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Apple has released an official iOS update for all users with iOS 8.4.1 now available. The update follows the major iOS 8.4 release which included an all-new Music app with Apple Music, the new subscription music service, plus Beats 1, Apple’s Internet-based radio station with live DJs. Apple initially started testing the changes in iOS 8.4.1 with developers in mid-July. The maintenance update includes several issue fixes for Apple Music and Beats 1....

Re/code is reporting that Apple is currently seeing about a day’s worth of battery life. The company was notably sheepish to mention anything specific, but internally Re/code says Apple’s current marketing strategy is that users charge it over night to get full use during daylight hours. Interestingly, the report notes that Apple is unhappy with current performance and the situation is very much still in flux. Apparently, Apple is doing many different things to improve battery longevity, by the time the device launches in ‘early 2015’....

Mac App Store users browsing the software shop tonight are starting to notice a few aesthetic changes, as seen in the screenshots above and below. Like the recent iTunes Store facelift, the Mac App Store redesign features lighter fonts, a sparse white background, and thin gray separators. The updated design is currently showing up every few minutes on the throughout the store, though it still shows the old design on many pages just as much as the new....

Apple has today been granted a patent for using hand gestures to control a Mac. The inventors named in the patent are from PrimeSense, the company that developed Microsoft’s Kinect sensor, and which Apple acquired back in 2013. PrimeSense was also involved in developing some of the technology behind Face ID, and the patent here appears to rely on a similar TrueDepth camera in a Mac … The patent specifically addresses the issue of how gesture mode might be activated, describing the use of a ‘focus’ gesture....

Apple has promoted recent hire John Giannandrea to its executive team with a new role: senior vice president of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Strategy. Giannandrea joined Apple earlier this year after leaving his role of search and AI chief at Google. Apple formally announced his promotion today: Apple CEO Tim Cook added this: Giannandrea is credited with pushing AI features through Google products including search, assistant, and Gmail prior to joining Apple in April....

Following reports that Apple would utilize its large retail staff to report issues with the new controversial Maps app, and a promise from CEO Tim Cook that Maps would get better the more it’s used, Apple is quickly responding to corrections submitted by users. We received several tips from iOS 6 users that have noticed Apple fixing problems promptly after reporting them. One user in New Zealand north of Auckland noticed Apple fixed a problem with a highway exit, as highlighted in the image above....

There is now a conclusion to the patent dispute between Apple and software company OpenTV. Back in March Apple lost its case brought on by OpenTV in a German court ruling, and today OpenTV owners Kudelski Group announced that the two companies have reached a patent license agreement and all pending litigation has stopped. As we noted after the March ruling, OpenTV in the United States was suing Apple over the same use of video streaming technology....

Apple just released an update to their iAd Producer developer tool that assists in the creation of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript-powered content for the company’s interactive, motion-rich iAd platform. Version 2.0 brings a number of enhancements to animations and effects, overall improvements to the “visual designer” editor, and enhanced Project Validation features that “automatically checks the size and type of image assets, and that pages and components are configured correctly”. There is also a new “Object List” providing one-click access to any element, improvements to JavaScript editing and debugging, and the usual fixes and performance improvements....

[UPDATE 10/5: iOS 10.1 beta 2 is now available for public beta testers as well.] Apple has released the second iOS 10.1 beta which includes the Portrait camera for iPhone 7 Plus that applies a DSLR-like blur effect over photos using the dual lens system. iOS 10.1 beta 2 is available to registered developers. A public beta of iOS 10.1 for non-developers is also currently active. tvOS 10.0.1 beta 2 for Apple TV and watchOS 3....

We’ve gotten word from sources that Apple is preparing to release (in some fashion) a single, additional iPad model. This would be a new SKU for the current fourth-generation iPad with Retina display line. At this point, we do not have pricing information, so it is definitely difficult to pinpoint exactly what this new iPad model is. Here is what we do know: It is a fourth-generation iPad, not a new design....

Apple has released the fifth beta of iOS 14 for public beta testers. The update arrives two weeks after the fourth public beta and just a day after the latest iteration arrived for developers. Beta 5 includes a few notable changes and even a new ‘Hidden Album’ toggle for the Photos app. Head to Settings > General > Software update to check if the fifth public beta is available on your device....

With OS X El Capitan releasing today, Apple has also updated iOS to version 9.0.2 with an over-the-air software update. This bug fix update marks the second release since iOS 9.0 launched earlier this month. The update includes bug fixes and performance improvements for iCloud Backup, iMessage activation, Apple’s Podcasts app, and issues with cellular data usage. The release cycle suggests Apple is moving faster to ship small updates to address specific issues with iOS 9....

Just one week after the last beta was pushed out to developers, Apple has released a third version of the iOS 9.1 beta to software makers for testing. Like the two previous builds, the new beta comes with a handful of new emoji and, as of the last beta, an option for disabling contact photos in the Messages app. Update: This build has also been seeded to users on the public beta....

UPDATE [Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 7:35am ET]: Apple has made some backend changes fixing the App Store bug. Users of iThings running iOS 3.1.3 are apparently able to download App Store apps without a hiccup. Let us know if the bug has been fixed for you down in the comments. As you know, Apple launched a replacement program last month addressing the overheating issues stemming from defective batteries from one of their suppliers....

Reuters reports that Japan Display Inc, an Apple parts supplier, just announced plans to build a new $1.4 billion LCD plant that will reportedly help it become a primary supplier of smartphone displays to Apple. The report also claims that Apple has invested in the plant, but didn’t disclose any financial details related to the investment: The company did not name Apple, in line with its policy of not identifying clients....

Apple doesn’t want to annoy Hollywood majors and record labels who provide iTunes with valuable content. No wonder the company is happily bowing to content owners’ every whim, actively seeking ways of preventing us from capturing stills and recording video in certain situations. That’s right, future iPhones could refuse to capture cams of the latest blockbuster flick and might keep you from snapping images of your favorite band’s live performance. Come on, you’re aware this files as copyright infringement after all…...

Apple has updated its list of banks, credit unions and card issuers for Apple Pay this week to note the addition of support for 30+ additional institutions in the U.S., Australia and China. Most of the new banks and credit unions added this week are for users in the US, while China gets two new supported banks, as Australia gets one (full list below). Apple has been steadily adding support for additional banks and card issuers each month since its launched the payment service....

As part of Apple’s Renew program, where the company is encouraging people to recycle their old devices to help the environment, Apple has posted some exclusive environmental wallpaper to download on its website. The URL (apple.com/thanks) is given out on cards in Apple Stores to people who recycle their old device in store, as a small gesture of appreciation. However, the URL is open to anyone to visit and download some cute, exclusive, iOS 9 wallpaper that isn’t included in the default list of iOS wallpaper …...

Update October 14th: It’s here. In August, Apple launched an iPhone trade-in program for its United States-based retail stores. The promotion is part of Tim Cook’s grand plan to dramatically increase iPhone sales inside of his own stores. Interestingly, the iPhone “Reuse and Recycle” trade-in program has been absent from Apple Stores outside of the United States even though approximately 1/3 of the company’s stores exist outside of the U.S....

A few days ago we detailed a new iOS and macOS bug that crashes Messages when you receive a specific message. Described as the chaiOS bug, Apple now tells Buzzfeed that a fix is expected next week. As we noted earlier this week, chaiOS was discovered by Abraham Masri and potentially causes crashes, resprings, and battery issues on the latest versions of iOS and macOS. We tested the bug and experienced pervasive issues that required removing the message thread and in some cases digging in to macOS and removing the whole Messages database and starting over....