With dozens more banks and retailers signed-up to Apple Pay in recent weeks, the company says the contactless payment system now supports the cards used for around 90% of credit card transactions in the US. Ten further banks started accepting Apple Pay today, including two that had previously been announced as on the way: Commerce Bank and UW Credit Union … The eight additional banks are: Associated Bank BB&T Black Hills FCU Dupaco Community Credit Union First Tennessee Bank Idaho Central Credit Union TD Bank North America WesBanco These are likely to be added to the table on Apple’s website shortly....

There were reports earlier this week that District Judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the United States related to the ongoing cases between Apple and Samsung. At the time, reports claimed the ruling would kick in once Apple posted a $2.6 million bond. Today, FossPatents reported that Apple has since done so, allowing the preliminary injunction to formally take effect: With Apple pulling $39....

While Apple works on the next-gen Mac Pro, a new concept imagines what a redesigned and improved mouse might look like to go along with it. The “Apple Pro Mouse” features a reversible design, improved ergonomics, “Taptic Sidebar” for custom gestures, and even the ability to use it while charging! Vincent Lin shared the Apple Pro Mouse concept on Behance saying the Magic Mouse is “beautiful” but has a lot of room to improve....

Apple has released an update to its iCloud for Windows beta, the service that lets Windows users access files and photos stored in iCloud and Apple’s new iCloud Drive feature. Back in September, Apple opened up its new iCloud Drive feature, which later debuted with OS X Yosemite on the Mac, to Windows users through the app. The update brings the iCloud for Windows beta up to build 410A44 and is available to AppleSeed testers now from the Downloads page of the iCloud for Windows beta project page....

Apple is rolling out the fourth watchOS 3.2 beta for developer testing on Apple Watch. watchOS 3.2 beta includes Theater Mode which disables raise-to-wake and mutes alerts. Apple is also introducing SiriKit to Apple Watch with watchOS 3.2 beta. SiriKit lets developers integrate their apps with Siri for select uses. Prior to watchOS 3.2 beta, SiriKit was limited to iOS apps. As for Theater Mode, this is how Apple describes the new feature:...

Apple today notified developers about a change that will impact apps with renewable subscriptions or other recurring transactions in India. Due to a new directive from the Reserve Bank of India, some in-app transactions made with credit and debit cards may be declined by banks or card issuers. As explained by the company, this new directive requires local banks and financial institutions to require customer approval for any purchases that result in recurring transactions, such as renewable subscriptions....

If you’re holding out for an Apple-branded 4K or 5K standalone display, you should probably stop waiting. Apple is reportedly out of the standalone display business for good, according to The Verge’s Nilay Patel… During yesterday’s MacBook event, Apple co-signed two new LG displays, and it worked together with the Korean company to make sure that the displays meet the needs of Apple customers and worth well with Macs. The two new LG displays, which will be available later this year, feature Thunderbolt 3 connectivity for an easy one-cable-solution for new MacBook owners....

Apple is working on a plan that could give the company and its research partners access to consumer DNA, a new report suggests. The data would be collected by research partners and stored in an online cloud to be used in medical studies, such as one run by the University of California that examines the DNA of expectant mothers to help pinpoint the causes of premature birth. Other studies are already being planned, and the report suggests that Apple could be prepared to roll out the DNA component of ResearchKit as early as this year’s WWDC in June....

We’re still several months away from the next major iPhone launch so the rumors don’t paint a particularly clear picture of what to expect just yet. Digitimes points to a new supply chain report, however, that continues to believe a new 5.8-inch iPhone with an AMOLED panel supplied exclusively by Samsung is in the works… The report adds that the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone models will not switch to AMOLED display technology, which lines up with what other channels are communicating, and that the displays can only be made in quantities of 20 million per month at most....

Apple is today launching its Back to School promotion for 2015. This year, it will give away a free pair of Beats Solo2 headphones with the purchase of an eligible Mac. Customers must either purchase an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac Pro with education pricing to qualify, including build-to-order configurations. The Mac mini does not participate in the deal. Alternatively, customers can upgrade for an additional $100 to a pair of wireless Beats Solo2 headphones, rather than the usual $299 price....

Apple’s HomeKit platform, which allows Siri-control of Wi-Fi connected home automation accessories, is one of the big areas of interest for accessory makers at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. With the event officially kicking off today, we’ve put together one place to find all of the announcements this week for the latest HomeKit products. Some of the highlights so far: the first ceiling fans and window blinds for the platform are on show this week, while more outlets, switches, thermostats and door lock options also gain support....

Ever since Apple unveiled its new M1 SoC, it has been continuously impressing us as we learn more about it. That trend continues today as the M1 has been tested using the GFXBench 5.0 benchmarking tool. The results, while nothing awe-inspiring, are definitely impressive. The benchmarks were run using Apple’s Metal API, and they reveal that the chip outperforms both the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 560....

We recently reported that upcoming iPhone prototypes were found to contain code for Near Field Communication. However, that does not mean Apple mobile wallet – or Passbook – will let you make purchases right out of the gate. In fact, according to a Wall Street Journal report published late last night, Apple is taking a slow-go approach to mobile payments. If you want to know the real roadblock, look at Google to see how its Wallet plan is going....

The 14 Pro is a popular choice for Apple fans, with its always-on mode, 48MP camera and dynamic, interactive notch. If you already have one or are waiting for yours to arrive, we have some bad news. People with iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models report camera problems when using certain third-party apps. It’s a bad look when a company’s flagship product is defective. We’ve got the whole story and fix right down below....

Apple and Samsung’s legal fight continued on the world stage this morning, where the Britain Court of Appeal upheld a previous ruling that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab does not infringe on the iPad’s patents because it is not “as cool.” Reuters reported that after losing the appeal this morning, Apple has been instructed by the court to apologize to Samsung by running ads on its website and in newspapers saying Samsung did not infringe on patents in at least Arial 14 font....

It’s no secret that when Apple Maps launched back in 2012 it had more than its fair share of issues. The issues included things like incorrect turn-by-turn directions, mislabeled landmarks, and much more. Three years later, however, Apple has been working to remedy the issues its had and according to a new report out of The Boston Globe, the improvements aren’t going unnoticed by users. According to the report, Apple Maps is now used three times as often as its “next leading competitor” on iPhone and iPad, with more than 5 billion map-related requests ever week....

Apple Music today launched a new set of DJ mixes recorded in Dolby Atmos, enabling Apple Music subscribers to listen to the mixes in Spatial Audio. You can listen to the first one here. New Spatial Audio mixes will be rolling out every month. Alongside the launch, Apple is relaunching the ‘One Mix’ series which showcases the best DJs from around the world. The first Spatial Audio mix is from techno DJ Jeff Mills, entitled Outer to Inner Atmosphere: The Escape Velocity Mix....

Apple announced in May that Apple Music will start supporting Dolby Atmos and Lossless audio quality in June. Here’s everything we know so far about Apple Music Lossless. When will Apple Music Lossless be available? Apple Music Lossless is available since June 7 for all Apple Music subscribers at no extra cost. Users must install iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS 11.4, or tvOS 14.6 or later to take advantage of this new future....

Update: The feature now appears to have fully rolled out, with separate sections for latest releases, albums, live albums, singles & EPs, and playlists. Apple Music has updated to better separate content items on artist pages. Previously, Apple Music treated albums the same as singles and EPs; the latter would appear as album listings of single tracks. With a behind-the-scenes update rolling out now, artist pages now feature a separate Singles & EPs section, which declutters the Album section to only feature real albums....

From 9to5Toys.com: After it started offering a selection of refurbished 5th generation iPod touch through the Apple online store earlier this month, Apple today began selling the refurbished 16GB, 7th generation iPod nano in various colors for $129. That’s $20 or 13% off retail, but we’ve seen these refurbished units go for as low as $119 on 9to5Toys. Apple today also began selling the refurbished iPad 2 and iPad 3 at even lower prices than before with the 16GB iPad 2 with WiFi + 3G now starting at $349 (roughly $180 off retail)....