More businesses in the EU can now use an iPhone as a PoS machine. Photo: Apple
Apple is expanding the iPhone’s Tap to Pay functionality to five additional European countries. The feature is now available in Austria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Romania, and Sweden.
The job cut affects the Apple Books team the most. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple reportedly laid off 100 employees from its services division Tuesday due to a change in priorities. The biggest job cuts hit the team that worked on the Apple Books app and the Apple Bookstore. This marks the company’s fourth round of layoffs this year.
Spotify and Epic Games CEO are not happy with Apple's latest App Store changes. Photo: Cult of Mac
Spotify and Epic Games have criticized Apple for its latest App Store fee and external linking changes in the EU. They claim Apple has again disregarded the “fundamental requirements” of the Digital Markets Act.
iOS 17 gives Apple Podcasts users a refreshed player and queue, episode art, search filters and the ability to connect subscriptions to top apps. Photo: Apple
Now you can listen to more than 100 new podcasts from various apps and services in Apple Podcasts, the company said Tuesday.
“Subscribers to Apple Music, Apple News+ and participating apps like Calm and Lingokids can connect their subscriptions to access new shows and more,” Apple noted.
Tune in July 19 for a preview of the 2023 Women's World Cup and follow each episode covering the tournament's matches. Photo: Apple News
Apple News said Monday its popular soccer podcast After the Whistle with Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe will return for a second season July 19.
While the first season saw Hunt — Coach Beard on the smash hit Apple TV+ soccer comedy Ted Lasso — and veteran sports broadcaster Lowe applying their super fandom to the Men’s World Cup tournament, the second season focuses on the 2023 Women’s World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Time to check for updates on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Following a beta period spanning over a month, Apple has released the stable build of iOS 16.5, iPadOS 16.5, and macOS Ventura 13.4 to the public. Your Apple Watch and Apple TV are also getting a new update.
Unlike iOS 16.4, the latest iOS release is not packing a ton of new features. There are a few improvements and enhancements, but otherwise, this is mostly a bug-fixing release.
Are you ready for some football? And by that we mean soccer, natch. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ and the top pro soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer (MLS), said Wednesday the MLS Season Pass subscription service showing all matches with no blackouts launches February 1, 2023.
The launch, which includes features on multiple Apple services, kicks off a 10-year partnership between Apple and MLS.
The new After the Whistle podcast covering the World Cup kicks off November 17. Photo: Apple News
An amusing audio teaser from Apple News on Monday introduced the limited podcast After the Whistle, in which Coach Beard from the Apple TV+ hit Ted Lasso — aka actor Brendan Hunt — and veteran English sportscaster Rebecca Lowe will explain everything about the world’s biggest sporting event, the World Cup, as it happens.
As you may know, the World Cup is a massive football tournament (to use the world’s sensible term for soccer). It kicks off Sunday in Qatar and will be broadcast globally. Apple News boots up the podcast on Thursday in anticipation of it.
Follow teams to get scores, schedules and news, all in Apple News. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
New in iOS 16 is the ability to follow your favorite sporting pastime with My Sports. It allows you to get the latest scores, read coverage from newspapers and magazines, see scheduled games and watch highlights.
It works across multiple apps, including Apple News, Apple TV and others. You can follow teams from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NWSL, WNBA and MLS. It also includes college football and basketball. Here’s how to set it up.
Eddy Cue wants Apple to make more money from its streaming and advertising businesses. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Services, is reportedly looking to restructure the company’s offerings to make a more significant push in streaming and advertising.
Apple’s services business has been growing rapidly over the last few years. It currently boasts more than 825 million paid subscribers.
Friday Night Baseball starts Friday on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple revealed who will call the games, and what production enhancements to expect, for its upcoming sports show, Friday Night Baseball. The new broadcast hits the field with a doubleheader Friday on Apple TV+.
Montreal and Toronto are the first Canadian cities to see support. Image: Apple
Apple News’ local coverage feature this week expanded its reach to Canada. Users in Montreal and Toronto can now enjoy local news from a number of different sources, including CTV News and Toronto Star.
Local coverage was first added to Apple News in July 2020, but growth has been slow since then. Although it has made its way to additional U.S. cities since it debuted, this is the first time the feature has landed in another country.
A three-month free trial of Apple News+ is now available to those who sign up through Cyber Monday. The promotion is much more generous than the one-month trial typically offered by Apple, but it’s only available to new users.
Once the trial has ended, subscriptions auto-renew at $9.99 per month.
Apple News expands its local coverage to Charlotte, Miami and Washington, D.C. Photo: Apple
Apple News will now offer its “local news experience” in three additional U.S. cities: Charlotte, N.C., Miami and Washington, D.C. The service’s editors curate local news, selecting coverage of topics important to communities, Apple said.
This is what you'll see when you open the App Store. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple will ask iPhone and iPad users for their permission to show personalized ads within its own apps in iOS and iPadOS 15.
A new popup appears when opening the App Store for the first time after installing one of Apple’s latest betas. It says personalized ads “help you discover apps, products and services that are relevant to you.”
It’ll cost publishers a bit less to participate in Apple News. Photo: Apple
A new Apple News Partner Program allows subscription news publications to provide their content to the Apple News app while paying a lower than usual share of the revenue coming from customers. Companies that choose to participate will have to give Apple 15% of subscription fees in the first year — half the usual amount.
This move is apparently in response to complaints from big publications about Apple’s cut.
For Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Apple will call attention to female voices that drive culture and change. Image: Apple
Apple will highlight the contributions of women to society in many ways during Women’s History Month, including suggesting relevant outstanding books, podcasts and apps. It also plans virtual Today at Apple sessions led by female creators.
Plus, there’ll be an International Women’s Day Apple Watch Activity Challenge for March 8, and there’ll be other ways of observing this day.
Biden is the new President -- and a big Apple News guy, to boot. Photo: The White House
With a new president installed, this has been a big week for the United States — and, to paraphrase Billy Madison, news app are reaping all the benefits.
According to a new report by top app analytics platform Sensor Tower, news apps in the App Store received a nice Inauguration Day bump. Three of the big winners were CNN‘s news app, aggregator News Break, and Newsmax. They respectively jumped 530, 13, and 43 spots in the App Store rankings.
The face of a man who loves his Apple News. Photo: The White House
Barack Obama, the last Democratic POTUS, was reportedly a big Apple fan. And his successor, President-elect Joe Biden, is supposedly an Apple guy as well — more specifically Apple News.
Evan Osnos, CNN’s newest contributor and author of Joe Biden: The Life, The Run, and What Matters Now, says Biden “relies on Apple News to help him get headlines from … reputable media sources.”
Sign up today to enjoy three months for free. Photo: Apple
Apple is now offering new Apple News+ subscribers an extended three-month trial. The deal is available from today through Monday, November 30, in all four countries currently supported by Apple News+.
New York Times and others are pushing back against App Store commissions. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Several major news outlets are throwing their hats into the ring with Epic Games and others in pushing back against Apple’s App Store commission.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a trade body that represents the New York Times, Washington Post, WSJ and other publishers has sent a letter to Tim Cook asking for better terms for digital subscriptions sold through the App Store.
The Wall Street Journal sees multiple benefits from being part of Apple News. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
In the wake of The New York Times quitting Apple News, the head of News Corp. says that The Wall Street Journal isn’t leaving the news service that’s built into iOS and macOS.
Winfrey and Apple have been working together for two years now. Photo: Alan Light/Flickr CC
Oprah Winfrey will be Apple News’ first ever “guest editor,” Apple said Tuesday. The role shows Apple deepening its relationship with the iconic TV host and entrepreneur.