MacRumors

Apple today announced a software update for its Apple TV set-top box adding new channels including WatchESPN and HBO GO. The update also brings live streaming of the UK's Sky News, as well as anime site Crunchyroll and music concert and documentary streaming service Qello.

“HBO GO and WatchESPN are some of the most popular iOS apps and are sure to be huge hits on Apple TV,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We continue to offer Apple TV users great new programming options, combined with access to all of the incredible content they can purchase from the iTunes Store.”

WatchESPN and HBO GO require that customers be subscribed to appropriate cable TV services, while Sky News offers free live streams and numerous video clips to users in the US, UK, and Ireland.

Crunchyroll offers a free 7-day trial to its Anime service, with subscriptions priced at $6.99/month. A more extensive All-Access membership is available for $11.99/month. Qello offers a free 7-day trial to its service, with subscriptions priced at $4.99/month for unlimited access to its library of concerts and music documentaries.

It was reported over a year ago that Apple was in talks to bring WatchESPN to the Apple TV, while claims of HBO GO talks surfaced earlier this year.

The update arrives as Apple TV software version 5.3 and is available now for the second- and third-generation Apple TV.

As part of its press release, Apple also disclosed new statistics on iTunes Store video usage, noting that users have purchased over a billion TV episodes and 380 million movies, with current rates of over 800,000 TV episodes and over 350,000 movies per day.

Following yesterday's photos of a case said to be based on the expected design for Apple's lower-cost iPhone, AppleInsider now shares design drawings from a case maker showing expectations for the exact dimensions and profiles of the both the lower-cost iPhone and the iPhone 5S.

Unsurprisingly, the dimensions of the iPhone 5S are nearly identical to those of the iPhone 5, with case makers also apparently expecting the same layout and size of the physical features.

The lower-cost iPhone, which is rumored to be adopting a plastic shell that will requires a slightly larger body than the iPhone 5/5S, is expected to be approximately 0.6 mm taller, 0.6 mm wider, and 0.8 mm thicker than the current design. The drawings also show rounded rear edges that have been rumored since a January report from iLounge. That report also offered similar claims of the relative dimensions for the device compared to the iPhone 5.

The new design drawings also appear to show the exact same set of physical features as described by iLounge, including pill-shaped side buttons rather than the round ones seen on the iPhone 5, as well as a bottom edge reminiscent of the iPod touch with four holes for the speaker rather than the larger grille seen on the iPhone 5. The lower-cost iPhone would also include a pair of screw holes, one on each side of the Lightning connector, and a single microphone hole located very close to the device's headphone jack.

Case makers have on a number of occasions offered accurate pictures of upcoming Apple product designs, although they have also been incorrect at times, most notably with the 2011 tapered iPhone design.

Both the iPhone 5S and the lower-cost iPhone are expected to debut later this year, with September being the most popular rumored timeframe.

Apple has yet to release iOS 7 for the iPad, which has led to speculation about what the operating system will look like on a larger screen.

Over the weekend, photos from the iOS 7 simulator in Xcode 5 surfaced, demonstrating how several stock iOS apps might look on Apple's tablet, and now a tipster has directed us to Russia-based YouTube user Rozetked, who has released a video of what he claims is iOS 7 "alpha" running on an iPad.

Rozetked does not explain where the software came from nor how it was installed on the tablet, so there is no proof that the video depicts a bona fide version of iOS 7 running on the iPad rather than an elaborately crafted rendering.

Though the video's legitimacy is questionable, it does offer a clearer picture of what iOS 7 might look like when installed on an iPad. Both the Notification Center and the Control Center appear in appropriate portions to the screen size and the Control Center lacks the Flashlight setting that was found in the simulated screenshots, instead offering iPad-specific options that include just AirDrop and AirPlay.

In comparison, the iPhone Control Center offers a Flashlight along with quick access to the Clock, the Calculator, and the Camera.

In addition to displaying the Notification Center and the Control Center options on the iPad, the video also offers a look at several apps, including Music and Videos. Both folder functionality and 2x app mode are demonstrated as well, and several stock app icons are identical to the iPhone versions.

It is unclear when Apple plans to release iOS 7 on the iPad for developers, having chosen to instead focus its attention on the iPhone version of the operating system for the time being.

(Thanks, Gary!)

Last year, roughly a month before Apple released OS X Mountain Lion, it extended its beta program to certain Apple Retail Store staff members. This year, the company appears to be doing something similar.

9to5Mac reports that retail store staff are again being invited to try the beta of OS X Mavericks.

You are invited to participate in the pre-release OS X Mavericks seed program. Participation, including submitting feedback, is completely voluntary and not an expectation of your job. If you accept, we will provide you with a pre-release version of OS X Mavericks to install and use. You will get to preview all of the exciting new features like iBooks, Maps, Calendar, Safari, iCloud Keychain, Multiple Displays, Notifications, Finder Tabs, Tags, and much more! You should use OS X Mavericks only your personal computer and on your personal time. Apple will provide you with ways to submit feedback on your experiences with OS X Mavericks, should you choose to do so. Apple also asks that you use future builds of OS X Mavericks as they are made available. The responses from prior seed programs have been overwhelmingly positive. Thank you to everyone who participated!

The site also notes that Apple has provided prerelease versions of Mavericks to its AppleSeed beta testing group.

Before WWDC, a leak suggested that Apple was well into the development of OS X 10.9, with a build number of 13A451 appearing on a recent internal release. One possible implication of the high build number was that Apple was closer to a public release of Mavericks after its unveiling than with previous OS X beta releases.

A leaked image from a WWDC developer session is making the rounds, showing that the Voice Memo app that isn't currently included in the iOS 7 Beta 1 will make an appearance in a future release.

Also, a tipster tells us the release notes for the first iOS 7 Beta mention the Voice Memo app:

Voice Memos - Known Issues

The VoiceMemos app is not available in this seed.

The Voice Memo app doesn't seem to appear in any of the iOS 7 marketing materials on Apple's website, but developers should see it in a future iOS 7 beta release and we expect it to be included in the final iOS 7 release this fall.

Last week, Apple released iOS 7 Beta 1 for iPhone to developers. At the same time, it released a new beta for the Apple TV as well.

Users of the Apple TV beta have discovered at least two new features inside. AppleInsider notes that Apple built an iTunes Radio client for the Apple TV -- something that Eddy Cue mentioned during the WWDC Keynote and that Apple has promoted to potential iTunes Radio advertisers -- with in-line video advertisements.

Apple has also added a 'Conference Room Mode' for use in business and academic settings that displays simple instructions for connecting to a Wi-Fi network and sending data from both a Mac or iOS device.

The final version of the Apple TV Beta software should be released alongside iOS 7 in the fall.

Mac Otakara points to a blog post [Google translation] from case design firm MGM showing off a new case intended to fit Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone. The photos reveal a case that is largely identical to iPhone 5 cases, with the exception of being approximately 2 mm thicker.

Mac Otakara has also posted a hands-on video of the case. In the video, an iPhone 5 is placed into the case and appears to fit fairly well. It is clear, however, that the case is intended for a device with rounded edges rather than the squared edges of the iPhone 5.

Descriptions of the lower-cost iPhone having curved rear edges date back to a January report from iLounge that suggested the device would adopt curvature similar to the iPod classic, while appearing as a cross between the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch in other respects.

Apple's lower-cost iPhone is expected to be introduced in the September timeframe and has been rumored to be including a number of color options in order to help differentiate the device from Apple's main iPhone line.

Case designs have accurately hinted at Apple's design plans a number of times in the past, although case makers have on occasion been fooled as was seen in 2011.

As the developer beta testing period for iOS 7 continues, user Hamza Sood (via 9to5Mac) has discovered hidden settings within Apple's latest iOS that include toggles for additional gesture, folder and multitasking options. It is unclear, however, how Sood came across the settings.

Image via Hamza Sood

The gesture settings include options for a new "corner swipe" gesture. In addition, there appear to be expanded options for the "press and hold" gesture, which has so far only been used to prompt "edit mode", which allows users to move and delete apps. There also appears to be a section for "edge swipe", which has become prominent in Apple's redesigned stock iOS 7 apps. 9to5Mac notes that the settings indicate that these gestures could be used for quick app switching.

Other settings include additional functionality on the home screen, such as being able to completely delete stock apps like Newsstand, which has long been a requested feature from some users. The ability to create folders within folders is also present.

The final group of settings is used to tweak the visual flow of the new operating system, with settings responsible for blur effects, coloring and animation speed.

As 9to5Mac notes, it is highly unlikely that most of these features will make their way into the final public version of iOS 7. Instead, the hidden settings are likely to be used and tested by Apple internally to not only tweak iOS performance but explore future features. Some could, however, be adopted as public options to allow for further customization of the user experience.

Back in May, Adobe announced plans to abandon its Creative Suite to focus on several new Creative Cloud apps, including Photoshop CC, InDesign CC, Illustrator CC, Dreamweaver CC, and Premiere Pro CC, among others.

As of today, those apps have been made available for users on a subscription basis. While all of Adobe's previous Creative Suite apps are available in Creative Cloud, a number of the apps have received significant upgrades.

Photoshop CC, for example, offers impressive new features like Smart Sharpen, Camera Shake Reduction, Behance integration, and more. In addition to updated apps, Creative Cloud also offers a synced, cloud-based design experience and streamlined collaboration tools.

We couldn't be more pleased to announce that our new family of Creative Cloud desktop apps, and many of the powerful publishing and collaborative features that we announced at Adobe MAX in May, are now available. These include:

- Hundreds of new features in new versions of the apps you love, including Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC, Adobe Muse CC, Dreamweaver CC, Edge Animate CC, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, After Effects CC, and more. Your Creative Cloud membership includes more than 30 tools and services that enable professional-grade content creation and delivery across print, web, mobile apps, video and photography.

- The new Creative Cloud app for your desktop, which keeps your entire creative world in sync and organized. Download and manage the latest product updates, keep tabs on your work and your followers on Behance, and more – all right from your desktop.

- The ability to sync your application settings to Creative Cloud. Whether you use a Mac or PC —or both! — you can synchronize your workspace settings — including things like preferences, presets, brushes, and libraries. No more tedious fussing with your apps on a new computer. Just log in, sync, and get back to work.

Individual Adobe users will now be required to pay a $50 monthly fee to access the entire suite of apps and features, though additional pricing options are available for single app subscriptions, teams, and students. Subscribers who own CS3 or later will also receive a $10 per month discount.

While the new CC apps are cloud based, the software does not require a constant internet connection to function. Annual users are required to connect to Adobe's servers and check in after 180 days, while month-to-month subscribers will need to check in once per month.

More information about Adobe Creative Cloud and its included apps and features can be found on the Creative Cloud website.