Tuesday, Apple has released a second beta of the forthcoming WatchOS 2 software update to its registered developers. Alongside the new beta firmware for the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch models, Apple has also released an updated version of iOS 9 Developer Preview which now carries a build number of 13A4280e.
Itching to run the latest macOS beta, but don't want to upgrade your primary Mac installation with a beta release? You'd be wise to carefully consider the prospects of running a beta release as a daily driver. That said, it is possible to run beta software on your primary machine without compromising your current installation.
By creating a small test partition on your primary drive, you can create a great landing space for the beta. Read and watch our walkthrough to see how easy it is.
Beats 1, Apple's non-stop Internet radio station hosted by celebrity DJs, has made its first appearance in latest betas of iOS 8.4 and iOS 9 which are available to developers.
The Beats 1 interface appears unfinished with many features not active yet or performing erratically. Still, I was able to use the Music app on my iPad running iOS 9 Developer Preview to access a new Radio tab and get to Beats 1. I also browsed a list of stations and even streamed select ones and heard the promotional Beats 1 broadcast.
Here are my screenshots.
The oft-rumored 12.9-inch 'iPad Pro' could feature a 2732x2048 display, according to evidence found in the first iOS 9 beta. Developers Hiraku Wang and Steve Troughton-Smith point to code in the beta that refers to a 1366x1024 device, which implies a true resolution of double that using @2x scaling.
That works out to a display area of roughly 12.93 inches and a PPI of 263, which lines up with previous reports. In January of last year, NPD DisplaySearch cited supply chain sources, saying that Apple had a tablet in development with a larger 12.9-inch display, a resolution of 2732x2048 and PPI of 265.
Last week, it was reported that cellular Continuity would be making its way to iOS 9. The first carrier to support cellular Continuity is T-Mobile, which is unsurprising; it was the first to adopt Wi-Fi calling on iPhone as well.
Cellular Continuity allows you to use the Continuity features that debuted with iOS 8, features such as the ability to answer phone calls destined for your iPhone on Macs and iPads, without needing the involved devices to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
That means that you'll be able to leave your iPhone at home, and still receive phone calls on your iPad or other valid device while away from home and connected to the Internet via cellular or Wi-Fi.
But it goes deeper than that. After testing out this new feature on the iOS 9 beta, the Continuity features appear to be truly bound at the cellular network level. In fact, I could receive phone calls on my iPad while my iPhone was completely turned off. Watch our video demonstration for more insight.
Apple on Monday seeded the sixth beta of the upcoming OS X Yosemite 10.10.4 software to both developers and public testers. The update, labeled build 14E36b, is available through the Update tab in the Mac App Store, and the Dev Center for all registered Mac developers.
OS X 10.10.4 has been in testing since mid-April, and we have yet to see it bring about any significant user-facing changes or new features. It appears that the release will be more of a maintenance update, as Apple attempts to iron out remaining bugs and other known issues.
Twitter has expanded its beta testing program to iOS, according to TechCrunch. The social network confirmed to the publication that it recently launched a new "Twitter for iOS Experiments Program," which will allow some users to test experimental features ahead of public release.
The new program works very similar to its Android sibling, which launched in 2013. Select users will receive a pop-up notification at the top of their Twitter feed in the iPhone app that asks if they would like to participate in "Experiments" to help test out bug fixes and new features.
Every time a beta is released, we always provide tutorials for those of you who may be developers, but to be honest, we know that even some of you non-developers with paid access to developer accounts will upgrade to the betas as well. Of course, that's your own decision.
But with watchOS, things are different. You really shouldn't upgrade to watchOS 2 unless you truly are a developer, or at the very least, you should thoroughly understand what you're getting in to. Why is this? We explain in this post.
One of the more significant new features in iOS 9 Apple mentioned during its keynote today is called "Low Power Mode." Similar to Power Reserve on the Apple Watch, this feature is designed to extend the battery life of your device.
First it should be noted that because of the under-the-hood improvements in iOS 9, Apple says battery life for the average user will increase by up to one hour. If you need more, Lower Power Mode gives you up to 3 additional hours.
Apple has just seeded the first beta versions of OS X El Capitan and iOS 9. Registered iOS and Mac developers can log into Developer Center to access the betas, as well as release notes and other info. Apple says iOS 9 will be compatible with the same devices as iOS 8, so devices with A5 chips and newer should work.
Apple just got done offering up a preview of the next major version of watchOS, and it has a ton of new features. Native third-party apps, support for third-party complications, new Watch Face customization options, HomeKit support and audio playback support, to name a few.
Saying that this is a major improvement over current Apple Watch software would be an understatement. So the question on everyone's mind now is: when is it going to be available? Apple says that a beta will be available to developers today, and it'll be released to the public this fall.
We are really looking forward to checking out watchOS 2.
Apple on Tuesday seeded the fourth beta of the upcoming OS X Yosemite 10.10.4 software to both developers and public testers. The update, labeled build 14E26a, is available through the Update tab in the Mac App Store, and the Dev Center for all registered Mac developers.
OS X 10.10.4 has been in testing since mid-April, and we have yet to see it bring about any significant user-facing changes or new features. It appears that the release will be more of a maintenance update, as Apple attempts to iron out remaining bugs and other known issues.