Benjamin Mayo

The UK government has today launched its NHS COVID-19 app in the App Store, which supports the privacy-preserving Apple/Google Exposure Notifications API and aids the national contact tracing effort.

iPhone users can go to the App Store now and download the app for free; your device must be running iOS 13.5 or later. A counterpart app will also be available on the Google Play Store for Android devices.

The anonymous Twitter leaker l0vetodream today tweeted the names of the upcoming iPhone 12 phones. He says that the new iPhone lineup will be called iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 is expected to be officially announced by Apple in October.

These brand names have been circling around the rumor mill for a while, but l0vetodream has built up a good track record of accuracy this year, making this leak particularly notable.

Apple TV+ was thrilled to become the first streaming service to get awards recognition within its first year of operations, and now it can add an Emmy to the list. Out of The Morning Show’s eight Emmy nominations, it picked up a win for Billy Crudup as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Apple ran aggressive Hollywood campaigns to try and garner industry accreditation. So far, The Morning Show has made its mark with Golden Globe nominations, Critics Choice win, a SAG award win for star Jennifer Aniston, and more. In July, Apple TV+ also won Daytime Emmys for its kids programming.

tvOS 14 is out now, available to install on your Apple TV fourth-generation or Apple TV 4K set-top box. To update, go to the Settings app and navigate to General -> Software Update.

tvOS 14 brings a variety of new features and enhancements to your Apple TV, including richer integration with HomeKit accessories like cameras and smart doorbells, support for 4K videos in YouTube for the first time, improved multi-user and Picture-in-Picture video across the system.

Apple today announced the 8th-generation iPad, featuring an A12 chip compared to the previous-generation’s A10 processor. The design of the new entry-level iPad is largely the same as its predecessor.

The jump from A10 to A12 means Apple’s cheapest iPad will feature the Neural Engine for the first time.

Update: How much money can you save with Apple One?

Apple today announced the Apple One bundle, comprising subscriptions from all of Apple’s services. The cheapest Apple One plan will cost $14.95 per month for individuals, offering Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and 50 GB of iCloud storage.

The same plan will be available for families for $19.95, with 200 GB storage. And a top-end Premier Apple One plan includes Apple News+ and the newly-announced Apple Fitness+ as well, and 2 TB of iCloud.

Apple today announced a new fitness service, set to rival the likes of Peloton. Apple Fitness+ will integrate with the Apple Watch and the Fitness app on the iPhone. Fitness+ costs $9.99 per month, or $79.99 per year.

Users can watch fitness classes hosted by Apple, with health workout metrics shown over the top of the video. The data can then be automatically saved to the Health app.

Apple today announced that it is removing the USB power adaptor from Apple Watch boxes going forward, citing environmental concerns. Next month, the company will announce the iPhone 12 … and is rumored to no longer be bundled with a power adapter nor wired EarPods.

The company’s announcement today for the Apple Watch will help customers get used to the idea of having no bundled accessories in the box, and soften the blow when the same thing happens to the iPhone in October.

Apple has launched an array of new watch bands alongside the Apple Watch Series 6, including the new Solo Loop. It comes in a smooth and braided version.

The new bands are available in five colors, which pair perfectly with the new colored case options of Apple Watch Series 6.

The Apple Store is down ahead of Apple’s September event, where the company is expected to announce a new redesign for the iPad Air and the Apple Watch Series 6. The new watch lineup will include a higher-end model featuring a new blood oxygen sensor, and an entry-level cheaper model that will replace the $199 Apple Watch Series 3 that Apple currently sells.

Today’s Apple event kicks off at 10 AM Pacific Time. Stay tuned to 9to5Mac for full coverage of all the announcements.

Earlier this week, our sister site 9to5Google found references to Apple One – Apple’s upcoming subscription bundle – in the Apple Music app for Android. Bloomberg previously reported that Apple One encompasses several tiers offering combinations of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and iCloud storage for a single discounted price.

Now, 9to5Mac has found references to Apple One in iOS code. These strings appear in the localization files used for the iPhone’s Manage Subscriptions screen. The text has been added recently, which may further suggest that Apple One is going to be announced at Apple’s special event on Tuesday.

iOS 14 allows for third-party web browsers and email clients to become the default, so if you really don’t like Safari and Apple Mail, you now have other options.

With the latest update to Google Chrome, now available on the App Store, you can change your default browser from Safari to Google Chrome, on iPhone and iPad. Here’s how to do it …

Earlier this week, Epic Games said that Apple was going to shut it off from using the Sign in with Apple API, which meant many mobile Fortnite players – those that signed up through Apple’s universal sign in service – would be unable to log into their account altogether. Epic subsequently released account migration FAQs.

In a follow-up tweet posted today, Epic now says that Apple has given them an indefinite extension.

Apple has designed and manufactured custom face masks for employees, as first reported by Bloomberg. The company has created what it calls the ‘Apple Face Mask’, which uses three layers of material to filter particles.. Apple has also purchased special clear masks from a third-party distributor; the first completely clear surgical mask to be approved by the FDA.

The clear mask will allow someone who is deaf or hard of hearing to be able to lipread what an employee is saying. The Apple masks will start being sent out to Apple’s corporate and retail employees over the next few weeks, replacing the standard cloth masks like those being worn by the employees pictured above.

The connected gym equipment market has heated up in the last couple of years, with Peloton as a leading brand in the space. Today, the company announced a new home exercise bike, called Peloton Bike+, which features Apple GymKit support for seamless syncing of workouts to Apple Watch.

The Peloton Bike+ will be available starting September 9, priced at $2495. The original Peloton Bike is getting a price cut to $1895. The company also announced a new range of treadmills – find out everything new over at Connect The Watts.

Apple is set to begin mass production of the iPhone 12 later this month, according to a report from Nikkei. It says at least one of the four 5G-enabled iPhone 12 models will ramp production in mid-September, about one month later than a normal year. Production lines for the entire lineup will start up later in the month and the first weeks of October.

Apple’s CFO has already told the world that the iPhone 12 will launch a few weeks later than usual, suggesting an October release date. The Nikkei report also says that Apple’s long-rumored competitor to Tile trackers, dubbed Apple AirTags, are already at the mass production stage.

In addition to expanding the amount of content on the service, Apple has shown an interest in bundling Apple TV+ with other properties. In August, the company launched a heavily-discounted Showtime + CBS combo subscription for Apple TV+ members. It is also reportedly preparing a mega Apple content services bundle, set to launch alongside the iPhone 12.

Today, The Telegraph reported on a new hire that seems to be related to these initiatives. Apple has hired Tim Connolly to join Apple’s video division. In his former roles at Hulu and Quibi, Connolly was tasked with striking major distribution deals.