Apple

Starting later this month, Prime Video subscribers will be able to subscribe to Apple TV+ through Amazon. Specific details about the business arrangement between Apple and Amazon are not known. However, Apple presumably believes it can reach more subscribers by offering TV+ as an add-on subscription for Prime Video subscribers.

Apple has struck a deal with a new partner for ad sales in its Apple News and Stocks apps. Unfortunately, that ad seller—Taboola—carries a reputation for employing some of the worst ads you’ve ever seen.

After a report on what Apple users do with their old iPads, analytics firm CIRP has released a study about how Apple News+ subscriptions in the US are growing compared to major publishers like the NYT, WSJ, and WP. Here’s what CIRP found.

While many publishers were initially cautious about the launch of Apple News+, with some fearing that it could do more harm than good, there’s increasing evidence that it might act as a lifeline in what has become an increasingly precarious business.

News sites have faced a two-pronged challenge in recent years: Traffic alone is worth less than it used to be, and driving that traffic has become far harder …

Apple has officially released iOS 17.5, bringing new games in News+ and cross-platform tracking detection to iPhone users. Apple’s latest Pride wallpaper is also featured. The update is available alongside iPadOS 17.5, macOS 14.5 Sonoma, and more.

Today Apple released the RC build of iOS 17.5, among other OS updates, and the release notes brought word of a valuable enhancement coming to the Apple News app for News+ subscribers.

We’ve known for some time that News+ would be gaining a new game, Quartiles, when iOS 17.5 launched. Now it seems there’s another key feature coming to subscribers.

Last week at the White House Correspondents Dinner, SNL’s Colin Jost joked about how The New York Times—the country’s most successful news publication—was only kept alive by Wordle and other puzzle games. The Times didn’t appreciate the remark.

Apple has clearly been paying attention to the Times’ success, though, as its latest strategy for boosting Apple News+ subscribers is a heaping dose of puzzle games. After launching crosswords last fall, another News+ game is on its way with iOS 17.5’s impending release: Quartiles.

Also noteworthy: both crosswords and Quartiles will be equipped with Game Center support in iOS 17.5. So much of Wordle’s initial popularity was tied to social sharing, and now in its own way, Apple is making it possible to play News+ games alongside your friends and in competition with others.

Will Apple’s games-focused strategy for News+ be successful? Here’s why it might.

Following the addition of crosswords in iOS 17, Apple News+ is expanding its catalog of games as part of iOS 17.5. Starting with iOS 17.5, there is a new game called “Quartiles” available in the News app, which prompts players to select from a grid of tiles to form words.

Back in December, Apple announced that sports publication The Athletic had joined Apple News+. At the time, Apple also said that Wirecutter would join Apple News in early 2024, and it now appears that day has come.

A major new Apple antitrust development will reportedly land soon. That’s according to the New York Times, reporting today that the United States Department of Justice has reached “late stages” of its monopoly investigation of Apple.

The inept OpenAI board may have stolen the news cycle from X over the weekend, but Linda Yaccarino is here to remind everyone that X knows drama too. Apple and others pulled their advertising from X on Friday, and now the X CEO has responded with a memo to employees.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple is planning a redesigned version of its TV app that will debut later this year. As part of these changes, Apple is also planning to phase out its dedicated “iTunes movies” and “iTunes TV shows” apps on Apple TV. It will also reportedly remove those options from the iTunes Store on iPhone and iPad.

10/16: As scheduled, Apple’s online store is now live in Chile. iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will be available to pre-order in Chile starting Friday, October 20, according to Apple. Story from October 10 follows.

Apple customers in Chile will soon be able to make purchases directly from the company. Apple is launching its online store in the country next week, and there’s an official custom wallpaper to celebrate.

Apple Music Radio isn’t the only new game in town for Apple’s Podcasts app in iOS 17. The crossover feature also brings in spoken word news and magazine articles for Apple News+ subscribers. Beyond Apple, more than a dozen apps from the App Store can also deliver member content through Apple’s Podcasts app.

The California Institute of Technology, a private research university, has reached a “potential settlement” in the 2016 lawsuit against Apple and Broadcom, Reuters reports.

Apple has set the date for its next quarterly earnings report. The company will release results and host a conference call with analysts next month.

Threads is on the verge of crossing 100 million users over the span of four days. Among those users? 9to5Mac sites and staff, a bunch of celebrities and Wendy’s, and now a handful of accounts by Apple.

Starting with iOS 17, Apple is taking a page from the New York Times and integrating crossword puzzles into the News app. Puzzles will be available to Apple News+ and Apple One subscribers. Here’s how they look in iOS 17.