MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing tvOS 10.2.1, a minor update that introduced unspecified bug fixes and security improvements. tvOS 10.2.2 is designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV. Registered developers can download the update by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and...

Beats by Dre has released a new BE HEARD ad featuring NBA all-stars LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and James Harden. The 30-second spot shows each player listening to the song Seven Nation Army by American rock duo The White Stripes while warming up with Apple's popular Beats Solo3 and Powerbeats3 headphones. It's possible the ad could be played during the remainder of the 201...

A new update to the popular GIF-finding service Giphy this week has introduced Apple's Live Photo support into the iOS app, letting users convert any GIF they want into a Live Photo (via Mac4Ever). This allows users to more easily see what is a GIF in their camera roll, since GIFs saved as images still don't move when looked at in Photos. Giphy said the main point of the new update is to allow...

Instagram today introduced even more Snapchat-like features in the latest version of its app, including face filters, a customizable hashtag sticker, a "rewind" playback option for videos, and an eraser brush. Just like Snapchat, the face filters allow users to add bunny ears, glasses, tiaras, and other virtual objects to their selfies. There are eight filters to choose from after tapping...

Apple Pay could arrive in Italy as soon as tomorrow, according to Italian tech blog MacPost.it. The imminent launch of Apple's mobile payment system in Italy has been rumored for several weeks now, but the website claims to have spoken to three different sources from the retail and banking sector who independently confirmed that Apple Pay is set to go live on Wednesday throughout the country. ...

Apple today released a new software update for the Apple Watch, upgrading watchOS 3.2 to watchOS 3.2.2. The watchOS 3.2.2 update comes more than one month after the release of watchOS 3.2, an update that introduced Theater Mode. watchOS 3.2.2 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 ...

Apple today released a new update for tvOS, the operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 10.2.1 over one month after the release of tvOS 10.2, an update that introduced scrolling improvements. The tvOS 10.2.1 update can be downloaded on the fourth-generation Apple TV using the Settings app. Go to System --> Software Update to install. For those who have...

After opening up a self-driving car program to the public in Phoenix, Arizona last month, Alphabet-owned Waymo has now officially partnered with ride-hailing app Lyft (via The New York Times). The two will work together in order "to bring autonomous vehicle technology into the mainstream" by launching various pilot projects and helping one another to develop products for the mass market. Like...

Google is planning to launch its smart AI helper Google Assistant on iOS sometime "soon" as its own standalone app, according to sources speaking to Android Police. The rumor is swirling ahead of Google's annual I/O Conference, which will run this week from May 17 to May 19 in California. According to the sources, the specifics of Google's plans for Assistant on iOS remain unclear as of now,...

Philips today announced a new line of fixtures and table lamps for its Philips Hue White Ambience bulbs, which are specifically designed to provide users with various hues of white light that can be dimmed or brightened throughout the day. Like with all Philips Hue products, the new fixtures and lamps will be HomeKit-compatible, allowing users to control the lights with an iPhone, iPad, or Siri. ...

Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data in Adelaide, Australia, enabling iPhone users in the city to navigate with public transportation, primarily including Adelaide Metro buses and commuter trains. Apple Maps gained a Transit tab in iOS 9. The feature lags several years behind Google Maps, but Apple's public transportation support is exhaustive, mapping all station...

Licensing for MP3, the digital audio coding format that Apple used for music downloads on the original iPod, has officially ended. The announcement comes from The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (via NPR). The Fraunhofer Institute owns the patent rights related to selling encoders and decoders of the format to developers, and recently announced that its "mp3 licensing program for ...

Following the release of mobile games Miitomo, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and the upcoming Animal Crossing iPhone app, Nintendo's next big franchise coming to smartphones will be The Legend of Zelda, according to sources speaking with The Wall Street Journal. The sources said that Animal Crossing will hit mobile devices sometime "in the latter half of 2017," and a smartphone version of T...

ExoLens and Zeiss have teamed up to create some high-quality lenses designed to take iPhone photography to the next level. At $200, the ExoLens PRO with Optics by Zeiss Wide-Angle Kit for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is almost the price you'd pay for a standalone camera, but the lens is distortion free, compact, and enhances the range of images you can capture with your iPhone. There are...

Apple is "working rapidly" to expand Apple Pay to additional countries in Asia and Europe, and there's increasing evidence and reports that suggest the service may launch in Italy and Germany in the near future. Apple recently updated its Apple Pay participating banks and card issuers in Asia-Pacific support document with a new image of Europe that has Italy highlighted. The change isn't...

Google this week announced an update coming soon to its iOS Google Allo app, which will introduce neural network-generated stickers that are personalized to match your own distinct look. The company said that the new feature will combine neural networks and the work of artists to turn your selfies into unique sticker packs, which can then be used in Allo, the company's messaging app. The...

A U.S. judge presiding over Waymo's trade-secrets theft lawsuit against Uber has asked federal prosecutors to investigate the claims in the case, it emerged on Thursday (via Bloomberg). U.S. district judge William Alsup also partially granted Waymo's bid for an injunction against Uber's self-driving efforts, and rejected Uber's arguments that the trade secret allegations should proceed in...

Sleep expert Roy J.E.M Raymann, who joined Apple back in 2014, has left the company and moved on to SleepScore Labs, where he will serve as Vice President of Sleep Science and Scientific Affairs. Raymann joined Apple as the company was developing the Apple Watch, and at the time, his hiring spurred rumors that the device would have sleep tracking capabilities, which never materialized....