Apple is prominently spotlighting alternative solutions to the new Maps app on the App Store. The promotion of third-party apps is in conjunction with CEO Tim Cook’s open letter from this morning that apologized to iOS customers for the company’s less-than-perfect Maps offering. Apple further detailed on its website today how to add Google and Nokia maps website icons to an iOS 6 device’s Home screen. [tweet https://twitter.com/djmexi/status/251729875046645760] In related news, Reuters created an infographic recently that illustrates a side-by-side comparison of the key features available on mobile map apps from Google and Apple’s iOS in 27 countries (as seen below):...

Apple has released new versions of the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display in China to support the area’s TD-LTE networks. This brings high-speed capable versions of the late-2013 iPad models to China for the first time: The 16 GB model sells for RMB 4,488, while the prices for larger capacities go as high as RMB 6,588 for the 128 GB model. iOS 7.1 builds previously indicated that a few new iPad models were en route, and this announcement seems to answer what those models are....

While Apple offers macOS updates through the Software Update menu in the System Preferences app, users can also download the same updates as a standalone installation package from Apple’s website. However, the company seems to have discontinued the standalone delta and combo updates with macOS Big Sur. As first noticed by Mr. Macintosh and then shared by The Eclectic Light Company, Apple didn’t provide downloadable update packages for macOS Big Sur 11....

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_lDKon0bUM] Apple, over the weekend, opened an new front on Google’s YouTube video service to host its Japanese videos. The site is verified by YouTube and has been up for 3 days but appears to have gone unnoticed. None of the videos as of this writing have more than 100 views and there are only 49 subscribers. I have a feeling that’s a bout to change. Update: Apple also launched a S....

At JNUC 2019, Jeremy Butcher from Apple Product Marketing came on stage to give the Apple community an update on the state of Apple’s enterprise focus. He highlighted that all Fortune 500 companies are using Apple products. If you worked in an office environment up until 2007 (when the iPhone launched), you know that enterprise environments were built around Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Office, and just generally everything Microsoft....

As its health efforts continue to expand, Apple has reportedly hired a prominent obstetrician-gynecologist. CNBC reports that Apple has hired Dr. Christine Curry to join its growing health team, signaling an interest in women’s health. According to the report, which cites three people familiar with the matter, Dr. Curry will join Apple’s health team as it is “looking how the company can bolster its efforts in women’s health.” Apple has hired “dozens of doctors” for its AC Wellness Clinics, which are clinics for Apple employees....

First go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. After signing in, click on Calendar. On the left hand side, you’ll see your calendars. Click the button next to the calendar name to display sharing options. Click to make your calendar accessible by anyone or privately with a select group. To share privately, type the name of a person in your address book you want to share it with....

Apple is borrowing $7 billion through its first new bond sale in two years, despite still sitting on $200 billion in cash reserves and investment securities. The first of five bond notes is repayable in 2022, while the longest one isn’t due until 2049… Apple took advantage of a corporate tax break to repatriate some of the cash trapped overseas, and has been steadily spending money on stock buybacks. These reduce the number of AAPL shares in circulation, and therefore boost the worth of each remaining share....

Apple released the first beta version of iOS 10 for developers to test last month at WWDC 2016. The public beta version won’t be ready until later in July and the release version is due out this fall, but registered developers can update to iOS 10 beta 2 starting today. If you’re already testing iOS 10 beta on your iPhone or iPad, head to the Software Update section of the Settings app to find the OTA update....

Today, Apple has taken the wraps off of a version of its Apple Online Store for Turkey. Apple is promoting the new store with a large banner at the top of the site. The store is now being promoted on Apple’s homepage in Turkey, and it is also accessible at its direct link here. This Apple Online Store for Turkey represents Apple’s first official sales presence in the country other than authorized resellers....

Alongside the launch of a new Space Black Milanese Loop and range of nylon bands, Apple has also refreshed some of its other models and bands with new colors. We’ve listed every single new model Apple sells from today after the break. Note that all Sport models (featuring a rubber or nylon band) now start at a new lower price … $299 for 38 mm and $349 for 42 mm. Prices for the steel Apple Watch remain unchanged....

According to a new report from The Mercury News today, Apple has leased a prominent building in San Jose, California known as “Triangle Building.” Apple is said to have leased the entire 86,000-square-feet space, and has reportedly already started interior renovations. The building is located at 5300 Stevens Creek Blvd. in San Jose and was originally constructed in 1981. Apple leased a portion of the building in 2012, signing a deal that would allow it to “exit the building before the lease term was completed....

Apple today announced that transcripts are now available to accompany its WWDC 2016 session videos. These transcripts allow developers to read the full content of session videos. Not only does the transcript feature allow you to read through sessions, but developers can also perform keyword searches, see all instances where a specific keyword is mentioned in a video, navigate straight to the mentioned keyword, and even share a link to a specific time....

A new report from Bloomberg today shares that Apple manufacturer Quanta has closed a deal to start producing lenses for augmented reality smart glasses. While this deal isn’t specifically with Apple, it could pave the way for Apple to bring its next wearable to market. Today’s news may have implications for Apple releasing its AR smart glasses product, but Quanta’s deal is specifically with AR component manufacturer Lumus. Quanta invested $45 million into the Israel-based Lumus at the end of last year, who makes AR lenses, and the two companies have now come to a licensing agreement....

Apple Music and Spotify have pushed total US paid streaming music subscribers to 51M, a number that has almost doubled since the end of 2016. Streaming music now generates 65% of all music industry revenue in the US, according to the latest data … MusicWatch shared some of its data with Billboard, which noted that those 51M paid subscribers are supplemented by a further 20M users sharing a paid account (for example, Apple Music’s family plan), and a further 29M on free trials or bundled deals....

Apple Music for Android continues to receive new updates that bring it in line with the iOS 11 version. The latest update released this week includes a ‘new music video experience’ following the same enhancements added in iOS 11.3 last week. Apple Music has always had music videos as part of its streaming music library, but Apple is ramping up its effort to debut music videos exclusively on its platform. As part of the new focus on music videos, Apple has introduced a large catalog of music video playlists that will be updated regularly....

Following the most recent Apple Music launch for users in Turkey last week, the subscription music streaming service and accompanying Beats 1 radio station have now officially launched in Taiwan. Apple Music is available now for users in Taiwan that want to subscribe and comes with the usual three month free trial before monthly pricing kicks in at NT $150 (around $4.50 USD), or NT $240 for a family plan. And Beats 1 is also launching alongside Apple Music in the region (which isn’t always the case) and like other markets is available free to listen for all with or without a subscription....

Apple’s upcoming Beats-based streaming music service will likely be named “Apple Music” and will have deep social networking integration for artists, according to industry sources briefed on the plans for the new service. Taking a page out of the discontinued iTunes Ping feature from earlier this decade, the service will allow artists to have their own pages within the streaming music service that they can use to post track samples, photos, videos, and concert updates....

. We’re hearing from multiple retail sources across the world that Apple’s retail chain will be holding employee overnights Tuesday night. The likely topic? Lion. In the employee halls of the retail chain sit large tubes that hold new posters for both front of store posters and posters within the store. Additionally, we’re hearing that each store has been sent a Lion-packing Mac Pro for an unknown purpose. As previously reported, LaCie hard drives loaded with the GM seed of Lion image are ready to be connected as installers on the Macs throughout the showroom floor....

Continuing in the tradition they’ve started years ago, Apple has once again launched its iTunes Boxing Day sale with discounts on a multitude of albums across the Canadian and UK iTunes stores. The sale is listed as a banner at the top of iTunes, and will likely be available through next Monday the 26th, Boxing Day. Though not recognized as a major holiday in the United States, Boxing Day offers retailers an opportunity to offer Black Friday-like sales....