite over yet. That’s because there was an ongoing Qualcomm appeal relating to one of the patents challenged by Apple, and that case has quietly rumbled on in the background … Background Apple bought modem chips from Qualcomm for its iPhones. These modems contained patented technology, and the chipmaker charged Apple both for the chips themselves and a separate license fee for use of the patented tech....

Apple has released OS X Yosemite GM Candidate 1.0 for developers via the Mac App Store today. Candidate 1.0 of OS X Yosemite GM follows the release of the first iOS 8.1 beta to developers yesterday and Yosemite Developer Preview 8 two weeks ago. Apple is expected to debut to the new version of the Mac operating system to the public next month. We’ll update with changes found in the new version, and feel free to share any discoveries in the comments or via tips@9to5mac....

In addition to the release of iOS 14 beta 2, Apple today has also released watchOS 7 beta 2 to developers. watchOS 7 includes new features such as sleep tracking, new watch face features, fitness improvements, and more. Today’s release brings additional refinement to these features. watchOS 7 beta 2 can be installed by developers through the companion Apple Watch app on iPhone, or by heading to the Settings app on the Apple Watch itself....

According to Israeli publication Calcalist.co.il, Apple has purchased PrimeSense, the company behind the original Microsoft Kinect’s technology somewhere near a valuation in the $345M range. According to the report, a delegation of PrimeSense senior executives visited Apple’s engineering offices in recent days. The purchase would bolster Apple’s living room TV interface offerings and allow Apple to add controls with body movements and hand gestures to its products. Calcalist reported in July that Apple was mulling a purchase for somewhere in the neighborhood of $280M....

Ahead of the iPad mini landing this Friday in the hands of those who pre-ordered, the Smart Cover for the iPad mini has been delivered to a number of customers already. Apple made the covers available to customers last Friday for $39—available in red, dark gray, light gray, pink, green, and blue. The Smart Cover attaches magnetically to the side of the iPad and folds over to cover the front. It can be folded three times for different viewing angles....

Up until now, Apple has limited promo codes on the App Store to app downloads and hasn’t allowed developers to offer codes for in-app purchases and Newsstand issues. However, as noted by 148apps, EA is currently offering promo codes that allow users of its Real Racing 3 iOS app to get an in-app purchase normally valued at $1.99. While users aren’t forced to enter a promo code manually in the App Store, visiting an EA website sends users to the App Store and automatically redeems the code for the in-app content....

For Apple, revenue from Services like the App Store and iCloud are as important for the business as selling iPhones and Macs. Today, Apple is providing a status update on services milestones for Apple Pay, TV+, Fitness+, and more. Apple’s services guru Eddy Cue provided this comment as part of the report: App Store Included in the report are these numbers for the App Store: Apple’s world-class portfolio of services proved essential in 2021, as people worldwide sought new ways to keep entertained, informed, connected, and inspired....

Apple Music is falling behind Spotify in the music streaming wars. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been using Apple Music since the day it was released in 2015, but after almost six years of its launch, I don’t think I can defend Apple for not correcting some flaws or adding features users really want. Before 2015, I used to rip my CDs to my iPhone or buy them on the iTunes Store....

Apple has now named new Marketing and Medical VPs for its Apple Watch team following the product’s official unveiling earlier this month. The company has also today posted its first job listing seeking software engineers for the Apple Watch team on its website. Longtime Apple marketing executive Stan Ng gets a promotion from his previous role as Senior iPhone Product Marketing to VP of Product Marketing for Apple Watch. Ng has held various executive roles since 1999 and previously served as Sr....

Except for the trackpad on MacBooks, Apple has all but discontinued Force Touch (also known as 3D Touch) technology from its products. However, it seems that the company still has plans to somehow bring Force Touch back, as new patents reveal next-generation force sensors for Apple Watch, MacBook, and even iPhone. US Patent & Trademark Office published on Thursday (via Patently Apple) multiple Apple patents related to force-pressure sensors. These patents cover how these sensors can be used for different purposes in Apple devices....

Apple Pay is now an accepted form of payment for donations made through Elbi. The philanthropic app created by model Natalia Vodianova lets users “love” charities and causes which prompts micro donations. In return, users receive LoveCoins that can be redeemed for items including Beats by Dre products. Elbi officially announced Apple Pay support today alongside a new ElbiDrop feature following an initial rollout a few weeks ago. Apple Pay in apps makes transactions super simple and secure on supported iPhones and iPads....

In addition to the new MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12, Apple has also released two new colors for the AirTag leather key ring and the AirTag leather loop. Both are now available in California poppy and forest green. The leather key rings are priced at $35 while the the leather loops are priced at $39. You can purchase them now from Apple.com. Apple had previously leaked the California poppy leather key ring on the online store and one appeared on eBay at one point....