Apple Seeds Second Beta of tvOS 9.2 to Developers
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of an upcoming 9.2 update to tvOS, the operating system that runs on the fourth-generation Apple TV and powers its built-in App Store. Today’s tvOS 9.2 beta 2 comes two weeks after Apple released the first beta of tvOS 9.2 and just hours after the release of tvOS 9.1.1, a minor update that follows tvOS 9.1.
tvOS betas are more difficult to install than beta updates for iOS and OS X. Installing the tvOS beta 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 or Apple Configurator. Those who have already installed the first tvOS 9.2 beta will be able to download the update over the air.
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tvOS 9.2 is a major update for the tvOS operating system. It introduces support for Bluetooth keyboards, allowing a keyboard to be paired to the Apple TV for text entry. Bluetooth keyboard support is a major feature that was missing from previous versions of tvOS and its addition should make it much easier to do tasks like entering passwords on the fourth-generation Apple TV.
Along with Bluetooth keyboard support, the tvOS 9.2 update introduces support for grouping apps into folders on the Home screen like on iOS devices, plus it includes a new look for the App Switcher interface.
tvOS 9.2 also includes support for the Podcasts app included in tvOS 9.1.1, introduces MapKit so developers can incorporate maps into their tvOS apps, and it adds Siri support for US Spanish (in the US only) and French Canadian (in Canada only). UK English, Australian English, and US English are also now available as Siri options in the UK, Australian, and US Storefronts when English is set as the tvOS language.
We’ll update this post with any new features that are discovered in the second beta of tvOS 9.2.
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Samsung may bring all of its apps to iOS this year
According to SamMobile, Samsung could release all of its apps on Apple’s platform before the end of the year, also said to be working on a Gear Fit Manager for iOS.
The intriguing report from the tech website notes that Samsung could potentially go a step further and release ‘all’ of its apps on iOS, following the group’s decision to bring iOS support to the Gear S2.
SamMobile’s Asif S. writes that sources have revealed Samsung is working on a Gear Fit Manager for iOS, which will allow Gear owners to pair the gadget with an iPhone. The smartphone group is also said to be planning an iOS release for the S Health app for iPhone, plus the Remote Control and Family Square apps.
It doesn’t end there, as SamMobile also reports that the Level app for Level audio devices is taking a journey to the world of Apple too. Sources have lifted the lift on Samsung’s home entertainment plans, adding that the company is bringing iOS support to the Galaxy View tablet.
Other projects mentioned by SamMobile’s sources include Samsung’s progress on an updated build of the Smart Camera app for iOS, which could potentially bring a fully-redesigned UI with it.
If the rumours are true, it’ll certainly be interesting to see how Samsung’s app lineup is received on iOS.
Come comment on this article: Samsung may bring all of its apps to iOS this year
Apple TV software update adds missing Podcasts app
Apple has a host of notable updates coming for iOS, the Apple Watch and the new Apple TV. But in the meantime, the company has just released tvOS 9.1.1, a relatively minor bug fix update that nonetheless contains at least one user-facing feature: a Podcasts app. The fact that the new Apple TV shipped without this app was rather puzzling, as the older Apple TV has had podcast features for some time. Now, that gap has been closed.
There’s not much else to speak of in this update, but tvOS 9.2 will bring the ability to group apps into folders, bluetooth keyboard support and a new multitasking interface. There’s no word on when that’ll launch, but it’ll likely be sometime this spring alongside iOS 9.3 and WatchOS 2.2, all of which are currently in beta.
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Apple
Web link crashes Safari on your iPhone or Mac
You’ve probably run into websites (or buggy browsers) that have inadvertently bogged down your devices, but there’s one lurking out there that causes very intentional grief. If you visit crashsafari.com (we’re not going to link it, for obvious reasons), the site will generate an ever-larger character string that creates a lot of problems. As the name implies, it’ll reliably crash Apple’s Safari browser on Macs — and on iOS devices, you’ll probably need to reboot. The code also appears to affect Chrome on Android and PCs, although not to such a severe and predictable degree.
There doesn’t appear to be any malware lurking behind the code, and you should be fine once you restart your browser or device. However, there are concerns that someone could use the crash to compromise your security (some attacks rely on crashes to open vulnerabilities)… or at least, use a URL shortener to hide the link and pull a prank. We’ve reached out to Apple for its take on the situation, and we’ll let you know if it has a response. In the meantime, you’ll probably want to avoid visiting any obscured links from people you don’t trust.
crashsafari working on Android and PC
— Fake Jailbreak (@hatefakejb) January 25, 2016
Via: AppleInsider
Source: Guardian, Fake Jailbreak (Twitter)
Apple Seeds Second iOS 9.3 Beta to Developers With Night Shift Toggle in Control Center
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first iOS 9.3 beta and more than a month since the public release of iOS 9.2.
The second iOS 9.3 beta is available as an over-the-air update and through the Apple Developer Center.
As a major .1 update to the iOS 9 operating system, iOS 9.3 introduces quite a few new features. There’s a new Night Shift mode that cuts down on the amount of blue light iOS users are exposed to in the evening hours by automatically shifting the iPhone or iPad display to a warmer (yellower) color spectrum, and there are several new features designed to improve the iPad for Education program.
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Several apps and features are also being updated. In-line video and a landscape view for the iPhone are available in the News app, which now offers more personalized recommendations and faster updates. Health includes a new Apple Watch-style “Activity” view that displays activity and goals, while Notes now has an open to password protect individual entries.
Apple Music on CarPlay now includes New and For You sections for better music discovery, and a Nearby feature in CarPlay Maps offers improved access to information about what’s close by. Paired with watchOS 2.2, an iPhone running iOS 9.3 is able to support multiple Apple Watches, and for iPhone 6s users, there are new Quick Actions for Weather, Settings, Compass, Health, App Store, and iTunes Store.
What’s new in iOS 9.3 beta 2:
Control Center Night Shift Toggle – As hinted at in the iOS 9.3 preview page provided to Canadian users, iOS 9.2 beta 2 introduces Night Shift controls in the iOS Control Center, accessible by swiping up from the bottom of an iOS device.
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Apple Releases tvOS 9.1.1 Update for Apple TV With Podcasts App
Apple today released the third update to tvOS, the operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 9.1.1 is a minor update that likely includes bug fixes and performance updates to address issues discovered since the launch of tvOS 9.1, which was released to the public in December of 2015.
The new 9.1.1 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System –> Software Update. Those who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to the new 9.1.1 operating system automatically.
tvOS 9.1.1 is available a month and a half after the release of tvOS 9.1. Like the first minor tvOS update, tvOS 9.0.1, tvOS 9.1.1 focuses on under-the-hood improvements, but it does introduce one major change — a new Podcasts app for the Apple TV.
tvOS 9.1.1 comes as Apple is testing the second major update to the tvOS operating system, tvOS 9.2. Apple has thus far seeded one beta of tvOS 9.2 to developers, which includes new features like support for Bluetooth keyboards, app folders, a revamped app switcher, and more.
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Apple Car Development Reportedly Stalls as Apple Implements Hiring Freeze
Following the departure of Steve Zadesky, hiring for Apple’s “Project Titan” Apple Car is reportedly on hold as Apple executives are not happy with the progress being made on the development of the vehicle, reports AppleInsider.
Citing a “previously reliable source” with knowledge of what’s going on at Apple, the report suggests a hiring freeze for Project Titan was implemented after a recent progress review conducted by Apple’s Chief of Design, Jony Ive. Executives are said to be unhappy with the project’s direction, with Jony Ive having “expressed his displeasure.”
AppleInsider‘s information is in line with a report from The Wall Street Journal that covered the departure of Steve Zadesky, Apple’s VP of Product Design. Zadesky was rumored to be in leading the development of Apple’s rumored electric vehicle, hiring hundreds of employees to work on the project.
While Zadesky’s departure is said to be due to personal reasons, The Wall Street Journal suggested there’s tension on the Apple Car team, leading to difficulties establishing clear goals for the project. Apple executives have reportedly urged the team to try to meet ambitious deadlines, which some employees feel are unattainable.
Apple has hired hundreds of employees to work on its rumored electric car project, recruiting talent from companies like Ford, Tesla, GM, Samsung, and NVIDIA. Apple may be aiming to hold off on making additional hires until a new leader for the project can be established.
Rumors have suggested Apple is aiming to have its final engineering specifications for the Apple Car completed by 2019 or 2020, but its internal issues could potentially result in delays.
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iPad Air 3 Could Feature Four Speakers and Rear-Facing LED Flash
The next-generation iPad Air 3 could adopt the iPad Pro’s four-speaker design and gain an LED flash next to the rear-facing camera, according to leaked design drawings shared with French website Nowhereelse.fr. The website cannot fully guarantee the veracity of the sketches, but the report does mention its source has been reliable on two out of three occasions in the past.
If the design drawings prove to be true, the iPad Air 3 would have two speakers on both the top and bottom of the tablet like the iPad Pro. The inclusion of rear-facing LED flash seems more trivial, since the iPad is not a camera device in the traditional sense, but some owners do use the tablet to take photos, and Apple may be looking for ways to combat declining iPad sales.
Apple is rumored to announce the iPad Air 3 at a March media event, possibly alongside a new 4-inch iPhone and Apple Watch updates. Little is known about the iPad Air 3, beyond a report saying it will lack 3D Touch, but plausible updates could include a faster A9 or A9X processor, Oxide TFT display, Smart Connector and improved cameras.
Oxide TFT display technology would allow for more uniform color and brightness, and improved contrast, on the iPad Air 3. The tablet could also adopt the iPad Pro’s variable refresh rate technology to preserve power when static images are on the screen, enabling the iPad Air 3 to have longer battery life.
Apple has not updated its 9.7-inch tablet since releasing the iPad Air 2 in October 2014.
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Daimler CEO Impressed by Silicon Valley’s Progress on Automobile Projects
The CEO of German automotive company Daimler, Dieter Zetsche, may have given a small update on the progress of the long-rumored Apple Car (via Reuters). After visiting with about 70 companies in total on a trip to Silicon Valley, Zetsche told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag [Google Translate] that “these companies can do more and know more” about the automotive process than he previously thought. The CEO never specifically mentioned Apple by name, however.
“Our impression was that these companies can do more and know more than we had previously assumed. At the same time they have more respect for our achievements than we thought,” Zetsche told the paper.
Zetsche referred to a few “concrete talks” that were had while he visited California, but he of course couldn’t specifically refer to the content of any meeting he had while he was there. Apple hired former Mercedes-Benz R&D President and CEO Johann Jungwirth in 2014, which began the initial wave of rumors pointing towards the Cupertino-based company’s future entry in the automobile market.
In August, Daimler — the parent company of Mercedes-Benz — mentioned that it remains open to “different types” of collaboration with Apple in regards to automotive projects. Some of the recent rumors surrounding the “Apple Car” involve Apple’s registering of various auto-related domain names, with a possible launch date of 2019 for the vehicle.
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Apple Forecasted to Report Record Holiday Quarter Amid Concerns of Slowing iPhone Sales
Apple will announce its first quarter earnings tomorrow for the 2016 fiscal year, a three-month period that ended December 31, 2015. Financial analysts predict Apple’s quarterly revenue will range between $74.6 billion and $82.4 billion, but some market watchers are unsure if Apple will top the record 74.5 million iPhones it sold in the year-ago quarter, due to perceived lower iPhone 6s sales.
iPhone 6s sales concerns might be more evident in Q2 2016, however, as Apple’s newest products and services, including the Apple Watch, Apple Music and the new Apple TV, coupled with the busy holiday shopping season, fuel projections that Apple will again report the most profitable holiday quarter in not only the iPhone maker’s nearly 40-year history, but of any company ever.
Apple’s guidance is between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion in quarterly revenue, while the consensus among professional analysts is around $76.5 billion.
Fortune has compiled a list of predictions from both amateur and professional analysts, along with Apple’s guidance in orange.
Apple has never experienced a year-over-year decline in iPhone sales, so the next few quarterly earnings results will be interesting to follow. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of Apple’s Q1 2016 earnings conference call with CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri on Tuesday at around 2:00 p.m. Pacific (5:00 p.m. Eastern). The earnings report will be released around 1:30 p.m. Pacific (4:30 p.m. Eastern).
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