The prevailing view of Apple News+ among newspaper publishers has been that the deal doesn’t make sense for the big boys. It would cannibalise their own digital subscriptions, and also means that Apple owns the relationship with their readers. The New York Times, for example, not only refused to sign up itself, but also went on record explaining why it believes other newspapers should follow its lead … CEO Mark Thompson made the case against....

Apple is sending a new round of invitations to developers for online sessions focused on bringing iPad apps to the Mac. The email invites developers to sign up for the “Bring Your iPad App to Mac” online workshops throughout the rest of February and the first half of March. Apple explains in the email: The company says that developers will be able to ask questions during the presentations, as well as book one-on-one consultations with Apple experts on optimizing iPad apps and bringing them to Mac....

Apple has issued the first macOS 10.12.1 developer beta in addition to the first Xcode 8.1 developer beta. The updates come just one day after Apple officially released the major macOS Sierra update for all users. The new macOS 10.12.1 developer beta features build version 16B2327e while the first Xcode 8.1 beta has build version 8T29o. We’ll dig in to the first update to macOS Sierra and update with any notable changes....

A new job listing posted by Apple shows that the company is working to bring its in-house Maps app, currently only available as native apps for iOS and Mac OS X, to the web. The position for a “Maps Web Developer” is seeking an individual experienced in “creating beautiful and responsive user interfaces” with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The developer will work with Apple’s teams on web implementations of its mapping technology....

Apple is in the process of winding down Beats Electronics’ outsourced phone support ties and moving technical support completely in-house via AppleCare, according to sources. Beats Electronics phone support is currently split between Apple and Sitel, a customer support outsourcing firm, and Apple is aiming to completely end that relationship as soon as March. Apple cut several Beats jobs in July following the acquisition. Sitel employees have confirmed that they will be moved to new technical support positions for other companies, and AppleCare employees similarly confirmed that Beats support will soon be handled completely internally....

Just as we thought Apple’s u-turn would put an end to the controversy over its original intention to pay artists nothing during the free trial of Apple Music, a statement to the WSJ suggests that there is still time for the saga to turn into a PR nightmare. While everyone assumed Apple would now be paying artists and publishers the 71.5% royalty rate from day one, it appears the actual amount paid during the free trial will be lower....

Apple today announced a new partnership with Warner Music to launch “Saylists,” which are special playlists available on Apple Music that are focused on helping young people with speech-sound disorders. As reported by BBC News, the project uses algorithms to identify songs which repeat sounds that are difficult for those with speech disorders to pronounce. “One in 12 children in the UK is believed to experience some form of speech-sound disorder (SSD),” says the report....

Kicking off the WWDC 2018 keynote today, Tim Cook announced some updates on App Store progress. There are now 20 million Apple developers creating apps. Another big milestone, Apple has now paid out $100B in revenue to developers. We’ve seen several reports of how the App Store redesign that came with iOS 11 has improved traffic and downloads. We’re sure to learn more about how iOS 12 will continue this trend to provide a better experience for developers and users alike as the keynote and WWDC 2018 continues....

Apple has been celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day all week, highlighting its Accessibility features and sharing the stories of those who use them. To cap off its celebrations, Apple yesterday held a concert at its headquarters with Stevie Wonder… Apple held the concert as part of its annual “Beer Bash” festivities, which in the past have featured artists such as Pharrell Williams and Zane Lowe. A plethora of images have emerged on social media showing the gathering of Apple executives and employees for the concert, which was kept a surprise until the day of....

The lawsuit between Oracle and Google is inadvertently revealing some confidential information about the companies. It has already been disclosed that Google paid Apple a $1 billion fee in 2014 to keep Google as the default search provider for iOS Safari, as well as a revenue sharing agreement where Google gives a substantial portion of the iPhone search ad revenue to Apple. Another lawyer from Oracle has also stated that Google has generated $22 billion in profit and $31 billion in revenue from Android in its lifetime, via Bloomberg....

Apple is running a special promotion on some Beats headphones right now, offering rare but notable discounts on Powerbeats Pro, Beats Solo Pro and fourth-gen Powerbeats. This is not the first time Apple has done special discounting on its Beats line, but it isn’t exactly common and the price reductions are significant. Whilst these aren’t the lowest prices we’ve seen for these items, they are not bad at all and some of the best discounts the Apple Store has ever had....

From 9to5Toys.com: Apple is using the upcoming London iTunes festival as a convenient excuse to revive its Apple TV iTunes gift card bundle. Beginning today and running through September 30th, all Apple TVs will be accompanied by a $25 iTunes gift card. The iTunes credit can be used to buy apps, music, movies and anything else Apple sells in its digital marketplaces. It cannot be used to purchase physical items or service from the Apple Stores....

Apple Music already offers a three-month free subscription for new users, but now Apple has announced an interesting Christmas deal. As of today until the end of 2019, you can subscribe to Apple Music without paying anything for the first six months. First spotted by Macworld UK, the campaign comes through the Shazam app, which is also owned by Apple. Shazam is a famous app used to identify songs that are playing anywhere, and now its users will have access to a great offer for Apple’s subscription music service....

Apple today has made its Support app available for download in the United States. Last month, Apple released the app in select countries, but only today has it officially come to the United States. The app allows users schedule repair appointments, a feature that was recently removed from the actual Apple Store app, as well as to view AppleCare services and more. Here’s how Apple describes the app: The new app tracks what products you might need support for by viewing the products associated with your Apple ID....

AirPlay Mirroring shown with an iPad 2 and an Apple TV Sources familiar with the future of Mac OS X say that AirPlay Mirroring and an iMessage application are currently in development. Although neither project may see the light of day, they are definitely on the table for release in future versions of OS X Lion. AirPlay Mirroring for the Mac will allow a user to wirelessly mirror exactly what is shown on their Mac’s display to an Apple TV connected to a projector, television, or external monitor....

You can use the service by updating your Google Home app. To do so, you need to go to the Account tab section and select Set up or add then select Music and audio and select Apple Music. Next, you shall have to sign in by using your Apple Music ID. In doing so, your Apple Music ID will get linked to your Google account. If you want, you can set it as your default music system also....

After more than a full year of planning, meetings, controversy, and protests, Apple has called off plans to build a global flagship store in Melbourne’s Federation Square. The decision follows a notice filed by Heritage Victoria refusing to grant a demolition permit for the public square. Opposition to the permit was widely expected after Melbourne’s City Council rejected demolishing the Yarra Building at Federation Square in March. The fight to keep Apple out of Federation Square has been a strained and arduous process that culminated with Heritage Victoria’s ruling....

Analyst Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray believes Apple’s selling 95 iPhone 3Gs in each of its 188 Apple retail stores every day, four times the sales momentum achieved by the previous model one year ago. That analyst now predicts Apple will sell “at least 4.47 million iPhones” in the current quarter. Munster mentioned that sales momentum has slowed slightly in recent days – but Apple revealed a deal with Best Buy under which the giant chain will also lend its retail weight to iPhone sales....

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Apple has introduced a limited-edition pair of AirPods Pro available in multiple Asian countries, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia. This coming new year is the Year of the Ox, and Apple has created an adorable new emoji character to celebrate. On these countries’ home pages, Apple has also added a new custom logo to commemorate the occasion. These limited-edition AirPods Pro are available for the same price as any other pair of AirPods Pro....

There’s no sign yet of the Apple Maps Crimea controversy dying down anytime soon… Apple last month started showing Crimea as Russian territory in both Maps and the Weather app, despite global condemnation of the annexation of the territory from Ukraine. The change showed up only when viewing the apps from within Russia. The Cupertino, California, company was widely criticized for the move, and Patently Apple notes that 15 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have now called on Apple to reverse the decision....