MacRumors

Apple today released the second beta of iOS 8, which brings a number of improvements, changes, and bug fixes to the beta software that was introduced on June 2.

iOS 8 beta 2 also includes several minor interface tweaks and modifications that make the beta feel both faster and more polished. We've gathered a list of the enhancements that have been bundled into the release below.

Podcasts: Following iOS 8 beta 2, the Podcasts app is a default iOS app that comes pre-installed on iOS devices. This means it can no longer be deleted.

Safari: According to the release notes, Safari will now block ads from automatically redirecting to the App Store without user interaction. Safari also includes a new pinch to tab view.

App Store Purchases: Apps in the App Store's purchased tab are once again sorted by purchase date. In iOS 8 beta 1, they were sorted alphabetically. It's also possible to leave reviews in the App Store again, a feature unavailable in beta 1 due to a bug, and the App Store now displays Family Purchases.

QuickType Keyboard: Apple's QuickType keyboard is now available on the iPad as well as the iPhone, but does not appear to be available on the iPad 2.

Brightness: In beta 1, the Brightness toggle in the Settings menu under Wallpaper and Brightness was broken. It is now functional again.

Messages: Icons for the camera and the microphone in Messages are now gray rather than blue and there's a new setting to mark all messages read.

Settings: There's a new "Raise to Listen" setting for Messages.

Privacy: There's a new Home Data section within the Privacy menu of the Settings app.

iCloud Photos: When entering the Photos app, there's a new "iCloud Photos" popup that activates Apple's new iCloud Photos feature, replacing a user's existing Photo Stream settings.

Notifications: There's a new "Allow Notifications" setting available for each app, which works as a sort of global mute to let users to mute notifications from an app on an individual basis. Previously, there was only an option to disallow apps from showing notifications in Notification Center.

Battery Usage by App: The Battery Usage by App menu in the Settings menu now includes a setting that lets users know how much battery their phones used when no coverage was available.

Handoff: According to several of our forum members, Handoff between iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite is now far more functional.

Additional features in iOS 8 beta 2 will be added here as they are discovered. Apple is likely to continue pushing regular updates to iOS 8, bringing minor performance boosts and changes ahead of the operating system's public release, which is expected to come in the fall. For more information on iOS 8's features, big and small, make sure to check out our roundups.

Alongside iOS 8 beta 2, Apple today released a new version of OS X Yosemite, just over two weeks after initially introducing the operating system at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

The update, Developer Preview 2, has a build number of 14A261i, and can be downloaded from the Mac App Store or the Mac Dev Center.

OS X Yosemite brings a flatter, more modern look to OS X, with an emphasis on translucency, along with a slew of new features, including improved integration with iOS 8 through Continuity. It also includes a new "Today" view in Notification Center that offers integration with third-party apps, a retooled Spotlight search that offers new data sources, and several new features for apps like Mail, Safari, and Messages.

OS X Yosemite is currently only available to developers, but Apple plans to offer a beta version of the software to Mac users at some point during the summer. A public release of OS X Yosemite is expected in the fall, after several additional beta iterations.

New Features:

- Photo Booth: Photo Booth, which was missing from the first Yosemite beta, has now returned.

- Time Machine: Time Machine has a redesigned interface that removes the stars. (via 9to5Mac).

- Screen Sharing: Screen Sharing has been updated to version 6, allowing users to block incoming screen share requests.

- Settings: There's a new Settings icon.

- AirDrop: AirDrop now offers a notification directly on the screen when a file is incoming, so it is no longer necessary to open Finder to receive a file (via 9to5Mac).

Handoff: According to several of our forum members, Handoff between iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite is now far more functional.

System Information: There's a new field for Continuity support in the Bluetooth category of the System Information app, which lets users know if their machines support features like Continuity and AirDrop.

Apple today released the second beta of iOS 8 to developers, just over two weeks after unveiling the new operating system at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The update, build number 12A4297e, is available through Apple's over-the-air updating system on iOS devices and will also be available via the iOS Dev Center.

MacRumors forum users are tracking new changes and features found in Beta 2 in this thread.

Apple has also released Xcode 6 beta 2, new beta software for the Apple TV (for 3rd gen (+ rev a) only), and OS X Yosemite Update 1.0.

iOS 8 introduces a range of new features, including improved integration with OS X through Continuity, a Health app, Family Sharing features, interactive notifications, a new QuickType Keyboard and improvements to several apps like Safari, Mail, and Messages.

iOS 8 is only available to developers at the current point in time, but it is expected to be released to the public this fall after several additional beta iterations. Based on past history, iOS 8 will likely be released alongside new iPhones, and possibly the much-rumored iWatch.

The second iOS 8 beta includes several tweaks to the operating system, such as a permanent Podcasts app that now comes pre-installed and QuickType for the iPad. Safari is also able to block ads that redirect to the App Store, and there's a new iCloud Photos popup that replaces Photo Stream when the Photos app is opened for the first time. For a full list of changes to iOS 8 in beta 2, make sure to check out our beta 2 tidbits post.

Direct links
(You must be a paid registered Apple developer to access these links.)

- iPad Air (Model 1474)
- iPad Air (Model 1475)
- iPad Air (Model 1476)
- iPad mini (Model A1489)
- iPad mini (Model A1490)
- iPad mini (Model A1491)
- iPad (4th generation Model A1458)
- iPad (4th generation Model A1459)
- iPad (4th generation Model A1460)
- iPad mini (Model A1432)
- iPad mini (Model A1454)
- iPad mini (Model A1455)
- iPad Wi-Fi (3rd generation)
- iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for ATT)
- iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for Verizon)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi (Rev A)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (GSM)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (CDMA)

- iPhone 5s (Model A1453, A1533)
- iPhone 5s (Model A1457, A1518, A1528, A1530)
- iPhone 5c (Model A1456, A1532)
- iPhone 5c (Model A1507, A1516, A1526, A1529)
- iPhone 5 (Model A1428)
- iPhone 5 (Model A1429)
- iPhone 4S

- iPod touch (5th generation)

While Apple is widely expected to expand use of its Touch ID fingerprint sensor to the iPad Air and iPad mini later this year, new photos of an alleged "perfect replica" of the second-generation iPad Air shared by Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] hint that there may be a few additional changes in store for the device.

The replica, which is making the rounds in China and Japan, unsurprisingly depicts a Touch ID home button for the device, but also shows some tweaks to physical features around the edges of the device, including a new speaker grille with a single row of larger holes on each side of the Lightning port as opposed to the current double row of smaller holes on the iPad.

Another difference lies in the volume buttons which are shown slightly recessed into the edge of the case, compared to the current design that sees buttons protruding slightly from a flush holes machines in the device's shell. Nowhereelse.fr mentions that the mute switch is also missing, although there is a small hole where the feature is usually located. Unfinished protoype and mockup parts sometimes feature these pilot holes to guide machining of the final hole.

Updated iPads are expected to launch later this year, with October being Apple's usual timeframe for such launches over the past couple of years. The latter part of 2014 is expected to be a busy one for Apple, with rumors of launches for the iPhone 6, new iPads, the iWatch, and perhaps some Mac updates such as the company's rumored 12-inch Retina MacBook Air.

With conflicting opinions about whether Apple and partner GT Advanced Technologies will have enough sapphire crystal production ramped up for both rumored iPhone 6 models and the iWatch, Taiwan's Economic Daily News is now weighing in [Google Translate, via G 4 Games] with its own claims that only the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 model will include a sapphire display due to production limitations.

According to the report, the smaller 4.7-inch model will continue to use Corning's Gorilla Glass and represent the bulk of shipments for the new iPhone. From G 4 Games:

The source also claims that the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 will hit the market with Gorilla Glass in tow. The main screen suppliers allegedly are LGD and JDI, and in anticipation of the handset’s success, the company expects to ship 60 million units (we assume that by the end of 2014). [...]

As far as the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 goes, it will allegedly be built in limited quantities due to low sapphire yield, leading to a limited supply in 2014, therefore contradicting a recent report which claimed that Apple will have enough sapphire for both iPhone 6 models AND the iWatch.

The report also addresses Apple's rumored iWatch, claiming that LG Display has been struggling to meet Apple's demand of nearly zero energy use in standby mode for the device's display. From G 4 Games:

Reportedly, Apple has constantly pushed back the gadget’s release date because the device failed, in the past, to meet the company’s expectations. One of Apple goals with the iWatch is for the smartwatch’s display to draw almost no power when in standby, but this has proven to be a big challenge. And speaking of the display, the device will reportedly feature an OLED screen (between 1.3 and 1.6-inches in size) which will be supplied exclusively by LG Display, just as it’s been reported back in January 2014.

Sources for the report reiterate previous claims that Quanta will be handling the bulk of iWatch production, although Inventec will reportedly also be helping out.

According to today's report, the iPhone 6 and the iWatch will be introduced at the end of the third quarter, roughly in line with rumors and Apple's recent iPhone launch history putting this year's introductions in the September-October timeframe.

FiftyThree announced today (via TechCrunch) that its "Pencil" iPad stylus will be updated with a new Surface Pressure feature when iOS 8 debuts later this year. This feature allows users to change the thickness of the lines they create by controlling how much of the pencil tip comes in contact with the iPad screen.

Pencil’s tapered tip was inspired by the expressive richness of real pencil points, which allow creators to change the character of the line with the angle of the tip. With Surface Pressure you’ll be able to control the lines you create based on how much of Pencil’s tip or eraser is in contact with your iPad. Use the point for fine details or the angled edge for broad strokes. Surface Pressure unlocks new capabilities for each of Paper's tools—fill faster as you draw, shade as you sketch, or carve away in varying widths as you erase.

This Surface Pressure option is made possible by iOS 8's variable touch sizing, which lets developers interpret touch along a range of point sizes that vary from a single point to a broad circle. The ability to adjust line thickness on the fly will provide a significant advantage to Pencil users, who now must control thickness via an in-app setting that is changed manually.

FiftyThree released the Bluetooth Pencil stylus last November as a companion to its popular Paper drawing app. It is available in either Graphite (US$60) or Walnut ($75) for consumers who live in the US or Canada. Surface Pressure will be included in a free Pencil software update, which will be released this fall following iOS 8.

As it has done in prior years, Apple will once again be offering free summer camps for kids 8 to 12 at its retail stores, with this year's sessions focusing on filmmaking with iMovie and interactive storytelling with iBooks Author. The classes will run for three days with each class going for 90 minutes.

The iMovie workshops will provide lessons on filmmaking with iMovie on the Mac and creating an original soundtrack in GarageBand for iPad. Meanwhile, the iBooks classes will teach kids how to draw illustrations using an iPad and how to add sound effects as well as Multi-Touch features using iBooks Author for Mac. The third day of each camp will also end with an Apple Camp Showcase so campers can share their finished projects.

The first sessions begin in mid-July and go through early August. While some stores have already filled their slots for both workshops, others have many spots remaining.

Interested parents can register for sessions on Apple's U.S. and Canadian retail websites, while parents in China, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom can register to be notified when registration opens in their countries. Apple Camp sessions for Australia's Apple Retail Stores will return in 2015.

Parallels has updated its Parallels Access app, which allows iPad users access their Mac or Windows desktops on their tablets, with iPhone support, allowing iPhone users to also access their desktops on the go.

“Parallels Access received a tremendously positive reception from iPad users, and now we are extending our solution to millions of Android and iPhone users. While traditional remote desktop products are trying to show a large desktop on a small mobile device, we worked hard to make remote access from mobile devices a truly simple and effective experience,” said Jack Zubarev, president of Parallels.

The update also includes the ability to use an iPhone or iPad's microphone remotely for desktop apps that may require them, the ability to change the screen resolution, the ability to wake a sleeping remote computer, Facebook login integration and a new file browser. The browser allows users to browse and open files on their iPad or iPhone.

Users must download the free Parallels Access app on both their desktop of choice and iPad or iPhone. They can then launch their desktop apps in "full-screen mode" via a SpringBoard-like App Launcher. While the apps are free, users must subscribe to the service, which costs $19.99 a year for up to five remote desktops. Parallels also offers a two-week free trial.

Parallels Access is a universal app that's available for free in the App Store. [Direct Link]

The Unicode Consortium today announced version 7.0 of the Unicode Standard, which will see the introduction of approximately 250 new emoji that could be included in future versions of the Android and iOS operating systems.

According to the Unicode Consortium, the new emoji characters are primarily derived from characters used in the Wingdings and Webdings fonts, as seen in an example image:

As noted by The Verge, Unicode member platforms like iOS and Android will need to implement support for the new standard and create pictographs to represent the emoji, which are only described by Unicode in plain text.

A full list of the new emoji names can be found on Emojipedia, which includes descriptions for each future emoji. A few examples are posted here:

- "white sun behind cloud"
- "man in business suit levitating"
- "derelict house building"
- "chipmunk"
- "flying envelope"
- "reversed hand with middle finger extended"

Earlier this year, Apple began working with the Unicode Consortium to introduce more characters to its emoji offerings, adding diversity to the character set, but this update does not seem to focus on people emoji.

The Unicode update will also see the addition of new currency symbols for the Russian ruble and Azerbaijani manat, 23 lesser-used and historic scripts, plus many other symbols.

Over the weekend, The New York Times released an in-depth profile of Apple CEO Tim Cook. For that piece, the publication interviewed Jony Ive, Apple's head of design, and now The New York Times has released a transcript of the full interview with Ive, which points towards Apple's design philosophies, how the company has changed under Cook, and the new products that Ive is working on.

In an anecdote about Steve Jobs and the creation of small, highly focused design teams as his legacy, Ive says that Cook has continued on with Jobs' push for innovation, nudging Ive and his team into new areas of exploration that includes all new materials.

I've worked for the last 15 or 20 years on the most challenging, creative parts of what we do. I would love to talk about future stuff -- they're materials we haven't worked in before. I've been working on this stuff for a few years now. Tim is fundamentally involved in pushing into these new areas and into these materials.

Ive's statement about working with new materials is incredibly vague, but rumors have suggested that Apple has been experimenting with a range of materials that have not yet seen wide usage in its devices, including sapphire crystal, which may make its way into the iWatch and the iPhone 6, Liquidmetal alloys, which the company may use for various iPhone parts, and possibly graphene, which is seen as the hot new manufacturing material.

Apple has experimented with sapphire as a cover for the home button and the camera lens on the iPhone 5s, and Liquidmetal has been used in the iPhone 3G's SIM tool removal device, but both materials are ripe for extended usage in Apple's future devices.

Along with hinting at future products, Ive also spoke on a recent management change that saw him taking over the software interface design team, saying that the changes made in that department are not as dramatic as one might imagine as the design teams have always worked together closely. According to Ive, titles are unimportant at Apple. "That's not the lens through which we see our peers," he says.

The rest of Ive's interview can be read over at The New York Times. The full piece on Tim Cook, which has details on product development and Apple's plans for the iWatch, is also well worth a read.

The Wall Street Journal profiles one of Google's recent acquisitions which has implications on mapping, competitive intelligence and even privacy. Skybox Imaging is an intelligence company that by the year 2018 will be able to take satellite imaging to the next level:

By the time its entire fleet of 24 satellites has launched in 2018, Skybox will be imaging the entire Earth at a resolution sufficient to capture, for example, real-time video of cars driving down the highway. And it will be doing it three times a day.

The ability to take such frequent imaging will certainly aid Google's Maps product, but it also opens up a market for competitive intelligence. Skybox says they are already looking at Foxconn every week and are able to pinpoint the next iPhone release based on the density of trucks outside their manufacturing facilities.

Google plans on initially using the technology to improve their Maps product, potentially providing more up-to-date satellite images, but Skybox executives have long term plans for offering their data to outside developers for a fee.

Speech-recognition company Nuance, which is responsible for the technology that powers Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, is in talks with Samsung Electronics about a possible acquisition, reports The Wall Street Journal. The company has spoken about a possible sale with Samsung and other private-equity firms, but it is unclear if a deal has been reached.

The Burlington, Mass., company has recently spoken about a possible sale of the company with Samsung Electronics Co. and private-equity firms, some of the people said. It isn't clear where sale talks, some of which happened earlier this year, currently stand or if they will lead to a deal.

Nuance is well known for its speech recognition and dictation recognition software, which includes Dragon NaturallySpeaking. It has also formed partnerships with multiple companies, such as Amazon, and released an API for developers. Nuance's best known partnership is with Apple, however, as its speech and dictation recognition algorithms are the backbone of Siri.

The exact nature of the partnership between Nuance and Apple was unknown for many years as the deal between the two companies was kept secret, but in 2013, Nuance CEO Paul Ricci confirmed that Nuance's technology powers Siri's voice recognition capabilities. "We're a fundamental provider for Apple," he said at the time.

It is unclear what impact a possible Nuance acquisition would have on Apple's relationship with the company. Apple may be forced to find another solution for Siri's voice recognition abilities, but it's important to note that many of Siri's functionalities beyond voice recognition come from integration with other companies like Yelp, OpenTable, and Wolfram Alpha.

Back in 2013, a report suggested that Apple may already be working to move Siri development in-house, stepping away from longtime partner Nuance. Apple has a dedicated Siri team in Boston that may be working on a voice recognition solution in the event that Apple is forced to end its partnership with Nuance. Nuance's talks with Samsung and other parties remain in the early stages, however, as noted above.

iOS 8 brings several enhancements to Siri, including real-time feedback, Shazam integration, hands-free voice activation, and the ability to open the App Store for the first time.