In new interviews, Eddy Cue explains why Apple launched a public beta for iOS, as Tim Cook outlines future ambitions

FastCo piece based on interviews with CEO Tim Cook and SVPs Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi may be long on commentary and light on quotes, but it does provide a few interesting insights along the way.

Apple’s decision to offer a public beta program for iOS, for example, was in direct response to the Maps debacle …

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Report reaffirms iPhone 7 design, cameras, touch-sensitive haptic Home button, removed headphone jack

Bloomberg this morning issued a report noting that Apple sources have reaffirmed many disparate reports on the iPhone 7. These include an iPhone 6-like design with neater antenna lines, dual cameras on the 5.5-inch model, a pressure-sensitive Home button with haptic feedback and removal of the headphone jack.

There has been much speculation about the functionality of the twin-camera setup on the larger iPhone, and the report notes that the system will offer two benefits …

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More chassis and components leaks point to Space Black iPhone 7 color

Over the weekend, a few photos appear to show that the iPhone 7 will indeed come in a new Space Black color variant, as previously rumored. The black chassis, SIM tray and mute button pictured are markedly darker than the Space Grey color seen with iPhone 6s.

The new black color mirrors the Space Black option for Apple Watch. It is unclear if the Space Black iPhone 7 would be released alongside the Space Grey color option, or if it would replace it in the lineup.

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KGI: New Apple Watch 2 coming late 2016 with GPS, better waterproofing and improved performance, retain same design

 

38mm-apple-watch-sport (1)

Apple Watch 2 is indeed imminent, according to reliable Apple analyst KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo. Although there have been a lack of leaks about the upcoming new Watch, KGI says the device will launch in late 2016 (likely announced alongside the iPhone 7 in September) and feature several flagship changes.

The new Apple Watch will include a GPS, barometer, waterproofing beyond what is already touted with Apple Watch 1 as well as a new internal SoC for faster performance. However, KGI does not expect the physical design of the watch to change with this generation.

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Back to school gift guide: The best tech & accessories for Apple-loving students

As we head into back to school season, many students, teachers, and parents are looking to update to the latest technology in order to have the smoothest school year possible. New laptops are purchased, phones are upgraded, accessories are bought, and much more. This year, we’ve decided to give you a breakdown of some of the best technology you can buy for the upcoming school year.

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Apple buys Seattle-based Turi to bolster machine learning and AI efforts

Apple has successfully acquired Turi, a machine learning company based out of Seattle. According to sources in discussion with GeekWire, Turi’s team will be able to remain in the Seattle region as Apple builds out the technologies further. Turi’s original product, GraphLab, was developed as an open source project for machine learning tasks, but eventually moved into data-mining tasks as it out-performed competitors.

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