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Tidal’s struggles continue today as a new report claims the streaming music platform is months behind on royalty payments. According to Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv, the Jay-Z-owned streaming service is over six months behind on payments to several labels… The report, translated by Music Business Worldwide, cites multiple sources who say that Tidal is “behind with payments directly to the three major international record companies.” Those three record companies consist of Universal, Sony, and Warner....

Apple Music knows 2020 has been a universally challenging year, and its new set of playlists reflects that reality. The streaming service is expanding its handpicked track collections with 10 new playlists that cover developing music corners, socially trending songs, and even a playlist focused on mental health. Gen Z focus TechCrunch details the new playlists in Apple Music, highlighting the TikTok grab Apple is making with the new “Viral Hits” playlist:...

As it generally does when products reach a certain level of maturity, Apple today has started offering the Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 via its online refurbished store. This marks the first time that Apple has made the Apple Watch available in refurbished condition since the device’s release. Better deals, however, remain available from retailers such as Target… Apple is offering the Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 at somewhat notable discounted price points....

When Apple signed an exclusive deal to use the superstrong alloy liquidmetal way back in 2010, there was a lot of speculation about how Apple might use it. The only immediate answer we saw was in the SIM ejection tool supplied with iPhones. While some had expected Apple to use liquidmetal for product casings, the high cost of the material seemed to rule that out, at least in the short-term. There’s also been no sign of the super long-lasting batteries some had suggested....

A series of patents published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office today (via PatentlyApple) suggested Apple is attempting to own as many Thunderbolt related trademarks and patents as possible. This is despite most being under the impression the technology is an open collaboration between Intel and Apple. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of today’s patents is the possibility Apple might bring Thunderbolt to iOS devices. According to one of the patents published today, “a connection may be provided between a portable media player and a display, a computer and a portable media player, or between other types of devices....

Apple has had a personal setup service for iPhone purchases made at Apple retail stores for some time now. Since Thanksgiving, Apple has offered the same personal setup service for iPad and iPod touch purchases. Apple has not had a true personal setup service for Mac purchases, but come Tuesday, in some markets, personal setup for Mac will be available. Traditionally, Apple Stores have allowed you to ask a few questions and take a few pointers but this new personal setup for Mac service takes points from the iOS device version of the service....

[Update: All links and images of this Space Black Milanese Loop band have now been pulled from the web … We have asked Apple PR for clarification on the situation …] Apple is readying the launch of a brand new Apple Watch band, a 42 mm Space Black Milanese Loop, suitable for Space Black steel watches. Third-party aftermarket black Milanese loops have been on sale for a while, but this is Apple official — assumedly matching their Space Black Link Bracelet in color and quality....

Since the M1 chip is based on the same ARM architecture as the iPhone and iPad chips, Apple has allowed developers to offer their iOS apps on the Mac App Store. However, several developers have chosen not to offer their iOS apps to M1 Mac users. Thanks to tools like iMazing, it was possible to download the IPA files of iOS apps you have purchased from the App Store and then install them manually on M1 Macs, which allowed users to run apps like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and even Netflix on macOS....

Apple today has released an update to the Apple Music app for Android users. The update over month after the app’s last update that added support for saving music to SD cards for offline listening. Today’s update adds yet another feature that isn’t supported on iOS: the ability for users to add an Apple Music widget to their homescreen. The Beats Music app offered a widget when it was available for Android, but Apple Music has lacked it since release....

Apple has today updated its GiveBack program with details on what it will offer customers to trade-in last year’s devices like the iPhone X and Apple Watch Series 3. The program was also recently refreshed to allow customers to apply the trade-in credit at the time of purchase of a new device. Apple will be giving iPhone X owners up to $525 for trade-ins, depending on the condition of the device....

Apple continues its original content efforts today with another straight-to-series order. This time, the company has given an order for a drama series about a pre-teen investigative reporter Hilde Lysiak, according to a report from Variety. Apple is said to have ordered 10 episodes of the series, which will follow a young girl who moves from Brooklyn a small lakeside town and chases a story that the town has tried to bury:...

Vimeo has updated its iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch application with a new, lighter design as well as some helpful new features. The “friendlier” design is easier to navigate, lighter, and cleaner and features more user-interface elements to blend into the design aesthetic of iOS 7. Vimeo became an iOS partner last year with integrated Vimeo video uploading in iOS 7. The updated application also includes a new home screen for accessing many of Vimeo’s functions....

In what’s beginning to feel like the world’s longest-running takeover battle, Foxconn has been pressing the case for its own bid for Toshiba’s chip division. It faces competition from two rival bids, from KKR and Bain Capital … Apple now appears to be hedging its bets, participating in two of the three bids – one of which seems likely to win out over KKR. While none of those involved have disclosed the exact amount of any of the bids, it’s reported that the KKR consortium is in third place, with a bid or around 2 trillion yen ($19B) while Bain has offered a little more, and Foxconn more still....

Apple is today releasing a new version of its Logic Pro X audio production suite and it’s a big one. Not only does version 10.3 introduce Touch Bar support for MacBook Pro in a way that might be the most ambitious yet— they are fully customizable and go well beyond what GarageBand has— the update also includes a refreshed user interface and many top requested features by pros. Touch Bar...

According to a report from the Silicon Valley BizBlog, Apple picked up more real estate in and around Cupertino, Calif., after scooping up over 315,000 sq. ft. of office space in Sunnyvale in January. Apple signed leases for two new buildings: a 57,479-square-foot building at 5425 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara, and a 11,552 square-foot building in Cupertino. Like its other recent leases, it is possible Apple might only use these buildings temporarily until its new Spaceship campus is ready....

Apple today published a new iTunes section that recommends apps, books, iTunes U courses and other Apple educational content for educators and classrooms using iOS devices. The new online resource includes suggestions for teachers on apps from the App Store, books from iBooks, and courses from Apple’s iTunes U service. In addition to organizing Apple’s content aimed specifically at educators in one place, it also provides other resources and editor’s picks for lesson ideas, courses, and links to content based on subject and curriculum level....

Apple has announced that it’s opening a new store in Melbourne on Saturday, based in the Highpoint Shopping Centre in the western suburbs. While the company already has five stores in the State of Victoria, this is the first in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city … Highpoint is a major shopping centre, with 500 stores serving over 15 million shoppers a year. Deliberately or not, the store is said to be located directly above a Samsung Experience store, modelled heavily on Apple Store designs....

In addition to expanding the amount of content on the service, Apple has shown an interest in bundling Apple TV+ with other properties. In August, the company launched a heavily-discounted Showtime + CBS combo subscription for Apple TV+ members. It is also reportedly preparing a mega Apple content services bundle, set to launch alongside the iPhone 12. Today, The Telegraph reported on a new hire that seems to be related to these initiatives....

Apple Music exec Bozoma Saint John was in attendance Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit this evening. Saint John, who joined Apple through the Beats Music acquisition, has become one of the more vocal members of the Apple Music team and earlier this year, a “power lunch” with her was auctioned off for $10,500. At the Most Powerful Women’s Summit, Saint John sat down for a one-on-one interview with Fortune technology reporter Leena K....

Last week, Apple officially pulled the plug on Beats Music after initially announcing the shut down a few weeks prior. Apple is offering a seamless way to transition from Beats Music to Apple Music, but if you’ve waited until the very last minute to do so and are worried that your content is now gone, fear not as Apple is offering a grace period to get your content out of Beats Music and into Apple Music…...