The official Apple Watch User Guide is now available for download on the iBooks Store. Content-wise, the free electronic book is the same as the online version that Apple published yesterday on its website, it's just optimized for the iBooks app for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Mac.
“Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Watch and the Apple Watch app on iPhone,” reads the blurb on the iBooks Store.
It's officially Apple Watch launch day, and Apple has already started celebrating by debuting 3 new advertisements for the wearable. On its YouTube channel, the company posted new videos entitled 'Rise,' 'Up' and 'Us,' respectively.
The ads are a major departure from the 'Reimagined' commercial Apple has been playing since March. Each one focuses on a tentpole feature—time, fitness and communication—and demonstrates them using real-world scenarios.
Apple on Thursday night began emailing Apple Watch pre-order customers (whose orders have already shipped), informing them that their wearable would be arriving soon and that they can get help setting it up in "the comfort of their own home."
The online "Personal Setup" service is essentially a video session in which you get instructions on setting up your Watch and an overview of key features. As with in-store Personal Setups, online sessions require you to schedule an appointment.
Apple has begun notifying developers who signed up for the Apple Watch Sport lottery on the Developer Center if they have been randomly selected to make the purchase. It allows many who pay the $100 iOS Developer Program fee to bypass the long waitlist of Apple Watch orders the public is facing and get the Watch earlier.
In order to better distinguish between regular iPhone applications and those with added Apple Watch functionality, a new 'Offers Apple Watch App' label is now available in the App Store across the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. It's also found when browsing Watch-compatible iOS apps in the App Store section of iTunes for Mac/Windows PCs.
When available, the label appears right below the app icon on individual app pages and in search results, making it easier to discover Apple Watch apps.
The official Twitter application for the iPhone and iPad is now showing certain apps on profile pages, as noted by Twitter user 'ryan'. It's a silent refresh on Twitter's backend, meaning no update is necessary to your existing copy of Twitter for iOS. The web interface is unaffected by this nifty little change.
For the time being, it seems that mostly applications from major publications and brands are being highlighted, including ones by The New York Times and BuzzFeed, among others. In addition to branded news apps, other notable brands include Spotify and Twitter's own Periscope.
AppleInsider reports that Apple is planning a refresh of its iPod touch later this year, citing a "source familiar with Apple's future product plans." It's not clear if the refresh will affect multiple versions of the iPod, however the report notes at least one model will be reintroduced at a time when Apple's music services are getting a revamp under Beats.
As part of a flurry of updates related to Apple Watch ahead of tomorrow's first batch of shipments, Apple on Thursday updated its TestFlight application with ability to install and beta test apps on your Apple Watch.
With today's update, iOS developers no longer must exclude the WatchKit binaries when uploading iPhone and iPad apps with WatchKit functionality to iTunes.
Apple on Thursday posted its official Apple Watch User Guide to the web, offering information and instructions on all of the wearable's major features and functions. The move follows the rollout of the Apple Watch App Store, and the seeding of the first Watch firmware update, as Apple prepares for folks to start receiving their Watch orders tomorrow.
Apple has shared with BuzzFeed that the App Store for the Apple Watch will be launching on Thursday, one day before the Apple Watch will be on the wrists of Apple fans around the world.
Update: The Watch App Store is now live.
Randy Ubillos, who created the first three versions of Adobe Premiere — the first popular digital video editing application — and whom Apple hired away from Macromedia to lead Final Cut Pro development, announced on Twitter this morning that he's ready to jettison from the mothership.
He was Apple's Chief Architect of all Photo and Video Applications across the company. He lead Aperture and Final Cut Pro development and was instrumental in bringing iMovie and iPhoto to the iPhone and iPad.
“After an amazing 20 years working on Apple products, today is my last day,” the tweet reads. “I look forward to retirement and the adventures ahead,” he added. His departure comes just 24 hours after Apple's senior PR director Natatlie Kerris announced, also on Twitter, her retirement to spend more time with her family.
Hours Time Tracking, a beautifully designed time-tracking app by Apple Design Award winner Tapity that debuted on the App Store in the summer of 2014, has gone temporarily free in the App Store to celebrate the launch of Hours Time Tracking for Apple Watch.
A bona fide Apple Watch extension provided inside the refreshed iPhone app will be unlocked as soon as you get your hands on the Apple Watch, giving you access to oft-used features like starting, stopping and switching your timers, adjusting start and end times, a Glance overview of your current running timer and more.