Sonny Dickson this evening posted posted a log and video of a never before seen in public version of pre-iPhone era software that was built as an alternative OS to what eventually became iOS. The OS, which was devised in the iPod’s heyday, was based on a virtual click-wheel that was put on the touch display. A set of menus is navigated with the touch much like one would using an iPod of the time....

Apple today started inviting its retail employees to participate in testing macOS 10.12, the latest version of Apple’s Mac operating system unveiled earlier this week during a press event at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. An excerpt from Apple’s memo to employees below: Apple notes that employees aren’t required to participate in the test and that the process is voluntary and “not an expectation of your job”. Testing for the retail seed program is done on an employee’s personal computer....

Apple is one of ten tech giants to once again call on the US Government not to reauthorize the Patriot Act in its current form. The Act expires on 1st June unless it is renewed by Congress. Apple was joined by AOL, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo. In an open letter to President Obama, NSA Director Admiral Rogers and other prominent government figures, the companies urge Congress to end the bulk collection of communications metadata–the logs that determine how and when ordinary citizens contact each other....

One of the more interesting news items of 2018 was Apple discontinuing the AirPort lineup. From the first Airport product to the last final AirPort Extreme, Apple was selling premium Wi-Fi hardware devices at a time when most people I knew were content with a $30 router from Walmart. Since they released their final AirPort product, the market has finally shifted up. As end-users are starting to load their home networks with more than a single laptop and a few smartphones, people have realized that having a high-quality router (with whole house coverage) is not a luxury....

Apple is expanding the collection of Remix Sessions available in its GarageBand app for iOS and iPadOS. The company announced via a press release that two new Remix Sessions are launching today from Katy Perry and K-pop supergroup SEVENTEEN. Apple explains: These new Remix Sessions are available as a free download via the GarageBand Sound Library. Here, you can also find a wide variety of free loops, sounds, and instruments that can help you “mix and match and take the original songs in an all-new direction....

Apple is hiring dozens of talented people on a daily basis, but this one deserves your attention. Jan-Michael Cart, a mass media arts student from Georgia, is the brains behind a bunch of very insightful iOS interface concepts you’ve likely seen on the web, as noted by iPhoneinCanada.ca. This includes the notification center and application switcher mockup videos below. As Apple is always on the lookout for young blood, Cart’s work caught the company’s attention and they decided to hire him as an intern, he announced in a blog post:...

There are several reports today on Apple’s ongoing court cases with Samsung and Motorola. First, we have the latest on the United States case between Apple and Google’s Motorola Mobility with Reuters reporting on a “crucial hearing” scheduled for today: The last time we reported on this Apple/Samsung Galaxy case in the U.S., Apple was forced to request a separate hearing for a ban on the Galaxy S III. A trial date for Apple’s previous injunction requests for the Galaxy line is set for July 30....

The US Patent & Trademark Office today published a new Apple patent application (via PatentlyApple) that details a flexible material that could be used as a hinge to create a seamless enclosure for devices like the MacBook, for example. Apple details a technical process of using specialized machinery to laser cut “flex apertures” and interlocking features in a rigid material to allow it to bend and function as a hinge. On top of creating a seamless enclosure, Apple claims the process would allow it to reduce the size of devices that are often increased due to traditional hinge solutions....

It took almost five years, but Apple Japan has finally agreed to replace first-generation iPod nano players in the event of their overheating. (Video above is a few years old).This applies only in Japan, where, under pressure from local government, Apple has confirmed “very rare cases of overheating” in the battery of iPod nanos sold between Sep 2005 and Dec 2006. The company has published a note to its website admitting the problem....

Apple has acquired a startup in the UK that develops technology designed to improve smartphone photography. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple has acquired Spectral Edge for an undisclosed sum. Spectral Edge uses machine learning to “make smartphone pictures crisper, with more accurate colors.” This works primarily by taking an infrared image and blending it with a standard photo. “Spectral Edge combines patented Image Fusion tech with Deep Learning to reveal more of the color, detail and clarity in any image,” the company explained in its pitch....

What was to become the world’s most successful chain of retail stores – generating more revenue per square foot than even luxury stores like Harrods and Tiffany & Co. – might have been opened as long ago as 1976, if Apple had agreed a proposal made by Silicon Valley marketing guru Regis McKenna. CNET reports that he made the proposal in December 1976, after meeting with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak....

In an update posted to the program’s website this week, Apple and Stanford University announced that they are no longer accepting new participants to its Heart Study. Apple first announced and launched its Apple Heart Study in November of 2017… While Apple and Stanford have closed the Heart Study to new participants, that doesn’t mean the actual program is closed. Those participants already in the program will continue to participate until the end, which is currently slated as January 31st, 2019....

We’re just two weeks from the start of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Ahead of June 6, Apple has now confirmed the schedule for WWDC 2022, with full details on the opening day keynote, the Apple Design Awards, and the State of the Union. Head below for the details. WWDC 2022 schedule Here is the full schedule for WWDC 2022 according to Apple: Apple Keynote June 6, 10 a.m. PDTWWDC22 launches with a first look at groundbreaking updates coming to Apple platforms later this year....

Earlier this year, it was reported that Apple had dismissed over 200 staff members from its Project Titan self-driving vehicle department. Now, in a new filing with the California Employment Development Department, Apple has offered more detail on those layoffs. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Apple’s filings indicate that the majority of affected positions are engineering roles. The layoffs include 38 engineering program managers, 33 hardware engineers, 31 product design engineers, and 22 software engineers....

As we reported last night, Apple this afternoon confirmed that the SIM-free iPhones the company is selling via its stores in the UK, France and Canada are being sold truly unlocked and can be used with your choice of provider, including providers outside of the country in which your iPhone is purchased. Does iPhone work with any SIM card or carrier worldwide? iPhone 3GS works with SIM cards and iPhone 4 works with micro-SIM cards from compatible carriers, including prepaid cards....

Following an overwhelming launch day for the iPhone 4S in China plagued by massive crowds of scalpers, Apple suspended in-store sales of the device to walk-in customers and employed a lottery system for reservations that did not operate on a first-come-first-serve basis. Customers also had to bring government-issued ID when picking up their device. Apple confirmed on its website it will be doing the same for the new iPad launch with reservations beginning the morning of March 15 and pick ups available March 16 at the IFC Mall store in Hong Kong....

Ahead of its grand opening on June 29th, new details about Apple’s Cotai Central retail store paint the picture of a striking design never before seen in an Apple store. Apple Cotai Central is the second Apple store in the Chinese district of Macau, and the first with a prominent view of the Cotai Strip, a bustling stretch of the city lined with luxury hotels, casinos, and other retailers. The store headlines “phase four” of the Sands Cotai Central resort....

Some iPhone 14 Pro pre-orders delayed Most years, Apple is conservative with shipping estimates for new iPhones. We almost never hear of situations where the company promised a shopper launch day delivery but then delays that delivery after the fact. What’s more common is that Apple quotes buyers a later delivery, then beats that estimates. This year, however, the iPhone 14 launch has been a bit rocky. On pre-order day last week, the Apple Store Online and Apple Store app both faced major outages as customers rushed to order the new devices....

Apple’s Vice President of Human Interface Design Alan Dye is no stranger to giving interviews about the Apple Watch and what goes into what shapes the software experience. Dye’s latest Apple Watch conversation can be heard on the Hodinkee Radio podcast where he discusses how Apple Watch faces are designed and much more. From Hodinkee’s episode description: Read More: Apple actually set things on fire to create those gorgeous new Watch faces [Video] Apple’s human interface chief on the obsessive details you’ll never notice in your Apple Watch New interview with Kevin Lynch reveals more Watch details, early prototypes used timeline UI

It was reported last week that Apple was dropping a copyright lawsuit against Corellium, a company that sells virtual iOS devices. However, the case seems to have had a turnaround as Apple on Tuesday filed a notice of appeal in this case. The news comes from Reuters, which claims that the notice of appeal was filed today with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. This follows an initial settlement between Apple and Corellium that happened earlier this month, so it’s unclear why Apple is now sending a notice of appeal in court regarding the same case....