Apple’s commitment to accessibility goes beyond UI features in its devices, says one Twitter user who took a trip to the Apple Park visitor’s center. User @xarph said that the center was an object lesson in how to design for accessibility ‘when cost is no object’ … They took photos illustrating nine ways in which the center successfully catered to wheelchair users as well as blind and partially-sighted visitors – with a single fail also shown....

With Apple’s $356 million purchase of mobile security firm AuthenTec, for its nearly 200 patents covering fingerprint and sensor technologies, there has been a lot of talk about how Apple might integrate the technology into future devices. Adding to the rumors are recent reports that Apple signed a deal with Sydney, Australia-based Microlatch to develop NFC apps using its fingerprint authentication tech. Today, we get a look at some possible areas Apple might be exploring with the technology thanks to a patent application published by the U....

Apple’s latest patent application has already set tongues wagging and tweets ablaze, as it describes a way to control the tablet with two hands by touch, think Minority Report. Apple’s new patent describes a sophisticated multitouch input method, in which you use all ten fingers, complex movements and other gestures. You can even type. The patent describes sensors which will work to identify exactly what your gestures mean, will be able to move the cursor and enable various activities, all through touch....

Apple has today launched its Back to School deals for students. Similar to last year, Apple will bundle a free pair of Beats headphones with the purchase of an eligible Apple product for college. If you buy an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro or MacBook Air, you get a free pair of Beats Solo2 wireless headphones worth $299. iPad Pro, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 buyers can get a free pair of Beats Powerbeats2 wireless headphones, worth $199 retail....

The Data Transfer Project launched last year with Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, and others pledging support to work on the open source initiative to improve data portability across platforms and services. Now, Apple has officially joined the project. Here’s the mission of the Data Transfer Project: Today the Data Transfer Project shared updates on the initiative as well as announcing the big news that Apple has joined the effort. In total, there are now 18 contributors....

Next Tuesday, July 10, 2018 marks the ten year anniversary of the App Store. Introduced back in 2008 with just 500 apps, the App Store ignited a huge phenomenon that even Apple likely wasn’t expecting. In a press release from the company, Apple has outlined the App Store’s largest and most exciting milestones over the years. Apple SVP of Worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller said: The App Store allowed developers, whether a one-person development team or large AAA studios to create, develop, and distribute applications that would later be accessed by hundreds of thousands, if not millions of users around the world....

Jimmy Iovine seems to be doing the rounds of UK media at present. Following yesterday’s Evening Standard interview, he’s done another with Wired editor Michael Rundle. Much of it is, of course, the usual sales spiel: curation is cool, nobody else will catch us or do it better, lots of great people involved – the kind of things you’d expect him to say. But the interview does contain one unexpected snippet: that Apple Music‘s curated approach could be applied to TV … Apple has reportedly been working on its own web-based TV service for some time, initially expected to be announced back in June and subsequently delayed as we predicted back in May....

In another chapter of the legal battle between Apple and VirnetX, a jury in Texas decided today in a 90-minute session that Apple will be required to pay an additional $502.8 million for infringing patents of the security software company VirtneX. As reported by Bloomberg, the jury had to decide how much Apple owes VirnetX in royalties for VPN on Demand. VirnetX accuses Apple of infringing on its VPN patents on iOS, which offers features to let users connect to virtual private networks on iPhone and iPad....

Apple has announced in a post on its developer blog that it is increasing the the cellular download limit for apps on the App Store. It’s certainly not a major increase, but it’s one that is definitely welcomed… Apple is bumping the cellular download limit from 100MB to 150MB, which it says will help users download more apps while on cellular connectivity: It was all the way back in 2013 that Apple bumped the limit from 50MB to 100MB....

As we move past Christmas and into Boxing Day worldwide, Apple has confirmed its annual ‘Lucky Bag’ sale for Jan. 2 in Japan. The sale, which takes place in seven stores across the country, allows shoppers who get in line early to purchase a 33,000 yen ($390 USD) gift bag that includes the possibility of headphones, an iPod touch, cases, an Apple T-shirt, and other accessories. The real surprise is a few gift bags are loaded with special items like a MacBook Air or iPad that a few lucky people will receive....

There is now a way for security researchers to gain (legal) access to unlocked iPhone test devices which do not have the usual protections surrounding arbitrary code execution and other defences. Access to ‘rooted’ hardware enables security researchers to inspect core parts of the operating system more easily, which helps to track down exploits in the kernel and other low-level areas of the iOS operating system. Apple announced its plans to do this almost a year ago....

Apple has quietly introduced an official solution for users seeking to lock their 2013 Mac Pro to a stationary desk or other item. The $49 adapter attaches to the rear of the Mac Pro without any additional tools or instruction and can connect to a series of different Kensington locking mechanisms (via MacRumors). Here are the accessory’s highlights from Apple: Enables Mac Pro (Late 2013) to be physically secured with a compatible lock (sold separately) Attaches to Mac Pro without tools or enclosure modification With a third-party lock attached, prevents Mac Pro from being opened, protecting internal components Compatible with most standard Kensington or similar lock products Earlier this year, third-party solutions with a more advanced setup process began hitting the Mac Pro accessory marketplace....

Digitimes’ latest report puts some numbers on the low end iPhones coming out of China. The 2.5 year old iPhone 3GS has continued to sell briskly with the volume likely to reach two million units in the fourth quarter of 2011 and 1.4-1.6 million units in the first quarter of 2012, according to “industry sources”. Think about that for a second. In a world where a new, free Android flagship phone comes out every week or so and dying out a few months later, Apple is selling 2 million/quarter of a device that was introduced two and a half years ago....

Apple last week confirmed 2.29 million Mac sales in its second quarter. Mac sales overall climbed 51 per cent, year-on-year, a rate of growth an astonishing 3.5 times that of the overall PC market. Desktop sales climbed 37 per cent, also faster than PC market averages, The company’s portable sales were driven by continued strong demand for Macbook, Macbook Pros and the MacBook Air. This steady demand meant Quanta Computer saw profits climb 18 per cent to book NT$4 billion for the quarter....

There’s been a huge Apple Maps update over the course of the past few weeks, with real-time transit information now available the whole of Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and most of the UK (excludes Northern Ireland). It has also been made available in selected cities in Australia and China – as well as many more US cities and states. There are also substantial expansions to Look Around, Nearby, Turn-by-turn Navigation, and Indoor Maps for airports …...

As Apple Music continues to expand with content and features, the service is picking up three new distributors to offer music, music videos, lyrics, and concert footage. As reported by Billboard (via Digital Music News), Apple Music has signed deals with CD Baby, Kontor, and The Orchard to include them in the “Apple Preferred Distribution Program”. There are three distributor tiers for this program, and all three of the new distributors are coming on with the top “Preferred Plus” designation....

Today’s report also notes that the hiring of Twerdahl will free Pete Distad, who had occupied the role, to work on content deal efforts with Eddy Cue. The hiring comes following Tim Cook speaking highly of the Apple TV during Apple’s most recent earnings call. The Apple CEO teased that the company has more features and updates in store for Apple TV, though he failed to offer specifics. Cook explained that the cable industry is one that’s in the midst of a major shakeup, due in large part to the “breakdown of the cable bundle....

Apple has now responded to a Department of Justice filing that we reported earlier today was attempting to force the company to comply with an FBI request for access to a locked iPhone belonging to a suspect in the San Bernardino attacks. In one statement to Reuters, an Apple spokesperson said the DOJ is “disregarding civil liberties in iPhone unlocking case,” while in another it attempts to explain more of the back story regarding past events with the iPhone in question....

As noted by MacRumors, Apple has recently introduced a new model of the low-end 21.5-inch iMac to educational institutions that brings slightly downgraded specs and shaves $200 off the price of the entry-level iMac available to consumers. Replacing the old $999 iMac for education option, the new $1,099 21.5-inch iMac (ME699LL/A) offers 4GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000, and a 500GB hard drive. That’s compared to the 8GB of RAM and 1TB hard drive Apple includes in the regular entry-level model....

We’ve learned Apple has quietly introduced a new specification for manufacturers in its Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) program that allows them to create headphones that connect to iOS devices using a Lightning connector instead of the usual 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple has not flipped the switch on the audio input support for Lightning cables and existing iOS devices, but it will release a software update in the future that will enable support in devices running iOS 7....