Category: Apple

While iOS 12 is on the horizon for 2018, attention is already starting to turn to iOS 13 which is slated for 2019.  That attention is being fueled by rumors about the update coming in 2019 and it looks like it is going to be heavily focused on the iPad.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman tweeted on Friday about some of the things that we can expect in “Yukon”, the codename for iOS 13.

Somewhat. iOS 13 “Yukon” will have a big iPad-focused feature upgrade as well, including an updated Files app. some other things in the works are tabs in apps like in MacOS, same app side by side, Apple Pencil stuff. The home screen redesign is iPad focused.

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 4, 2018

While the tweet and rumors are still somewhat generic in nature, it does align with previous rumors that there would be a heavy focus on the iPad in v13.

Apple is upping its game with Apple News according to a report in Digiday.  According to the report, Apple is signing deals with content providers to provide exclusive content to users of the app on their iPhones and iPads.  That content could prove to be only available for Apple News or, as with BuzzFeed News last month, will be exclusive and first on Apple’s service temporarily.

Last month, BuzzFeed News released a three-part series Future History: 1968 with the company confirming that Apple paid to have the exclusive rights to have first views of that series on their news app.

Following up the release of the third beta of iOS 11.4, Apple has also released a third, and likely final, beta build of MacOS 10.13.5 to beta testers.  The Apple Beta Program is open to anyone with an eligible device and you can sign up if you want at this site.  Remember, it is beta software so you may find the odd bug or behavior as final testing is done.

Much like the iOS 3rd beta, the MacOS 10.13.5 3rd beta more or less is a polishing and bug crushing exercise.  There aren’t any new features of note other than those which are already known about, namely Messages in iCloud and AirPlay 2.

Less than a month after the second beta for iOS 11.4, a new build is now rolling out to testers in the Apple Beta Program.  The update has all of the appearances of a bug fixing exercise as no new features have been noted by the beta testing community to this point.

If you want to test in the Beta program, you can register your device here.  Keep in mind that your device has to be able to run iOS 11 to register into the program.

As most readers will know, there are two significant features expected to arrive when 11.4 is finally released to the public:  Messages in iCloud and AirPlay 2.

Apple Pay has had another wave of banks here in the United States, adding 26 banks and financial institutions to the list of supporting institutions.  The additions are mostly smaller regional banks as Apple continues to push the adoption of the tap-to-pay service both here in the United States as well as in Europe and Asia.

For the US, here are a few of the new financial institutions that now support Apple Pay:

• Canandaigua National Bank & Trust
• Chesapeake Bank
• Citizens National Bank (TX)
• Classic Bank
• Dowell Federal Credit Union
• Embarrass Vermillion Federal Credit Union

The team over at 9to5Mac have put together a full list of the banks supported.

The short of it is, Apple Podcasts are doing well.  The service, which launched way back in 2005 as a part of iTunes, has slowly been building both content and users of the now independent app for iPhone and iOS.  Now, according to a report from Fast Company, the Cupertino company has now seen some 50 billion all time downloads on the service.

In all, there are some 18.5 million podcast episodes available for download in Apple Podcasts with over 100 languages supported in those episodes.  It is a staggering number on the whole and is a proof point that Apple has positioned itself well as being the go-to place to find a podcast on virtually any subject out there.