Update: Apple has added these four tour videos to its YouTube channel, as well. They are available below. In the lead-up to the retail debut of its first wearable device, Apple has launched a new website that features demo videos demonstrating the watch’s capabilities. At the moment, there are four videos available on the site, covering the Messages ap, customizable watch faces, and Digital Touch communication features. A general overview at the top of the page provides a broad look at the watch’s capabilities....

Patently Apple reports that Apple has applied for a patent related to a wearable electrocardiographic (ECG) device that could take the form of a watch, ring, brooch or similar. The reason the patent application emphasizes use on either left or right side of the body is that the patent focuses on an issue that can arise when taking readings from only one side of the body … A wearable device can be affixed to a limb of the human body such as a wrist or ankle, as an example....

Along with iOS 15.2 RC, Apple has launched support for Dutch with Siri on HomePod and HomePod mini. The move likely means Apple will officially launch the HomePod mini in the Netherlands soon. Update: Apple also added Russian support (via Demin’s Lounge) for Siri on HomePod and Siri with Apple TV with iOS 15.2 RC and tvOS 15.2 RC. And discovered by iCulture, users in Belgium can now choose “Dutch (Belgium)” or “French (Belgium)” for Siri on Apple TV with tvOS 15....

A brief report claims that Apple will be adding a Chinese NAND storage chip supplier to its roster. The company has in the past bought these chips from Toshiba, SK Hynix and Samsung, but is now said to be in talks with Yangtze Memory Technologies. The report is light on detail, but does make one interesting claim … From Reuters, citing a Nikkei report: Adding an extra supplier isn’t surprising. NAND chips are one of the components that have been in short supply globally, and Apple likes to diversify its suppliers to protect supplies and improve its negotiating power – but it’s surprising that it would devote any component to devices destined for a particular country....

As is the norm nowadays, the Apple Events channel has appeared on the Apple TV ahead of Apple’s Spring Forward event later today. From 10 AM PDT, Apple will be live streaming the entire presentation, for those not lucky enough to be there in person. A big part of today’s ‘Spring Forward’ presentation will feature more specific details about the Apple Watch. Pricing and availability will almost certainly be mentioned. Also expect several demos from app developers so Apple can demonstrate the wide range of potential this new form factor provides....

Apple is leaning on a close ally of Donald Trump to help it avoid tariffs on iPhone parts and other products. A lobbying registration form first discovered by CNBC indicates that Apple has hired Jeffery Miller to lobby on its behalf in Washington. According to the document, Apple will rely on Miller and his team to focus on “trade issues as they relate to technological goods and services.” Miller has close ties to Trump and the rest of his administration....

Apple has been hit with a $9 million by the Federal Court in Australia over the the infamous Error 53 bug that affected numerous users last year. Today’s decision comes over a year after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission levied a lawsuit against Apple over the issue… As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court explained that Apple was denying Australian customers the ability to have their devices repaired by a third-party and was not offering any remedy:...

This morning Apple debuted their 2021 holiday gift guide, and as part of the announcement they’ve also revealed a new holiday-themed gift card. This is the second holiday-themed Apple gift card that the company has made, with last year’s being a twist on the six-color Apple logo. The new cards have a red Apple logo sticker with a gift wrapping design on top of it. Apple hasn’t shipped red stickers outside of a product box in quite a long time....

Apple TV+ has been growing around the world as the platform invests in new exclusive content. However, while the release of highly anticipated movies and TV shows result in multiple new subscribers, most of them abandon the platform after a while. Based on research from Antenna provided to the Wall Street Journal, companies behind streaming services need more than just new content that gets media attention to retain subscribers. As explained by the research, streaming services receive a large number of new subscribers when a new movie or show premieres on the platform....

AOL has informed applicable users that it will be dropping support for accessing email from Apple’s iCloud service from its recently launched Alto webmail client. Alto is a web-based mail client that intelligently sorts and integrates email from services such as iCloud Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL. AOL has informed iCloud users who have logged into Alto that support for iCloud will be dropped on December 2nd: iCloud accounts will automatically be disabled in Alto on that date, but users can begin the process early by removing iCloud accounts from Alto manually....

After the unveiling of Apple Watch during the Sept. 9 iPhone launch event, Apple announced WatchKit for Apple Watch. This is a new development kit will allow developers to create interesting and exciting ways to use the Apple Watch hardware and software in their apps. WatchKit allows integration for Actionable notifications, WatchKit apps, and Glances. During the keynote, Apple demonstrated Facebook and Twitter functionality with Apple Watch along with other apps with the ability to unlock a hotel door, get transit directions, post to Pinterest, find your car, change the temperature with a Honeywell thermostat, and use Nike fitness features....

Following up on Tumblr’s own implementation of Live Photos for the web, Apple has released an official Live Photos JavaScript API. Developers will now be able to use the API to share Live Photos playback on iOS, macOS, and now the web. From Apple’s introduction: The new LivePhotosKit JS API is available on NPM with code samples shared in the new API reference. In the new documentation, Apple includes examples on how to get Live Photo assets up and running online....

The latest development in the almost decade-long battle between VirnetX and Apple could see the latter have to pay up to $1.1 billion in total damages. That’s the result of US District Judge Robert Schroeder today denying Apple’s request for a new trial along with other requests. Reported by Reuters, today’s decision by Judge Schroeder may mean the reality of Apple paying a total sum of over $1 billion to VirnetX over infringed VPN patents – something that we reported on as possible back in December....

On the heels of winning an Apple Design Award at WWDC21, the wonderful Pok Pok Playroom app for kids is getting its first update since launching in May. The all-new toy arriving today is House. Pok Pok launched with six lovely toys to encourage creative and imaginative play for kids. Here’s my conclusion after testing Pok Pok with my four-year-old ahead of the launch this spring: Today’s update with House brings another engaging, handcrafted space to play and get creative....

A new report from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today says that at least one of the new iPhones introduced in 2020 will have a smaller front-facing camera cutout, making for an improved screen to body ratio and a smaller notch. This would imply that the notch cutout on at least one of the 2020 iPhones will be significantly smaller (via MyDrivers). It’s unclear based on Kuo’s report if this design trend could extend to all of the new iPhones in 2020....

In the latest release of its iOS Security document spotted by TechCrunch, Apple offers a number of details about the function and processes of the Touch ID fingerprint recognition system offered on its iPhone 5s. The document describes the Secure Enclave, “a coprocessor fabricated in the Apple A7 chip,” which manages safely matching active fingerprints read by Touch ID against registered fingerprints saved by the user. While much of how Touch ID behaves was revealed last fall when the iPhone 5s was introduced and through experience, the white page does list more specifics than have previously been made available…...

BGR has nabbed a bunch of photos of a purported white T-Mobile USA iPhone 4 test unit. The phone looks virtually identical to the current iPhone 4 and runs a version of iOS 4. You can tell that it’s a test unit by the several field-testing settings and applications on the device. The device is obviously a prototype unit, not a production model, and that is evidenced by the prototype markings on the back of the device....

Amid the WWDC announcements last week including previewing iOS 9, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, and watchOS 2, Apple has pre-announced a small update coming to GarageBand for Mac at the end of the month. German site Apfelpage noticed the webpage that promises “new features coming June 30” above a description of additional virtual session drummers. The GarageBand site lists five new drummer styles tuned to EDM, Trap Hip Hop, Retro ’80s, Dubstep, and Boom Bap Hip Hop with demos of each new drummer style featured....

Apple has introduced a new redesigned version of Safari with macOS Monterey, which is expected to become officially available later this year. And while the company has already brought the new features to the Safari Technology Preview, Apple is now inviting macOS Big Sur and Catalina users to try Safari 15 beta before the official release this fall. Safari Technology Preview is an alternative version of Apple’s web browser focused on developers as it comes with beta features that are not yet available in the regular version of Safari....

Another Apple-1 is set to hit the auction block later this month. The Apple-1 be available through Christie’s auction house from May 16th through May 23rd, and is expected to fetch as much as $630,000. The Apple-1 being put up for auction this month is fully functional and includes additional memorabilia and an array of different accessories. It is believed to be the tenth Apple-1 made, according to an online registry....