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Apple currently plans to use its next major release of the Mac operating system, known as OS X 10.12, this fall to continue to expand Siri across its product lines. Last year, Apple implemented Siri as cornerstone features of both the Apple Watch and new Apple TV, and for 2016, Siri is planned to finally make its way to the Mac. Apple had been testing versions of OS X internally with Siri integration since at least 2012, but sources now say that Apple has a clear vision for Siri on the Mac along with a polished user-interface and is nearly ready to launch the feature publicly....

Apple has published a new press release on its Newsroom website today underscoring the economic impact of the App Store. Ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference kicking off next week, Apple touts that developers grow total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem by 24% to $643 billion in 2020. Apple’s press release cites a new study from the Analysis Group, which it helped support. The study says that the number of “small developers” worldwide has increased by 40% since 2015 and now makes up more than 90% of total developers....

One of iOS 10’s cool new features is the ability for developers to create sticker pack animated emojis for iMessage using the Messages API. Apple is showing how it is done, so to speak… Apple last night released 4 apps for iOS 10 beta testers, most of which will look familiar to Apple Watch users. The Classic Mac sticker packs, originally designed by Susan Kare in the 80s was included with iOS 10 but is now there if you’ve uninstalled and want to reinstall....

Apple is rolling out the fourth iOS 10.3 beta for developer testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The upcoming software update includes Find My AirPods support, CarPlay improvements, Apple’s new filesystem, and more. We’ll update and highlight any changes discovered below. iOS 10.3 is currently only available in beta for registered developers and public beta testers. The public beta version of each update usually follows a few days after the developer version if not the same day....

It’s time for iOS 13 beta 3 — for developer build testers at least. Apple has released the third developer beta version of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 alongside new seeds of watchOS 6, tvOS 13, and macOS Catalina. Apple’s public beta builds should follow at a later date after the latest developer beta has been tested for some time. Apple’s new software version won’t be complete until the fall, however, so testers should still expect performance and stability issues when running the iOS 13 beta on primary devices....

One week after the first tvOS 9.1 beta for Apple TV, developers now have access to an updated build of the software update to test. While the initial tvOS 9.1 beta contained no visual changes for users yet, Siri has since been enabled to work with Apple Music on the beta version of the software. Non-developer Apple TV users also recently saw the very first software update for Apple TV yesterday with the release of tvOS 9....

Bloomberg reports that representatives from Apple held meetings with suppliers of parts for augmented reality devices at CES 2018. The company is believed to be working on an AR headset of its own, with an approximate 2019 release timeframe. Apple famously doesn’t partake in public demos at the consumer electronics show, but always has engineers and managers in attendance to find potential future manufacturers for its products and keep abreast of new technologies....

Apple has just wrapped up its media event and has pushed several new pages online. The first is a new page dedicated to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and the second is a page for the Apple Watch. But Apple has gone even further, revealing a whole new look for its entire website that features a flattened navigation bar. A new page about the U2 “Songs of Innocence” album is also live, and includes details on how to redeem your free copy of the album....

Apple has released macOS 10.12.2 beta 5 for Mac. The new update follows the initial macOS 10.12.2 beta at the end of October and multiple additional builds since. Today’s build is 16C60b compared to 16C53a and is available from the Mac App Store. macOS 10.12.2 includes Unicode 9.0 emoji support, which matches compatibility in beta versions of iOS 10.2 and watchOS 3.1.1. macOS 10.12.2 will be released to everyone in the future (expected this month), and the beta allows developers to test pre-release versions of the software update before it’s released....

Following the release of OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 a little over a month ago, Apple has released a new version of the operating system to users with bug fixes. This bug fix update will come automatically in the download for those who are still running earlier versions of Snow Leopard, but a patch is available for those who are already on 10.6.8. The update is available via the Mac’s Software Update application and the direct links are after the break....

Update: Developer betas are now available including iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, tvOS 12.2, macOS 10.14.4, and Xcode 10.2 beta 1. Now that Apple’s bug fix beta updates to iOS 12.1 are now available to all users, it’s time for the next big point release of iOS 12. Apple will release iOS 12.2 developer beta 1 today. watchOS 5.2 beta 1 for developers is also arriving today. The software update should be available at the top of the hour....

Almost six years after the introduction of tvOS, Apple’s design team has released their first-ever design tool kit for the platform. Apple’s tvOS design kit includes all of the components you’d expect from design templates to colors, materials, and more. These new tools should make it much easier for designers and developers to create mock ups and concepts for their apps. The tvOS design kit is only available for Sketch users so if you are an Adobe XD user, you’re out of luck....

In addition to iOS 11.2 beta 1, Apple has released the first watchOS 4.2 and tvOS 11.2 betas for Apple Watch and Apple TV. We’ll update to the latest software versions to check out what’s new. Both new beta versions are available to registered developers for testing ahead of release. We’re still awaiting watchOS 4.1 and tvOS 11.1 to come out of beta for customers as well. Here are the release notes for both betas:...

Apple has released the fourth iOS 10.3.3 beta for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The first beta version only included new wallpapers for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and no other visible changes. We’ll update with any changes discovered below. iOS 10.3.3 beta 3 is currently available to registered developers; a public beta version for iOS 10.3.3 is also available although today’s update may not be immediately available. iOS 10.3.3 beta 4 Release Notes: For a look back at what changes Apple included with iOS 10....

Apple has followed this week’s release of OS X El Capitan 10.11.1 beta 2 to developers with a public version of the pre-release software. The second seed doesn’t include any notable changes, though it does come with the new emoji icons that were added in the first build. Users on the public beta can download the latest build from the Updates tab of the Mac App Store. Users who want to participate in the public beta can apply on Apple’s beta website....

Apple today is releasing the HomePod 13.2 software update with several new features, including multiple users support, Handoff and Ambient Sounds. The update was announced in June at WWDC 2019, but was postponed until October. The multi-user mode allow the HomePod to recognize up to six different voices in the home, and personalize its responses accordingly. You will be able to access each user’s individual music library and do user-specific tasks through Personal Requests like sending messages or setting todos....

Digital wallets are gaining momentum and Apple Pay looks set to be the most popular platform as contactless payments are projected to hit $2 trillion within two years. As spotted by TechCrunch, Juniper Research put out a new report today with the prediction that Apple Pay will account for 50% of global mobile wallet users by 2020. The data took into account competition from Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Huawei Pay, and Fitbit Pay....

Update: Apple has also today released the first OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan beta build to public beta testers. This build follows the public launch of OS X 10.11.1 last week. You can sign up to join the public beta program on Apple’s beta testing website Following this week’s release to developers, Apple has seeded the first version of iOS 9.2 to public beta testers. The update brings some important changes to the Safari View Controller, which serves as the in-app browser for many apps in iOS 9....

[Update: Now available. tvOS 12.1.2 beta 3 is also out now as well. Update 2: macOS Mojave 10.14.3 beta 3 is now available.] Apple is releasing its third iOS 12.1.3 developer beta later today, after releasing its second iOS 12.1.3 beta late last month. The release notes only mention bug fixes, but we’ll update if anything notable is discovered on the new beta. Apple is also seeding the third watchOS 5....

According to a new report from The Information, Apple is in talks to buy a portion of Intel’s smartphone modem business. This isn’t the first time Apple has been rumored to have an interest in Intel’s modem business, but today’s report suggests that Apple is still in talks with the company about a potential deal. The report explains that Intel is looking to sell its smartphone modem business in several pieces....