Apple Music can improperly match existing iTunes library songs

If Apple Music has improperly matched some of your existing tracks, the cause has been discovered. After being investigated by Kirk McElhearn, Apple Music has been found to match users' existing libraries solely by looking at track metadata. This is inferior to the method used by iTunes Match, called acoustic fingerprinting, where a user's audio files...

Force Touch modules for iPhone 6s entering mass production

In a new report from Digitimes, Apple's next iPhone will definitely include Force Touch, and these modules are now in mass production for the upcoming handset. The report gives information from manufacturer TPK, who is said to have entered mass production of the modules this past month. Overall, they are estimating Apple's next iPhone shipments of...

Apple Watch coming to Best Buy Canada on August 14

Earlier this week, Best Buy and Apple confirmed that the Apple Watch would be available at Best Buy starting August 7. A new report from MobileSyrup is now adding to that. Best Buy Canada will also receive the Apple Watch, and it will be available starting August 14. Just like in the US, Best Buy Canada will offer 16 variants of the Apple Watch and...

New Apple patents detail 3D-capturing stylus with haptic feedback

If you thought that Apple's "magical" description of technology was exaggerated, one of Apple's latest patents may convert you. In a recently published patent that was filed in 2014, Apple has described a stylus capable of much more than drawing on a touchscreen. Haptic feedback There have always been two major disconnects when drawing with a stylus...

New report says Apple to unveil new Apple TV this fall

BuzzFeed is reporting that Apple will be unveiling a new Apple TV this fall during their September iPhone event. While introducing new hardware and a developer SDK, the report says that it'll come without a streaming TV service. The last Apple TV update was back in 2012, the same year the previous iPod touch had been introduced. While many have...

More leaked iPhone 6s parts show minor internal changes, protruding camera ring

With a new iPhone potentially less than two months away, it makes sense for us to hear more about leaked parts. Our latest comes from NoWhereElse.fr, who have photos of internal flex cables for the iPhone 6s. The flex cables themselves don't tell us too much. In the iPhone 6, the cables for the volume buttons and mute switch were separate from the...

iPad still first in tablet shipments despite a declining lead, shrinking tablet market

In a new report from IDC, Apple continues to hold the crown for most tablet sales. However, despite that feat, sales of the iPad are still in decline, as is the overall market. This comes from data the IDC compiled for second quarter sales figures. According to the report, Apple and Samsung, number 1 and number 2 of the top 5 tablet vendors, both saw...

Qualcomm announces wireless charging technology for devices with metal enclosures

Qualcomm has announced an improvement to their wireless charging technology that allows for functionality in devices with metal bodies. Qualcomm's new solution is the "first announced solution to support wireless charging for metal devices." It uses Qualcomm WiPower technology, and is compliant with the Rezence standard. The solution also maintains...

Apple Music data and this year’s iPhone upgrades free with T-Mobile

In a continuation of T-Mobile's #UncarrierAmped moves, CEO John Legere announced some Apple-specific improvements to some of the carrier's previously announced Uncarrier programs. First, Legere announced that Apple Music is now part of T-Mobile's Music Freedom program. Music Freedom applies to all T-Mobile Simple Choice plans, and allows for music...

Counterfeit iPhone factory shut down by Chinese authorities

Reuters reports that a Chinese factory responsible for $19 million of counterfeit iPhones was raided and closed by local authorities. The May 14 raid resulted in seizure of 1,400 handsets and "large quantities of accessories." The factory, led by a husband and wife, posed as a tech repair shop in Beijing. Authorities also arrested 7 other factory...

Next iPad mini to be smaller version of iPad Air 2

In a report from Japanese website Mac Otakara, Apple is to announce an iPad mini 4 this year that takes a lot of its design cues from the iPad Air 2. While the iPad mini 2 (and the later criticized 'update', iPad mini 3) were fairly close to the specs of the iPad Air, the iPad mini 4 is said to be closer to the iPad Air 2 both in terms of specs as...

Apple Watch coming to Best Buy on August 7

In a press release yesterday, Best Buy has announced that they will begin carrying Apple Watch starting on August 7. They will become the first national retailer to sell this device outside of Apple's own stores. The new Apple wearable won't be available in all stores right away. Consumers can find Apple Watch in more than 100 Best Buy stores, as...

The TiP Weekly: Apple posts strong quarter, Watch users very satisfied, the new iPod touch, and more

After a week off, we're back with a light of highlights! Apple once told us about iPod updates at special events. Now, Apple is content to just release a new update with only a press release. But what an update it is! We also have a report showing Apple Watch satisfaction that's higher than even the iPad and iPhone ratings during their launch...

Slow HomeKit rollout due to high security requirements

At WWDC 2014, Apple introduced HomeKit, a framework for controlling smart devices in the home from iPhones and iPads. While many were excited about the possibilities, there have been few HomeKit enabled devices released, with several just recently coming to market. Why such a slow rollout? It seems that there are high security requirements that Apple...

Apple’s new web campaign shows “Why there’s nothing quite like iPhone”

After a new TV commercial campaign, "If it's not an iPhone," Apple is now explaining "Why there's nothing quite like iPhone." In this new web campaign found on their site, Apple explains how the iPhone is set apart from competing smartphones. The page begins with an explanation of how they've viewed every iPhone: Every iPhone we’ve made — and...

Developers rejoice: Apple disables written app reviews on iOS 9 beta

If there is one thing that developers hate, it's seeing 1-star app reviews on an iOS beta. Typically, an iOS major release has plenty of bugs and glitches that affect old apps. For instance, I can name a couple of apps on my iPhone that don't work on the iOS 9 betas. Unfortunately, not all iOS 9 beta users are developers, meaning that some people may see an...

Apple releases second public betas for iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan

Two weeks after the first public betas, and on the heels of the fourth developer beta release, Apple has also released new updates for their public beta program. Users in both programs can find this download in their appropriate software update location as over-the-air updates. iOS 9 will be bringing a lot of new features to iOS devices later this...

What’s new in iOS 9 beta 4: Home Sharing returns for music, new Handoff UI, and more

Two weeks after Apple released iOS 9 beta 3 to developers, beta 4 was made available. There are a lot of new features and improvements coming to iOS 9 in general, and each successive beta is giving developers more to test. Here's a little overview of what was included with beta 4 this week. Home Sharing for Music After noting that Home Sharing...

Apple’s cloud woes continue with Game Center games disappearing

After Apple's cloud services were down for several hours yesterday morning, things finally seemed to be getting back to normal. However, it looks like there may be a new issue. Users and developers are both reporting that Game Center has removed active game data from various games. This includes games such as Loren Brichter's Letterpress: Looks...

Apple quarterly report: $49b revenue, 47m iPhones, 10.9m iPads, 4.7m Macs

Apple has posted their quarterly earnings for the June quarter. Posted are quarterly revenue of $49.6 billion and net profit of $10.7 billion. This is is compared to revenue of $37.4 billion and net profit of $7.7 billion in the year-ago quarter. Earnings per share rose to $1.85 per diluted share from $1.28 last year. Gross margin also was up slightly,...

Apple releases fourth developer betas of OS X El Capitan and watchOS 2

In addition to the release of iOS 9's fourth developer beta, Apple has released new betas for OS X El Capitan and watchOS 2. OS X El Capitan adds new features to the Mac such as split-screen support for full screen apps. It also improves performance on a lot of Mac hardware with the addition of Metal. This was introduced on iOS in iOS 8. Bringing...

iOS 9 beta 4 released to developers

Apple has released iOS 9 beta 4 to developers. This is the 4th developer beta since the initial iOS 9 beta was released after the WWDC keynote in early June. Two weeks ago, beta 3 added support for Apple Music, Beats 1, and Apple's new News app. As with other beta releases, there were also other numerous tweaks and improvements. Today's release...

It’s not just you: Apple Music and other iCloud services are down for some

This morning, Apple's Beats 1 station was set to be the exclusive radio station providing the VMA nominees. But instead of everyone tuning in and listening, people found that they couldn't listen in at all. It turns out several Apple services are all down. The issues have been affecting users since about 6:45 AM Pacific time. Apple acknowledges that...

Apple Watch satisfaction at 97% according to survey

While analysts are currently posting estimated sales of Apple Watch, another kind of statistic has emerged: customer satisfaction. Apple typically talks about how their devices are #1 when it comes to customer satisfaction. With a survey done by Wristly, it seems like the Apple Watch also ranks high among consumers. The survey comes by way of Ben...

New sketchy report claims iPhone 6s will start at 32GB storage option

While this news may make a lot of people happy, take it with a grain of salt. MIC Gadget is reporting that Apple's next iPhone, the iPhone 6s, will start with a 32GB option. A 64GB and 128GB option, as is available now, will also be available. This report is based on an unnamed source at Foxconn who has stated that no packaging exists for a 16GB...

iPhone 6s Plus rear housing leaked, shows same design, few internal tweaks

It should come as no surprise that this year's iPhones are expected to be the same design as last year's. Apple's release cycle usually has a "S" model, keeping the same design as the previous year but improving the internal components. That is what we expect this year, and a new leak shows exactly that. Future Supplier has obtained a back housing that...

Apple patent joins touch input with solar cells

Revealed by Patently Apple, an early 2014 patent from Apple describes how solar cells could be placed alongside touch sensors in wireless devices to gather natural and artificial light for energy storage. The patent presents a case for the idea by talking about a wireless device with disposable batteries: Disposable and rechargeable batteries are...

Video: iPod touch unboxing, first look, camera preview

Our friend Beau HD at PhoneDog has unboxed the new iPod touch in one of its new colors, gold. In addition to going through the packaging and other inclusions, Beau goes over the general performance of the new model, and provides some photos taken with the new iPod as a preview for his upcoming full review. The new iPod touch comes close to iPhone 6...

Rumor: Samsung and TSMC begin production of processor for new iPhones

According to DigiTimes, both Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) have started mass production of the processor for this year's coming iPhones. The rumor follows a report that future iPhones (of 2016 or later) will feature much more efficient processors based on a 10-nanometer process. For this year, the "A9" processor is...

Apple publishes 4 new Apple Watch advertisements

Apple has published 4 new advertisements to YouTube today, continuing to promote their first product in the wearables market, Apple Watch. The ads focus on the contexts of fitness, raising children, and travel. The first, titled "Goals," focuses on how Apple Watch can be used for fitness. The advertisement shows both Apple's Activity app and...

Apple predicted to beat expectations when announcing quarterly results on July 21

In the past, some have been worried that Apple isn't raking in as much cash as they wish. For this past quarter that ended on June 30, analysts are expecting Apple to announce numbers that beat expectations.  This is due to stronger than expected iPhone sales and continued expansion in China, where Apple has seen impressive year-over-year growth. After...

Apple Watch to launch in New Zealand on July 31

The Apple Watch has slowly been rolling out internationally. In April, the Watch initially launched in nine countries. Last month, it became available in seven more countries. Later this week, Apple Watch is coming to the Netherlands, Sweden, and Thailand. Now, it looks like Apple Watch will be available in New Zealand on July 31. While not...

Sketchy Report says Apple to introduce iPad Pro, new iPad mini, no iPad Air this year

We've come to expect Apple to update their iPhones and iPads on yearly cycles. However, a sketchy report from the Economic Daily News claims that Apple will not be updating the iPad Air this year. Instead, they will introduce a new iPad Pro and will give an update to the iPad mini line. According to Economic Daily News, Apple wants to focus more on...

Apple releases new iPod touch: A8 chip, new colors, 128GB storage option

After rumors last week, Apple has just updated their iPod lineup. The biggest changes are in the iPod touch, which has received a nice upgrade. As expected, there are new color options across the whole line up. But that's not all to notice about the new iPod touch. First off, it looks like Apple has decided to catch up the iPod closer to the specs of...

Former iAd executive leaves Apple to collect data elsewhere

Former iAd leader Winston Crawford has left Apple to join Drawbridge, where he will serve as the company's Chief Operating Officer. Drawbridge is an anonymous cross-device identity company that aims to identify individuals by determining what devices belong to a single person. The company claims to have 97.3% "verified accuracy" with their...

Report: Apple, TV networks in talks over cable-killer TV app

The New York Post has reported that Apple is negotiating with major TV networks to bring broadcast stations to their as-of-yet unannounced TV service. While in talks with ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, Apple has apparently stated that they want to provide local TV feeds on their service. However, each of the networks don't control the individual affiliate...

Apple releases betas for OS X 10.10.5, iOS 8.4.1

On the heels of the latest betas for OS X El Capitan and iOS 9 last week, Apple has seeded betas for OS X 10.10.5 and iOS 8.4.1. These updates are likely bug fixes for the current operating system versions. Earlier this week, Apple released an update to iTunes that corrects issues with Apple Music and iTunes Match. It's possible that this iOS update...

Apple Pay officially launches in the UK

Starting today, confirming earlier reports, Apple Pay is now live in the UK. This is the first international launch of Apple Pay since it was initially introduced along with the Apple Watch and iPhone 6 and went live in October 2014. This launch means that iPhone 6 owners can use their iPhones to pay for goods and services at more than 250,000...

Apple takes 92% of smartphone profits with 20% of smartphone sales

Apple has enjoyed the prestige of being one of the most profitable companies. But when it comes to smartphone manufacturers, Apple has a very impressive lead. In fact, among about 1000 companies that make smartphones, Apple is bringing in the most profits at an impressive 92% of total profits. The impressive thing about Apple's profits is that they only...

Apple releases iTunes 12.2.1 with fixes for iTunes Match and Apple Music

After the initial launch of Apple Music and iTunes 12.2 on June 30, some users were reporting problems with their music libraries. Today, Apple has released iTunes 12.2.1 with fixes to hopefully address all of those issues. Some users were reporting their iTunes Match music was being replaced with Apple Music copies. While that doesn't sound bad in...

The TiP Weekly: New software betas, possible iPod refresh next week, and more

July brings us a whole lot of different Apple news. Apple has their quarterly earnings at the end of the month, no doubt sharing a lot of large numbers related to revenue and profit. But could we have other news this month? Might we see new iPods soon? We'll see! We also have more software updates for Apple developers and, as expected, public...

Apple asks supplies for 90 million new iPhones this year

When Apple planned to launch the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, their first foray into larger phones, Apple asked its suppliers to order 70 million to 80 million devices. With the demand for the new products last year, that was a smart move. Now, just a couple of months before the expected announcement of the iPhone 6s, Apple is asking its suppliers for a...

Samsung and TSMC working on higher efficiency mobile processors

Business Korea reports that Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) are racing to perfect a 10-nanometer process for ARM processors. The first to get things right is expected to win a contract with Apple to manufacture future processors. TSMC skipped any 14-nanometer efforts, for which Samsung came out ahead. This time around,...

Apple releases supplemental update to address OS X El Capitan beta issues

Earlier this week, Apple released the third developer beta and first public beta of OS X El Capitan. While there are several issues with the beta, including the inability to use the current Xcode release, another issue cropped up: 32-bit applications were crashing. Today, Apple has released a supplemental update to address this issue. Anyone running the...

Rumor: iPod lineup to be refreshed next week

It has been years since we've seen any significant changes to the iPod. Now, according to French site iGen, Apple will be updating their iPod line up on or around July 14. Right now, the Apple iPod line up consists of three models: the wearable iPod shuffle, the pocketable iPod nano, and the iPhone-without-the-phone iPod touch. Each of these is said...

Apple publishes new “If it’s not an iPhone” ads

According to Apple, "If it's not an iPhone… It's not an iPhone." As the first two advertisements in what seems to be a new ad campaign, Apple has chosen to focus on what sets iPhones apart from the competition. The first advertisement focuses on the benefits of Apple's hardware/software integration, in plain very plain language. Apple explains that...

Specially packaged third-party accessories arrive at Apple Stores

Third-party accessories with packaging co-designed by Apple have started trickling into Apple Stores, with a sighting in Japan. As reported on June 7, Apple has been working with several third-party manufacturers to conform their product packaging with Apple's own style. When it was reported that Jony Ive would be moving to his new Chief Design...

Public betas of OS X El Capitan and iOS 9 to come later today

A day after dropping new developer betas for OS X El Capitan and iOS 9, Apple appears to be gearing up for the public beta release of these upcoming operating system updates. Apple's beta website, where users can sign up to participate in the beta, has been updated with the following message. Once Apple has restored the website, we'll make sure you...

Alto’s Adventure updated with new items, upgrades and improvements

Everyone's favorite endless snowboarding odyssey Alto's Adventure has today been updated to version 1.1 bringing with it a number of new items to unlock, upgrades to earn and improvements to the overall experience. The beautiful Alto's Adventure has proven to be a popular choice for iOS gamers since its launch earlier this year, earning a place in...

Spotify asks customers to skip Apple for subscriptions

Following the release of Apple Music, Spotify is reminding its premium subscribers that they can pay $9.99 per month for their service by paying Spotify directly. Those paying via in-app purchase are currently paying $12.99 per month to somewhat make up for Apple's 30% cut for App Store transactions. With over 41% of users already on iOS 8.4, for which...