All posts tagged: developers

Apple Seeds Fourth visionOS 27 Beta to Developers

Apple Seeds Fourth visionOS 27 Beta to Developers

Published by skeptic

Apple today provided developers with the fourth beta of an upcoming visionOS 27 update for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after Apple released the third beta. visionOS 27 can be installed by opening the Settings app, going to Software Updates, and opting into Beta Updates. visionOS 27 introduces Siri AI, the smarter and more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that’s similar in capability to chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. On the Vision Pro, ‌Siri‌ can answer questions about anything the wearer is looking at, and there’s a new ‌Siri‌ orb that can be placed anywhere in wearer’s virtual space. Panorama photos can be turned into spatial environments, and there’s a new Icelandic Thórsmörk environment that features dramatic mountains, valleys, and glaciers, along with the northern lights. Web Environment support allows developers to create 360-degree environments in Safari for a more native Vision Pro browsing experience. App windows are now curved to provide a more immersive workspace, and Control Center has been reorganized to make system controls easier to find. Apple added a smaller …

Apple Seeds Fifth iOS 26.6 and iPadOS 26.6 Betas to Developers

Apple Seeds Fifth iOS 26.6 and iPadOS 26.6 Betas to Developers

Published by skeptic

Apple today seeded the fifth betas of upcoming iOS 26.6 and iPadOS 26.6 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple seeded the fourth betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. With iOS 27 set to launch in September, Apple is wrapping up work on iOS 26. We are not expecting any major new features in the iOS 26.6 update, and it will primarily focus on bug fixes and performance improvements. The update adds new wording around blocked contact limits, letting users know when they have exceeded the maximum number of blocked contacts. The update might also include a new anti-snatching feature that locks your iPhone if it’s grabbed from your hand. Popular Stories Apple Seeds Second Public Betas of iOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6 and More Apple today provided public beta testers with the second betas of iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6, watchOS 26.6, and tvOS 26.6, …

Amazon 0M settlement channels gambling app claims toward developers

Amazon $200M settlement channels gambling app claims toward developers

Published by skeptic

Amazon and consumers suing the company have asked a federal judge in Washington to give preliminary approval to an unusual class action settlement that would let consumers pursue more than $201 million from app developers instead of collecting directly from Amazon. The unopposed motion, filed July 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, would resolve claims that Amazon violated Washington gambling law and the state’s Consumer Protection Act by processing payments for virtual casino chips sold in more than 200 social casino apps on the Amazon Appstore. Amazon denies wrongdoing and liability but is not opposing the requested procedural steps. “The proposed Settlement converts a difficult and risky litigation into a clear path to financial recovery whereby Settlement Class Members can get back the same portion of spending as in the prior developer settlements—which for Settlement Class Members with the highest spending levels results in life-changing sums.” – Steven Horn et al. vs Amazon The case began in November 2023 when plaintiff Steven Horn alleged Amazon served as the exclusive …

macOS Golden Gate Beta 3 Now Available for Developers

macOS Golden Gate Beta 3 Now Available for Developers

Published by skeptic

Apple today provided developers with the third beta of macOS Golden Gate, with the update coming two weeks after Apple seeded the second beta. Developers can download ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required. ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ includes multiple design improvements. Liquid Glass opacity has been improved to increase readability, there’s a slider for controlling the level of transparency, and changes to shadowing make it easier to tell when a window is active. Apps now have uniform toolbars, edge-to-edge sidebars, and less rounded corners, plus there are fewer icons in menu bars. Siri has been transformed into ‌Siri‌ AI, a chatbot-style assistant that combines general world knowledge, your personal data, and onscreen awareness to answer questions about anything and find information for you. ‌Siri‌ lives in Spotlight, and you can ask questions with the new Search or Ask interface. There’s also a ‌Siri‌ app where you can chat with ‌Siri‌ and view past conversations, and …

Apple Seeds Third iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Betas to Developers

Apple Seeds Third iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Betas to Developers

Published by skeptic

Apple today seeded the third betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the second betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. ‌iOS 27‌ introduces Apple’s smarter version of Siri, ‌Siri‌ AI. ‌Siri‌ AI is a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, incorporating general world knowledge, personal data from apps like Messages and Mail, and onscreen awareness to answer questions and find information for you. There are new Apple Intelligence features in apps like Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords, plus Apple added a standalone ‌Siri‌ app that houses ‌Siri‌ conversations. Write with ‌Siri‌ is available systemwide for generating text or offering feedback on your writing, and Visual Intelligence has been relocated to the Camera app with a new ‌Siri‌ mode. Apple improved the look of Liquid Glass and added a slider for customizing transparency. There are multiple performance improvements to speed up iOS, so …

Apple Seeds watchOS 27 Beta 2 to Developers

Apple Seeds watchOS 27 Beta 2 to Developers

Published by skeptic

Apple today seeded the second beta of watchOS 27 to developers, with the update coming two weeks after the launch of the first beta. The beta can be downloaded through the Watch app on the iPhone with a free developer account. The Apple Watch will need to be on the charger, connected to Wi-Fi, and have a battery level of 50 percent or above for new software to be installed. The beta is available for all Apple Watch models compatible with ‌watchOS 27‌ except for the Apple Watch Ultra 3. ‌watchOS 27‌ will include Siri AI, the smarter, more capable version of ‌Siri‌. ‌Siri‌ can hold back-and-forth conversations, plus it has access to general world knowledge and your personal data to answer questions and find information. ‌Siri‌ AI on Apple Watch requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, including the iPhone 15 Pro and later. There’s a new Dynamic app grid that highlights ‌Siri‌ suggested apps, and more intuitive Smart Stack Suggestions. You can find your parked car, see pinned messages, get noise alerts, and …

Apple Faces New App Store Antitrust Complaint From Chinese Developers

Apple Faces New App Store Antitrust Complaint From Chinese Developers

Published by skeptic

A group of 48 China-based iOS developers have filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the country’s market regulator over the App Store’s commission rates, the South China Morning Post reports. The developers sent an open letter to China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), alleging that Apple failed to deliver on a promise to offer the lowest commission rate to the Chinese market. The group asked the SAMR to investigate and penalize Apple for allegedly abusing its market dominance to impose “unfair and excessively high” costs on local developers. Apple currently charges a 25% commission on paid apps and in-app purchases in China, down from 30% after a cut made in March. The commission on subscription renewals, along with the rate for qualified developers in Apple’s Small Business and Mini Apps Partner programs, was lowered to 12% from 15% at the same time. The complaint follows a series of similar challenges to Apple’s China ‌App Store‌ policies dating back nearly a decade. A Beijing law firm filed a complaint in 2017 over app removals …

macOS Golden Gate Beta 3 Now Available for Developers

macOS Golden Gate Beta 2 Now available for Developers

Published by skeptic

Apple today provided developers with the second beta of macOS Golden Gate, with the update coming two weeks after Apple seeded the first beta. Developers can download ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required. ‌macOS Golden Gate‌ includes multiple design improvements. Liquid Glass opacity has been improved to increase readability, there’s a slider for controlling the level of transparency, and changes to shadowing make it easier to tell when a window is active. Apps now have uniform toolbars, edge-to-edge sidebars, and less rounded corners, plus there are fewer icons in menu bars. Siri has been transformed into ‌Siri‌ AI, a chatbot-style assistant that combines general world knowledge, your personal data, and onscreen awareness to answer questions about anything and find information for you. ‌Siri‌ lives in Spotlight, and you can ask questions with the new Search or Ask interface. There’s also a ‌Siri‌ app where you can chat with ‌Siri‌ and view past conversations, and …

Apple opens up App Store to new competition in Brazil

Apple opens up App Store to new competition in Brazil

Published by skeptic

Apple announced on Thursday that developers in Brazil are now allowed to distribute their iOS apps through alternative app stores and process payments for digital goods and services outside the App Store. The changes, which are a part of Apple’s agreement with Brazil’s competition regulator Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica, or CADE, loosen Apple’s rules in yet another market, following similar revisions in the E.U. and Japan. The move marks another crack in Apple’s long-held control over the iOS app ecosystem, which has been forced to open up by regulators, and, in some cases, via legal battles. In the U.S., for example, Apple now permits developers to direct users to external payment options as a result of the court’s decision in the Epic Games lawsuit against the iPhone maker. The updates in Brazil’s market will include the introduction of new protections, including a notarization process for iOS apps distributed outside the App Store, authorization requirements for alternative app marketplaces, and other rules designed to protect children from inappropriate content and scams, Apple said. The company …

Fears for Xbox as it puts its developers on the chopping block once again | Games

Fears for Xbox as it puts its developers on the chopping block once again | Games

Published by Sam Flores

In March 2000, Bill Gates stood onstage at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco and, to a packed crowd, officially announced the company’s long-anticipated video game console. “We want Xbox to be the platform of choice for the best and most creative game developers in the world,” he told attenders – and that was indeed the intention of the small, dedicated team who put together the blueprints of that first machine. The Xbox landscape seems very different 25 years later. Last week, mere days after a bullish summer showcase full of Gears of War revivals and promises of a renewed focus on Xbox’s gaming strengths, new CEO, Asha Sharma, and chief content officer, Matt Booty, wrote a memo to Xbox staff inviting them to brace for “hard truths”. “Excluding Activision Blizzard King, over the past five years, we have spent over $20bn on ongoing investments in our content, platform and hardware subsidy, but our annual revenue has declined nearly half a billion during that time. Going forward, this cannot continue,” it read. With grim …