Apple seeds iOS 10.2.1 beta 4 to developers and public testers

Apple on Thursday seeded iOS 10.2.1 beta 4 to developers. Registered developers and public testers can install the update either via iOS 10's OTA mechanism, or as a standalone download via Apple's website.

The release comes a few hours after Apple issued the fourth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.3, and just a few days after beta 3 was seeded for both platforms, suggesting that they are nearing closer to public launch.

Say hello to Twelve South’s first luxury shell case for iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus

It's certainly been a busy start to 2017 for premium accessory maker Twelve South, which today launched its first ever shell case for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Aptly named RelaxedLeather, it's hand-burnished along the edges and corners so that it ages naturally with time, giving it unique look and feel.

Quilted microfiber lines a 5-sided recessed shell to keep your phone in pristine condition and protect it from everyday drops and falls. RelaxedLeather is offered with or without external pockets and in five warm colors.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links for iPhone now available in U.S. and Canada

Keeping true to its promise, Konami today expanded the popular card-trading game Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links to App Stores in the United States and Canada following its soft-launch in Japan this past November.

Available at no charge with non-compulsory In-App Purchases, the game brings to life the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! official trading card game, allowing Duelists to kindle the spirit of Yami Yugi, Seto Kaiba and other beloved characters in competitive card battle action.

Apple seeds macOS Sierra 10.12.3 beta 4 to developers

Apple on Thursday seeded a fourth beta of what would become the third major software update to macOS Sierra since its public launch last fall. macOS Sierra 10.12.3 beta 4 (build 16D30a) is now available on Mac computers that have a prior Sierra beta installed via the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store's Updates tab.

Google rolling out overhauled ride services experience in Maps for iOS

Google today announced that expanded ride options and more actionable information are now available to users of the mobile Google Maps application on iOS and Android.

You can now book, complete and pay for an Uber ride without ever leaving Google Maps, as well as browse useful information related to your destination during the ride with menus, hours and other helpful details only a swipe away.

TV provider Cable ONE & ESPN/WatchESPN apps gain support for Single Sign-On feature

Apple today refreshed the official list of Single Sign-On providers on its website to reflect that TV provider Cable ONE now supports the feature. Based out of Phoenix, Arizona, Cable ONE serves approximately 750,000 customers in 19 U.S. states.

With Single Sign-On, users can save their pay-TV access credentials in the Settings app on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV so compatible video-streaming apps can automatically unlock paid content. Just two days ago, ESPN and WatchESPN iOS apps gained support for the feature, as well as compatibility with Google's Chromecast.

AirPods earned 1 out of each 4 dollars from wireless headphones sold online in December

Market research firm Slice Intelligence estimated that AirPods, Apple's $159 wireless earphones, took one out of each four dollars spent online on wireless headphones in December 2016. Launched on December 13, AirPods grabbed an estimated 26 percent share of online revenue in the wireless headphone market, beating out Apple's premium audio brand Beats which captured an estimated 15.4 percent of the market, down from 24.1 percent between the start of 2015 and December 13.

In other words, Apple has managed to capture one-fourth of the wireless headphones market since the launch of AirPods. And if you also count Beats sales, the Cupertino company took almost 40 percent of online revenue in the wireless headphone market.

Apple joins U.S. Department of Transportation’s new Automation Committee

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, is listed as one of the 25 members who joined the United States Department of Transportation's (DOT) new Automation Committee. This means that the iPhone maker will play an active role in overseeing self-driving vehicles and helping determine the future of transportation.

Prior to joining Apple in 2013 to lead environmental initiatives, Lisa Jackson served as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

According to DOT's press release Thursday, the new advisory committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting on January 16 to immediately begin work on “some of the most pressing and relevant matters facing transportation today,” including the development and deployment of automated vehicles.

New AirPods patent reveals exactly how seamless Bluetooth pairing method functions

A new patent application for “Wireless audio output devices,” published Thursday by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), describes exactly how Apple's new W1 chip inside AirPods enables zero-configuration Bluetooth pairing. In a nutshell, the charging case that comes with AirPods doubles as a physical pairing interface.

Aside from a built-in battery, the case features its own microprocessor and communications stack, a motion-detecting lid for starting the seamless pairing process with an Apple device and a physical button for manual Bluetooth pairing with non-Apple hardware, like Android handsets.

Google launches Toontastic 3D, a playful storytelling app for kids

Google today launched a new education-focused apps aimed at kids aged 6-8 years old, called Toontastic 3D. With this app, your youngsters can draw, animate and narrate their own cartoons. The concept and game mechanics are easy to grasp so your kids should feel right at home. They simply move their characters around onscreen to tell their story. The app records their voice and animations and stores content on their device as a video.

WSJ: Apple to launch original scripted TV shows and premium movies on Apple Music this year

A new report by The Wall Street Journal claims that Apple will push deeper into premium entertainment with original movies and scripted television shows by the end of the year, including serialized drama and feature-length pieces. The plan calls for premium shows along the lines of HBO's “Westworld” and Netflix's “Stranger Things” that don’t have any particular relationship to music.