Inside iOS 9: Apple News Delivers the Latest Stories to Your Device
Apple News is an all-new app on iOS 9 that aggregates stories from several sources into one mobile-friendly format for reading on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The app is very similar to existing news apps such as Flipboard and Zine, displaying a list of news articles and personalized stories based on publications that interest you.
International readers should note that Apple News is currently available in the U.S. only.
Apple allows publishers of all sizes to sign up to be included on Apple News using News Publisher, ranging from traditional publications such as The New York Times, CNN, ESPN, The Atlantic, The Daily Mail and Slate to independent blogs such as MacRumors, TouchArcade and Daring Fireball.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
During setup, you can choose news publications and topics that interest you, including business, technology, fashion, sports and more. You can also choose to have news stories emailed straight to your inbox.
News stories are displayed in a scrollable grid and have interactive layouts accompanied by photo galleries, videos and animations, and content can be shared for offline reading. Apple News Format is also coming soon, which integrates with a publisher’s existing content management system and provides access to a rich suite of tools to measure user engagement with published content.
Apple News is split into five sections:
- For You: A continuously updated feed of personalized stories based on your likes and interests
- Favorites: The latest news from your favorite publications, magazines and blogs
- Explore: Recommended topics and channels that you are not following yet
- Search: Enter keywords to discover and add specific topics and channels
- Saved: Save articles into a list that supports offline reading and syncs to your other iOS devices through iCloud
Be sure to add MacRumors to Apple News for the latest news and rumors delivered right to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
iOS 9 is now available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
As promised, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system is now available for download. iOS 9 is yours for the taking, and with it comes an improved Siri, split-screen multitasking on the iPad, those newfangled Live Photos, transit info in Maps, News app and more. All of which will be welcome additions for folks who who didn’t get an early peek during the public beta. If the update hasn’t already hit your device, you can take a gander at our initial impressions while you wait.
Filed under:
Software, Mobile, Apple
Tags: apple, download, ios, ios9, mobilepostcross, nowavailable, software, update
Apple Releases iOS 9 With Proactive Siri and Search, iPad Split-Screen Multitasking, Transit Directions, and More
Apple today released iOS 9 to the public, making the download available to all users who have an iPhone 4s or later, iPad 2 or later, 5th-generation iPod touch or later, or any iPad mini. The update can be downloaded through iTunes or over-the-air by going to the Settings app and tapping General –> Software Update.
As with all major software updates, it may take a few minutes for the update to propagate to all users due to high demand. Public beta testers who have the iOS 9 golden master installed will receive the release version of iOS 9 over-the-air as well.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
iOS 9 builds on content introduced with iOS 8, bringing subtle design changes, refined features, improved functionality, and performance enhancements. From Apple’s release notes:
With this update your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch become more intelligent and proactive with powerful search and improved Siri features. New multitasking features for iPad allow you to work with two apps simultaneously, side-by-side or with the new Picture-in-Picture feature. And, built-in apps become more powerful with detailed transit information in Maps, a redesigned Notes app, and an all-new News app. And improvements at the foundation of the operating system enhance performance, improve security and give you up to an hour of extra battery life.
The operating system’s biggest focus is on intelligence and proactivity, letting iOS devices learn user habits and act on that information, opening apps before we need them, making recommendations on places we might like, and guiding us through each day with new Siri and search features.
Many built-in apps have been improved, including Notes, Mail, and Maps, wihch has gained Transit directions. Apple Pay has been renamed to Wallet, and for the first time, iOS 9 brings split-screen multitasking features to the iPad.
In addition to these consumer-facing features, iOS 9 introduces significant under-the-hood improvements that will free up storage space and improve battery life. With battery optimizations, iOS devices have an additional hour of battery life, and a new Low Power mode can extend battery even further.
iOS updates take up less space in iOS 9, letting even devices with little storage space upgrade, and many app install sizes are smaller due to a feature called app thinning.
More information on iOS 9 can be found in our iOS 9 roundup, which includes details on major features and all of the little tweaks that were added throughout the beta testing period. Discussion of iOS 9’s new features is also taking place in our dedicated iOS 9 forum, and we encourage all of our readers to join in with questions and new discoveries.
In addition to being released to the public today, iOS 9 will also come pre-installed on the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, which will be available beginning on Friday, September 25.
Update: Apple’s update servers are congested and many users are seeing “Software Update Failed” messages. For continued failures, installing via iTunes may be successful.
Apple Releases iTunes 12.3 With Support for iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan
Apple today released iTunes 12.3, making the software compatible with the newly released iOS 9 update and the upcoming OS X El Capitan update, set to be released to the public on September 30.
iTunes 12.3 can be downloaded immediately via the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.
Along with introducing support for iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 El Capitan, the iTunes 12.3 update also includes support for the Apple’s two-factor authentication system, fixes several bugs, and adds some feature improvements.
This update to iTunes adds support for iOS 9 and is designed for OS X El Capitan. It also:
– Improves Apple Music accessibility with VoiceOver
– Resolves a problem that prevented reordering of songs within Up Next
– Fixes a problem where some radio stations did not appear within Recently Played
– Addresses an issue where songs you loved on iOS did not appear love on iTunes
– Supports two-factor authentication to secure your Apple IDThis update also includes improvements to overall stability and performance.
iTunes 12.3 is the third major update to iTunes 12, and it comes nearly three months after the launch of iOS 12.2, which introduced support for the new Apple Music service. iTunes 12.3 also comes a month after iTunes 12.2.2, a minor update that introduced Apple Music bug fixes.
Inside iOS 9: Apple Maps Gains Transit Mode and Nearby Search
Apple Maps launched in September 2012 as the default mapping app on iPhone, but soon faced widespread criticism for having incomplete data, providing incorrect directions and lacking features over Google Maps. The controversial launch resulted in Apple CEO Tim Cook issuing a rare public apology, while former iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted from Apple just one month later.
While there is still room for improvement, Apple Maps has gained several new features over the past three years. iOS 9 continues that trend, adding a long overdue Transit routing and new Nearby search mode alongside existing features such as turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic information, Flyover photo-realistic 3D views of select metro areas, Siri, local search and iCloud support.
Transit
Apple Maps is now a multi-modal mapping app with the addition of public transit routing via bus, subway, light rail, train and ferry. You can view entire stations or individual lines on a map to choose the best possible route.
Apple Maps transit directions are currently available in Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington D.C. and several cities in China.
Some extended areas of Connecticut and New Jersey near New York City and Southern Ontario cities near Toronto such as York Region, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton and Waterloo Region also support transit.
Nearby
You can now search Apple Maps based on categories such as Food, Drinks, Shopping, Travel, Services, Fun, Health and Transport, and within each category you can search deeper for specific places.
If you tap on Food, for example, you can then filter your results based on Popular, Restaurants, Groceries, Fast Food, Cafés, Bakeries and Desserts. A list of locations is displayed with aggregated Yelp data.
Nearby categories such as Food, Fun, Shopping and Travel can also be accessed from the Spotlight Search menu on iOS 9.
Apple Will Not Release watchOS 2 Today Due to Significant Bug
While Apple announced last week that it would be releasing iOS 9 and watchOS 2 to the public today, the company has just announced that it will not be releasing watchOS 2 as scheduled due to a recently discovered bug.
TechCrunch has shared the full text of Apple’s notice.
“We have discovered a bug in development of watchOS 2 that is taking a bit longer to fix than we expected,” an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch. “We will not release watchOS 2 today but will shortly.”
Apple seeded the intended golden master version of watchOS 2 to developers immediately following last week’s media event, but the company will need to make some final tweaks to address the discovered bug before it feels comfortable releasing the updated operating system to the public.
iDevices Announces Launch Dates for HomeKit-Enabled Smart Plugs and Thermostat
iDevices today announced the launch date of its trio of HomeKit-enabled products that includes the iDevices Switch, Outdoor Switch, and Thermostat. The Switch and Thermostat will be available for purchase on iDevices’ online storefront, or exclusively from Lowe’s retail stores, starting on September 28, while the Outdoor Switch is slated for a release later in November.
Originally announced back in January at CES, the iDevices Switch allows HomeKit users to easily control, monitor, and program anything directly connected into the smart plug. Users will be able to set powering on and off schedules, and use Siri to control the status of the device connected to the Switch. The iDevices Switch will retail for $49 when it launches later this month.
The Outdoor Switch is largely similar to the traditional Switch model, but includes a rain-tight plug along with dual outlets so that users can control and program anything outdoors, like seasonal holiday lighting and spotlights. This model won’t be available until an unspecified time in November, however, and as such doesn’t have a specified retail price yet.
Lastly is the iDevices Thermostat, which the company states can control a home’s AC and heat from anywhere using Siri or the connected app, so that they “can ensure their home temperature will always be exactly the way they like it.” On September 28, the HomeKit-enabled Thermostat will launch for $149 alongside the Switch in Lowe’s stores and on the iDevices website.
Along with the new products, iDevices is updating its Connected App [Direct Link] to version 2.0, with a new interface and the ability to connect and support other company’s HomeKit products — like the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt — in addition to its own. Users interested can find out more information, and pre-order the iDevices Switch, Outdoor Switch, and Thermostat over at the company’s official website. Lowe’s is also accepting pre-orders on the Switch and Thermostat, with the ability to pick up the new HomeKit-enabled products at your local store on launch day.
Apple delays the launch of watchOS 2 because of a bug
Apple has pushed back the launch of watchOS 2 because of a bug, a spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch. The new software was expected to hit Apple Watches today, September 16th. “We have discovered a bug in development of watchOS 2 that is taking a bit longer to fix than we expected,” an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch. “We will not release watchOS 2 today but will shortly.”
WatchOS 2 brings a bunch of updates to the Apple Watch, including native support for third-party apps, new face options, the ability to play short videos right on your wrist, and a nightstand setting that includes an alarm and snooze function.
Filed under:
Peripherals, Software, Apple
Source:
TechCrunch
Tags: apple, AppleWatch, Delay, watchos2
iPhone 6s Order Statuses Begin Shifting to ‘Preparing for Shipment’
The first batch of customers that pre-ordered the iPhone 6s are beginning to see their order statuses change from “Processing Items” to “Preparing for Shipment” on Apple’s website. There have been no specific reports of order status changes on the iPhone 6s Plus yet, but the larger smartphone should also begin seeing movement soon as the September 25 launch approaches.
The customers that have seen early movement on their iPhone 6s pre-orders all appear to live outside of the United States, with order status changes occurring in Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Apple has also begun charging credit cards for some of these customers, which is common at this point in the pre-order process but earlier than usual this year.
While some orders are now moving to the “Preparing for Shipment” stage, new iPhones will be held at FedEx, UPS and other couriers for delivery until September 25. In rare cases, however, some customers might receive their iPhone slightly earlier.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus shipping estimates range between September 25 and October 2 for several customers, but some iPhone 6s Plus and Rose Gold models may ship later due to stronger demand.
Apple began accepting pre-orders on September 12 at 12:01 AM Pacific in the U.S. and eleven other countries, with shipping estimates quickly slipping to 2-3 weeks or later for the most popular models.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s launch on September 25 at Apple Stores and authorized resellers in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
How to Update Apple Watch’s watchOS Software
watchOS is the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch, powering its fitness tracking capabilities, apps, communication features, time-keeping abilities, and more. Apple plans to push regular updates to fix watchOS bugs, refine performance, and introduce new features, and the release of watchOS 2 alongside iOS 9 later today is a major uprade for the platform.
watchOS updates are installed in a unique way that differs from how we install iPhone and Mac updates, so we’ve crafted a quick tutorial to remind users how to get the latest version of watchOS on their Apple Watches so they’re ready for watchOS 2.
Read more 
AIVAnet 