Apple hasn't yet released iOS 13, which is still being beta tested, but the company today seeded the first beta of iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1 to developers for testing purposes.
Developers who have downloaded the profile for iOS 13 from the developer website will receive the iOS 13.1 beta over the air.
Apple has never before released a point update to an iOS beta ahead of when a new update has launched, so it's not clear if this release of iOS 13.1 is a mistake, or what might specifically be included in the update. While it was originally believed the iOS 13.1 beta was an error, it appears that Apple is indeed testing an iOS 13.1 update that will be released shortly after iOS 13.
The iOS 13.1 release notes suggest that the update reintroduces the Automations feature in Shortcuts, and adds other functions that were removed over the course of the iOS 13 beta testing period.
Apple has seeded eight betas of iOS 13 so far, with the last one having been released on August 21. iOS 13 is expected to be released in September alongside new iPhones.
Nearly 50,000 students in Glasgow, Scotland will receive free iPads to assist with their education, as part of a seven-year £300 million agreement between Glasgow City Council and Canadian IT firm CGI, according to the BBC.
As part of the deal, every student in academic year P6 to S6 will receive their own iPad to keep for school use, while younger students in academic years P1 through P5 will have shared access to an iPad. A total of 47,000 iPads will be handed out to students by 2021, and 4,900 teachers will also receive one.
The initiative will also include the installation of Wi-Fi in every classroom and faster internet connections overall.
The report notes that all of the iPads will be tracked and managed by the Glasgow City Council, which can lock or erase the devices remotely, while social media platforms and inappropriate websites will be blocked. The initiative has already been tested at a number of schools across Glasgow.
"This is the biggest Apple education initiative in Europe and I'm delighted that Glasgow is once again leading the way in innovative practices," said Glasgow councillor Chris Cunningham, according to STV News.
Yelp today announced it is rolling out a new personalization feature that enables users to indicate their dietary, lifestyle, and accessibility preferences to receive more tailored restaurant and business results.
After indicating your preferences, which takes less than two minutes, the app will update in real-time, surfacing businesses and things to do you're most likely to care about. Your preferences won’t be locked in either. If you decide not to keep halal anymore, or if you want to eat more salads next week, all you need to do is update your preferences and you’ll see these changes reflected in your app.
Yelp also shared a video demonstration:
The personalized functionality is rolling out now, with all iPhone users expected to have access in the fall. Yelp says the preferences users set will only be visible to them and never shared with a third party.
The BBC has announced its intention to launch its own voice assistant next year to help users find their favorite programs and interact with online services hosted by the public broadcaster.
The voice assistant's working title and wake-word is currently "Beeb," and it will be built into the BBC's website, its iPlayer app and other mobile apps, and made available to manufacturers who want to incorporate the British broadcaster's software.
The BBC said it had no plans to launch a Beeb hardware device, but the voice assistant is being designed to work on existing smart speakers and smart TVs that include the iPlayer app.
BBC staff around the UK will be recording their voices to help train the assistant to recognize different British accents, something that U.S. voice assistants have been known to struggle with.
The BBC said having its own assistant would enable it to "experiment with new programs, features and experiences without someone else's permission to build it in a certain way."
"Much like we did with BBC iPlayer, we want to make sure everyone can benefit from this new technology, and bring people exciting new content, programs and services - in a trusted, easy-to-use way," said a BBC spokesman.
According to The Guardian, from the end of the month BBC radio stations will no longer be available on the popular TuneIn radio app, which is also used by Amazon's Alexa, because the U.S. company refused to share information on listeners of BBC stations.
Instead, the BBC wants people to access its content through BBC apps or via Alexa, in the hope that people log in and it can better understand what people are consuming.
Facebook is said to be working on another messaging app called "Threads" that would act as a companion to the main Instagram app, reports The Verge.
Despite the demise of its standalone "Direct" messaging app, the social media company still appears intent on challenging Snapchat with the development of a rival platform. To that end, Threads would promote "constant, intimate sharing between users and close friends."
As per the Direct app, the core of Threads is messaging, and it looks very similar to Instagram's existing messaging interface. Messages from people on the user's "close friends" list in Instagram appear in a central feed, with a green dot indicating who is currently active.
Users can opt in to automatic sharing and Threads will regularly update their status, providing friends with real-time details on their location, speed, and more. The Verge notes that the app doesn't currently show friends a user's real-time location, but instead might say something like "on the move."
If a friend has posted an Instagram story recently, it can be viewed from inside Threads as well. There's also a camera interface for capturing photos and videos to share with close friends.
Whether Threads ever goes public remains to be seen, but it's worth noting that the Instagram Direct app was killed off because beta testers were reportedly frustrated about having to switch between Instagram and a second app for messages.
Still, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in March that he sees private messaging as the future of the company, so Threads could turn out to be a big part of that future.
Nintendo's newest game, Mario Kart Tour, is set to launch on iOS devices on September 25, the company announced on Twitter this afternoon.
Starting in May, Nintendo has offered a beta version of the game to a few limited users in the United States and Japan, but the title is nearly ready for a wider launch.
As with the console version of the game, Mario Kart Tour is a kart racer title set in the Mushroom Kingdom. Players are tasked with racing to beat their rivals to the finish line using drifts and items to gain an edge.
Based on reports from the beta, the game uses the same single-handed control scheme as Nintendo's first major iOS game, Super Mario Run. Players are able to swipe their thumb across the screen to control their kart while the kart accelerates on its own.
The default controls cause karts to drift around corners, but those who want more of a challenge or more control can activate manual mode. There are four levels of difficulty to choose from, and the game features the same soundtrack used in previous Mario Kart titles.
Tracks within the game were taken from prior versions of Mario Kart, including Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash, and Mario Kart 7. Nintendo has also included Grand Prix cups that offer a collection of tracks to race through.
Playable characters include Luigi, Toad, Shy Guy, Waluigi, Peach, Toadette, and others, and some characters will be unlockable through in-app purchases. This is a freemium title that's free to download, which means Nintendo is monetizing it through in-game purchases.
Nintendo suggests players who are interested in the game follow the official Mario Kart Tour Twitter account as there's more info on gameplay to come ahead of launch. Pre-orders on the App Store are available starting today, with users able to get a notification when the game launches. [Direct Link]
A rare Pixar Animation Studios poster featuring "Toy Story" characters Buzz Lightyear and Woody that was signed by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs is set to be auctioned off later this week.
Jobs is said to have signed the poster sometime after 1995 when "Toy Story" debuted. The movie was Pixar's first feature length film and it was overwhelmingly successful, securing Pixar as a major animated film studio.
Poster with extra magnification of the signature at the bottom
Steve Jobs was a majority shareholder in Pixar and he was credited as an executive producer in "Toy Story." Following Pixar's acquisition by Disney, Jobs also served as a member of Disney's board of directors as the company's largest individual shareholder.
The poster measures in at 24 inches by 36 inches and is signed by Jobs at the bottom near the Pixar logo.
The bidding on the poster will start at $25,000, and it comes with a letter of authenticity. The auction will kick off on August 29.
There are often fires in the area in July and August, but the 2019 fires have been significantly more severe. The number of fires is also far higher, up 85 percent compared to last year. As of Sunday night, there were more than 80,000 fires burning in Brazil.
Brazil declared a state of emergency earlier this month over the growing number of fires, which are impacting the Brazilian states of Amazonas, Para, Mato Grosso and Rondônia.
It’s devastating to see the fires and destruction ravaging the Amazon rainforest, one of the world’s most important ecosystems. Apple will be donating to help preserve its biodiversity and restore the Amazon’s indispensable forest across Latin America.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 26, 2019
Cook did not say how much money Apple plans to donate, but in similar situations in the past, Apple has offered $1 million or more to organizations like the Red Cross for fire relief purposes.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple CEO Tim Cook last week donated close to $5 million in Apple stock to an unnamed charity, according to an SEC filing shared today.
Cook donated a total of 23,700 shares worth over $4.89 million at Apple's current closing price of $206.49. There's no word on which charity Cook donated to, as the SEC does not disclose that information.
In the past, Cook has said that he plans to give away the vast majority of his wealth. In a 2015 interview with Fortune, Cook said he had already started donating money quietly and had plans to create a "systematic approach to philanthropy."
Cook at this same time last year also donated $5 million in stock to charity. Following the 2019 donation, Cook continues to own 854,849 shares of Apple stock worth over $176 million.
Apple has shelved a "walkie-talkie" feature that would have allowed iPhone users to communicate with each other in areas without cellular coverage, such as while skiing or hiking, according to The Information.
The report claims Apple was working with Intel on the project, which supposedly would have enabled iPhone users to send messages directly to other iPhone users over long-distance radio waves that bypass cellular networks, adding that the technology was designed to run over the 900 MHz radio spectrum.
The project is said to have been suspended in part because the Apple executive heading it, Rubén Caballero, left the company earlier this year. The technology also relied on Intel modems, according to the report, and Apple is expected to start using Qualcomm modems in iPhones again starting in 2020.
The technology could still show up in future iPhones, but development of the feature appears to be on hold for now.
Apple today shared the first official trailer for "Dickinson," another one of its upcoming television shows that stars Hailee Steinfeld, Jane Krakowski, and others.
The trailer provides the first look at what we can expect from the show, which is a comedy focused on the life of poet Emily Dickinson.
"Dickinson" was one of the first Apple TV projects that Apple signed up for, with Apple inking a deal for the series back in May 2018.
Hailee Steinfeld, known for her roles in "True Grit," "Pitch Perfect 2," "Pitch Perfect 3," "Ender's Game," and coming of age film "Edge of Seventeen," takes on the titular role of Emily Dickinson in the series, while Jane Krakowski plays her mother.
Emily Dickinson was a prolific American poet known for short lines, slant rhymes, and irregular use of punctuation. Much of her work focused on death and immortality, and she was known for living a reclusive life. The show is said to explore the constraints of society, gender, and family from the perspective of a budding writer who doesn't fit into her own time.
According to the trailer, "Dickinson" is set to launch this fall, which means it will be one of the initial shows available when the service becomes available.
Apple hasn't provided a specific release date for when we can expect to see the TV+ series launch, but it is said to be coming this fall, perhaps in November. Rumors have suggested Apple is aiming to price the service at $9.99 per month.
"Dickinson" is just one of dozens of shows and films Apple is working on for Apple TV+. For a full list of everything that's known to be in development, check out our Apple TV+ content guide.
Apple today released tvOS 12.4.1, watchOS 5.3.1, and macOS Mojave 10.14.6 for its Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Mac devices, to go along with an iOS 12.4.1 update that addresses a serious vulnerability.
The new software updates are available immediately on the Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Mac.
The three new updates are minor in scale and focus on bug fixes and other under-the-hood performance improvements rather than outward-facing features. On the Mac, the update fixes several issues:
This update: - Resolves an issue that may cause certain Mac notebooks to shut down during sleep - Fixes an issue that may degrade performance when working with very large files - Addresses an issue that may prevent Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iMovie, and GarageBand from updating
tvOS 12.4.1, watchOS 5.3.1, and the new version of macOS 10.14.6 may be some of the last updates that we see before Apple releases new tvOS 13, watchOS 6, and macOS Catalina software this fall.
Apple today released iOS 12.4.1, a minor update that comes one month after the launch of iOS 12.4.
The iOS 12.4.1 update is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. As with all iOS updates, iOS 12.4.1 is free to download.
Today's update includes a fix for a vulnerability that allowed hackers to create a jailbreak for the iOS 12.4 update, according to Apple's security support document. Apple actually addressed the vulnerability in iOS 12.3, but then accidentally unpatched it in the iOS 12.4 update.
Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation
Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with system privileges
Description: A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management.
CVE-2019-8605: Ned Williamson working with Google Project Zero
After hackers discovered that the vulnerability was once again available, it didn't take long for a jailbreak to be created. The security issue also left iOS devices vulnerable to hacking attempts, which is why Apple likely worked quickly to correct it.
According to Apple's release notes, the update includes "important security and stability updates" and is recommended for all users.
In the spot, Apple goes over the features of the Apple Card, highlighting the Apple Card interface in the Wallet app. Apple Card is designed to offer up visual spend tracking, changing the color of the virtual card to match the categories that users are spending in.
Apple Card is here. It's a new kind of credit card, created by Apple, not a bank. With a better way to track where you spend. Daily Cash you get back every day. And a new level of privacy and security. Nice.
The ad shows off both the physical titanium card that can be used for in-store purchases and the Apple Card in the Wallet app, used for Apple Pay purchases.
Apple is likely to begin showing this ad on television, social media, and other locations in the near future in an effort to get additional users to sign up.
Apple Card is designed to simplify the credit card experience, offering up clear spend tracking and payment options to minimize the amount of interest spent. It offers cash back rewards that max out at 3 percent, and rewards are provided on a daily basis through Daily Cash.
The week has kicked off with a few new notable sales, including a new sale on App Store and iTunes gift cards and markdowns on Flexibits' popular apps like Fantastical 2. Amazon also has a Gold Box deal on refurbished iPad Pros from 2018, providing discounts of up to $210 off these models.
iTunes Gift Card
The latest sale on iTunes gift cards has hit today, with Costco offering its members a chance to get the $100 iTunes gift card for $84.49. This is around the same 15 percent off discount we've been tracking for iTunes gift cards the past few years, and is the best sale online at this time.
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Costco members can head to the company's website to purchase the gift card this week, and the discount will expire this Saturday, August 31. The $25 iTunes gift card is also on sale, discounted down to $21.49 during this time.
Refurbished iPad Pro
Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day today includes two refurbished iPad Pro models, providing up to $210 off these models from 2018. You can save on both an 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and both are in Amazon's "renewed" condition, which are guaranteed to be inspected to work and look "like new" devices.
Like all Amazon Gold Box sales, these deals will last today only and expire later tonight. You can find the iPad Pro discounts and more markdowns on electronics in today's Gold Box.
Flexibits Apps
App developer Flexibits has a new back to school sale going on this week, including up to 40 percent off apps like Cardhop, Chatology, and Fantastical 2 on the Flexibits Store. You can check out every discount in the list below:
Fantastical 2 for Mac - $39.99, down from $49.99 (20 percent off)
Fantastical 2 for iPhone - $2.99, down from $4.99 (40 percent off)
Fantastical 2 for iPad - $5.99, down from $9.99 (40 percent off)
Cardhop for Mac - $14.99, down from $19.99 (25 percent off)
Cardhop for iOS - $2.99, down from $4.99 (40 percent off)
Chatology for Mac - $14.99, down from $19.99 (25 percent off)
The Flexibits discounts are available through the Flexibits Store or through Apple's App Store (except for Chatology for Mac, which is only available on the Flexibits Store). Flexibits noted that these discounts are available only for a limited time, so head to the company's website soon to check out the sale.
Our full Deals Roundup has even more sales and bargains happening this week.
Netflix is testing a human curated discovery feature on iOS called "Collections" that surfaces TV shows and movies the user might be interested to watch (via TechCrunch).
Collections in Netflix for iOS
Netflix says the content is curated by experts on its creative teams and that the collections are organized according to similar factors, such as genre, tone, story line, and character traits.
For users who opted into the test, the Collections option appears at the top-right of the Netflix app's homepage. Some collections currently showing up have names like "Let's Keep It Light," "Dark & Devious TV Shows," "Prizewinning Movie Picks," "Watch, Gasp, Repeat," and "Women Who Rule the Screen."
If a particular collection interests you, you can tap a Follow button and get updates when new TV shows and movies are added.
Netflix Collections is your new way of finding what you want to watch, fast. pic.twitter.com/kKfciBWCg4
— Jeff Higgins Likes Umbrella Beach Drinks (@ItsJeffHiggins) 23 August 2019
The human-led curation feature, first spotted by Jeff Higgins on Twitter, is a change of direction for Netflix's recommendations system, which typically selects content algorithmically based on the user's viewing history. When asked about the feature, Netflix told TechCrunch:
"We're always looking for new ways to connect our fans with titles we think they'll love, so we're testing out a new way to curate Netflix titles into collections on the Netflix iOS app. Our tests generally vary in how long they run for and in which countries they run in, and they may or may not become permanent features on our service."
As the above comment suggests, there's no word yet on if or when it will roll out to all users, or whether we'll see it on other platforms, like Netflix for Apple TV.
Following a couple of weeks of trickling out early invitations, Apple this week launched Apple Card for all U.S. customers, offering broad access to the new digital and physical credit card issued in partnership with Goldman Sachs.
This week also saw a host of rumors and leaks, including details on Apple's upcoming iPhones, word of updates for the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, AirPods, and HomePod, and a leak suggesting the Apple Watch Series 5 may come with options for ceramic and titanium cases.
Check out our wrap-up below for more details on those stories and more from the past week!
Apple Card Launches in United States
Following five months of waiting and a limited rollout earlier in August, the Apple Card is finally available for all qualifying customers in the United States. iPhone users aged 18 or older can apply for the card in the Wallet app by tapping on the plus icon in the top-right corner, and if approved, begin using the digital version of the card within minutes.
2019 iPhones With Multi-Angle Face ID and Cheaper HomePod as Early as 2020
While it has yet to be announced, we're likely under three weeks away from Apple's traditional September event, where the company is widely expected to unveil new iPhone and Apple Watch models.
The report also calls for a 16-inch MacBook Pro with slimmer bezels, an iPad Pro refresh, and a new 10.2-inch iPad later this year, as well as higher-priced AirPods with water resistance and noise cancelation and a cheaper HomePod with fewer tweeters as early as 2020.
Tuesday, September 10 is the predicted date of Apple's event.
New Ceramic and Titanium Apple Watch Models Uncovered in watchOS 6 Beta
Just days after respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo assured that new Apple Watch models will launch later this year, four unreleased model numbers were filed with the Eurasian Economic Commission.
The new Apple Watch models, and likely new bands, are expected to be unveiled alongside new iPhones in September.
Apple Arcade Will Likely Cost $4.99 Per Month, Six Games Leaked in Hands-On Video
Apple Arcade is set to launch this fall, providing iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV users with access to a library of over 100 games on a subscription basis, with no ads or additional in-app purchases.
Not a whole lot is new in the latest beta, as Apple has reached the later stages of testing, but here are Apple's detailed release notes. iOS 13 and iPadOS will be widely released to all users in September.
There's a new side-by-side dashboard, for example, that displays the Maps app, Shortcuts, Siri suggestions, Now Playing for music, and upcoming Calendar events all at a glance, which is convenient.
Trump Says Tim Cook Made 'Good Case' That Tariffs Would Put Apple at Disadvantage With Samsung
U.S. President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook met for dinner last week, and Trump has since told reporters that Cook made a "very compelling argument" that tariffs on Chinese imports could put Apple at a disadvantage with rival Samsung.
The U.S. plans to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on approximately $300 billion of Chinese imports on September 1, but last week it delayed the tariff to December 15 for products including the iPhone, iPad, and MacBooks.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Disney's annual D23 Expo kicked off in Anaheim on Friday, and the company has revealed more details about its upcoming streaming service, Disney+.
According to CNET, Disney+ will cost $6.99 a month and give subscribers the ability stream up to four devices at the same time, with high-definition 4K content included at no extra cost.
That will make it highly competitive with Netflix, which increased its base price to $9 earlier this year. Netflix also charges subscribers $13 for high definition streaming on two simultaneous streams, and $16 for 4K and four simultaneous streams.
Of course, Netflix has built up a large library of content in its nine years operating as a streaming service, but Disney has a huge stock of established IP to draw from and is launching its platform with more than 500 feature films and over 7,500 shows, including the entire Pixar library and a raft of original content.
The company is debuting a Ms. Marvel series on the platform, as well as She Hulk and Moon Knight. A live-action Lady and the Tramp adaptation and an Obi-Wan Kenobi original series starring Ewan McGregor will also be exclusive to Disney+.
Other previously announced perks include numerous Star Wars series like The Mandalorian, several Marvel character shows, and exclusive streams for upcoming Disney movies including Frozen 2 and a live-action The Little Mermaid.
Disney's original episodes will be released weekly, in contrast to Netflix's tendency to release entire seasons in one go, and subscribers to the service will be able to set up to seven different user profiles (Netflix allows up to four).
Disney+ is set to launch on November 12 and will be available to watch on Apple TV (tvOS-supported models), iPad, and iPhone, with offline downloads supported on mobile.
This holiday season is shaping up to be all about the battle of the streaming platforms, with Apple TV+, Apple's new streaming television service, also expected to launch in November.
Apple TV+ will offer all of Apple's original TV shows and movies that are in development, and Apple is spending upwards of $6 billion for content. Little is known about Apple TV+, but it will be available on all devices where the TV app is available when it launches.
Apple has not yet announced pricing for the service, but it is ad free and shows will be available to watch on demand. Current rumors suggest it could be priced at $9.99 per month.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Apple CEO 
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