Apple Pay Launches in Australia for American Express Cardholders
Apple Pay has launched in Australia in partnership with American Express, expanding iPhone-based mobile payments to a fourth country following Canada earlier this week. The service can be used at Coles, Harvey Norman, Kmart, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Woolworths and other select Australian stores that accept American Express and have NFC-equipped payment terminals.
American Express cardholders can add credit cards in the Wallet app on iOS 9.1 by tapping the “Add Credit or Debit Card” option. This functionality may still be rolling out to all iPhones set to Australia under Settings > General > Language & Region, but should be live for all Australian users by Thursday evening.
American Express is not as popular or widely accepted as MasterCard or Visa in Australia, but the partnership could place pressure on negotiations between Apple and Australian banks like Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac. Bank-issued debit and credit cards do not support Apple Pay in Australia at this time.
#ApplePay day is here in Australia. pic.twitter.com/8C5XfSnpWv
— Mike Boyd (@mike_boyd) November 18, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsAustralia, like Canada and many European countries, has been well prepared for Apple Pay, as many retailers and businesses have the required contactless payments infrastructure in place. The country has also adopted Chip-and-PIN cards, and Apple Pay is a natural extension of that functionality.
Apple has slowly rolled out Apple Pay since announcing the service, starting with the U.S. in October 2014 and expanding to the U.K. last July. Beyond Australia and Canada, Apple is also partnering with American Express to bring Apple Pay to Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong next year.
Apple Pay recently gained support for Tesco Bank and TSB in the U.K. and over 90 new participating U.S. issuers. Yesterday, Apple confirmed that Apple Pay support is also coming to Domino’s and Cinnabon in the U.S. by yearend and 2016 respectively. Starbucks, KFC and Chili’s locations will adopt Apple Pay next year.
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Apple Seeds Fourth iOS 9.2 Beta to Developers and Public Beta Testers
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of iOS 9.2 to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, just over one week after seeding the third iOS 9.2 beta and a full month after releasing iOS 9.1 to the public. As a .1 upgrade, iOS 9.2 will mark the second major update to iOS 9.
The fourth beta of iOS 9.2, build 13C5075, is available as an over-the-air update and through the Apple Developer Center. Public beta testers can download the update over the air. Apple has also released Xcode 7.2 beta 4.
Earlier betas of iOS 9.2 included changes to the Safari View Controller, which is what allows a pop-up Safari window to be used in third-party apps. In iOS 9.2, Safari View Controller supports third-party Action Extensions, letting apps like 1Password to be accessed in the Safari view of other apps like Tweetbot.
Safari View Controller has also been updated with the ability to long tap on the Reload button to reload content without content blockers and it now supports the request desktop site function. The second iOS 9.2 improved Safari View Controller further, introducing support for dismissing it with an edge swipe.
Along with improvements to Safari View Controller, iOS 9.2 also introduces Arabic support for Siri, support for AT&T’s NumberSync Wi-Fi Calling feature and it includes bug fixes for iCloud Keychain, Apple Watch syncing and pairing, audio quality when streaming to stereo systems, and more.
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Apple Seeds Fourth iOS 9.2 Beta to Developers and Public Beta Testers
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of iOS 9.2 to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, just over one week after seeding the third iOS 9.2 beta and a full month after releasing iOS 9.1 to the public. As a .1 upgrade, iOS 9.2 will mark the second major update to iOS 9.
The fourth beta of iOS 9.2, build 13C5075, is available as an over-the-air update and through the Apple Developer Center. Public beta testers can download the update over the air. Apple has also released Xcode 7.2 beta 4.
Earlier betas of iOS 9.2 included changes to the Safari View Controller, which is what allows a pop-up Safari window to be used in third-party apps. In iOS 9.2, Safari View Controller supports third-party Action Extensions, letting apps like 1Password to be accessed in the Safari view of other apps like Tweetbot.
Safari View Controller has also been updated with the ability to long tap on the Reload button to reload content without content blockers and it now supports the request desktop site function. The second iOS 9.2 improved Safari View Controller further, introducing support for dismissing it with an edge swipe.
Along with improvements to Safari View Controller, iOS 9.2 also introduces Arabic support for Siri, support for AT&T’s NumberSync Wi-Fi Calling feature and it includes bug fixes for iCloud Keychain, Apple Watch syncing and pairing, audio quality when streaming to stereo systems, and more.
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Apple Releases Third Beta of tvOS 9.1 to Developers
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming update to tvOS, the new operating system that runs on the fourth-generation Apple TV. Today’s beta comes just over one week after Apple seeded the second tvOS 9.1 beta and three weeks since the tvOS was released alongside the fourth-generation Apple TV.
The third tvOS beta is available as an over-the-air update to those who have installed the first two betas. Installing an initial tvOS beta is a more involved process than installing a beta update for iOS or OS X. The update requires the Apple TV to be connected to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, with the software downloaded and installed via iTunes.
We don’t yet know exactly what is included in the new version of tvOS, as most changes thus far appear to be under-the-hood updates. Apple’s release notes for the update include references to networking and scrolling tweaks, and it’s likely tvOS 9.1 will include fixes for bugs and issues that have been discovered in the software since the Apple TV’s official launch. We will include any other external facing changes below.
tvOS 9.1 will mark the first significant update to tvOS and the second update to the operating system. The first tvOS update, tvOS 9.0.1, was released to the public on November 9.
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Microsoft Launches Redesigned ‘Bing’ App With Focus on Quick Interactions and App Discovery
Microsoft today launched an entirely revamped Bing search engine app for iOS, which it is hoping will reimagine search on the iPhone. The Bing app has a new design with a much cleaner interface and a series of quick action buttons that aim to cut down on the amount of typing a user needs to do to get relevant search results.
According to Microsoft, existing mobile search engines are a copycat of PC-based search engines – long lists of links – but the needs on mobile are much different. On a phone, people are looking for faster ways to get what they want while minimizing the number of interactions, an experience Microsoft is planning to deliver with Bing.
The main focal point of the app is a search button that launches a standard search for any topic, using either words, voice, or an image. This search interface includes popular search topics, like “restaurants near me,” and it also includes links to search images, videos, or news, in addition to the web.
On the main Bing screen below the search button, there’s a series of quick tap buttons that will bring up things people often search for. “Near Me,” for example, displays a list of venues that are nearby, and additional buttons like “Dinner” or “Coffee” let users drill down further in the search results without ever having to type a word.
There are also quick links to bring up local restaurants, current movies, images, videos, and maps, while scrolling down will open up a list of breaking news stories. Microsoft has put a lot of thought into the Bing search engine, and its results cover everything a person might be looking for.
As an example, if you tap the Movie quick link on the home screen, it shows movies in theaters, but it also shows new movies that have been added to Netflix and Amazon Prime, along with popular movies on both services. Tapping on one of these movies brings up information like actors and movie reviews, along with a long list of relevant apps. From the search results, a movie like Nightcrawler can be opened in Netflix, purchased on iTunes, rented on Amazon, or opened in VUDU.
Microsoft has made deep linking a major focal point in its new Bing app, and app-based search results that open the relevant app are available for many different types of searches. For example, searching for a popular restaurant nearby and then tapping that result will include all relevant associated apps.
A search for a local Chipotle brings up a map, a phone number, and a list of associated apps. Yelp, Foursquare, and Zomato are offered up as apps where reviews are available, while AllMenu is listed as a way to view the menu and Apple Maps, Uber, Google Maps, and Lyft are provided as options for getting there. For a restaurant with food delivery, Bing might offer up the relevant app, or for a restaurant that takes reservations, Bing will provide something like OpenTable as an option.
A search for a television show might bring up an option to open it up directly in Netflix, while searching for a particular song includes app links to watch it in the YouTube app or buy it in iTunes. In addition to helping people find things faster, Microsoft is hoping its deep linking will aid users in app discovery, helping them find new ways to do things via apps.
The new Bing app also takes advantage of Microsoft’s Knowledge and Action Graph, which incorporates 21 billion facts, five billion relationships between entities, and 18 billion actions to give users answers to common questions quickly. That’s been coupled with extensive work on indexing apps to build the backbone for the new Bing mobile experience.
Bing can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Bing for iPhone makes it easy to jump from search straight to your apps
As Windows Phone continues to struggle, Microsoft has turned its focus towards making its trademark services like Office, Outlook and Bing available on Android and iOS. Today, the Bing app for the iPhone is getting a major update to better reflect how users want to search when on their phones, something that’s been an increasing priority for Google as well.
Ryan Gavin, Microsoft’s GM of search, says that when he thinks how about mobile search differs from the desktop, the traditional list of search results that can get you eventually to an answer to a query aren’t useful. “I just want an answer,” Gavin says, “and I want to take that answer into an action, typically with some sense of urgency.” To that end, Bing for iPhone puts the data from Microsoft’s Knowledge and Action Graph right up front, alongside deep links right into the apps on your phone that’ll let you complete the desired action using the tools you’re used to. Slideshow-341602
Source: Bing
Apple Watch gets an official charging dock for $79
That didn’t take long. Hot on the heels of a couple of leaks, Apple has released its very own Watch perch: meet the Magnetic Charging Dock. Fork over $79 and you’ll get a plastic, Lightning-powered saucer that can power the Apple Watch either flat (when you just need a resting place) or upright (if you’re using WatchOS 2’s nightstand mode). It looks nice and should work particularly well if your watch doubles as a clock, although we’d note that there are cheaper options available if you’re willing to reuse the standard charger. Elevation Lab has a $30 nightstand, for instance, while Twelve South will sell you a $60 stand. And did we mention there’s no included USB power adapter? It still makes sense if you want to free up your existing puck, or dig the cushion-like appearance — just know that you have other options.
Source: TechCrunch
Apple Watch Space Black Link Bracelet Kit Now Available for $49
Apple today released a Space Black color Link Bracelet Kit, which contains six additional stainless steel links for wrists that exceed 205mm. The six links extend the 42mm Apple Watch band by up to 40mm, for a maximum size of 245mm.
The new Space Black kit is available on the Apple Online Store for $49, the same price as the Silver Link Bracelet Kit released in August, despite the full Space Black Link Bracelet carrying a $100 premium over the Silver Link Bracelet.
The kit is estimated for delivery as early as Tuesday, November 24 with expedited shipping, or Friday, November 27 with standard shipping, in the United States. The kit is also available in Canada for $69 and the United Kingdom for £39.
Apple also released an official Apple Watch magnetic charging dock for $79 today.
Tags: Link Bracelet, Apple retail
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Renderings Show Off Apple’s New Retail Store Alongside Chicago River
The Chicago Tribune has obtained an exclusive first look at Apple’s planned new flagship store in Chicago, which will be placed alongside the Chicago River. The new store will “echo” legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style homes, which Wright pioneered near the city.
The store will be located near the historic Michigan Bridge and include a “grand flight of stairs” that will go from street-level to a walkway alongside the Chicago River’s north bank. On the street-level side, the store will have an entry pavilion that’s 14-feet high. Pedestrians entering from N. Michigan Avenue will have to proceed downward onto the sales floor via stairs or an elevator.
The new flagship will have glass walls with a thin, high-strength carbon fiber roof. The 20,000 square-foot store will replace a vacant food court, and an Apple spokesman confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that it wants to start construction next year. The Tribune notes that the new store could be a “boon for the neighborhood”, shifting retail focus on Michigan Avenue further south and encouraging development of future architectural projects in the area.
The store is being headed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, Apple’s frequent architectural partner and the firm in charge of its new Cupertino headquarters. Apple is scheduled to present a proposal on the new store to the Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday, but a department spokesman told the Tribune that the presentation is a formality as the planning department has already approved the proposal. Additionally, Apple already has a deal in place with Zeller Realty Group, the owner of the territory the new Apple Store will reside on.
Apple’s current flagship store in Chicago is the four-story North Michigan Avenue store, which it has occupied since 2003. According to the Tribune, the new flagship could give Apple greater visibility in the area and higher sales. More renderings of the new store can be seen at the Chicago Tribune’s website.
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Multiple Apple Services Experiencing Widespread Outage
Apple has updated its system status page to reflect widespread issues affecting multiple Apple products and services since approximately 7:30 PM Pacific, including the App Store, Apple TV, iBooks Store, iTunes Match, iTunes Store, Mac App Store and Radio.
Many users are also unable to fully access or use the Apple website, Apple Online Store, Apple ID, Apple Music, FaceTime, iCloud, iMessage, Mail, TestFlight and several other Apple services, suggesting possible larger server or DNS issues.
Apple’s standard response on its system status page says it is investigating and will provide a status update as more information becomes available.
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