When the Apple Watch was launched it supported third-party apps however, those could only work as long as you were connected to your iPhone. watchOS 2 will now bring native apps to the Apple Watch along with many other refinements, performance improvements and features.

watchOS 2 includes 3 new types of watch faces: Photo, Photo Album and Time-lapse. With the new update even App Store developers will be able to add support for complications.

Time Travel allows you to turn the Digital Crown to view complications (events, weather, car charge etc.) as it would change in future or see how it was in the past.

All new Nightstand mode is a very handy feature which is activated when you charge your Apple Watch. The display comes illuminates when you touch the screen, digital crown or the side button. You can even turn off the alarm by pressing the side button or press the Digital Crown to snooze.

Native apps on Apple Watch will bring better performance and even more capabilities. Third-party developers will now be able to use the taptic engine, digital crown, accelerometer, heart rate sensor, speaker and microphone to create unique experiences.

Apple’s built-in apps have also been updated in watchOS 2. Mail app can now be used to reply to emails by either dictating, sending an emoji or selecting relevant preset replies.

With the new update adding more friends has become easier. The Apple Watch now allows you to add multiple Friends screens, each of which can hold upto 12 contacts.

Sending hand-drawn messages to friends who also have an Apple Watch has become more colourful. The new update makes it possible to use different colors to sketch your message.

Just like in iOS 9 Maps app received new transit feature, watchOS 2 also includes Transit navigation. Apple Pay on Apple Watch has gained support for loyalty and reward cards.

Lastly, Apple has brought activation lock to the Apple Watch. In order to activate your watch in case it gets lost or stolen the watch will prompt you to enter your iCloud Apple ID and password.

watchOS 2 brings many new features to the Apple Watch. Some of the biggest enhancements include native apps, third-party complications, and activation lock. The update will be available for free for all Apple Watch users this fall.

Beta software updates are available only to registered developers. The build number of the beta update released today is 12D5480a. Xcode 6.2 beta 5 with Watchkit was also made available today.

iOS 8.2 enables Watchkit features for developers. During its Q1 2015 earnings report Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced that the company is on track to ship Apple Watch in April. Developers are busy developing apps for Apple’s upcoming smart watch, adding glances and notifications for their existing iPhone apps.

Apple Watch will work only with an iPhone as it relies on its bluetooth connection to process information. Developers  are beginning to showcase some examples of AppleWatch apps they are working on. The smart watch could be a great way to unlock your car, check To-Do lists or even collect gold and elixir resources from Clash of Clans.

Apple hasn’t revealed battery life of the upcoming device however, it is obvious that it will vary depending on how often you use the device. Apple has hinted that it is possible to get a full days worth of use without charging in some use case scenarios.

According to a rumour Apple has asked one of its Apple Pay partners to have their app ready by mid-February. The company will be looking for a successful launch of its smart watch with major apps available for its new product category on launch day.

Are you excited about Apple Watch? Which apps would you like to see on launch day? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

During the special keynote event yesterday Apple announced all new versions of their productivity and creativity apps for Mac and iOS. All new versions of iWork and iLife which includes Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iPhoto, iMovie and Garage Band are now free with purchase of new Mac or iOS device. These updates are also free for existing users who purchased the older versions.

I own a Mid 2010 27-inch iMac which has been serving me well all these years. OS X Mavericks the tenth major software release for the Mac was also made available for free to iMac models dating back to 2007. After multiple failed attempts to download the software update due to Apple’s sever overload and then finally succeeding I was able to install OS X Mavericks.

After installing the new software update when I launched the Mac App Store to download other software updates I noticed Keynote as one of the app among other apps listed that had available updates. Now, this was interesting to me as I never purchased Keynote app for the Mac.

When I purchased the Mac I downloaded trial version of iWork (Apple did not have Mac App Store back then) and then later purchased only Pages and Numbers app as a digital download. Keynote app was still installed but never worked as the trial had expired.

After installing Mavericks I noticed under the “Purchases” tab it listed Keynote app with a purchase date of today. After the app was updated I launched it and it worked flawlessly.

In the past I’ve got lucky even with iCloud. Just when rumours about Apple announcing a cloud based service reached an all time high I registered for a free trial of MobileMe service. Since the trial was for 60 days and within a weeks time Apple announced iCloud I got extended storage of 25GB for one year without ever paying for the old MobileMe service.

iWork apps are also available on iCloud as web apps and now feature collaboration. The shift in Apple’s pricing strategy by listing its creative and productive suite of apps as free would certainly help in more customers experimenting with these apps and thus increasing its usage worldwide.

Apple’s iPad media event has just gone live. The company will be providing a live video coverage of the new iPad keynote event. The event is being held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, will take the stage to announce new product launches and updates for this year before we enter the holiday season. The email invite sent out to the media suggests that the company will “cover” many product announcements.

Rumors and reports published in the past provide enough evidence to expect new iPad 5 (fifth gen) and second gen iPad mini. We could also get new Haswell MacBook Pro models, final release of Mac OS X Mavericks, new iLife and iWork software updates and more.

iPad 5 is widely expected to feature a thinner and lighter design inspired by the advancements made with iPad mini. Hardware specifications are expected to include new 64-bit A7 chip, improved camera and possibly new Touch ID sensor.

There have been many conflicts reports about a second gen iPad mini with retina display. It is unclear if Apple will introduce the new smaller iPad with a high resolution display.

During WWDC Apple showcased a sneak peek at the new Mac Pro. Apple could use today’s event to announce shipping date for the high end Mac for the professionals.

This year Apple is offering a live video feed of the iPad launch event. Live video stream of the event is available on Apple’s website. In order to view live video streaming of the October iPad event you’d require Safari 4 or later on OS X v10.6 or later, Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 5.0.2 or later.

The next big mobile software update iOS 7 could release on September 10th according to an email sent by Nuance to its developers. Nuance is the company behind voice recognition and dictation on the iPhone. On Monday, the company sent an email to developers using its API to prepare for the General Availability of iOS 7.

Apple does release upcoming software updates to its partners ahead of release date however, its partners knowing the software roll out plans for general public is something that is unheard of.

In the past, Apple has released the Golden Master version of the operating system  to developers on the same day it announces next-gen iPhone. Giving enough time to developers to fine tune their apps before the update is made available to all before the launch of new iPhone.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are expected to be announced on September 10th and could launch to the first set of countries by September 20th with pre-booking going live about 3-4 days in advance.

iOS 7 is the biggest update since the original iPhone OS. The new update offers a completely new look to iOS devices. With the all-new control centre, multitasking and new gestures the new version of iOS will redefine Apple’s smartphones and tablets.

While iOS 7 may “shock” those who have grown to love the skeuomorphic design language of the existing iOS, overall iOS 7 makes things appear simpler and passing on the focus to the content rather than design ornamentation.

{via TheNextWeb}

Apple’s WWDC 2013 keynote event will go live today at the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, will kick off the event with a keynote presentation at 10 AM Pacific Time.

At this years Worldwide Developers Conference Apple will unveil iOS 7 and the next major release for OS X. A live video stream of the keynote event will be available at Apple’s website and requires Safari 4 or later on Mac OS X v10.6 or later; Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. The company has added a new section for streaming via Apple TV and requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 5.0.2 or later to stream the event.

iOS 7 will be the first release that has been developed under the leadership of Jony Ive, SVP of Industrial Design, as Apple fired Scott Forstall allegedly over Apple maps fiasco and an internal divide over the skeuomorphic design elements. In addition to a redesign iOS 7 is expected to open new API’s for developers giving more control over features and could also introduce AirDrop for iOS to make sharing between iOS devices easier.

No details have been available about what’s new in OS X. Apple usually previews new version of OS X earlier in the year however, it is believed that the company had to pull engineers from OS X team to work on iOS 7.

Banners for iOS 7 and OS X suggest a clean and flat design for the upcoming update. Apple is expected to release the software updates later this fall. Apple’s online store is down at the time of writing which suggests that the rumors about possible MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models could turn out to be true.

What are your expectations from this years keynote event? Let us know what you think in the comments section. To watch the live keynote event visit Apple’s website.

On Thursday, the same day Apple released the iOS 6.1 beta to developers, the Cupertino, California based company also released iOS 6.0.1 to users of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iOS 6.0.1 addresses a host of issues with iOS and brings minor bug fixes for all iOS devices.

The update addresses an issue where in some instances, the iPhone’s camera flash would not go off, as well as an issue that prevented the iPhone from connected to a cellular network. The full list of issues that iOS 6.0.1 addresses is below:

• Fixes a bug that prevents iPhone 5 from installing software updates wirelessly over the air.
• Fixes a bug where horizontal lines may be displayed across the keyboard.
• Fixes an issue that could cause camera flash to not go off.
• Improves reliability of iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) when connected to encrypted WPA2 Wi-Fi networks.
• Resolves an issue that prevents iPhone from using the cellular network in some instances.
• Consolidated the Use Cellular Data switch for iTunes Match.
• Fixes a Passcode Lock bug which sometimes allowed access to Passbook pass details from lock screen.
• Fixes a bug affecting Exchange meetings.

According to AppleInsider, rumors about the release of iOS 6.0.1 and iOS 6.1 were noted last month. iOS 6.1 is a larger update and is expected to arrive after the holidays. However, iOS 6.0.1 is available for download now as an OTA (Over-the-air) update under Settings on any iOS device and is also available via iTunes when a device is connected.

Apple has also released an “Updater for iPhone 5” which will run on the iPhone 5 prior to installing 6.0.1 which fixes an issue preventing the device from installing updates. After running Updater, the iPhone 5 can then download and install iOS 6.0.1.

{Via AppleInsider}

Apple’s next version of OS X, Mountain Lion came out early Wednesday, adding over 200 new user features including Messages, Notification Center, Notes, and iCloud. Alongside some of the iOS like features introduced in the update, Apple also released a new feature via a firmware update in OS X 10.8 called Power Nap. PowerNap was previously announced at Apple’s WWDC 2012 and allows any Mac running the feature to receive email, update software, and syncing the calendar while the computer is sleeping.

Apple released a support document, highlighting the full abilities of OS X Mountain Lion. Full features of the update include: Syncing Mail, Calendar, Contact and Reminders as well as downloading software updates and Time Capsule backups. The Power Nap feature is currently only available on Mid-2011 Macbook Air and beyond as well as the new 2012 Retina MacBook Pro, both of which operate on SSDs (Solid State Drive).

Flash storage is a requirement for the feature as it can operate faster and more efficiently, using less power. The update was brought to 2011 MacBook Air via a firmware update and is expected to appear on the Retina MacBook Pro, likely through another firmware update.

{via MacRumors}

“This incident raises questions about whether Apple’s iOS app developer policies and practices may fall short when it comes to protecting the information of iPhone users and their contacts.”

Butterfield and Waxman then quote parts of Apple’s iOS developer website which states that Apple provides a comprehensive collection of tools and frameworks for storing, accessing and sharing data. It is then questioned whether Apple requires apps to request user permission before transmitting data about a user.”

As soon as the Congressmen reached out to Tim Cook, Apple responded with a reply, that the issue will be addressed through a iOS update very soon, likely iOS 5.1.

“Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told AllThingsD. “We’re working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release.”

Apple has been releasing iOS 5.1 beta software updates for quite some time now, but has not yet released to the public. It is likely that Apple is planning to release the iOS 5.1 update alongside the rumored iPad 3, however, it is unclear whether iOS 5.1 will address the issue with data collection.

For those living under a rock for the last 10 years, BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing system where file transfers are completed using multiple sources – theoretically allowing faster downloads as each person must also allow the file to upload simultaneously (at least in theory). Plenty of legitimate companies use this for all sorts of things such as propagating game patches and software updates. The issue is that the protocol is also perfect for sharing file illegally and as such has received more than its fair share of negative press over the years with many ISPs throttling or even blocking the services altogether.

What’s so surprising here is that Apple has allowed IS Drive onto the App Store when they’ve previously not accepted such applications. When your stores are full of music and video it doesn’t benefit you to allow apps that facilitate the illegal downloading of said music and video!

So how did it get accepted? It’s possible that Apple’s recent relaxation of its App Store rules is to thank – other developers have had apps accepted that would previously never see the light of day such as the ones using Google Voice.

The developer behind IS Drive told TorrentFreak ‘I always had the thought that if I didn’t call the app a ‘torrent client,’ Apple would probably let it through the review process.’

A quick flick through the app’s description says this might be the case – and a day later it’s still there.

$4.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Utilities
Released:Sep 30, 2010
Version:1.5
Size: 1.3 MB
Language:English
Seller:Derek Kepner
© 2010 Derek Kepner
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iOS 4.0 or later.

If you have jailbroken your iPhone or iPad then you should not update your devices. Comex, creator of Spirit Jailbreak today updated his twitter account with the following status:

3.2.1 and 4.0.1 out. if you want an unlock, DO NOT UPDATE. No, the jailbreak is not ready yet.

The update also patches the exploit used by ultrasn0w so the update is not recommended for iPhone users who wish to keep their phone unlocked.

The updated jailbreaking tools are not available as yet.