Apple showed off Safari 7 today at WWDC, which includes a cleaner design and performance improvements. Safari 7.0 also features better integration with Reading List and a sidebar for bookmarks. There’s also a “shared links” tab for browsing links posted to social networks like Twitter and LinkedIn. Finally, Safari 7 uses much less processor power and memory than its predecessor and competitors. Also included in Safari 7 is a new iCloud Keychain feature that generates and stores secure passwords across all of your devices, much like 1Password....

Apple has invited a number of non-developer users to participate in what it’s calling an “AirDrop Test Fest” to help fix bugs in the over-the-air file sharing system, according to users who have gotten the invite. Users who have been invited will find a notice inside the Feedback Assistant application included with the public beta of the upcoming OS X Yosemite. Users who have been invited to participate are provided with a set of guidelines for testing the feature....

Apple isn’t an official Olympics sponsor, but it’s managed to still take advantage of the event for its own marketing purposes with limited-edition Apple Watch bands themed with country flag designs. Not only is it selling those watch bands for 14 different country flags to coincide with the Olympics this month, it’s also reportedly giving them away for free to athletes at its Apple Store in Rio (via iphone-ticker.de). Citing a firsthand account from a team manager for Germany, iphone-ticker notes the Apple Store is giving away two free bands to accredited Olympic athletes, effectively allowing it to market its product during the games without an official sponsorship of athletes or the games itself....

Thanks to the new fourth-generation iPad unveiled this afternoon, the third-generation iPad that launched in the spring has been discontinued. Consequently, the third-generation iPad is now available on Apple’s refurbished store. Prospective customers can find the base 16GB model listed for only $379 in the refurbished store, while the 32GB and 64GB models are also for $469 and $549 (respectively). The new iPad suddenly isn’t new anymore. (via The Verge)...

Nikkei carries the report. The moves are being prompted by uncertainties over the eventual outcome of the Trump-initiated trade war with China, with 25% tariffs on all goods imported into the US from China still a possibility. HP and Dell, the world’s No. 1 and No. 3 personal computer makers who together command around 40% of the global market, are planning to reallocate up to 30% of their notebook production out of China, several sources told the Nikkei Asian Review....

Research firm Gartner just released its estimates for PC shipments in the Western Europe region during the holiday quarter, and only Apple and Asus made any meaningful progress, with Apple recording the strongest gains in France and the United Kingdom. While the Mac maker remained absent from the Top 5 rankings in Western Europe and Germany, it was a sole first-tier PC brand to grow sales in the United Kingdom during the holiday quarter....

Apple has today launched a company Twitter account for help, customer support and iOS tips. Although Apple manages some support accounts for parts of its business, like Apple Music, this is the first time Apple has launched an account that covers its entire product range. @AppleSupport is already verified, confirming its validity as an official Apple support avenue. On its Twitter bio, @AppleSupport describes itself as a place to ‘provide tips, tricks and helpful information when you need it most, and if you have a question, well – we’re here to help with that too’....

Whats New in iOS 11.0.1 and Why You Should Upgrade Users running devices that support iOS 11.0.1 should upgrade right away because of all the security fixes included in this release. The update comes in at about 280 MBs, so it’s relatively small but make sure you connect to a speedy Wi-Fi network before you start the download. Here’s a List of Changes in iOS 11.0.1 This new update seems to patch critical areas of the system preventing potential remote attacks or arbitrary code execution....

Apple iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max are packed with multiple expensive technologies. These phones are better than their predecessors in all the way possible. These phones boast the best and big OLED displays, great cameras, plenty of storage and many more. A number of people are experiencing a few problems with their new shiny phones. These problems are just temporary or software-based and can be resolved by you. Here are a few temporary problems on iPhones and measures to fix them....

Apple has been slowly updating its Apple Stores around the world with the major new redesigns led by Jony Ive, during a redefining of the retail stores as ‘town squares’ by Angela Ahrendts. The new look will now make its debut in Australia for the first time later this month, with a new Apple Store in Chadstone opening November 24. The new Chadstone Apple Store replaces an older retail location in the same city....

Note: This is just for the Apple Mail app that comes with your iPhone or iPad. If you use a different email client, the steps will be different. For example, you can use these steps to make an email stand out in Outlook. Flag Email as Important on iOS Open the Mail app to the Inbox view and tap the Edit button. Then tap the email(s) you want to flag....

Apple has finally made a public statement on the Lodsys matter. According to the Loop, Apple says that Lodsys has no claim to patent infringement because Apple has already purchased indemnity from Lodsys. While it is good to hear Apple finally come out with a statement on the matter, it doesn’t seem like the end of this case for everyone involved. Interestingly, we’ve been hearing that Apple is offering to help protect indy developers with representation against Lodsys....

Chris Blumenberg, a senior engineering manager at Apple who manages the Maps Apps and Frameworks team, has left the Cupertino, California company for a new role at Uber, The Information reports. Blumenberg’s time spent at Apple dates back over 14 years according to his LinkedIn profile, and his past experience includes building the original Maps app for iPhone as well as porting the Safari web browser to iOS. Uber, of course, is a relatively new transportation company founded in 2009 which offers pickups in various cities which can be arranged by a mobile application....

A new lawsuit alleges that Apple Music pirated recordings by some of the biggest names in the golden oldies category. These include Billie Holliday, Charlie Parker, Dean Martin, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles. It’s not the first time such a claim has been made: Apple was previously accused of “massive music piracy” in a 148-page lawsuit back in May… Patently Apple reports. The story behind it is that Apple agreed licensing terms for the music with companies called Orchard and Cleopatra, but the lawsuit alleges that neither company owned the rights to the specific recordings used....

Apple News is going to add Apple Music editorial content, as spotted by MacStories. This will add stories about artists and new releases to the Apple News application. As for now, Apple Music content available on Apple News is very limited, with a total of 10 stories. It’s divided between four sections: All, Albums, Playlists, and Radio. MacStories says the Playlist section will have a series similar to the A-List Pop playlist on Apple Music to highlight the best new songs in the week....

Apple is slowly becoming more active on social networks, especially on Instagram with photos and videos shot on iPhone. Today some users have noticed that there’s a new verified profile of Apple on TikTok, which may indicate that the company has plans to share some content there. The account (@apple) is relatively new and it has only 1312 followers by the time of writing this article. There’s no biography, videos, or anything other than the verification badge, which legitimates that it’s an official account....

Apple has started sending out shipping notifications for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, right on schedule for Friday delivery. The shipment notifications are likely rolling out over the next few hours so don’t worry if you haven’t gotten your dispatched notification just yet. Unless your iPhone is delayed by the Pope, you should be just fine getting your iPhone on launch day — September 25th. Many orders stating Preparing for Shipment on Apple’s website have actually already left the factory and are en route....

PatentlyApple point us to a few recently obtained Apple patents published by the US Patent and Trademark Office. Perhaps the most interesting of all is a patent covering 3D object recognition technology that could potentially be implemented in future iPads. While unsophisticated facial recognition tech is already present in consumer mobile devices, Apple’s patent details a method of automated biometric identification to identify or verify an object or face based on a 3D representation compiled by analyzing the curves, points, contours, etc....

Earlier today, Apple unveiled the beginnings of its efforts for Earth Day 2016, and with it came an updated webpage that aims to answer all sorts of questions about Apple and its focus on the environment. One tidbit of information on that page, however, is that instead of referring to its desktop operating system as OS X, Apple again has referred to it as MacOS. In a section on the webpage that discusses Apple’s process for conducting a product life cycle assessment, it refers to MacOS, tvOS, iOS, and watchOS devices....

Apple has hired a Canadian doctor from a Toronto teaching hospital for an unspecified role. Dr Mike Evans runs what he calls a ‘mini med school’ YouTube channel known as DocMikeEvans, which aims to better educate the public about health matters. One reason Apple would be interested in him is no secret, however … “I’m very excited for Dr. Mike that he will be able to use his multiple talents to impact an even bigger worldwide audience,” said Dr....