Apple has rolled out its WWDC 2013 app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (via MacRumors) this morning as WWDC quickly approaches. Apple has promised to push out session videos much quicker this year and will be available online as well as via its WWDC 2013 app for iOS. Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference kicks off a week from today in San Francisco where we’ll be covering the event. Apple is set to preview new versions of its iOS and OS X operating systems at its keynote, which we’ll be live blogging from location, and has already promised to deliver beta releases of both operating systems to developers so they can prepare their apps for the new operating systems:...

Apple is currently running a special promotion for employees. The HomePod usually retails for $299 for customers, but Apple retail and corporate employees can pick up a HomePod right now at half price: $149.50 each to be exact. This special employee discount is not unprecedented, but uncommon. It is possible that Apple is trying to reduce inventory of the HomePod ahead of a rumored product update. Although the HomePod is widely praised for its sound quality, its high price relative to the smart speaker market has meant it has not been a mainstream success....

Apple, effective today, ended its buy a Mac, get a $100 off of a printer promotion. The promotion typically runs yearly, so we are not sure why Apple stopped it. Apple sells a few $100 printers, so they typically advertise the promotion as “Buy a Mac, get a free printer.” Although Apple is putting a stop to the program, they will continue to sell printers in their physical retail stores and online stores, according to the internal memo posted above....

We heard earlier this month that Apple VP Guy ‘Bud’ Tribble would be testifying at a Senate hearing into the possibility of federal privacy legislation – and, as expected, he has told the Senate that Apple is fully in favor of the idea … In his written testimony, Apple ‘privacy tsar‘ Tribble said privacy was a human right that should be ‘supported both by social norms and the law.’ Tribble said that this attitude was fundamental to the company’s approach....

Apple and Shazam are teaming up to build a music identification feature natively into iOS, according to a Bloomberg report. The feature will allow users to find the name and artist of a song that’s playing, likely with the option to download the song from the iTunes Store or create an new iTunes Radio station. Unlike some of Apple’s other music-releated features (such as Podcasts and iTunes U), the system will be built into the OS directly rather than require a separate download....

Apple and Stanford are launching a joint study to research irregular heart rhythms using the Apple Watch. The study was first announced back in September and kicks off today. Apple Heart Study is available to download from the App Store in the United States starting today. Apple Watch also saw the first FDA-approved accessory with an EKG reader which further advances its role in the health space. Full app description below:...

Apple today announced a brand new app called Clips that allows users to combine video clips, photos, and music with animated captions and effects into creative videos that can be shared through the usual social networks. While the functionality is very similar to video and photo editing features in apps like Instagram and Snapchat, it doesn’t appear Apple is competing directly with those apps as Clips will allow users to share directly to Facebook, Instagram, and elsewhere....

http://youtu.be/zut2NLMVL_k The Loop spotted that YouTube channel EverySteveJobsVideo has uploaded a previously-unseen video of Steve Jobs answering a question about what would be his legacy. Rather ironically, one of the statements he made – that in a few years it wouldn’t even be possible to fire up an Apple I to see what it was like – was proven wrong by the other Steve yesterday doing just that. Mercury News reports that Steve Wozniak fired-up not just one but three Apple I computers at the History San Jose centre....

Following the release of OS X 10.9.3 yesterday with improvements for driving 4K displays, Apple has updated its support document detailing the new features and what hardware is officially supported. It also outlined how to optimize Macs that support 4K displays to get the best experience. Apple notes that with Mavericks version 10.9.3 or higher, it now officially supports the following displays via DisplayPort at 30Hz using single-stream transport (SST):...

Apple and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today announced that their recent Apps for Earth campaign raised $8 million in proceeds for the organization. Apple launched the initiative in April as part of its environmental efforts surrounding Earth Day with several app developers participating by offering themed content and donating 100% of the proceeds during the campaign to WWF. Apple notes that the recent Apps for Earth campaign was its second partnership with WWF following the announcement last year that it will work with the organization to protect responsibly managed forests in China....

Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down for an extended interview with NDTV while in India this week and in it discusses the latest on Apple Pay negotiations, bringing Apple retail to India, and discussions with carriers and government officials while visiting the country. While noting several large investments Apple is announcing in India, including the opening of a new development office that will create 4,000 jobs and a new accelerator program for app developers, Cook also confirmed talks with Indian banks for Apple Pay and much more:...

On the heels of Apple revising its Q1 2019 earnings guidance, Nikkei reports today that Apple has cut iPhone production yet again. Citing supply chain partners, Nikkei says production volume for the January to March quarter of 2019 is being reduced by 10 percent. Apple has reportedly notified suppliers that it is reducing orders for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR for the January quarter. While specifics for each model are unclear, the reduction is said to be around 10 percent from what was initially planned (translated):...

Tech watchers love the horse race aspect of technology industry competition. Apple competes with Microsoft. Apple competes with Google. Apple competes with companies like HP. But Apple doesn’t see it that way. Industry titans like Microsoft, Google and HP instinctively “fill out” their product lines to dominate huge areas of technology. Microsoft, for example, wants Microsoft software running on wristwatches, supercomputers and everything in between. Google wants to offer every conceivable service that can be squeezed through an internet connection....

I don’t think IBM, Dell, Sun and HP should be sweating over ol’ Apple just yet. If you look at the numbers, Apple came in 10th place with 8700 Units sold. That’s all you need to break into the top 10?! I mean isn’t that about how many one of those crazy supercomputer setups that Virginia Tech (1100) and the Army (1500) built plus a couple of ad agencies and schools?...

From Google Docs and Zoho to LibreOffice and Corel’s WordPerfect, Microsoft does have some token competition. However, apple’s answer to the productivity suite is iWork, which we’ve seen hyped now and then as a Microsoft Office killer. In 2013, Apple began bundling Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with new Macs to gain more market share. Now, they are taking it one step further by offering the iWork suite and the iLife suite for free to all macOS and iOS users....

Apple’s strong position on privacy and encryption has been at odds with the United States government’s pressure to step up its national security efforts in the wake of recent terrorist attacks across the globe. In short, iPhones are encrypted to protect customer data from prying eyes, and law enforcement agencies believe that gives criminals a safe haven for communication that can’t be traced. The Obama administration including the former and current attorney general and FBI director have strongly voiced opposition to Apple’s position, and Tim Cook reportedly pressed the White House to back strong encryption as recently as this week....

Apple CEO Tim Cook has never commented on future, unannounced Apple products, but that doesn’t stop investors and analysts from trying every quarter. During Apple’s Q1 2020 earnings call today, Cook was again asked about Apple’s plans for 5G. Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty tried to acknowledge the obvious. “At some point in the future, Apple will launch a 5G iPhone,” she said. The actual question centered on how big a demand driver Cook thinks 5G is, and what will be the “killer app” from a consumer perspective....

With its resources from the 2014 acquisition of headphone maker Beats Electronics, Apple is prototyping a completely new set of Bluetooth earphones with the potential of launching the accessory alongside the iPhone 7 this fall. The new earphones are said to be completely wireless, which is to say that they do not even have a cable connecting the left and right ear pieces. Sources say that the headphones are similar in concept to the Motorola Hint headset (pictured above) and Bragi’s new Dash headphones that were shown at CES this week....

Apple has ordered resellers to cease all sales of Apple products and services in Crimea as of 1st February. This follows the termination of agreements with app developers in the region earlier this week. Apple states that both moves are to comply with sanctions on the Crimea region of the Ukraine imposed by the US Government. The company informed retailers of the decision by letter. The US joined the EU in imposing economic sanctions in protest at Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which legally remains part of the Ukraine....

Notice anything out of the ordinary on Apple.com today? Don’t worry, you’re not hallucinating. Sonic, Frogger, and other Apple Arcade characters have taken over Apple’s homepage. Sure, it may just be an ad for Apple’s $5/month subscription game service, but it has character. Apple’s ad-free game service debuted in September, creating a new subscription business for Apple with games developed without ads or in-app purchases. The $4.99/month service recently added a new $49....