Apple

Apple releases Education Starter Guides for iPad

Integrating the iPad into curriculum just got easier as Apple yesterday released a collection of guidebooks on the iBooks Store that its educational teams designed to help educators learn how to use iPads and first-party apps in the classroom. The new Education Starter Guides for iPad series consist of six interactive guidebooks with photos and videos.

Created and published published by Apple's in-house Education team, the new e-books are promoted in an email blast to iTunes U users and on the Education section of the iBooks Store.

Apple’s European iOS App Development Center opening at University of Naples in October

We learned in January that Apple would be opening its first European iOS App Development Center in Italy and now German website Macerkopf.de notes that the Università di Napoli Federico II in Naples has officially confirmed partnering with Apple on the initiative.

Beginning in October 2016, the upcoming iOS App Development Center will let Naples university students take part in a nine month curriculum which was designed by Apple itself.

Facebook Messenger starts testing end-to-end encryption with Secret Conversations

The Guardian reported more than a month ago that Facebook would be rolling out end-to-end encryption for chats in Messenger. Friday, the social networking firm announced that it's begun testing the new feature, dubbed Secret Conversations.

An opt-in feature, the new option within the mobile Messenger app for iOS and Android was designed to better support conversations about sensitive topics with end-to-end encryption.

Apple’s free app of the week: Loopimal

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the app Loopimal by Yatatoy. This means that for the next 7 days, you'll be able to pick up the critically acclaimed children's title for both iPhone and iPad for free—a solid savings of $3.

Loopimal is essentially a building kit of handcrafted animations and sounds that teaches kids about music. The graphics are both sharp and charming, and the rhythmic/melodic content makes for endless possibilities of creations and compositions.

Check out system requirements for Auto Unlock to see if your Mac is supported

Some features of Apple's operating systems are hardware-dependent, for one reason or another. iOS 10 and macOS Sierra are no exceptions. For example, Raise to Wake on iOS 10 requires devices with Apple's embedded M9 motion coprocessor, currently found in the iPhone 6s/Plus and iPhone SE.

Following our preview of Auto Unlock, we noticed that commenters are wondering if this feature requires any special hardware so here are Apple's official system requirements for Auto Unlock.

Public betas for iOS 10 and macOS Sierra now available

Apple on Thursday seeded public betas for both iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. The releases, which come just a few days after beta 2 of both software updates pushed out to developers, can be downloaded by members of Apple's Beta Software Program.

iOS 10 brings about a number of changes, including a refreshed Messages app with tons of new features, enhanced notifications, Spotlight widgets, and much more. There aren't quite as many changes in macOS Sierra, but it compliments iOS 10 nicely.

Amazon’s Audible launches Channels, $4.95 per month podcast subscription

Who wants to pay for podcasts? Thought so... Well, Amazon thinks people will have no issues whatsoever paying for short-form audio shows so it's introducing a new Channels thing through its Audible service, which hosts the largest selection of digital audiobooks on the web.

According to Bloomberg, Channels will host premium shows like Scientific American, The Onion and the WSJ, plus a bunch of own originals like Mortal City, Presidents Are People Too and Breasts Unbound.

iOS 10 and macOS Sierra launching for public beta testing today

Apple will be releasing iOS 10 and macOS Sierra betas to public beta testers who enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program, The Verge reports. iOS 10 is turning out to be much more than another release, with dozens of refinements and little things on top of headlining new features, some of which allow developers to build apps for the stock Messages, Maps and Phone apps, as well as integrate with Siri.

Apple Pay goes live in Switzerland with Visa and MasterCard support

A scene from American Express's ad for Apple Pay featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld

As rumored, Apple's mobile payment system on Thursday went live in Switzerland, its seventh country, expanding the European footprint for Apple Pay beyond the United Kingdom. The firm announced the service is available with initial support for MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards issued by Bonus Card, Corner Bank and Swiss Bankers, with additional banks and credit card issuers to be added at a later stage. Apple Pay boss, Jennifer Bailey, said the company plans to bring Apple Pay to every major market in which its products are sold.