developers - page 3

Apple seeds second beta of iOS 12.2 to devs

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iOS12
iOS 12.2 is bringing a bunch of new features to iPhone and iPad.
Photo: Apple

Apple is starting off February by serving up a fresh new beta for developers with the release of iOS 12.2 beta 2.

The new beta comes just over a week after Apple seeded the first build of iOS 12.2. That update brought Apple News support to testers in Canada, as well as new Downtime feature that lets you schedules periodically limit the number of apps you can access.

Apple’s updated App Store rules allow gifting of in-app purchases

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines to allow the gifting of in-app purchases.

Shoppers have long been able to gift apps and games, but Apple’s rules previously prohibited the purchase of in-app items for others. You probably won’t be able to gift in-app purchases in time for the holidays, however.

Apple’s historic 2018 by the numbers [Year in Review]

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Apple Year in Review 2018 By the Numbers: Some of these Apple numbers are just huge.
Some of these Apple numbers are just huge.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac Year in Review 2018: best Apple ads of 2018 2018 has been one of the best years ever for Apple. Looking at some of the company’s most popular metric shows that the numbers are up across the board (stock price excepted).

Never before have there been more developers making more money off iOS while Apple extends its ever-growing reach. Revenue hit an all-time high. And the next big thing feels like it’s just on the horizon.

Here’s Apple’s 2018 by the numbers.

How Apple Watch apps’ death spiral nearly killed my iPhone app

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Developing watch apps ain't easy
Developing watch apps ain't easy
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Two years ago, my partner and I launched an Apple Watch app to complement our iPhone fitness app. Little did we know that our embrace of Apple’s smartwatch would threaten the very existence of the gym app we’d been developing since 2012.

Each year since we launched Reps & Sets, we updated it to keep up-to-speed with all the cool new features Apple rolled out at its Worldwide Developers Conference. That all changed last year, though. That’s when we discovered that, by adding support for Apple Watch, we had inadvertently taken a poison pill that could effectively kill our iPhone app.

It doesn’t have to be this way. With a few key changes, Apple could turns things around and reinvigorate the Apple Watch app ecosystem.

Apple video continues to push devs to use app subscriptions

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s efforts to encourage developers to use in-app subscriptions continued this week with a new video published to its developer portal.

“Developer Insights” highlights the benefits of a subscription model with reoccurring payments, and features testimonials from app makers who are already enjoying a subscription model. Apple has already held meetings with developers to warn them that one-time purchases are dying.

Apple seeks hotshot editor to make Siri great again

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Apple wants to evolve Siri into a distinct, recognizable character.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Siri is about to get a huge upgrade in the way it answers users questions and searches.

In a new job listing posted today, Apple says it is seeking a writer and editor who can help evolve Siri from one of the most-criticized digital assistants into a “distinct, recognizable character.”

Apple is ignorantly killing the App Store affiliate program

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has confirmed plans to drop apps and in-app purchases from its iTunes Affiliate Program by October 1.

The company feels that commissions are no longer necessary following the launch of its redesigned App Store, which has improved app discovery. However, everyone else believes it’s an ignorant and shortsighted move that won’t be good for anyone but Apple.

Tim Cook talks taxes and failed Irish data center in new interview

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brand intimacy
Apple CEO Tim Cook likes to get close to the fans.
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

Apple CEO Tim Cook made a quick stop in Ireland this week where he promised the country he’s interested in it for more than its sweet tax rate.

The company’s relationship with Ireland has been rocky the last year. Apple scrapped plans to build a billion-dollar data center and lost its tax deal, but Cook says he’s still as committed to the country as ever.

Apple drops new betas for iOS 11.4.1 and tvOS

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Developers must support iPhone X screen iOS 11 SDK
iOS 11 is getting a little bit of love before iOS 12 comes out.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Developers received a fresh batch of beta software from Apple this morning, only it wasn’t the iOS 12 beta 2 that everyone was hoping for.

iOS 11.4.1 beta 3 was released to developers this morning, alongside a new beta for tvOS 11.4.1. Both builds bring a bunch of bug fixes to iPhone, iPad and Apple TV as Apple gets ready to move onto iOS 12 and tvOS 12.

Hey iOS devs, you might be accidentally breaking Apple’s NDA

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iOS 12
Posting iOS 12 screenshots is a big no-no.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac iOS 12 tidbits and screenshots have been flooding the web all week after Apple dropped the first betas for iOS 12 and macOS Mojave. But there’s a small problem with all that.

It turns out that posting screenshots from Apple’s unreleased software is a total violation of the NDA developers agreed to before becoming iOS developers.

macOS Mojave changes spell doom for indie Mac games

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Steamcrate game subscription offer
Apple is making life a lot harder for smaller game studios.
Photo: Cult of Mac

A big change Apple is making with macOS Mojave could make it more difficult for indie developers to build cross-platform games.

Apple is pushing game creators to drop OpenGL in favor of its own Metal API, which isn’t supported by third-party platforms. It may mean smaller game development teams are forced to choose between releasing on macOS or other operating systems.

Apple changes App Store rules following Steam Link ban

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Screens remote desktop iOS
Has Apple changed its mind about Steam Link?
Photo: Screens

Apple has updated its App Store guidelines to include new rules for remote desktop clients.

Apps can no longer display a “store-like interface” that allows users to “browse, select, or purchase software” they don’t already own, but they can allow transactions if they are processed by a host device.

The change comes just a few weeks after Steam Link for iOS was rejected by Apple because it allowed purchasing inside PC games. It’s not yet clear whether the new rules pave the way for Steam Link’s approval.

Watch Apple’s hilarious nature mockumentary about nerd herds

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Self-deprecating humor rules in the Apple WWDC 2018 video about developers.
A little self-deprecating humor goes a long way in Apple's new video.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of Mac Apple kicked off WWDC 2018 with what was perhaps the best damn video the company ever created.

Taking a page out of David Attenborough’s playbook, Apple crafted a hilarious nature mockumentary all about one of the world’s most extraordinary species — developers — making their annual journey to the great plains of WWDC.

Prepare to laugh your ass off at The Developer Migration!

Apple surprises devs with new iOS and macOS betas

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Developers must support iPhone X screen iOS 11 SDK
This is probably the last iOS 11 update.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

It’s only been a day since Apple released iOS 11.4 to the public, but the first beta for its successor is already here.

No, we’re not talking about iOS 12 beta 1 — which should come out next week. Apple dropped a surprise batch of beta builds today in the form of iOS 11.4.1, macOS 10.13.6, tvOS 11.4.1 and watchOS 4.3.1. The updates bring a bunch of bug fixes to all of Apple’s platform ahead of the grand unveiling of iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 at WWDC 2018.

WWDC app update preps you for Apple’s big event

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At WWDC 2018, Apple will show us the future of iOS and its other platforms.
As ever, WWDC was a highlight of the Apple year.
Image: Apple

WWDC 2018 is less than a week away and to prepare developers for the big event, Apple just updated its WWDC app for iPhone and iPad.

Developers and regular iOS users alike can all download the app to access information about sessions and other events that will be going down this week. The app comes with a new look too that makes videos more prominent than ever.

Apple drops big batch of betas for iOS and macOS developers

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iPhone X Product Red Wallpaper
Beware this iOS 12.1 bug.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers received a big batch of updates this morning as Apple dropped the third set of betas of its upcoming software updates for iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS.

iOS 11.4 beta 3 was made available to developers today, bringing a host of bug fixes and performance improvements to the iPhone and iPad. The new update adds a number of features that were missing from iOS 11.3 while also adding some crucial new goodies.

Apple drops second beta of iOS 11.4

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iOS 11.4 beta 1 brings back big features we saw in previous betas, including AirPlay 2, multiroom support in Home app, and Messages on iCloud.
iOS 11.4 brings back some cool new features Apple teased us with before.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers received a new batch of beta updates this morning, including the second beta build of iOS 11.4.

The new build brings a number of new features to the iPhone and iPad, including some that were pulled from iOS 11.3, like AirPlay 2 and Messages on iCloud. Apple has added a number of bug fixes and performance improvements in the new builds as it preps it for a public release.

Apple seeds first beta of iOS 11.4 to developers

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iphone x
The next big iOS beta is already here!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers received the first beta build of Apple’s new iOS 11.4 software update, bringing a ton of bug changes and performance improvements to go with a couple of new features.

iOS 11.4 beta 1 can be downloaded directly from Apple’s developer center. You can install it as an over-the-air update once you install the proper profile to your iOS device. The first beta builds of tvOS 11.4 and watchOS 4.3.1 were also released to developers this morning.

iOS 11.3 inches closer to launch with sixth beta

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iMessages in iCloud is coming in iOS 11.3.
iOS 11.3 finally brings Messages to iCloud.
Photo: Apple

The public launch of Apple’s biggest iOS update in 2018 so far might be just a few weeks away, now that developers just received another beta build for iOS 11.3.

Apple seeded iOS 11.3 beta six to developers this morning, bring a bunch of bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements to the iPhone and iPad.

watchOS 4.3 beta 3 arrives with public beta for iOS 11.3 beta 3

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apple watch
Apple Watch is dominating the market.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Members of Apple’s public beta testing program can already get in on the latest iOS 11.3 beta build that was seeded to developers yesterday.

Apple released iOS 11.3 public beta 3 today that brings a number of new features to the iPhone and iPad as well as a bunch of bug fixes. There’s also a public beta available for macOS 10.13.4 beta 3 available this morning along with the third beta of watchOS 4.3 for developers.

Apple seeds third betas of iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4

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iOS 11.3 Beta 1
iOS 11.3 adds Messages on iCloud, new animojis and more.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple developers received a fresh batch of new beta builds this morning, including the third beta of iOS 11.3, which is set to bring a host of new features and emoji to the public later this year.

Other new beta builds seeded today includes macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 beta 3 and tvOS 11.3 beta 3, both contain a number of bug fixes, under-the-hood improvements and other changes for the Mac and Apple TV.

Developers must ensure apps are optimized for iPhone X

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Guidelines
The notch isn't going away anytime soon!
Photo: Apple

Apple wants iOS developers to make sure that they are creating their new apps with the iPhone X in mind.

According to the company’s newly updated developer guidelines, all apps submitted to the App Store from April 2018 onwards must be sure to support the iPhone X’s edge-to-edge Super Retina display, as well as accommodating the still-controversial “notch.”