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Fitness wearables will soon diagnose by design, not by chance
Apple has been very busy. This week, on the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, the company unveiled a 4K-ready Apple TV, three new phones and a campus and theater dedicated to late founder Steve Jobs. It also announced the Apple Watch Series 3, which sports a barometric altimeter to track your elevation, can now stream music and connect to a cellular network so you no longer need your phone for all your notifications and calls. But while those additions all sound useful, what really stuck out was a feature that has the potential to save lives.
Apple watchOS 4 comes to your wrist September 19th
It won't be too long before you can give watchOS 4 a spin -- Apple has announced that the upgrade will arrive on September 19th for all Watch models. This isn't as dramatic a release as last year's (which added on-device apps and a revamped interface), but it has more than a few tangible improvements, particularly if you're a health or fitness maven -- including a few that weren't known until now.
Take a peek at the new iOS emoji arriving later this year
If you've been not-so-patiently waiting for the 56 emoji approved by the Unicode Consortium last month to hit your iPhone . . . well, you have to wait a bit longer. But for World Emoji Day, Apple has hit us with a preview of what these emoji will look like when they finally arrive.
Watch Apple's WWDC 2017 keynote in 15 minutes
What's that? You weren't able to sit through nearly three hours of Apple news earlier today as the company kicked off this year's Worldwide Developers Conference? No worries. We've condensed all the watchOS, macOS, iOS, MacBook, iMac and iPad news into a convenient 15-minute clip. And yes, we made room for that newfangled Siri speaker, the HomePod. Sit back, relax and catch up on what you missed without sacrificing a couple hours to the task. Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!
Apple's watchOS improvements focus on fitness and Siri
Apple definitely isn't slowing down with watchOS updates now that the Apple Watch is relatively established. It's introducing watchOS 4, a big update that overhauls both the look and several key features -- including the watch face itself. To start, there's a new Siri-powered watch face that automatically displays updates based on context. You'll get traffic alerts if you're about to head out to work, for example. There are also kaleidoscope and Toy Story faces if you're feeling particularly trippy or youthful.
Watch Apple's WWDC keynote live at 1PM ET
The day has come. It's time for Apple's annual developer conference to kick off and you can watch it live from wherever you'll be at 1PM ET/10AM PT. The company is keeping with its tradition of broadcasting the WWDC opening keynote for all the world to watch via the internet and Apple TV. When the time comes, tune in here (or on your set-top box) to catch all of the news as it's announced from San Jose. Yes, if you're watching on the web, you'll have to do so with either Safari or Microsoft's Edge browser. You'll also want to keep our liveblog open in a separate window to catch commentary from the crew on the ground. And while you wait for the festivities to begin, check out what we expect to be announced later today with our WWDC 2017 preview. Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!
What to expect from Apple at WWDC 2017
As a rule, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference is predictable: New versions of iOS, macOS and watchOS are the stars of the show, and anything else is gravy. WWDC 2017, however, is shaping up to be different. Although there hasn't been much talk about what the new software will entail, the rumor mill has kicked into high gear with word of new Macs, new iPads and even a smart speaker. All told, operating systems may actually be the least exciting part of Apple's keynote. But which products are likely to steal the spotlight, and which ones are just wishful thinking? That's what we're here to sort out.
Apple just bought a popular sleep tracker
Those rumors of Apple Watch sleep tracking just got more tangible. Apple has acquired Beddit, a company whose business revolves around a sleep monitoring device as well as companion iOS and Watch apps. The fate of Beddit's products isn't clear (we've reached out to both Apple and Beddit), but they're surviving for now -- the only difference is that you're now subject to Apple's privacy policy instead of Beddit's own. Neither side has discussed future plans, but the implications are clear.
Apple Watch apps for Amazon, eBay and Google Maps disappear (updated)
Have you noticed a few apps disappearing from your Apple Watch? It's not just your imagination. AppleInsider has learned that the Amazon, eBay and Google Maps iOS apps no longer include versions for Apple's smartwatch. The first two appear to have lost Apple Watch support in just the past few days, while Google's software scrubbed Watch support in the past few weeks. However, the disappearances raise more questions than they answer. Why didn't most people notice? And is this a sign the Apple Watch is in trouble, or is this more a reflection of a maturing smartwatch landscape?
Apple Watch will dim its bright lights in Theater Mode
When Apple's upcoming watchOS 3.2 update lands, Cupertino's hottest wristwear will finally add a Theater Mode that will allow courteous users to avoid bothering the folks around them. Android users will note that the competition over at Android Wear already has a Theater Mode feature, but Apple's implementation is (as always) slightly different.
Apple pulls down Watch update that bricked Series 2 devices
You can no longer download the latest update for Apple Watch, and that could be a good thing if you have a Series 2 device. Cupertino has pulled down watchOS 3.1.1 after it bricked several Series 2 watches, displaying a red exclamation mark on their screens along with a URL to the company's support page for the wearable. The website doesn't address the current issue, but it does have instructions on what to do in case your watch freezes.
Apple rolls out updates for the Watch and Mac
Apple launched updates on Monday for the Watch and Mac, mostly focused on squashing some bugs in each of the systems. The macOS Sierra 10.12.1 update adds an automatic smart album just for iPhone 7 Plus Depth Effect images, improves the security of Safari, fixes a glitch that caused text to paste incorrectly via Universal Clipboard, and improves the reliability of Auto Unlock with the Apple Watch. The macOS update also improves the compatibility of Microsoft Office with iCloud Desktop and Documents, and fixes an issue with Microsoft Exchange accounts preventing Mail from updating.
Apple brings watchOS 3 to your wrist on September 13th
You won't have to pick up Apple Watch Series 2 to see a tangible improvement to your wristwear -- Apple has revealed that its watchOS 3 update will reach original Apple Watch models on September 13th. As promised, speed is the focus. The new watchOS holds favorite apps in memory to shrink loading times, and the side button now gives you fast access to those faves instead of bringing up the (frankly, seldom used) contact wheel. And if you'll recall, this is just the start. There are quite a few interface and fitness tweaks that should make your first-run smartwatch feel fresh.
What we expect from Apple's big iPhone event
Apple is holding a big press event next week, and it's a pretty safe assumption at this point that we're getting a new iPhone. We're not expecting a radical reimagining of the device, but there might be a few surprises here (like no headphone jack!) to keep people on their toes. Will we see a new Apple Watch? Maybe. New MacBook Pros? Probably not. A play to repay $14.5 billion in back taxes? Keep dreaming. Watch the video above for all the latest on the Apple rumor mill.
What to expect from Apple's 'See You' iPhone event
It's that time of year again. It's the end of summer, and Apple is once again on the cusp of introducing a new iPhone. Only this year, there's a different buzz. There's been talk of Cupertino playing it relatively safe with a new smartphone for the second year in a row or even taking away the time-honored headphone jack. What's the deal with that? And of course, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. The Apple Watch is getting long in the tooth, new versions of iOS and macOS are nearly ready... and as many will tell you, large swaths of Apple's iPad and Mac lineups are gathering dust. But just what are you going to see when Tim Cook and company take the stage? We've rounded up some of the more plausible leaks, rumors and educated guesses to help set expectations for Apple's September 7th media extravaganza.
Control Nest thermostats with your Apple Watch
The whole idea behind Nest's smart thermostats is ease of use. And now in case you'd rather not fish your iPhone out of your pocket (or go on a hunt through the couch cushions for it), the smart home gadgets are controllable with an Apple Watch. The update seems pretty straightforward, right? That's because it is. Assuming your Watch hasn't run out of battery or your Nest gizmo works at all, of course.
Square Enix's 'Cosmos Rings' is an RPG for your Apple Watch
After pulling installments of the Chaos Rings series from the App Store and then filing a trademark for a game called Cosmos Rings in Europe, Square Enix turned some heads. Now the publishing giant is bringing us an interesting new release: an RPG exclusively for the Apple Watch. Unsurprisingly, it's called Cosmos Rings.
Watch Apple's WWDC 2016 keynote in 15 minutes
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}In typical Apple fashion, yesterday's WWDC keynote kicked off the annual developer's conference with a two-hour slate of software-focused announcements. While you may want to go back and relive all of the news, you probably don't have that amount of free time to dedicate to the task. Fret not, friends: we've condensed the chatter about all four of Apple's OSes down to a 15-minute affair, easily digested over your coffee break. There's talk of watchOS improvements, what's new for Apple TV, a massive overhaul of iOS and the move from OS X to macOS. For more detailed info on what went down, consult all of our WWDC 2016 coverage right here.
What happened at WWDC 2016?
Need a quick recap on all the news from WWDC 2016? Our own Dana Wollman and Chris Velazco were on the scene and are ready to run through all the news about macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS and any other platforms Apple may have introduced. Most of these changes won't hit your devices until the fall, but this way it will only take a few minutes to get familiar with all the new features immediately.
Apple's new file system revolves around encryption
One of Apple's quietest announcements at WWDC might also be its most important. The company has introduced a brand new file system, simply called Apple File System (APFS) that makes security its centerpiece. It offers a unified encryption method for virtually every device Apple makes, ranging from the Apple Watch to the Mac. That includes multikey encryption, which makes it tough to crack even if you have physical access to the storage. In short, the FBI won't be happy: Encryption is now a core part of the operating system, not just something bolted on after the fact.
