Apple releases iOS 10.3 and macOS Sierra 4 for public beta testing

Following yesterday's release of developer-only previews of the upcoming iOS 10.3 and macOS Sierra 10.12.4 software updates, Apple today made the new betas available to public beta testers who are enrolled in Apple Beta Software Program.

iOS 10.3 public beta can be installed via the Software Update mechanism on iOS devices with an appropriate configuration profile installed. macOS Sierra 10.12.4 public beta can be downloaded on your Mac through Mac App Store's Updates tab.

How to jailbreak iOS 10.0-10.2 with yalu102

Luca Todesco just announced the first beta build of his Yalu jailbreak for iOS 10.0-10.2. In this guide, I'll walk you through how to use the tool, should you want to try out the beta.

Bear in mind, this tool is first release and is not necessarily stable. It also does not support all devices yet. Whilst Todesco has said that it should already be more stable than the betas of Yalu for 10.0-10.1.1, a first build is a first build. Proceed at your own risk.

iOS 10.3 will let apps change their Home screen icon at any time, no update required

Tucked away amid a flurry of new reports covering upcoming new features in Apple's operating system updates, like Theater Mode on Apple Watch and Siri in watch apps, Night Shift on Mac and Find My AirPods on iPhone, Apple yesterday quietly announced that developers will soon be allowed to change their app’s Home screen icon programmatically, whenever they like.

In other words, an update is no longer required to push out the new icon artwork.

The seemingly unimportant change opens up a world of new possibilities for interactions with your favorite apps that simply were not possible before.

iOS 10.2 Yalu jailbreak beta build now available

Hot on the heels of the source code being posted to GitHub yesterday, Luca Todesco has posted a very early build of the tool to his website. Work on the GitHub code proceeded quickly after its posting last night, with Todesco and others merging several commits to enable Substrate, add more device support, and streamline the tool.

Google Translate’s augmented reality feature, Word Lens, now works with Japanese

In addition to updating the Popular Times feature in Google Maps for iPhone and iPad with real-time data, the search giant also issued another noteworthy update, this one concerning its dedicated Translate app on App Store. Bumped to version 5.5, the free download can now translate photos of signs, menus and similar items from Japanese to English, and vice versa. That's because its augmented reality feature, called Word Lens, has been updated to recognize Japanese content on photos and video.

Google Maps for iOS now lets you see in real time how busy your favorite place is

Popular Times is one of the most useful features of Google Maps on the web. Android users have had the privilege of enjoying this feature in the mobile app for quite a few months, and now iPhone and iPad users can see how busy their favorite place is, in real-time, in Google Maps 4.27 for iOS. Aside from this feature, the free download includes the ability to quickly access addresses in the clipboard while searching and bug fixes.

Former Android executive Hugo Barra to head Facebook’s Oculus and virtual reality teams

When former Android executive Hugo Barra announced three days ago he was leaving Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, he provided standard boilerplate explanation: he wanted to spend more time with his family because living and working abroad has taken a toll on his health and life.

Then again, that's exactly the kind of stuff that you'd expect high-ranking executives to say when jumping ship or seeking greener pastures with another team.

As it turns out, Barra is leaving Xiaomi not because he's burned out but to join Facebook where he will be charged with managing the Oculus team and the company's other virtual reality projects, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced yesterday.

Apple Support app now available in 22 countries and 13 languages

Following its November 2016 debut in The Netherlands and subsequent U.S. launch the following month, Apple's dedicated Support app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has now expanded to more countries.

As first noted by MacRumors, the free of charge software is now available for download in 22 countries and features support for thirteen languages.

Facebook rolling out new Privacy Basics feature

Facebook is today launching a new Privacy Basics feature on the web to make it easier for users to find the tools that let them control and adjust who sees what they share on the service.

The new section provides access to various topics based on users' most frequently asked questions about privacy and security. Privacy Basics organizes these privacy-related tools in one central place and includes 32 interactive guides in 44 languages.

Synology NAS will take your media and file storage to the next level

In this information age, data is more prevalent than ever before. Even the average user tends to require more storage now than ever to keep their photos, videos, music, and documents in a safe and easily accessible location. The cloud is an increasingly popular solution for saving and sharing data, but security has been and will continue to be a concern with storing personal information on a third party’s servers. Additionally, users who deal with slow internet speeds or bandwidth caps have reasons for not fully relying on a cloud service that extend beyond privacy concerns.

LargeCCKnobs brings iOS 10-style slider knobs to your iOS 9 device

One of the things Apple changed from iOS 9 to iOS 10 is the size of the knobs that appear on the adjustment bars for volume level and song scrubber. The latter has larger knobs, which make grabbing onto them a little easier than in earlier versions of iOS.

If you’re jailbroken on iOS 9, and you want the same characteristics from iOS 10 to fall in your lap, then you’ll find a new free jailbreak tweak called LargeCCKnobs quite useful.

Apple hires Dropcam co-founder Greg Duffy

Former CEO and co-founder of Dropcam Greg Duffy has joined Apple, reports The Information. A company spokesman has confirmed the high profile hiring to the outlet, but would not comment on what his role would be in Cupertino.