Apple is planning to bring its encrypted messaging service iMessage to Android, reports MacDailyNews. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the site says that the company plans to announce the move at its WWDC keynote next week.
If true—and that's a big if—the move would push Apple further into the messaging space as it tries to grow its 'Services' category on the back of dwindling iPhone sales. Note that the Cupertino firm already offers Apple Music on Android.
Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Drop Flip. This means that for the next 7 days, you’ll be able to download the popular physics puzzler for free on both iPhone and iPad—a solid savings of $2.
For those unfamiliar with the title, Drop Flip is a delightful game chock-full of silly physics contraptions. Players must move, flip and manipulate obstacles of every shape and size to force the ball into a bucket. It's a lot harder than it sounds.
More evidence has surfaced that Apple is planning to rebrand OS X to macOS in the near future. As noted by MacRumors, a reference to the name-change has been spotted on a developer FAQ page outlining the new App Store revenue sharing policies.
The news follows a March sighting of a macOS reference hidden inside OS X code, and a similar slip-up in April on Apple's website. The change has long been speculated about, as it would bring the desktop OS in line with its younger platform siblings.
MCX (the Merchant Consortium Exchange) has notified testers that it will be ending its CurrentC beta test soon. The Consumerist on Tuesday shared an email sent by the company, telling users that it's going to shut down the mobile payment service on June 28.
On that day, all active accounts will be disabled and beta testers will not be able to access their accounts through the CurrentC app. Worse than that, the email also says that MCX is postponing further releases of CurrentC, and there are no plans for an official launch.
It looks like Apple is going to once again be providing a live stream of its WWDC keynote address this year. On Tuesday the company updated its event website with a note that a stream of its keynote will go live on June 13 at 10:00 am (PST).
Users will be able to tune in on their Mac and iOS devices, via Apple's Safari web browser, and on Apple TV. Second and third generation ATVs will feature an Events channel, and fourth generation models with tvOS will get a standalone app.
In addition to iOS, Apple also seeded new betas for watchOS, tvOS and OS X on Monday. The betas are available to registered developers, and can be installed via the Apple Watch app on iPhone, OTA in tvOS for those with the latest beta profile, and the update tab in the Mac App Store.
The software version numbers are watchOS 2.2.2, tvOS 9.2.2 and OS X 10.11.6, and from what we saw in the first betas, they're not adding any significant new features. The 10.11.6 change log reads "improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac," and the others follow suit.
Apple on Monday seeded the second beta of iOS 9.3.3 to developers. Registered iOS developers can grab the new build from the Apple Developer Center, or via an over-the-air update on a compatible device with the latest software.
The update comes two weeks after the first iOS 9.3.3 beta was released, and it's mostly bug fixes. It's also worth noting that Apple has seemingly fixed the 9.7-inch iPad Pro issue, as there's now a beta available for the flagship tablet.
In this week's edition of our Apps of the Week post, we've hand-picked 5 titles for you to check out this weekend. The selections include a video streaming app with a unique twist, a different kind of Twitter client, a full-featured annotation app, and two new games that you won't want to miss!
Tony Fadell is stepping down as CEO of Nest, he announced in a blog post on Friday. The former Apple engineer and founder of the smart thermostat/device company, which was purchased by Google in 2014 for $3 billion, says he's moving into an "advisor" role to Alphabet and CEO Larry Page.
Despite recent reports of turmoil within the company, Fadell insists that the move is amicable and the transition has been in progress since late last year. He says he's leaving the company to new CEO Marwan Fawaz, who was previously CTO of cable company Charter, with a two-year roadmap in place.
Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Sago Mini Road Trip. This means that for the next 7 days, you’ll be able to download the popular children's title on both iPhone and iPad for free, a solid savings of $3.
In Sago, kids play as Jinja the cat as they set out on a road trip. There are more than 10 vehicles and 6 destinations to choose from, and no rules or time pressures to worry about. So kids can relax, hit the road and explore at their own pace.
New images surfaced on Tuesday of what is said to be a chassis for Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro. Cult of Mac says they were sent the photos by "an anonymous source who claims to work for one of Apple’s manufacturing partners in China," but that of course cannot be confirmed.
The so-called spy shots are interesting because there's a noticeable gap in the laptop chassis, just above the keyboard. The oddity lines up with a recent investor note from prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which called for this year's MacBook Pro to feature an OLED touchpad.
Looking for a new app or game to help pass the time over the long Memorial Day weekend? iDB is here to help. In the latest edition of our Apps of the Week roundup, you'll find a social networking app for polling friends and family, a podcast discovery app, a unique travel app, and two awesome new games.