Facebook’s chatbot efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, but now the company is preparing a new capability that will likely be met with some criticism from users. Facebook’s vice president of messaging products David Marcus announced at Web Summit 2016 in Dublin that the company is preparing to allow companies to advertise directly to users via Messenger (via CNET).

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Filed under: Apple

Apple appears to be rolling out a new iOS app called Support that works on iPhone and iPad. Support for iOS includes helpful links to support articles as well as access to AppleCare services.

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Filed under: Apple

Up until now, Apple has never sold refurbished iPhones on its online store. You could get a refurbished Mac, iPad, or even a niche device like an AirPort Extreme, but never an iPhone. Apple typically used its refurbished iPhone inventory as repair/replacements for or offloaded them to 3rd party resellers. That has seemingly changed today, as Apple is offering the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in its refurb store. more…

Filed under: Apple

Apple has released macOS 10.12.2 beta 2 for Mac. The new update follows the initial macOS 10.12.2 beta at the end of October, followed by a slightly updated build earlier this month. Today’s build has version 16C41b, up from 16C32f, and is available from the Mac App Store.

macOS 10.12.2 includes Unicode 9.0 emoji support, which matches compatibility in beta versions of iOS 10.2 and watchOS 3.1.1.

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Filed under: Apple

Apple has released the second public beta version of iOS 10.2 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Previously only available to registered developers for testing, iOS 10.2 beta includes several upcoming features like a preview of the new TV app, Unicode 9.0 emoji, iPhone 7 wallpapers, and new camera features.

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Filed under: Apple

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Add a ton of fast storage to your DSLR camera & other devices during Amazon’s 1-day PNY sale: 128GB SD Card $33 (Reg. $45), much more

Logitech’s Harmony Ultimate One Universal Remote works with over 225,000 devices: $150 shipped (Reg. $190)

Election day freebies! Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, 7-Eleven Coffee, Marco’s Pizza, Noodles and Company, more

Black Friday 2016:

Amazon launches its Black Friday Store with new deals every five minutes + gift guides to make shopping easier

Staples just posted its Black Friday 2016 Ad: Amazon Echo Dot $40, Chromecast $25, much more

Costco’s leaked Black Friday 2016 Ad: VIZIO 50-inch 4K Ultra HDTV $390, PS4 w/ 2 controllers $50 off, gift cards, more

BJ’s Leaked Black Friday Ad: GoPro Silver bundle $200, Xbox One S/PS4 Slim $250, new console games $34, home goods, more

Sam’s Club details its Black Friday plans plus a look at an upcoming one-day sale that nets $175 off iPad Pro

Here’s a look at Dell’s Black Friday 2016 Ad: Nest 3rd Gen. Thermostat $199, Xbox One S w/ 2 games + controller $250, more

Final Fantasy III for iOS now matching its all-time low: iPhone $7, iPad $8 (Reg. up to $17)

App Store Free App of the Week: Lost in Harmony goes free for the first time (Reg. $4)

Review: TiVo Bolt+ would be a TV-enthusiast’s dream DVR if the cable companies would just get out of the way

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

 Amazon certified refurb E-readers and Streaming Media Players are on sale: Fire TV Stick $25, Kindle Paperwhite $80, more

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

Amazon Echo Dot Bundles: Logitech Harmony Elite Remote $288 ($350 value), WeMo Switch $73 ($85 value)

Your choice of Bluetooth headphones at Amazon all-time lows: Sony Over-Ear $60 (Reg. $80), Jabra Move $60 (Reg. $100)

Audio-Technica’s Pro ATH-M20x Headphones for $29 shipped (Reg. $49)

Make the move to USB-C w/ exclusive discounts on Anker accessories: Aluminum Hub w/ Pass-Through Power $32 (Reg. $40), more

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Filed under: Apple

Apple has a new web page up today sharing exclusive holiday offers available for customers who use its newly launched Apple Pay on the web feature.

Some of the companies offering deals for using Apple Pay on the web this holiday season include Adidas, Casper, Grubhub, lululemon, Overstock, Shopify, seamless, and more.

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Filed under: Apple

Over the summer a report surfaced that Apple had acquired Omnifone, a music streaming company that provided Samsung’s defunct Milk Music service, but it was quickly debunked. Today a new report claims that Apple later acquired some technology from Omnifone, which went bankrupt in May, and hired some its ex-employees, stopping short of a full acquisition.

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Filed under: Apple

If you want to watch this evening’s presidential election results roll in – if only to be sure that the election is finally over – you have a wide range of options open to you beyond traditional broadcast TV …

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Filed under: Apple

As regular readers will know, I’ve become a complete convert to the Apple Watch. But the Watch isn’t for everyone: it’s relatively expensive, fairly chunky and for most users has one-day battery-life.

I’ve been trying the Fitbit Alta for the past week, and while I’ll personally be sticking to my Apple Watch, I do think it could be a decent option for those with more limited needs and/or budgets …

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Filed under: Apple