China Daily (via ZDNet) reports that Apple has been ordered by a court to pay 730,000 Yuan ($118,000) to three Chinese authors as their books were apparently uploaded to the iTunes Store without permission. The uploads appear to have been made by third-parties rather than by Apple directly, and it’s unclear who did upload them, but the court ruled that Apple has a duty to ensure that uploads don’t breach copyright....

We’re now halfway through the workweek, and all of today’s best deals are headlined by a collection of Apple’s official MagSafe iPhone 12 cases from $40. That’s alongside the latest M1 Mac mini at $99 off and eufyCam HomeKit systems. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Apple’s official iPhone 12/Pro/Max MagSafe Cases from $40 Apple’s official silicone case wraps your iPhone 12 series device in a premium soft-touch finish that’s coated in a microfiber lining on the inside....

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Apple is honoring the day with a message on the German Apple.com homepage. Apple CEO Tim Cook has also taken to Twitter to remember the day. On its German homepage, Apple has completely removed all product mentions and advertising. Instead, it is showing an image of the Berlin Wall, with the following quote attributed to a traditional folk song:...

Apple is for the first time offering Solid State Drive (SSD) options on iMacs, bringing the number of drive configurations to four, reports MacRumors. Those with lots of movies, music and photos to store will probably still want either the standard 1Tb hard drive or the fusion drive (a 128Gb SSD acting as a buffer to the 1Tb hard drive). But those with more modest storage requirements who want to significantly boost the speed of the machine can now choose a rather pricey 256Gb or 512Gb SSD to replace the hard drive....

The program covers the Smart Keyboard for both the 9.7-inch (Early 2016) and 12.9-inch (Late 2015) iPad Pro models, and applies to keyboards experiencing certain Functional Issues, including: sticking/repeating keys, sensor issues, problems with the keyboard’s magnetic connector, connection issues, and unresponsive keys. Apple offers its Limited Warranty on the Apple Smart Keyboard like all of its hardware products, so the new policy extends that 12-months of coverage an additional two years for customers experiencing the known functional issues listed above....

In an attempt to remind their fellow Apex Legends players of how easy it is to blow a wild amount of money on loot boxes, one gamer admits to having spent $500 on Apex Packs in their pursuit of unlocking the game’s rarest item set. Apex Legends is a massively popular and incredibly well-received free-to-play battle royale game by Respawn Entertainment, the creators of the Titanfall series. The watchword here is “free-to-play,” though, and the game’s monetization scheme is designed to compensate for the title’s lack of an entry fee....

Apollo, one of most the popular Reddit clients for iOS, has just been updated with iOS 14 widgets and picture-in-picture support, which is now available for iPhone and iPod touch users. Today’s update follows the release of Apollo for Reddit version 1.9 last week with crossposting support, image flair, and more. Version 1.10 of Apollo for Reddit brings more than 10 widgets that can be added to the Home Screen of the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad with iOS 14 and iPadOS 14....

Widgets have become a mainstream hit and are only limited by the imagination of those developing them (okay and a few rules from Apple). Now a new app from Aaron Pearce called Barter brings some great functionality to the developer community to easily keep track of metrics with App Store sales widgets on iPhone and iPad. Aaron Pearce is known for making a range of useful apps focused on taking your HomeKit experience further....

In this episode of the Apple @ Work podcast, Bradley is joined by Adam Vazquez of Heard Podcasts to discuss business podcasts, why now is a great time for brands to start a podcast, and how to get started. Sponsored by iMazing: The popular iOS device manager which gives you unparalleled control over iOS and iPadOS data. Request your free trial now. https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/05/Business-podcasts.mp3 Links mentioned in this episode Heard Podcasts How to record a podcast using Zoom Why podcasts are the most important part of your content strategy Connect with Bradley Twitter LinkedIn Listen and Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS

Apple today acquired popular iOS tool Workflow, which allows users to combine the functionalities of various apps together to automate normally complex processes. According to TechCrunch, Apple finalized the deal today but financial details are not yet available. In a statement, Workflow developer Ari Weinstein said that the team is thrilled to be joining Apple and remarked on how amazing of a journey it has been going from the company’s beginnings to today:...

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtW9U1GXJRk] Apple has aired their first television commercial about the iPhone 4S and it is amazing. The commercial is about the iPhone 4S Siri voice command feature and the ad goes through a few real-world uses of the feature. Some Siri examples from the commercial: Looking up Google Maps directions (to a hospital) How to do something (tying a bow tie) Checking the weather Location-based reminders Playing music from the iPhone music application Setting up alarm clocks Sending text messages Update: Official upload from Apple hit the web, below Thanks, Russ!...

Apple has opened up iPhone Upgrade Program pre-approvals for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro lineups. This allows iPhone Upgrade Program members to get a head start on their iPhone 12 upgrade before pre-order day rolls around. Here’s how to get pre-approved for your iPhone 12 upgrade through the iPhone Upgrade Program: Open the Apple Store app on your iPhone Choose your preferred model Complete the upgrade process within the Apple Store app You can also double check your eligibility under the “For You” tab of the Apple Store app, where you should see a “Check upgrade eligibility” button....

It looks like Apple’s Developer Center is getting a visual refresh as the developer center account page has been updated today with some notable changes. The main view after signing in has gone through a reorganization, making accessing various sections much easier. Moving primary links into a left sidebar view, developer’s can now quickly access their CloudKit Dashboard, Documentation, and even the Bug Reporter. Though none of the links or resources on the visually refreshed page are considered new to developers, Apple has done a nice job of making them more prominent and easier to find....

This year’s Apple Earth Day initiatives have been announced, alongside the company reminding us of its more recent actions and commitments on the environmental front. Earth Day is an annual event on April 22, encouraging people to express their commitment to the environment through learning, volunteering, and charitable donations – and Apple always plays its own role in promoting the day … Apple says it wants to help customers “appreciate the beauty of the planet, learn about key issues, and support worthy causes....

Apple has announced that it is expanding the availability of Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager features to new locations. The expansion covers China mainland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Vietnam. With this rollout, apps in the App Store in these locations are now available for volume purchase on Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager. Apple detailed more about these changes on its developer website: You can learn more about distributing apps on Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager on Apple’s website....

As it continues to ramp up its focus on video content, Apple has recently hired a former YouTube and Spotify executive. According to a report from The Information, Apple has hired Shiva Rajaraman to work on Apple’s video and music efforts… The report explains that Rajaraman will report to Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue as Apple faces several different choices about where to take its video efforts. According to today’s report, citing two people familiar with the matter, there’s a debate going on within Apple about the direction of its videos efforts, as well as other efforts like search....

Smart bezel patents from Apple are old news, but this morning saw a new variant surface in the United States Patent & Trademark Office’s database. Patently Apple has dived deep into the document and discovered some blow-away details. Put simply, Apple is proposing a bezel that doubles as a secondary display built around a printed segmented electroluminescence technology: This opens up a whole new world of creative possibilities… For starters, the bezel running around iOS gadgets could be made touch sensitive, allowing users to tap the illuminated control to access common features such as media playback and game controls....

Apple Music came in at the top in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy survey last year. This time around, however, Apple Music has slipped to number five, being overtaken by Spotify and several others. MBLM’s Brand Intimacy studies compare apps and social platforms and measures the “emotional science” of the bonds people form with brands. Each company, platform, or service is assigned a quotient based on survey responses. Apple Music ranked top on MBLM’s list last year, but this year it has fallen to number five....

One major opportunity for Apple Music is the ability to see previously recommended playlists. The feature is so obvious that you would actually think it already exists, only to go reference an Apple Music playlist that has been updated and overwritten. That’s what happened to me today. My New Music Mix last week was so good that I played it on repeat for days from my Apple Watch at the gym and my HomePod around the house, but I never got around to saving any of the songs to my library....

Earlier this week news leaked that Apple would begin offering automated purchasing of mobile ads by advertising agencies through its iAd program when one partner ad company accidentally published a press release early, and today Apple has officially shared the full announcement regarding iAd’s “move into programmatic channels.” In addition to Rubicon Project, Apple shared that it is partnering with various “demand-side platforms (DSPs) and ad tech companies” which include Accordant Media, Adelphic, AdRoll, GET IT Mobile, MediaMath, and The Trade Desk....