MacRumors

iOS 9.3.2 is causing problems for some 9.7-inch iPad Pro owners, with multiple MacRumors readers and Twitter users reporting issues shortly after installing the update over the air. Affected users are seeing an "Error 56" message that instructs them to plug their devices into iTunes.

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An iPad Pro bricked after installing iOS 9.3.2. Image via Twitter.

While not all 9.7-inch iPad Pro users have reported problems, there have been a number of reports on the MacRumors forums and on social networks, suggesting the problem is widespread. Attempting to restore through iTunes doesn't appear to resolve the issue. From MacRumors user NewtypeCJ:

Mine is bricked. Says it needs to be plugged into iTunes, won't restore or update, just a big loop. Fantastic. :/

According to Apple's error code support document, error 56 is a hardware issue. The document recommends installing the latest version of iTunes, checking for issues with third-party security software, and attempting a restore twice. Apple recommends customers who are still seeing the error message contact Apple support.

With a number of users affected by the bricking issue, Apple will likely need to release an updated version of iOS 9.3.2 that solves the problem.

Update May 17, 10:47 PM: Apple has issued a statement to iMore's Rene Ritchie, simply stating the company is "looking into a small number of reports" regarding this issue.

We're looking into a small number of reports that some iPad units are receiving an error when updating the software. Those unable to restore their device through iTunes should contact Apple support.

No cause or specific solution has apparently been determined.

Related Forum: iOS 9

twitterlogoTwitter has plans to stop counting photos and links within the 140-character limit allowed for each tweet, reports Bloomberg. Removing photos and links from tweets will allow tweets with media to contain more text.

At the current time, photos take up 24 characters and links take up 23 characters, eliminating 47 available characters when both are included in a tweet. Twitter is reportedly introducing the change to give Twitter users "more flexibility" after exploring methods that would allow users to include more text in tweets.

Twitter has made efforts to give users additional characters to work with in the past, implementing tweet quoting features, using link shorteners, and removing character limits from Direct Messages.

Twitter has included a 140-character restriction since it launched in 2006, put in place to stay within the limits of the standard 160-character length of SMS messages with 20 characters left as space for a username. Reports in January suggested Twitter was considering eliminating the 140-character limit and allowing tweets to contain up to 10,000 characters as part of a project it called "Beyond 140," but Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey later said the character limit would not be changed.

Twitter is expected to implement the change in the next two weeks.

Tag: Twitter

Following the Indian government's approval of Apple's request to open retail stores in the country, Apple is planning to launch three stores in India over the course of the next 18 months.

Apple will open Apple-branded retail stores in Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai before the end of 2017, according to a source that spoke to Indian website FactorDaily.

A team of more than 40 Apple executives and employees is said to be searching for ideal real estate locations for the three stores, each of which will span more than 10,000 square feet and will be located at "high street locations." Apple is planning on investing $3-5 million per store.

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At the current time, Apple has no retail stores in India and instead sells its products through third-party distributors in the country. India has decided to exempt Apple from a policy that requires foreign stores to source at least 30 percent of their goods from domestic suppliers, opening the door for the first retail stores.

While Apple will be able to open Apple Stores in India, a second request to import refurbished iPhones, which it could sell at lower price points, was recently denied. India, like China, is seen as a largely untapped market for Apple, and the company is eager to gain a stronger foothold in the country.

In addition to retail stores, Apple is planning to open a $25 million technology development site in Hyderabad, India, which will house more than 125 employees and focus on maps development. Apple is also said to be planning to unveil a startup accelerator in India, designed to incubate ideas for new iOS apps.

Tim Cook is planning to visit India this week, where he is expected to announce the accelerator and perhaps the new retail stores.

Apple has announced that its downtown San Francisco store at 1 Stockton Street is closing on Friday, May 20 at 9:00 p.m. Pacific, ahead of the grand opening of its new flagship Union Square location on Saturday, May 21 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific.

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Apple's new Union Square store in San Francisco under construction (Image: Curbed SF)

The new Union Square store at 300 Post Street, just three blocks down Stockton Street from the existing store, has been planned since 2013 and under construction for over two years. The store will feature Apple's next-generation store design adopted at its new and renovated retail stores like Brussels and Memphis since 2015.

Union Square is the focal point of San Francisco's high-end shopping district, located above the city's work-in-progress Central Subway project.

newitunes122logoApple today released iTunes 12.4, bringing some minor design tweaks and important bug fixes to its media software. iTunes 12.4 comes seven months after the launch of iTunes 12.3, which was released to the public in September, and nearly two months after the last minor iTunes update.

iTunes 12.4 includes a redesigned interface that's designed to be simpler, with the reintroduction of a sidebar for easier navigation and a revamped media picker, as was shared by MacRumors earlier this month.

Today's update may also include safeguards to protect users from an issue that could cause music stored in iTunes to be deleted. The deletion problem affected a small number of users and while Apple was not able to recreate the bug, the company promised "additional safeguards."

The iTunes 12.4 update can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store. Full release notes are below.

Now enjoy all of your music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and more in a simpler design.

Navigation. Now you can use Back and Forward buttons as you navigate between your Library, Apple Music, iTunes Store, and more.

Media Picker. Easily switch between Music, Movies, TV shows and more--and Edit to choose just the items you want.

Library and Playlists. Use Sidebar to view your Library in new ways. Drag and drop songs to easily add them to Playlists. And Edit Sidebar to show only your favorite views.

Menus. Menus in iTuns are now simpler and easier to use. Use the View menu to customize your Library or try context menus to act on specific items.

Apple is working on OS X 10.12, set to be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. iOS 10 is rumored to be gaining Apple Music changes, and it's possible OS X 10.12 will bring additional design tweaks to iTunes for a more streamlined Apple Music interface.

Update: TechCrunch has confirmed that the iTunes 12.4 update addresses the music deletion issue that affected a small number of iTunes users.

Apple today released a new software update for the Apple Watch, upgrading watchOS 2 to version 2.2.1. The update comes nearly two months after the public release of watchOS 2.2, a major update to the watchOS 2 operating system that introduced multi-watch support for iPhone, Maps improvements, and other features. In testing since April 6, Apple seeded two betas of watchOS 2.2.1 to developers prior to releasing it to the public.

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The 2.2.1 update can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General –-> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 2.2.1 is a minor update, and during the beta testing period, no outward-facing changes or obvious bug fixes were discovered.

Since releasing watchOS 2 in September of 2015, Apple has provided Apple Watch owners with four updates in total, including watchOS 2.0.1, watchOS 2.1, watchOS 2.2, and today's watchOS 2.2.1 update.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Apple today released OS X 10.11.5 to the public, marking the launch of the fifth update to the El Capitan operating system that was first released on September 30, 2015. OS X 10.11.5 comes nearly two months after the release of OS X 10.11.4, an update that introduced Live Photos for Messages and password protected notes in the Notes app.

The OS X 10.11.5 update can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store. It is available to all OS X El Capitan users.

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Most of the updates to OS X El Capitan have focused largely on under-the-hood improvements, bug fixes, and security enhancements rather than outward-facing changes, and OS X 10.11.5 is no exception. No obvious feature changes were discovered in the beta, and according to Apple's release notes, OS X 10.11.5 includes bug fixes, performance improvements, and security updates.

Prior to releasing the OS X 10.11.5 update, which has been in testing since April 6, Apple seeded four betas to developers and public beta testers.

Related Forum: OS X El Capitan

Apple today released a new update for tvOS, the operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 9.2.1 is a minor update that comes a month after the launch of tvOS 9.2, a more significant update that introduced a range of features from Bluetooth keyboard support and dictation to Siri search for the App Store and app folders.

The new tvOS 9.2.1 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 9.2.1 operating system automatically.

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As a minor 9.x.x update, tvOS 9.2.1 focuses on bug fixes and performance updates to address issues discovered since the release of tvOS 9.2, and no major outward-facing changes were discovered during the beta testing process.

tvOS 9.2.1 is the fourth update the tvOS operating system has seen since its October 2015 release, following tvOS 9.1, tvOS 9.1.1, and tvOS 9.2.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Apple today released iOS 9.3.2 to the public, marking the second update to iOS 9 since iOS 9.3 launched in March of 2016. In testing since April 6, Apple seeded a total of four iOS 9.3.2 betas to developers and public beta testers prior to releasing the update to the public.

Today's iOS 9.3.2 release is available as an over-the-air update for all iOS 9 users and it can also be downloaded through iTunes.

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iOS 9.3.2, as a minor 9.x.x update, focuses mainly on under-the-hood performance improvements and bug fixes rather than outward-facing changes. One of the biggest bug fixes resolves an ongoing issue that caused Bluetooth accessories to experience audio quality issues when paired with an iPhone SE.

- Fixes an issue where some Bluetooth accessories could experience audio quality issues when paired to the iPhone SE
- Fixes an issue where looking up dictionary definitions could fail
- Addresses an issue that prevented typing email addresses when using the Japanese Kana keyboard in Mail and Messages
- Fixes an issue for VoiceOver users using the Alex voice, where the device switches to a different voice to announce punctuation or spaces
- Fixes an issue that prevented MDM servers from installing Custom B2B apps

In addition to the bug fixes listed above, the update also introduces support for using Night Shift and Low Power Mode simultaneously. During the first few iOS 9.3 betas, the two features were able to be turned on simultaneously, but later betas removed that functionality. With iOS 9.3.2, devices capable of using Night Shift can turn it on with Low Power Mode enabled.

iOS 9.3.2 is the eighth update to the iOS 9 operating system, following iOS 9.0.1, iOS 9.0.2, iOS 9.1, iOS 9.2, iOS 9.2.1, iOS 9.3, and iOS 9.3.1.

Related Forum: iOS 9

The latest data from market research firm IDC reveals that the Apple Watch remained the most popular smartwatch in the first quarter, with an estimated 1.5 million sales and 46 percent market share through the first three months of 2016. Meanwhile, basic wearables unsurprisingly continue to outpace smartwatches.

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Samsung was the closest threat to Apple Watch among smartwatches in the quarter, with an estimated 700,000 sales and 20.9 percent market share, followed by Motorola, Huawei, and Garmin with estimated 400,000, 200,000, and 100,000 shipments respectively for a combined 18.6 percent market share.

Apple finished third in the overall wearables market with 7.5 percent market share, behind lower-price fitness tracker vendors Fitbit and Xiaomi. Fitbit commanded a leading 24.5 percent market share off an estimated 4.8 million shipments, while Xiaomi had 3.7 million shipments for 19 percent market share.

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Apple does not disclose Watch sales in its quarterly earning results, instead grouping the device under its Other Products category alongside iPods, Apple TVs, Beats Electronics, and accessories. IDC and Strategy Analytics estimates place total Apple Watch sales at nearly 16 million from April 2015 through March 2016.

Fitbit began 2016 the same way it finished 2015: as the undisputed leader in the wearables market. The launch of its new Alta and Blaze devices resulted in million unit shipment volumes for each, pointing to a new chapter of fashion-oriented fitness trackers. It also points to significant declines for its previously successful Surge, Charge, Charge HR, and Flex product lines. Still, with a well-segmented portfolio, pricing strategy, and a strong brand, Fitbit's position is well-established.

IDC's data supports the notion that Apple continues to cede market share to Android Wear smartwatches and other wearables as the market evolves. Strategy Analytics data from April, however, had a higher Apple Watch sales estimate of 2.2 million for 52.4 percent market share in the first quarter.

Many prospective buyers are now holding out for the Apple Watch 2, which is rumored to debut in the second half of 2016 and could feature a FaceTime camera, expanded Wi-Fi abilities, cellular connectivity, and thinner design. New bands, finishes, and models are always possibilities as well.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Google this morning announced a new app called "Spaces" for iOS, Android and desktop, that combines Google Search, YouTube, and Chrome together into one app to easily share and discuss content amongst friends. Similar to Gboard launched last week, Google is hoping to lessen the amount of time needed to jump between apps by streamlining multiple features into one application.

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To start off, users can create a Space within the app centering around any article or video they like, and invite friends and family to the Space through texts, email, or a connected social network. From there, they can start discussing the topic in question, and even go through old conversations with a search function that can pull up image results as well as hits related to text.

Group sharing isn’t easy. From book clubs to house hunts to weekend trips and more, getting friends into the same app can be challenging. Sharing things typically involves hopping between apps to copy and paste links. Group conversations often don’t stay on topic, and things get lost in endless threads that you can’t easily get back to when you need them.

We wanted to build a better group sharing experience, so we made a new app called Spaces that lets people get people together instantly to share around any topic.

Google said it plans to test out Spaces at its annual Google I/O conference starting this week. The company will have Spaces set up for each session, letting developers and conference goers connect and discuss all of the event's biggest topics in one organized app.

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The rollout for Spaces is starting today, so users on iOS, Android, and desktop should be able to check out the new app soon.

Tag: Google

YouTube for iOS has been updated today with Google Cardboard support, allowing for all videos to be watched in VR mode on iPhone. The functionality was previously limited to the YouTube app on Android smartphones since November 2015.

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To activate Cardboard mode, tap on the three circles in the top-right corner of a video and select the Cardboard icon. The video will then switch to an immersive VR experience, even if it was not originally filmed in a full 360 degrees.

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YouTube for iOS is a free download on the App Store [Direct Link]. The app is now at version 11.18.

Tim-Cook-IndiaFollowing his trip to Beijing, China on Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook will travel to India tomorrow to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this week, according to Reuters.

Cook will be making his first-ever trip to India as CEO, as Apple seeks to increase its presence in the world's most populous country after China. He is also expected to hold meetings with employees and partners in the country.

It is unclear what Cook and Modi plan to discuss, but the conversation could revolve around the Indian government's recent decisions to approve single-branded Apple retail stores but deny the sale of refurbished iPhones in the country.

As growth in the Greater China region begins to slow, India is becoming an increasingly important market for Apple. Last month, the iPhone maker reported that revenue has grown 56 percent in the first three months of the year, while smartphone sales are projected to grow by 25 percent in the country this year.

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Cook and Modi first met in the U.S. last year (Image: The Financial Express)

Apple's growth in India has been dominated by lower-priced devices like the iPhone 5s, which has since been succeeded by the iPhone SE, but India's stance against Apple selling refurbished smartphones could make it more challenging for the company to grow its estimated 2 percent market share in the country.

Apple recently confirmed plans to set up a $25 million technology development center in Hyderabad, which will be focused on Apple Maps development and house over 150 employees. Apple partner Foxconn is also reportedly close to reaching a deal to open an iPhone manufacturing facility in Maharashtra.

After an initial announcement late last year, and a small test rollout, Walmart is now beginning a statewide launch of its in-house mobile payments solution Walmart Pay in Texas and Arkansas.

All 480 Walmart retail locations in Texas will support the mobile wallet service beginning today, as well as the 110 stores in Arkansas. Although the company continues to reiterate its plans for a wide-release rollout in the United States soon, it's still yet to give customers a specific launch window for Walmart Pay beyond the two states announced today.

“We can’t wait to hear what our customers and associates in Texas [and Arkansas] think of Walmart Pay. The service was built to make shopping easier and faster, something we know our customers want,” said Daniel Eckert, senior vice president, Services, Walmart U.S. “Walmart Pay is a powerful addition to our app, a tool that we’re using to transform the shopping experience by seamlessly connecting our online assets and our stores for customers. The service opens the door to new and better ways we can serve the 140 million customers who shop our stores each week.”

Unlike Apple Pay's NFC and Touch ID system, there are a few added steps to successfully check out with Walmart Pay: users have to navigate to the Walmart app on their phone, tap through to the Walmart Pay section, and then scan a QR code displayed at the register. Users can set up the app to be protected by a PIN or Touch ID, and the company says that "mostly any card" can be directly linked as a payment method for the service.

Walmart was part of an original collection of retailers who opposed Apple Pay in favor of an alternative mobile payments service, CurrentC, along with companies like Best Buy and Target. Best Buy has since backed support for Apple Pay, while Target is working on its own QR code solution, similar to Walmart Pay.

Although the launch of Walmart Pay suggests that the company isn't interested in integrating with other digital wallets -- like Apple Pay -- down the line, last year Walmart senior vice president of services Daniel Eckert said the QR code service allows "for integration of other mobile wallets in the future." Eckert continued to describe Walmart Pay as "an innovation that will make the ease of mobile payments a reality for millions of Americans.”

The Walmart App can be downloaded from the App Store for free [Direct Link].

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

A regulatory filing by multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway -- which is run by Warren Buffett -- today revealed that as of March 31, the company owned 9,811,747 shares in Apple stock (via Bloomberg). Berkshire Hathaway's shares were valued at over $1 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2016, but given Apple's recent dip in stock value, it has subsequently declined to nearly $900 million.

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Berkshire Hathaway's stake in Apple appears to be a bet that the Cupertino company's stock will rebound, following its first ever year-over-year revenue drop in 13 years. The slump comes after Apple's April earnings call where it announced the first ever drop in iPhone sales in the 9 years that the smartphone has been on the market. Last week, shares of the company fell below $90 for the first time in nearly two years, but after Berkshire Hathaway's disclosure, Apple's stock price rose 2.2 percent to $92.50 in early trading Monday morning.

Earlier in April, Apple investor Carl Icahn decided to sell his stake in the company, explaining that he did so due to concern over China's attitude towards Apple's encroaching presence in the country. A second Apple investor, David Tepper, also dumped his shares of the company as its value continued to lessen. Tepper had 1.26 million shares that were valued at around $133 million.

As planned, Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived in Beijing on Monday for his latest visit to China, where the iPhone maker has experienced a turbulent few months. Earlier today, he caught a ride using Didi Chuxing, the Chinese ride-sharing service that Apple just invested $1 billion in, alongside the Uber rival's president Jean Liu.

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Cook meets with Liu, left, and developers at an Apple Store in Beijing (Image: CNBC)

While an earlier report said Cook plans to meet with senior Chinese government officials to discuss a range of issues, including iBooks and iTunes Movies store closures and a recent patent dispute, the CEO has thus far met with App Store developers at an Apple Store in Beijing for a seminar hosted by Liu, per CNBC.

At the Apple store, Cook attended a seminar hosted by Didi Chuxing's President Jean Lui, also known as Liu Qing, and attended by the founders and CEOs of some of China's top app providers, including Groupon-like Meituan, picture-editing app MeituPic, news content provider Toutiao.com, culinary app DayDayCook and game developer Tap4Fun.

Cook, who shared photos of his visit on Twitter and Weibo, understands the importance of Apple maintaining a positive image in China.

Greater China, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, is Apple's second largest market by revenue after the U.S. Last month, the iPhone maker reported that sales dropped 26 percent in the region in the second quarter, primarily due to declining iPhone sales as China's smartphone market becomes increasingly saturated.

Cook has made similar visits to Beijing to meet with Chinese officials, carrier partners, and customers in both 2012 and 2014.

David TepperHedge fund billionaire David Tepper has sold his entire stake in Apple, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (via Business Insider UK).

Tepper's 1.26 million shares in the company were last valued at around $133 million, according to data from Bloomberg. The massive sale of Apple shares is the second reported in as many months, after billionaire Carl Icahn dumped his stake in the company earlier this year based on worries over China's attitude towards the tech giant.

Since August 2015, 146 of the 833 hedge funds tracked by Goldman Sachs had Apple as one of their largest positions, earning it the number two spot on Goldman's list of stocks "most loved" by hedge funds.

But Apple shares have been on the decline since last month's earnings call, where the company announced its first ever drop in iPhone sales and its first year-over-year revenue drop in 13 years.

Two days ago, shares of Apple fell below $90 for the first time in nearly two years amid investors' concerns over slumping sales. Apple's stock price fell 3.3% to $89.47 during Thursday afternoon trading, leaving its market valuation at $494 billion. At the same time, Google's parent company Alphabet briefly overtook Apple as the world's most valuable company, hitting a market cap of $498 billion.

Apple today confirmed reports of an issue that causes music from personal collections to be deleted, telling The Loop it only affects a small number of users and that a fix is incoming in an iTunes update next week.

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“In an extremely small number of cases users have reported that music files saved on their computer were removed without their permission,” Apple said. “We’re taking these reports seriously as we know how important music is to our customers and our teams are focused on identifying the cause. We have not been able to reproduce this issue, however, we’re releasing an update to iTunes early next week which includes additional safeguards. If a user experiences this issue they should contact AppleCare.”

Last week, debate raged over the supposed glitch after Vellum's Jake Pinkstone wrote a blogpost complaining that Apple Music had deleted 122 GB of his personal music collection without his permission after he joined the service. The deletion occurred after Pinkstone had his music library scanned by Apple to make his collection available across his devices.

Confusion ensued after Pinkstone was told by an Apple Support Representative named Amber that Apple Music's matching system was "functioning as intended." When asked whether Apple Music was supposed to delete his personal music without his permission, Amber responded "yes." Amber's statement, however, was inaccurate according to Apple's own support document.

While the causation of the bug is still unknown, as Apple has failed to reproduce the issue, the company's statement suggests Apple has narrowed down the issue to iTunes rather than the Apple Music service. It's unclear whether the fix will arrive with a minor or major iTunes update. However, one possibility is iTunes 12.4, which will include a minor redesign and arrive in the next couple of weeks, according to a MacRumors source.

Related Forum: Mac Apps