Year: 2016

Apple seeds macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 6 to developers

Just 24 hours after iOS 10.2 beta 7 dropped and three days following macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 5, Apple on Thursday issued a sixth beta of what would become the second major update to macOS Sierra. macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 6 (build number 16C63a) is now available to registered developers.

The update can be deployed via the Mac App Store's Updates tab on Macs which are registered with the Apple Developer Program. The full installer is on Dev Center.

Luca Todesco releases browser-based exploit for Pangu 9.3.3 jailbreak without certificate

Noted iOS security researcher and hacker Luca Todesco has just released a WebKit-based loader for the Pangu 9.3.3 jailbreak. This impressive browser exploit is reminiscent of the original JailbreakMe exploits on iOS 1 and iOS 4, after which it is named.

All that is required for the technique to work is to follow a URL in mobile Safari, press a button, lock your device and wait for the respring.

Whilst this development is testament to Todesco's hacking skills and has alleviated one major problem with the current 9.3.3 jailbreak: its reliance on developer certificates for the loader app, there is bound to be some confusion over what this tool actually does, and what it means for the jailbreak community. This post aims to bring some clarity to the topic.

Feast your eyes on iSpaceship closeups, ground-level images and interior photographs

We've been tracking rapid construction progress at the Apple Campus 2 site thanks to avid YouTubers who take their expensive drones to the skies each month so we can marvel at jaw-dropping aerial footage of the ring-shaped building that'll soon become home to a whopping 13,000 employees.

Just ahead of Apple's planned early-2017 move in, French blog MacGeneration treats us to never-before-seen photographs showing off intricate details and the building's vast interiors at the 2.8 million-square-foot site.

Spotify has gone cold on rumored SoundCloud deal

Spotify, the world's top on-demand music service, is not buying Berlin, Germany-headquartered audio distribution platform SoundCloud after all, TechCrunch has learned.

Spotify has reportedly given up on its latest effort to buy SoundCloud realizing, after months of talks, that any such deal would probably negatively impact its impending initial public offering (IPO) and expected expansions in China, Russia and South Korea.

Tim Cook to deliver MIT’s 2017 Commencement address on June 9

In the run-up to this coming summer, Apple's boss Tim Cook will head to Cambridge to deliver his address at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Commencement exercises. Cook will address the Class of 2017 on Friday, June 9, the university announced today.

Cook previously gave the commencement address for his Alma Mater Auburn University in 2011 and last year delivered the commencement address for GWU.

Bloomberg: Galaxy S8 to beat iPhone 8 to virtual Home button & bezel-free appearance

Samsung's next-generation Galaxy smartphone appears to be poised to beat Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 to the punch now that Bloomberg has corroborated much of SamMobile's report saying the Galaxy S8 will be a bezel-free device with a wraparound display featuring an in-screen Home button. The phone should be unveiled in February 2018 and launch in March.

That way, the Samsung device should enjoy a six-month lead over the iPhone 8's expected fall arrival. However, the Korean giant is considering scrapping plans for a dual-camera on the Galaxy S8 due to “higher manufacturing costs”, one of the sources told the news gathering organization.

Lightroom for iOS, Lightroom CC and Adobe Camera Raw pick up new pro-grade features

Photoshop maker Adobe today issued a series of updates to Lightroom for iPhone and iPad, Lightroom CC and Adobe Camera Raw, adding several new features for photographers, including refreshed Edit and Capture interfaces, a new info section and a brand new Professional mode.

Lightroom for iPhone and Lightroom for iPad are available free on the App Store. The Lightroom CC 2015.8 update and Adobe Camera Raw 9.8 are available from Adobe.

ChargePoint electric vehicle stations added to Apple Maps with Apple Pay support

ChargePoint operates the world’s largest electric vehicle charging network. As of today, ChargePoint's electric vehicle stations in the U.S. can be found through Apple Maps, as reported by 9to5Mac. And because ChargePoint accepts Apple Pay, users can even initiate charging via Apple Maps and complete their payment with a touch of a finger.

ChargePoint locations appear on the map as badges that can be tapped to reveal information like business hours, pricing, whether or not they accept Apple Pay at that particular location and more.

Apple partners with wind turbine maker Goldwind to bring more clean energy to Chinese suppliers

In an effort to help bring more clean energy to its Chinese suppliers, Apple and wind turbine maker Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology (also known as Goldwind) have entered into a cooperative joint venture agreement, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange filing spotted by the South China Morning Post newspaper.

Beijing Tianrun New Energy Investment, a Goldwind subsidiary, will transfer its thirty percent stakes in four project firms that will stay subsidiaries under Goldwind for stock exchange purposes.

Starbucks teams up with Pokémon GO as an official partner and adds more Pokéstops and gyms

Just yesterday, Niantic announced a partnership with Sprint to bring as many as 10,500 more Pokéstops and gyms to Pokémon GO, and today a similar partnership appears to be expanding to Starbucks coffee shops.

The announcement is a move to give players more flexibility in collecting necessary items to play the game, as well as to battle other players. Starbucks benefits out of the deal because it attracts potential customers to their locations.

Samsung counters Jet Black iPhone 7 with glossy “Black Pearl” Galaxy S7 Edge colorway

Confirming recent rumor-mill talk of a glossy black edition of its Galaxy S7 Edge smartphone, Samsung today officially announced a new Black Pearl color option in an attempt to counter what's been reported as high demand for Apple's new Black and Jet Black iPhone 7 models. The new colorway, Samsung said, “radiates quality and luxury” and was designed to be “modern and striking”.

21 pay TV apps and 10 providers now support Apple’s new Single Sign-On feature

Single Sign-On, Apple's new feature that permits compatible video-streaming apps to unlock additional content by using your saved cable credentials, became officially available yesterday. Just a day after launch, apps from ABC and Disney have now gained support for Single Sign-On on the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, as well as Freeform, FXNOW and a few other apps, The Verge reported Thursday.