The Guardian reports that Apple has acknowledged growing complaints that third-party repairs to the Touch ID home button of an iPhone 6 can brick the device when iOS is updated, and that it is a deliberate security feature. There have been growing reports of an ‘error 53‘ following an iOS update to an iPhone 6, leaving the phone dead. A Guardian freelancer was one of those affected. Freelance photographer and self-confessed Apple addict Antonio Olmos says this happened to his phone a few weeks ago after he upgraded his software....

As part of its keynote, Apple has officially announced new versions of its iWork suite — Pages, Keynotes and Numbers. Each of the apps have received some ‘flattening’ UI changes to match the aesthetic of OS X Yosemite. Each of the productivity apps also have other improvements, relevant to each task. In Numbers, you can now transpose tables in one step for example. Pages adds a new sidebar, with comments and other outline views....

Image via The Verge Apple just announced two new MacBook Pros while on stage at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is priced at $1,199 and $1,499, features a 1,440-by-900 display and Ivy Bridge processor, and it comes in two versions. The first has a 2.5GHz dual-core i5, 4GB of RAM, 500GB HDD, and 7-hour battery life, while the second has a 2.9GHz dual-core i7, 8GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4,000, and 750GB HDD....

Long before Eddy Cue was brought into the spotlight with his promotion to senior vice president of Internet software and service at Apple, the Duke-graduate had a major role under Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Adam Lashinsky’s Inside Apple (available January 25) profiles Cue as Apple’s “dealmaking executive.” Cue has been at Apple in several capacities over the past several years, and he has been cutting deals with music labels for iTunes, and most recently the music based services under iCloud....

Apple today launched a new MacBook & MacBook Pro service program that it says covers a small percentage of users that might experience sticky, repeated characters or unresponsive keys. Apple adds that the process “may involve the replacement of one or more keys or the whole keyboard.” Users that are experiencing any of the issues described above with their MacBook or MacBook Pro can get the servicing done free of charge through Apple stores or an Apple Authorized Service Provider....

Apple has debuted a new “Find My Certification Asst.” app today that is designed to let third-party companies test how their accessories will work with the Find My application. This comes after Apple announced at WWDC 2020 that it would open up the Find My network to third-party products for the first time. The new app was first spotted by TechCrunch and it hit the App Store on Sunday, April 4, but is not yet propagated to App Store categories or charts....

Apple Music has added a set of playlists from Lifted Research Group, a streetwear clothing brand. The company said it is thrilled to be a part of Apple Music as it gives them an opportunity to ‘share our diversity in music’. Apple Music selectively chooses brands to partner with to offer curated playlists. These playlists were previously accessible through the Browse tab in the Apple Music interface. However, since the rollout of the redesigned Browse tab, there is no direct way to view curated playlists....

Apple has updated its iCloud Status page to allow users to check if iOS Device Activation servers are active. These are the servers that allow customers to start using iOS Devices and connect them to carrier networks. We have noted activation server outages several times, and these outages could be some of the most frustrating ones for customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Additionally, Photo Journals (Apple’s iPhoto for iOS cloud photo sharing feature) has disappeared from the Status Page, but the reason is currently unclear....

Mixpanel reported that Apple had crossed the magic 50% milestone for iOS 12 at the weekend, and now Apple has released its first usage numbers which are based off visits to the App Store. Apple says 50% of all devices are running iOS 12, and 53% of devices introduced within the last four years. This four-year time span metric is new, and it means that it only counts devices launched since September 2014 (iPhone 6 and later)....

Anthem has not had the kind of launch BioWare was hoping for. Releasing to critical reviews and a lukewarm reception at best from many players, it was hardly the gaming revolution that had been promised. Now, even some of those steadfast players who stuck with Anthem’s potential are losing faith. BioWare is best known for its single player, story-driven RPGs, and so the move towards a Destiny-esque loot shooter was met with a fair few raised eyebrows....

Dataminers have discovered new details in Apex Legends that could potentially reference the Titanfall series. Apex Legends and Titanfall are both made by Respawn Entertainment and it has been confirmed that both series take place in the same universe. This also isn’t the first time that players have uncovered connections between the two series either. The current map in Apex Legends, World’s Edge, features several construction signs that have been put up by Hammond Robotics....

The city of Claremont, NC has agreed to annex the land necessary for Apple to build a third solar farm near its data center in Maiden, the Hickory Daily Record reported (via MacRumors). Apple will make an initial investment of $55 million and indirectly create 75 jobs while constructing the 17.5-megawatt farm, which will be located at 3123 Kelly Blvd. The farm won’t actually be located at the Maiden data center—or even in the city of Maiden, for that matter—though it will still be located in the same county as the other property....

Apple is again said to make a visit to the White House in the coming weeks. According to a new report from Recode, Apple is among a handful of companies who will meet with White House officials next week to discuss modernization, big data, and high-skilled immigration… The report explains that the meeting will include Apple, Google, Facebook, and other tech companies. It falls under the blanket under of the new American Technology Council, which is an effort initiated by President Trump to modernize government and citizen services and being led by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner....

Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL have all signed an open letter expressing support for the USA Freedom Act co-sponsored by Democrat Senator Patrick Leahy and Republican Representative Jim Sensenbrenner. The Act, if passed, would outlaw the NSA’s speculative bulk collection of data and allow the companies to be far more transparent about the data they are obliged to make available to the government. The companies had previously complained that gag orders forced them to issue denials that were technically true but misleading....

Apple has announced a new “TV” app for Apple TV that aggregates TV shows from video content apps. Building on universal search, the TV app unifies the TV experience into a single interface from all installed video apps. The TV shows and movies listed only show content that you can access, by looking at the apps you have installed in Apple TV. The TV app is available on iPhone, iPad and the TV for living room viewing....

Apple has today unveiled the newest Apple TV operating system, tvOS 12 at its WWDC 2018 keynote. Apple just released tvOS 11.4 at the end of last month which brought AirPlay 2 support to Apple TV via connected speakers. During today’s keynote we heard from Tim Cook that Apple’s TV business has grown 50% YoY. tvOS 12 will bring support for Dolby Atmos audio and work with the Dolby Atmos soundboard, the only sound bar to support both Dolby Atmos and Vision....

As we have mentioned in the past, Apple’s Logic Pro X flagship music production software basically never goes on sale. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get it for less than the already rock-bottom price (considering what you get here). Our Logic Pros series brings you all the best gear and most interesting techniques for Logic Pro X, but it’s Black Friday time, so let’s talk deals. The Logic Pros are: Justin Kahn and Jordan Kahn, who also front Toronto-based electronic/hip-hop group Makamachine....

In a strange turn of fate, California-based Apple is moving to trademark the famed fruity logos once used by the Beatles, following a 23-year legal dispute between the two companies. Furthermore, Apple makes specific mention of a social network in the fourteen international classifications that cover possible uses for the two logos. How can Apple, Inc. claim ownership of the Beatles’ logos in the first place, you ask. It’s because Apple Corps lost their legal rights to the Granny Smith Apple Logos as part of a 2007 settlement, PatentlyApple explains....

During Apple’s Special Event today, they used some onstage time to demo off the power of ARKit and Augmented Reality in the new iPhone 8. Apple announced that each camera on the new iPhone 8 is individually calibrated to work as best as possible within ARKit. Starting off showing a mech-style fighting game where players could start battling right on the field wherever they are. A more impressive example quickly followed up showing what AR can do in a live baseball game....

LG Display, a key Apple supplier, has announced its second consecutive quarterly loss and says that it will slash investment plans in the light of an ‘uncertain outlook’ in the mobile market … Reuters reports that the company lost around $200M, and plans a dramatic cut in spending. One of the key issues for LG has been that it was slow to make the shift from LCD to OLED production. It reportedly then hit quality issues trying to achieve volume production of displays for this year’s iPhones....