WhatsApp's latest update, which surfaced this morning on the App Store, brings the ability to draw on photos and videos and adorn your media with text or emoji. You can also express yourself by sticking huge emojis on top of photos and videos. Users automatically see the new editing tools when capturing a new photo or video or sharing one that's already on their phone. Coming soon: support for Retina flash for the selfie camera, zooming during video capture and a shortcut for quickly switching between cameras.
News
Will iOS 10.1 release for public consumption next Tuesday, October 25?
Apple is holding a media event on October 27 to refresh Macs and we're pretty sure that the upcoming machines will run macOS Sierra 10.12.1 out of the box. Currently being beta-tested, macOS Sierra 10.12.1 includes, among other things, support for Portrait albums in Photos.
Apple is also beta-testing iOS 10.1 which, too, packs in support for a new Portrait mode on dual-camera iPhone 7 Plus models. If the Sierra update drops ahead of new Macs, so should iOS 10.1.
We believe iOS 10.1 will release for public consumption next Tuesday, October 25, two days before the Mac event, and here's why.
One-handed iPhone keyboard discovered in iOS code, invoked by edge swipes on the keys
Last night, developer Steven Troughton-Smith discovered within iOS code a previously unknown one-handed iPhone keyboard. The unused keyboard is not exposed to users. It has left and right mode, invoked by an edge swipe on the keys, and has been present since at least iOS 8, Troughton-Smith said. Will Apple ever enable it for users?
Apple Maps transit directions live for iOS 10.1 beta users in Japan ahead of launch
Apple is currently beta-testing the first major update to iOS 10 since its public release last month. Aside from a Portrait shooting mode for iPhone 7 Plus owners and a new toggle in Settings to allow Messages animations when Reduce Motion is enabled, the software update should bring official support for transit directions in Japan within the stock Maps application, Japanese blog Ata Distance said today.
Jamf and UC San Diego Health to create a better hospital stay using iPad & Apple TV
Apple device management firm Jamf yesterday announced an interesting collaboration with UC San Diego Health that strives to equip each of the 245 patient rooms inside the future Jacobs Medical Center with an iPad, an Apple TV and a big screen TV to create a better hospital stay and provide a range of features to patients.
Explo-Sung case makes your iPhone look like an exploded Galaxy Note 7
I wish I thought about this: someone's actually made a case with a decal designed to make your iPhone look like an exploded Galaxy Note 7 from Samsung. Aptly named Explo-Sung iPhone Skin, it's available for all iPhones from the iPhone 5 onward. The $24.95 case is made by a company called UniqFind which happens to sell a range of skins for Mac notebooks and iOS devices on Amazon.
Will Apple call next-gen MacBook Pro’s rumored OLED strip “Magic Toolbar”?
Apple is holding a media event on October 27 to unveil new Macs. Everyone is expecting the company to announce a next-generation MacBook Pro with a rumored OLED strip that would replace the physical function keys at the top of the keyboard with programmable shortcuts which would change from one app to another. But what could Apple call that rumored OLED touch bar?
According to trademark agent Brian Conroy who was able to uncover a trademark application that a shell company quite likely filed for on behalf for Apple, the feature could be marketed as “Magic Toolbar.”
iOS 9 downgrades no longer possible as Apple stops signing iOS 9.3.5
On Tuesday, Apple pulled the plug on signing iOS 9.3.5 for its entire iOS device lineup, and since it was the last iOS 9 release since iOS 10’s launch last month, that means you can’t downgrade your firmware anymore.
It’s worth also mentioning that the signing process was also killed for iOS 10.0.1, which means anyone who tries to restore their device(s) in iTunes will be forced to install iOS 10.0.2 or later (10.0.3 is only for iPhone 7 & 7 Plus).
Google inks deal with CBS for upcoming YouTube TV service
Google has reached an agreement with CBS to carry the broadcast network on its upcoming TV service, reports The Wall Street Journal. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the deal marks the first major TV network to sign on to the service, which is expected to launch in 2017 on Google's YouTube platform.
Apple listed as exhibitor at next year’s Mobile World Congress
Apple is slated to make an appearance at the 2017 Mobile World Congress, reports MacRumors. The site points to a page (which has since been pulled) on the MWC website, which shows the company has booked exhibitor space for the event.
This is significant for a few reasons. For one, Mobile World Congress is the world's largest exhibition and conference for the mobile industry. And two, Apple's been absent from most major trade shows and conferences since the early 2000's.
macOS Sierra 10.12.1 beta 5 released to developers and public beta testers
Aside from releasing a fifth beta of iOS 10.1 with Portrait mode and other changes, Apple also seeded a fifth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.1 to its registered developers and public beta testers. The new beta arrived eight days following the previous macOS Sierra 10.12.1 beta 4 release.
macOS Sierra 10.12.1 beta 5 (build “16B2553a”) does not introduce any new outward-facing user features. The Mac software update could release for public consumption after Apple's anticipated October 27 Mac event.
Apple seeds iOS 10.1 beta 5 for iPhone 7/Plus to developers and public beta testers
Apple on Wednesday morning released a fifth beta of iOS 10.1 for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus only. The latest beta came out two days after the release of iOS 10.1 beta 4 on Monday.
iOS 10.1 beta 5 is available as an over-the-air download on an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus with a prior beta. Today's iPhone 7-focused release likely contains a cellular connectivity bug that Apple patched with an emergency update on October 17. macOS Sierra 10.12.1 beta 5 also released today.