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Seemingly in an effort to combat the ongoing problem of accidental App Store subscriptions, Apple has added an extra step to the subscription process in the App Store. Apple will now present users with a “Confirm Subscription” popup before finalizing the details. This change was first noted by developer David Barnard on Twitter this afternoon. Starting sometime in the last week, Apple has added an additional step to the subscription process....

Apple is looking to expand its efforts in crowdsourcing data to improve its Maps app for iOS and OS X, according to hints in a new job listing on the company’s site. So far Apple’s efforts in crowdsourcing data to improve its Maps app has been limited to its own data collection projects and the “Report a problem” function in the Maps app. It also collects crowdsourced data from iOS’s Frequent Locations feature if users allow it....

Apple has overhauled its list of compatible HomeKit accessories with a major update this month. Apple now details accessories by category rather than brand and provides a much more comprehensive list with external links and availability status. You can find the newly updated site at apple.com/ios/home/accessories where Apple lists each supported HomeKit category so far: lights, switches, outlets, thermostats, windows, fans, air conditioners, sensors, security, locks, cameras, doorbells, garage doors, bridges, and ranger extenders....

Apple has a portal for developers to file complaints about other App Store apps infringing their intellectual property (IP) rights. This form says that Apple will follow-up via email, and put the two developers in contact. Yesterday, developer Benjamin Mayo noted that Apple may have begun rejecting apps that violate other’s intellectual property. For example, an app that mimicked the popular to-list software Clear, was apparently rejected because it could mislead people looking for the original Clear app....

Apple Inc., the company that restructured the music industry around its iTunes service, is exploring an overhaul of the way it sells and stores music that is aimed at extending its influence to the Web, according to people briefed on the strategy.The key vehicle for the move is Apple’s newly acquired music-streaming service La La Media Inc. for which Apple paid $85 [Wow! TechCrunch was WAY off] million, according to people familiar with the matter....

Apple today issued a significant update to its iTunes U application for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The application focuses on enhancements for both teachers and students, and the application was first announced by Apple last week alongside the new Back to School retail initiatives. Here’s what is new for students: • The new iTunes U makes it simple for students participating in private courses to pose questions on the course or any post or assignment • Other students in the class can jump into the discussion and ask more questions or provide answers • Teachers and students can keep up with the conversation when they receive push notifications as the discussion progresses...

Apple made its public betas available for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 back in July and we’ve been eagerly awaiting the macOS Big Sur public. Now it’s available giving anyone the ability to test out the all-new design, widgets, Safari experience, and much more. macOS Big Sur includes a big refresh to the UI that’s inspired by iOS. Other new features include Control Center, Safari improvements, new Messages app features like pinned messages, customizable widgets, and much more....

Apple’s update to its augmented reality Quick Look feature to let retailers sell their products and more right within the AR experience is starting to roll out from major brands like Home Depot, Wayfair, Bang & Olufsen, and more. Reported by TechCrunch, not only can companies use the new Quick Look button allows customers to make purchases via Apple Pay, they can also send a user to a support chat, or a number of other options....

We’re now halfway through the workweek, and all of today’s best deals are headlined by a collection of Apple’s official MagSafe iPhone 12 cases from $40. That’s alongside the latest M1 Mac mini at $99 off and eufyCam HomeKit systems. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Apple’s official iPhone 12/Pro/Max MagSafe Cases from $40 Apple’s official silicone case wraps your iPhone 12 series device in a premium soft-touch finish that’s coated in a microfiber lining on the inside....

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Apple is honoring the day with a message on the German Apple.com homepage. Apple CEO Tim Cook has also taken to Twitter to remember the day. On its German homepage, Apple has completely removed all product mentions and advertising. Instead, it is showing an image of the Berlin Wall, with the following quote attributed to a traditional folk song:...

Apple is for the first time offering Solid State Drive (SSD) options on iMacs, bringing the number of drive configurations to four, reports MacRumors. Those with lots of movies, music and photos to store will probably still want either the standard 1Tb hard drive or the fusion drive (a 128Gb SSD acting as a buffer to the 1Tb hard drive). But those with more modest storage requirements who want to significantly boost the speed of the machine can now choose a rather pricey 256Gb or 512Gb SSD to replace the hard drive....

The program covers the Smart Keyboard for both the 9.7-inch (Early 2016) and 12.9-inch (Late 2015) iPad Pro models, and applies to keyboards experiencing certain Functional Issues, including: sticking/repeating keys, sensor issues, problems with the keyboard’s magnetic connector, connection issues, and unresponsive keys. Apple offers its Limited Warranty on the Apple Smart Keyboard like all of its hardware products, so the new policy extends that 12-months of coverage an additional two years for customers experiencing the known functional issues listed above....

As it continues to ramp up its focus on video content, Apple has recently hired a former YouTube and Spotify executive. According to a report from The Information, Apple has hired Shiva Rajaraman to work on Apple’s video and music efforts… The report explains that Rajaraman will report to Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue as Apple faces several different choices about where to take its video efforts. According to today’s report, citing two people familiar with the matter, there’s a debate going on within Apple about the direction of its videos efforts, as well as other efforts like search....

Smart bezel patents from Apple are old news, but this morning saw a new variant surface in the United States Patent & Trademark Office’s database. Patently Apple has dived deep into the document and discovered some blow-away details. Put simply, Apple is proposing a bezel that doubles as a secondary display built around a printed segmented electroluminescence technology: This opens up a whole new world of creative possibilities… For starters, the bezel running around iOS gadgets could be made touch sensitive, allowing users to tap the illuminated control to access common features such as media playback and game controls....

Apple Music came in at the top in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy survey last year. This time around, however, Apple Music has slipped to number five, being overtaken by Spotify and several others. MBLM’s Brand Intimacy studies compare apps and social platforms and measures the “emotional science” of the bonds people form with brands. Each company, platform, or service is assigned a quotient based on survey responses. Apple Music ranked top on MBLM’s list last year, but this year it has fallen to number five....

One major opportunity for Apple Music is the ability to see previously recommended playlists. The feature is so obvious that you would actually think it already exists, only to go reference an Apple Music playlist that has been updated and overwritten. That’s what happened to me today. My New Music Mix last week was so good that I played it on repeat for days from my Apple Watch at the gym and my HomePod around the house, but I never got around to saving any of the songs to my library....

Earlier this week news leaked that Apple would begin offering automated purchasing of mobile ads by advertising agencies through its iAd program when one partner ad company accidentally published a press release early, and today Apple has officially shared the full announcement regarding iAd’s “move into programmatic channels.” In addition to Rubicon Project, Apple shared that it is partnering with various “demand-side platforms (DSPs) and ad tech companies” which include Accordant Media, Adelphic, AdRoll, GET IT Mobile, MediaMath, and The Trade Desk....

A new job listing on Apple.com could add fire to the rumors that Apple is considering including fingerprint technology in upcoming devices. The job posting seeking a software engineer to write “low-level code to configure and control hardware” is the only listing on Apple’s site located at the “Melbourne Design Center” in Melbourne, Florida. Not only is the position looking for someone familiar with testing various sensors with LabTool and FA software, but Melbourne is also the home base of Authentec, the company Apple acquired fingerprint technology from last year for around $365 million....

In an interview with Bloomberg, Apple’s Lisa Jackson has announced that the company has achieved 96% worldwide renewable energy up from 2015’s 93%. Already having been at 100% renewable energy in the United States, three more of the company’s worldwide suppliers have pledged to follow suit. In the interview, Jackson mentions that the company won’t stop until it hits 100% everywhere. Within the United States Apple is at 100% renewable energy usage, alongside 23 other countries....

Apple has released iOS 10 beta 7 for developers to test on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10 brings a refreshed look to Apple Music and News plus loads of new features to the platform. The software update will be ready for everyone likely sometime next month, and we’ll dig through the seventh developer version of the iOS 10 beta below. The update follows just five days after the last release on Monday....