Misfit, the company co-founded by John Scully, this evening has officially taken the wraps off its Shine 2 wearable. The device offers a fully designed look with a handful of new functionalities, as well. The original Misfit Shine was revealed over two years ago, so today’s refresh is definitely welcomed as  a lot has changed in the wearable industry since 2013.

Misfit says that the Shine 2 offers highly improved activity and sleep tracking thanks to a 3-axis accelerometer paired with a new 3-axis magnetometer. The rainbow-colored lights on the device show the time, as well as fitness progress. Another new feature comes in that the device will now vibrate your wrist slightly when it realizes you haven’t stood for a while, similar to how Apple Watch provides stand alerts.

Perhaps most notably, the Shine 2 offers vibrations for text and call notifications, as well, again similar to Apple Watch. Overall performance of the Shine has also been improved with the second generation device. Touch responsiveness, syncing, and Bluetooth performance have all been improved, while the display has also been enhanced to improve visibility in sunlight.

The device’s design has also been refreshed with a thinner aluminum body that Misfit says is “aircraft-grade aluminum.” The Shine 2 also features the same 6-month battery and is water-resistant up to 50 meters deep.

The Misfit Shine 2 will be available this November for $99.99. The device will be available in Rose Gold and Carbon Black and is compatible with iOS. The full press release is below:

Filed under: Tech Industry Tagged: accessory, iOS, misfit, Shine 2, Wearables

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Apple this evening has continued its outspoken attitude when it comes to protection of user rights and privacy. The Washington Post reports that the company has spoken out against a controversial cybersecurity bill that, if passed, would give the government a variety of new powers to access user data. Supporters of the bill say that it would protect users from hackers in the long run, but Apple’s not buying it.

Known as the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, it’s expected to be voted on next Tuesday and carries support from both major political parties. Apple, however, says that it does not believe that user security should come at the expense of privacy. Therefore, it does not support the CISA bill.

“We don’t support the current CISA proposal,” Apple said in a statement. “The trust of our customers means everything to us and we don’t believe security should come at the expense of their privacy.”

A variety of other tech companies have spoken out against CISA, as well, including Yelp, Reddit, Twitter, Wikimedia, Google, Facebook, and Yahoo. Oregon senator Ron Wyden says that the number of tech companies speaking in opposition to the bill should show legislators that it’s not yet ready for primetime.

“Sharing information about cybersecurity threats is a worthy goal,” said Wyden. “Yet if you share more information without strong privacy protections, millions of Americans will say, ‘That is not a cybersecurity bill. It is a surveillance bill.’ “

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, CISA, Security

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Reuters today reports that Apple has informed a federal judge that it has no way of accessing data that is stored on an iPhone that is locked with a passcode and running iOS 8 or later. Apple revealed this information in a court filing recently in response to the U.S. Justice Department asking if the company would help authorities access data on a seized iPhone.

 Apple cites strengthened encryption methods in iOS 8 and later for its inability to access data on a locked iPhone. The company noted that more than 90 percent of iOS devices now run a version of the operating system that’s iOS 8 or newer.

Apple said that while it could technically access data stored on the 10 percent of iOS devices running older versions of the operating system, it’s not something it would do without clear legal authority. Apple cited its relationship with customers as its primary reasoning for not wanting to access data on locked devices:

“Forcing Apple to extract data in this case, absent clear legal authority to do so, could threaten the trust between Apple and its customers and substantially tarnish the Apple brand.”

A hearing is expected to take place on Friday regarding this case. The hearing will determine whether or not Apple can be forced to help the government in following through on a search warrant. Just yesterday, Tim Cook spoke out against software backdoors, again voicing Apple’s support for privacy for its customers.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Tagged: Apple, iOS 8, Security

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It was revealed last week that Apple would be sponsoring the 2016 Met Gala, with Chief Design Officer Jony Ive serving as a co-chair for the event. Now, Ive, along with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, another Gala co-chair, and Costume Institute Curator Andrew Bolton, has sat down with The Wall Street Journal for an interview on Apple’s foray into the fashion industry.

Ive himself explained that Apple’s interest in the fashion industry has peaked recently thanks to the release of Apple Watch. Ive also teased that learning more about fashion, especially from other attendees of the Met Gala, will help Apple in defining potential future projects.

“As products become more personal, something that is worn on the wrist put us in the space of fashion,” Ive said. On the relationhip between fashion and tech, the theme of this year’s Met Gala, Ive said that it’s an issue that’s close to his heart. “These are issues close to our hearts,” the Apple executive remarked.. “Our understanding will temper and define future products we’re working on. We’re only starting.”

At Apple, Ive said there’s still very much a mix of antiquated and modern technology being used. Ive said that he still draws with a pencil and paper every day, but uses modern technology to enhance it.

The 2016 Met Gala, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” all take place in New York on May 2nd.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, Apple watch, Fashion, Jony Ive, met Gala

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Compared with the runaway successes of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, the Apple TV living room media player hasn’t had a stellar track record. Despite considerable hype leading up to its early 2007 release, Apple declared the first Apple TV “a hobby” shortly after it hit stores, then began a seemingly endless campaign to figure out what people actually wanted it to do. Three years later, a second-gen version refocused on video rentals and added one major feature — AirPlay — to stream and mirror content from iOS devices and Macs. A tweaked third-gen model added 1080p support after less than two years. The modest changes led Apple TV sales to resemble a bunny hill; even Apple’s atypically aggressive price points couldn’t help the devices match the popularity of Roku, Amazon, and Google rivals.

Next week, pre-orders will start for the fourth-generation Apple TV, and it would be easy to say “pass:” none of the prior versions has been fantastic, and once again, Apple deliberately left out an arguably major feature — 4K Ultra HD support — that competitors jumped on, and will probably topline the inevitable fifth-generation Apple TV. But I’d personally suggest that you consider ordering the new $149 Apple TV anyway. Even though its potential won’t really be tapped until (at least) next year, early adopters are about to have a fun ride as it develops into an amazing new living room entertainment platform…

Why Gamble

If you’ve already used the prior-generation Apple TV, you know the basics of what the new version will do: play videos, music, and photos on your TV, including content streamed from the Internet, as well as AirPlay-streamed content directly from a nearby iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Mac. These features alone justified earlier Apple TVs for millions of people, but they were tightly controlled by Apple, and only intermittently augmented with new streaming “channels.” That’s changing.

Based upon tvOS, a TV-optimized version of iOS, the new Apple TV adds several major new features. First, it can download third-party apps and games. Second, it can integrate app-like data content with multiple audio and video streams for a next-generation interactive TV experience. Third, it will be able to serve as a hub for HomeKit accessories, possibly also controlling your TV and home theater setup. In short, the Apple TV is no longer just an audio, photo, and video player… it’s more like an iOS-based game console and (mini-)computer for your TV.

What To Expect: The Hardware

Made entirely from glossy and matte black plastics, the new Apple TV looks just like its two predecessors, only around 50% taller and with two rear port changes. The optical audio output is gone, forcing all audio to go through HDMI, and the (service-only) micro-USB port has given way to a (still service-only) USB-C connector. As iFixit notes, a giant heat sink inside makes it noticeably heavier than before.

The U.S. version of the new Apple TV and some international versions will ship with the new Siri Remote, which is black on top, silver on the bottom. It’s larger in every dimension than the second-generation Apple Remote that shipped with the last two Apple TVs (and will continue to ship in countries without Siri Remote support). To make scrolling quicker, Apple has replaced the prior four-direction navigation circle with a small matte glass surface that can be used for navigational swipe gestures and gentler positioning. The glass can be pushed downwards for menu selections, and unlike Apple’s Magic Trackpad 2, it actually clicks. Gyroscope/accelerometer sensors are hidden inside the remote for future games, and not used within the main Apple TV interface.

Four new buttons have been added to enable the Siri Remote to turn your TV’s volume up or down, activate twin built-in microphones for Siri voice input, and quickly return to the Apple TV’s main menu. Using a feature called Home Theater Control, certain TVs (including AnyNet-compatible models) can also be turned on and off using the Siri Remote, which now has both Bluetooth and Infrared transmitters built in for wireless communications. Apple includes a multi-month rechargeable battery this time, and lets you refuel it with an included Lightning to USB cable. Extra Siri Remotes will sell for $79, and Remote Loop wrist straps for under $20.

Third-party Bluetooth game controllers are supported, as are Bluetooth speakers and headphones — all brand-new to this version of the Apple TV. But unlike prior Apple TVs, Bluetooth keyboards are a question mark, and don’t appear to work; for instance, Apple’s just-released Magic Keyboard doesn’t pair wirelessly or when connected via a USB-C adapter.

What To Expect: The Software

As shown in my colleague Dom Esposito’s video below, Apple has substantially redesigned the Apple TV’s user interface with an ambitious, visually appealing set of improvements. Everything’s been whitewashed (or light-graywashed) with a brighter color palette, text has been flipped to Apple’s new San Francisco font, and drop shadows have been added. Translucent panes introduced in iOS 7 have made their way to tvOS, with even better results.

One big change that isn’t obvious from screenshots is speed: the new Apple TV lets you zip rather than plodding through menus, thanks in equal parts to a considerably beefier A8 processor and the more responsive Siri Remote. Additionally, app icons and cover art images now wiggle in 3D thanks to an Apple mandate that developers include 2-5 parallax layers to create depth.

Much of the new UI — notably including some Apple-developed widgets such as Weather and Stocks that aren’t represented with app icons — can be navigated using Siri voice commands. You have to hold down the Siri Remote’s microphone button while you speak to get Siri to “hear” and process whatever you say, releasing the button when you’re done; this takes a little adjustment, but is better than killing the Siri Remote’s battery by having it endlessly listen for (and, like the iPhone 6s, too often ignore) the words “hey, Siri.”

By holding down the mic button, Siri can be activated in the middle of pretty much anything, including videos. You can use Siri for voice-controlled for navigation, “what did they just say?” inquiries, and lookups of information related to whatever’s currently playing. The remote’s touch surface can be swiped to expand or hide panes of information, which serve as partial translucent overlays or fill the entire screen with additional content if you prefer.

An App Store, soon to be opened, will let you add free and paid apps to the new Apple TV. It is highly likely that the device will arrive with only a handful of Apple-developed apps pre-installed, leaving you to choose most of the way you’ll fill your scrolling Home screen with apps.

Other frills in the UI are sparing but occasionally eye-catching. Aerial screensavers stream gorgeous 1080p flyover videos of San Francisco, New York City, Hawaii, London, and the Great Wall of China, displaying different videos based on the time of day and downloading a new bundle of 3-4 videos on your preferred (daily/weekly/monthly) schedule. Each bundle of videos is around 600MB, and there are at least 10 bundles currently on Apple’s servers. New accessibility features make the UI easier to see or hear for users with vision or hearing deficiencies. And integrated calibration screens let you optimize the output for your personal television set or overscan preferences.

What To Expect: Apps and Games

The A8 processor inside the new Apple TV is one year and three generations old, which is to say that it’s already been surpassed in power by the iPad Air 2’s A8X, iPhone 6s/6s Plus’s A9, and iPad Pro’s A9X. But with at least as much horsepower as the iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and 3, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus, the Apple TV will be well-equipped to play new games, as well as thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of games previously released for iOS devices, assuming they’re updated to support the tvOS operating system. Expect the graphics in 3D games to be roughly on par with consoles such as the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and original Wii, and no shortage of ability to handle 2D games of any type.

One note of caution about tvOS games: for all of the Apple TV’s incredible potential as a gaming platform, Apple has continued to ignore (entirely reasonable) requests from serious gamers regarding basic controller issues, such as allowing developers to offer games without support for the restrictive Siri Remote. Multi-player gaming may also be restricted due to simultaneous connection limitations of the new Apple TV’s Bluetooth chip. It remains to be seen whether software and hardware decisions like this, which have upset many within the gaming community, kills the Apple TV’s ability to win over major game developers and their customers.

While apps are a lot easier to code than games, the Apple TV’s living room-focused interface (and potential lack of Bluetooth keyboard support) hint that Apple’s not looking to see it turn into a cut-rate Mac. Basic widgets to extend the functionality of traditional TV features — watching sports, learning about the weather — will appear quickly, as will tvOS versions of Netflix, HBO Now, Hulu Plus, Showtime, and other channels, but don’t expect Apple to endorse creation apps, web browsers, or other Mac mainstays for the platform. At least, yet. Similarly, it will be interesting to see whether compromised apps for walkie talkie-like audio and/or one-way video calling take off in the absence of integrated FaceTime-caliber hardware.

Buy In, Cautiously: Unless Your Broadband Package Is Data-Capped, Go 32GB For Now

The new Apple TV comes in 32GB ($149) and 64GB ($199) versions, each representing a huge jump in storage over the 8GB second- and third-generation Apple TVs. Apple has mandated that app developers implement extreme space-saving measures, limiting the initial footprint of any app to 200MB with the ability to grab up to 2GB of additional content on an as-needed basis. (It’s believed that the new Apple TV will treat in-app content like old models handled video streams, using caches to load and purge extra files as needed — great for reducing storage, bad for broadband packages with data caps.)

If you do the math, and assume the Apple TV will allocate around 8GB of space for Apple’s various apps, you’ll be able to hold around 120 basic apps on the 32GB model, or 280 on the 64GB model, each number shrinking considerably if you have apps (primarily games) with additional 2GB caches. You can choose the best size for your own anticipated needs, but if you only plan to keep this Apple TV around for a year or two, consider going with the smaller one and saving the extra $50 to put towards a future sequel. At that point, your “old” Apple TV might stay with your “old” 2K TV, while the new Apple TV could be paired with a new 4K Ultra HD TV.

What I’m Going To Do

Even though the prior versions of the Apple TV haven’t been mega-hits, the second- and third-generation models have been amongst my family’s most-used Apple devices — handy for everything from watching videos to occasionally putting FaceTime calls up on a large TV. I’m personally very excited about the fourth-generation Apple TV’s potential, and think the next year will be a wild ride for early adopters, though I do think the first two or three months may be somewhat chaotic as developers rush to get their hastily-completed apps and games into the Apple TV App Store. I’ll be buying a new Apple TV the moment they go on sale, and can’t wait to see what developers bring to the new platform.

More From This Author

Check out more of my editorials, How-To guides, and reviews for 9to5Mac here! I’ve covered a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users. I’ve recently discussed how to safely prepare and wipe your iPhone for resale or trade-in, and how to get the best iPhone trade-in price to help buy an iPhone 6s, amongst many other topics.

Filed under: Apple TV, Opinion Tagged: Apple TV

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Prior to today’s launch event, the HTC One A9 has leaked several times, and each time we’ve noted how similar the phone looks to the iPhone 6. Even now that it’s official, we still feel the same. As does almost anyone who has eyes, and has seen them both. HTC’s new phone has a flat metal back plus rounded edges and corners. The front is completely covered in glass, which is slightly curved at the edges. Seem familiar?

HTC argues that that Apple stole its metal-with-antenna-bands design first, and it’s just reclaiming it. That won’t matter too much among general consumers though, they’ll just see it as an iPhone clone…

Still, it’s not a direct replica, there are some notable differences. Apple as we know is more than a little fastidious with its design. Everything has to be perfect. For instance, Steve Jobs would never let this happen Apple would never arrange its ports like this:

The One A9 images published by Paul O’Brien over at MoDaCo, and shows what is almost certainly the worst nightmare of anyone with even the slightest OCD towards symmetry and design. The speaker grille is pushed in about a thumb’s width from the edge, sort of sitting in the middle of nowhere, leaving a big gap. That in turn has pushed the Micro USB port across so that it’s not centered. What you’re left with is a port arrangement without even the slightest hint of symmetry. The fact you can see the home button/fingerprint sensor is perfectly in the middle just makes it worse.

Compared to an iPhone 6/6s:

The left and right edges are completely different too, in terms of what you can expect to find on either side. HTC has the volume rocker and heavily textured power button on the right edge. Apple, of course, just has the power button on the right, with the volume buttons and mute switch on the left. The One A9’s left side has removable SIM and SD card trays.

Below are images of the two phones’ camera designs. HTC’s is different, in that it’s placed directly in the center. But — like the iPhone — the lens sits in a protruding ring, with a circle dual-tone flash alongside it. You could argue that the design is massively different, maybe, because the microphone is underneath the HTC camera, and not to the right. It’d be a weak argument, but you could make it.

Two key other differences: HTC’s home button is pill-shaped, not round, and it the phone comes in a dark red hue. So there is that. Otherwise, it’s gray, silver and gold, just like the iPhone. What’s quite interesting is that — with its 5-inch screen — the A9 sits somewhere in between the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in terms of size. I would argue that’s the perfect size for a smartphone, if I was convinced such a thing could possibly exist. Personally though, I’d love an iPhone this size.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Android, clone, htc one a9, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s

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Current Apple TV customers are getting at least one more new wave of channel additions before the focus completely means to the new App Store-based Apple TV on Monday. New channels from CBS, NBC, and the fashion-focused M2M arrived on current Apple TV home screens today, bringing CBS’s subscription service, full episodes of NBC shows, and exclusive fashion videos to the streaming box.

We reported a month ago that CBS was planning to bring its All Access service to Apple TV boxes, allowing subscribers to view CBS shows on-demand through a standalone $5.99/month subscription. New subscribers can start a 1-week free trial of CBS All Access to view CBS shows including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Viewers in some markets can even view Live TV for supported CBS stations.

The network has had an existing presence on Apple TV with CBS News and CBS Sports but the new CBS channel marks the first time its TV shows have been available on the platform.

NBC, the other major network joining the platform, similarly provides a catalog of on-demand episodes including The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon and dramas like The Blacklist. Most content requires signing in through a TV provider. Both ABC and Fox have long had channels on Apple TV. The network’s TV show package joins its other properties already on Apple TV: CNBC and NBC Sports.

Made to Measure, or M2M, is the last channel to join the new lineup. The free-with-ads fashion channel was reported last month to be the first truly Apple TV-exclusive channel and shipped just ahead of the new Apple TV boxes coming on Monday.

Last night during an interview at the WSJD conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the new Apple TV will be available for purchase starting Monday with units shipping out by the end of the week. Customers will be able to download new channels as well as games from a special App Store for Apple TV. The new box will also support the current channels already offered.

Not interested in paying for the new network channels or just want to move the icons around? Follow our guide for How-To: Rearrange and hide Apple TV channels to personalize and declutter your home screen.

Thanks Sebastian!

Filed under: Apple TV Tagged: App Store, Apple TV, Apple TV 3, CBS, M2M, Made to Measure, NBC

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From 9to5Toys.com:

Guitar Hero Live has hit iOS today in what is being billed as essentially a full-on port of the console game. The highly-anticipated virtual band title also launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this morning. Activision has opted for an in-app purchase model for this title. The iOS version is available for free to download, but only includes two songs. If you’re after the full catalog, you’ll have to purchase the full game or grab the new iOS bundle that includes a guitar controller.

It’ll take a $49.99 in-app purchase to secure all the songs available on Guitar Hero Live for iOS. The guitar bundle can be had for $99.99 at T-Mobile (or with monthly financing, if that’s your thing). It includes a six-button Bluetooth LE guitar, strap and everything needed to redeem your music within the app.

The new Guitar Hero Live for iOS comes with single and multiplayer modes. There are over 200 songs available today, all of which are playable via touch controls or the add-on guitar. Guitar Hero Live’s add-on hardware is compatible with Lightning-capable iOS devices.

Be sure to head over to 9to5Toys for the latest iOS deals and freebies each day.

Source: Touch Arcade

Filed under: Apps, iOS Tagged: app, Console Game, Guitar Hero Live, iOS, New Release

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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:

Get a 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air 2 for less than Apple charges for 16GB: $490 shipped (Reg. $599)

Seagate 4TB Portable USB 3 Hard Drive w/ 200GB Cloud: $150 shipped

21:9 Displays: Dell UltraSharp 34″ Curved $650, LG 34″ Curved $720, more

Save $20 on select Kindle e-Readers, deals start at just $59 with free shipping

Gold is Best: This one-off Macintosh is a must see with its walnut enclosure and shiny keyboard

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: PS4 Nathan Drake bundle w/ Guitar Hero Live $399, The Witcher 3 $32, R.B.I. Baseball 15 $2, freebies, more

• Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-inch Solid-State Drive: $144 shipped (Reg. $164+)
• Daily Deals: RAVPower 3-Port 26,800mAh Power Bank $40, Denon HEOS 5 Wireless Speaker $199, more
• Media: Peanuts Holiday Collection HD Download $5 ($60 value), Spider-Man Blu-ray Trilogy $14, more
• Networking: TP-Link AV1200 Powerline Kit $53 (Reg. $80), Linksys 802.11n Wireless Extender $30 (Reg. $36)
• 2.1-Ch. Home Audio: LG Soundbar 120W (refurb) $65 (Orig. $149), Harman Kardon 200W $120 (Orig. $200)
• Acer Chromebook w/ full HD display 1.50GHz/4GB/16GB SSD: $249 shipped (Reg. $279)

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones + Blue Yeti Blackout USB Mic $200 shipped ($300+ value) wp.me/p1xTlR-IvN https://t.co/O9BBlDKAbh

—
9to5Toys (@9to5toys) October 20, 2015

More deals still alive:

Ticket To Ride goes free on iPhone for the first time in years (Reg. $2)

• Jawbone UP Move Splash-Proof Bluetooth 4.0 Activity Tracker: $20 w/ in-store pickup (Reg. $50)
• Display your iPhone 6/s w/ this Mpow Car Air Vent Mount $5 shipped (Reg. $9)
• Save on apps, games, movies and more: $100 iTunes Gift Card for $90 shipped
• OtterBox SYMMETRY Series iPhone 6/6s Case $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)
• Aukey 3-in-1 clip-on smartphone camera lens kit $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $16)
• The original Bluetooth-enabled August Smart Lock drops to $199 (Orig. $250)
• App Store Free App of the Week: Sky Gamblers Air Supremacy
• Apple’s new 4K & 5K iMacs already seeing the first price cuts and tax-free options
• Apple is dishing out free downloads of the award-winning puzzle game Shadowmatic
• HGST Touro 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $40 shipped (Orig. $69)
• Amazon slashes prices on Levi’s jeans for Men, Women and Boys
• Griffin Technology merch credit 50% off
• Adjustable iPad mount for $17 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)
• D-Link PowerLine AV+ Network Extender Mini Adapter Kit $20 shipped (Reg. $35), more
• Aukey adjustable wireless selfie stick w/ Bluetooth $6 Prime shipped (Reg. $11+)
• RuggedTec FlashBang mountable Bluetooth Speaker/Flashlight: $28 shipped (Orig. $79)
• Sony SRSX3 Portable Bluetooth/NFC Speaker: $60 shipped (Orig. $140)

New products & more:

This mini Segway hopes to take-off with its affordable price tag and compact design

You’ll have to hurry to grab one of these limited edition Fallout 4 Xbox One controllers

• Waylens is the iOS-connected dashboard camera you’ve been waiting for
• It took about 500,000 LEGO bricks to put this life-size Batmobile together
• These futuristic looking headphones could be straight out of the Transformers movie series
• Amazon and Toys R Us give a peek at this year’s must-have holiday gifts
• NBA 2K16 hits iOS and Android with new gameplay, controls and updated graphics
• Minecraft: Story Mode launches on iOS and Android with a new multi-episode campaign mode
• Electric Jukebox doesn’t want to be Spotify or Chromecast, so what is it?

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Best Buy, curved, Daily Deals, Dell UltraWide Monitor, free apps, Gold Box, iPad Air 2, Seagate Portable Hard Drive, video games

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Apple Pay is picking up a huge wave of newly added banks and credit unions across the United States to support the mobile payment service. Following a couple dozen more banks lighting up earlier this month, Apple has added over 70 additional participating banks to its list of active partners including HSBC in the US. These are the latest banks that now work with Apple Pay:

Achieva Credit Union
Alcoa Pittsburgh Federal Credit Union
Alliance Credit Union
AmeriServ Financial Bank
APCO Employees Credit Union
Bank of American Fork
Bridgewater Savings Bank
Community Bank & Trust
Cross Keys Bank
Directions Credit Unio
Eagle Bank
East Texas Professional Credit Union
Eastman Credit Union
Eaton Family Credit Union
FedEx Employees Credit Association
First Bank of Newton
First National Bank of Granbury
First Northern Credit Union
First State Bank of Colorado
First United Bank
First Western Trust
Fleur de Lis Federal Credit Union
Generations Federal Credit Union
Guaranty Bank Trust
Hastings City Bank
Haven Savings Bank
Heartland Bank
Heritage First Bank
HomeTown Bank
HSBC
IH Credit Union
Impact Bank
Jeanne D’ Arc Credit Union
Johnson Bank
Kennebec Savings Bank
LBS Financial Credit Union
Lewiston State Bank
MainStreet Bank
Marlborough Savings Bank
Marquette Savings Bank
MAX Credit Union
Members First Credit Union of Florida
Merco Credit Union
Miami Postal Service Credit Union
Monson Savings Bank
Ocean Communities Federal Credit Union
OceanFirst Bank
Omni Community Credit Union
One Bank & Trust
P1FCU
PeoplesChoice Credit Union
Perfect Circle Credit Union
Phenix-Girard Bank
Planters Bank & Trust Company
Point West Credit Union
Public Service Credit Union
Quest Federal Credit Union
Red Crown Federal Credit Union
Semiconductor of Maine Federal Credit Union
Service 1st Credit Union
SIU Credit Union
Solarity Credit Union
Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union
Sterling Bank & Trust
Team One Credit Union
Texas Dow Employees Credit Union
The Park Bank
TMG Financial Services
Velocity Community Federal Credit Union
Western Rockies Federal Credit Union
Whitney Bank
York County Federal Credit Union

That massive wave of new partners comes just as signs that Apple Pay in Canada is getting ready to launch. Just a week ago TD Canada shared on its website that Apple Pay is coming soon. That detail comes after 9to5Mac and others have reported that Apple is targeting Apple Pay in Canada for this year. China has also been a clear target for Apple Pay launching. Apple Pay is currently limited to the US and UK, which joined this summer.

Adding new partners in groups ranging from a dozen to nearly a hundred certainly helps Apple’s claim that its mobile payment service is continuing to see double-digit growth each month.

Apple Pay supports contactless payments in stores using iPhone 6 and later as well as Apple Watch which works with iPhone 5 or later. Apple Pay also supports purchases in apps on iPhone 6 or later as well as iPads with Touch ID. Starting with the recent iOS 9 software update, Apple Pay added support for Discover cards, retail cards, and loyalty cards. Passbook, where Apple Pay lives on iOS, gained a new app icon and name, Wallet, to reflect the change.

Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple pay, Apple Pay banks, Apple watch, banks, credit unions, HSBC, iPhone 6, mobile payments

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of Apple watch, iPhone 6, and Apple pay.

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