Plex is joining the likes of Netflix and not currently developing a Vision Pro app. In a post on Reddit, a Plex employee confirmed: “There is currently no Plex app in development for the Apple Vision Pro.”

A day later, Apple has released public beta versions of the second beta builds. No visionOS public beta, fortunately or unfortunately.

iOS 17.4 development is well under way. Apple just shipped iOS 17.4 beta 2 to developers. The pre-release software primarily focuses on changes made in the EU due to regulatory requirements.

Tim Cook is the star of a new NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show (sponsored by Apple Music) that’s straight out of left field. Wait, that’s baseball. Anyway, the Apple CEO is spotted in an Usher tee shirt (that’s who is performing the show) and FaceTime calling Ludacris, Lil Jon and Taraji P. Henson. Words cannot do it justice.

T-Mobile has been giving extras to customers beyond what Verizon, AT&T, and other carriers offer for a long time. Now the Uncarrier says it’s taking the idea of loyalty programs to the next level with what it calls “Magenta Status.” The new perks include $5 movie tickets, 15% off Hilton hotels, 25% off live shows, access to VIP lounges, and more.

Halfway through the week, and all of today’s best Apple deals are headlined by Apple’s 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro seeing a rare open-box discount to $2,403. With $496 in savings leading the way, the discounts today carry over to Apple’s second-gen AirPods at just $90 as well as all of the gear in this Twelve South Valentine’s Day sale. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Plex, the popular media streaming app, is now rolling out support for renting movies. When you rent a movie from Plex, the company says:

• You have 30 days to start playback.
• Once you begin watching, you can play it as many times as you want within 48 hours.

Perhaps the primary question to be answered regarding Apple’s new spatial computer is: What is it for? And the bigger version of that question: Is Vision Pro a first step toward the future of computing?

Right now, in a world where relatively few people have even tried it, and even fewer of them have bought it, it’s clear that there’s nothing remotely approaching a consensus. Answers range from “Of course not, it’ll just be a short-lived gimmick” to “Absolutely, this will replace our Macs” …

Apple is updating the iPhone with even more emoji characters. iOS 17.4 introduces new ways to express approval or denial, break through the chains, rise from the ashes, or just express that limes are superior to lemons. There’s also a mushroom that looks less out of Mario World and more out of the grocery store.

The new emoji characters are also available in macOS 14.4 on the Mac, watchOS 10.4 for Apple Watch, and iPadOS 17.4 for iPad. For Apple Vision Pro owners, they appear in visionOS 1.1 developer beta.

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A security researcher with a track record of helping Apple identify vulnerabilities in its software seemingly found one particular security hole too tempting.

Instead of reporting it to the Cupertino company, he allegedly exploited it to scam the company out of gift cards and products worth some $2.5 million …

After sharing an initial video over the weekend, iFixit is back with part two of their Apple Vision Pro teardown. This time around, the focus in on the Vision Pro’s dual 4K screens, and iFixit questions whether the display are actually 4K resolution.

Apple is persevering with foldable iPhone designs, according to a new report by The Information. The publication says Apple has been exploring foldable iPhones as early as 2018, and currently has at least two active prototypes of models that fold like clamshell.

The new foldable iPhone is described as being in early development, so don’t expect it to launch anytime soon. Apple has also been developing a larger form-factor foldable iPad, having faced challenges with the foldable iPhone project, according to the report ..

Apple’s AI work may be something of a slow-burn when it comes to Siri, but the company isn’t sitting back doing nothing. The company has just released an open-source AI model for editing photos using simple text commands – something which has been described as a breakthrough achievement.

Named MGIE – for Multimodal large language model Guided Image Editing – the model allows the user to use natural language to tell the editor what it is you want to achieve …

It looks like sports fans are set for an extremely comprehensive all-in-one option. Disney-owned ESPN is partnering with FOX and Warner Bros Discovery to create a package of no fewer than 14 different channels.

The joint venture will offer access to thousands of games and events, across a diverse range of sports – and you’ll be able to bundle the new service with Disney+, Hulu, or Max …

Even before the iPhone 15 was launched, there were rumors about the iPhone 16 getting a new rear camera module with the lenses aligned vertically rather than diagonally. The rumor gained more traction after the announcement of the iPhone 15 Pro, which can record Spatial Videos for Vision Pro thanks to the new camera arrangement. Now an alleged iPhone 16 schematic seems to corroborate these rumors.

Last week, Apple released its first new accessory for the Vision Pro since its launch, a $299 Apple Vision Pro Developer Strap only available for registered Apple Developers. Although Apple notes clearly on the back of the box that it’s not for resale and only intended for developers, anyone who coughs up $299, plus the yearly $99 fee to become a registered Apple Developer, can get their hands on this accessory.

The Apple Vision Pro Developer strap replaces the device’s right Audio Strap. It arrives in a small box that resembles an Apple Watch box, and includes the Developer Strap, over-designed eject tool, and documentation. The Developer Strap has several noticeable differences compared to the right Audio Strap that it replaces. The most obvious difference is the addition of a USB-C input that allows you to connect Apple Vision Pro directly to your Mac. Let’s take a closer look at the Apple Vision Developer Strap inside.

Apple has been handed a victory in its ongoing legal battle with AliveCor over the Apple Watch’s heart monitoring technology.

AliveCor had alleged that Apple restricted third-party access to certain Apple Watch heart rate data, a move that it deemed was anticompetitive. A US District Court judge, however, has ruled entirely in Apple’s favor and said the company will not have to face the lawsuit in a trial.

Update 3:54 p.m. PT: Added AliveCor’s statement below. AliveCor says it will appeal.

The first beta of visionOS 1.1 doesn’t include many changes, but there is an update to app placement that appears to be somewhat notable. Here’s what to expect.

One of the most popular features for Vision Pro is the ability for it to serve as an external display for your Mac. Here’s how this feature works and how to enable it on your Apple Vision Pro.

As reported by Bloomberg yesterday, some Vision Pro users have found out the hard way that there’s no way to restore the device if for some reason you forget your password. If this happens, you must take your Vision Pro to an Apple Store or repair center. Luckily, visionOS 1.1 beta seems to address this problem.

The annual Heart Month Challenge is back again this year for Apple Watch users. Scheduled for Valentine’s Day, here’s how to earn the special award and the special sticker pack for the event.