iOS

Apple has released iOS 9.3.1 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The bug fix update to iOS 9.3, released last week, contains a crucial improvement for iOS users: it addresses the widespread issue where apps (and sometimes the whole OS) would crash or hangs when tapping links.

We’ll update the post if we spot anything else notable, although the Release Notes do not suggest anything else has changed …

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Apple today announced a new browser, sort of. It’s called Safari Technology Preview and its meant for developers to be able to test and experiment with future web technologies and upcoming features. This is similar to Google Chrome Canary, which allows developers to play with in-development web technologies ahead of official releases. The app even comes complete with a new purple icon.

Apple will be updating Safari Technology Preview on a fortnightly basis, with each release signed for security. Download Apple’s new browser from the developer portal, with automatic updates through the Mac App Store.

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Deja vu? The Foxconn acquisition of Sharp was almost a done deal a few weeks ago, until Sharp revealed some additional liabilities at the eleventh hour it had not previously disclosed. This meant Foxconn had to go back to the drawing board and re-assess the deal, renegotiating some parts of the contract with Sharp. The initial offer was worth $6.2 billion. Today, the companies announced Foxconn will buy Sharp in a $3.5 billion dollar deal.

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Apple and Major League Baseball have agreed a deal to use iPads in the dugouts during games, showing performance stats, analyze pitcher-hitter matchups, compare pitching range and more, via the Wall Street Journal. The iPads will use a custom app called ‘MLB Dugout’, created by MLB’s media division with help from Apple.

In the new deal, Apple and MLB will provide 12.9 inch iPad Pros to every team in the league, fitted with rugged cases for protection. The deal was made possible because of a recent change to the rules which lifts the ban on smartphones, tablets and laptops in the dugouts. Whether Apple paid for the promotion or MLB paid for the products was not disclosed.

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iPhone SE might be helping Apple attract more new users from Android compared to previous recent iPhone launches, according to the latest data on sales of the new device from Slice Intelligence. Specifically, Slice points to the higher number of SE buyers coming from Android compared to the iPhone 6S:

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Apple has today updated its list of iOS 9 feature availability to note the addition of its Maps ‘Nearby’ feature for more countries.

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Along with Night Shift mode, having the ability to password-protect notes in the default Notes app is one of the big new features in iOS 9.3. Individual notes within the Notes app can now be secured with a password, and Touch ID users can gain even faster access to password-protected notes.

Securing notes in iOS 9.3 is a simple exercise on the surface, but it’s not always entirely straightforward. Have a look at our full video walkthrough and tutorial for all of the details.
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Since posting our original story, we have heard from a lot of readers that are affected by iOS 9 crashes or app hangs when tapping links, spanning multiple iOS versions (not just 9.3) and devices. In a statement, Apple has now confirmed that they are working on a fix for the problem, coming in a software update (presumably iOS 9.3.1).

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Apple has released an updated build of iOS 9.3 for users affected by an activation bug, first reported last week. Although the version number is still 9.3, the update features a new build number, 13E5237, to signify the change. The issue prevented some iPhone and iPad owners from successfully completing the upgrade steps for iOS 9.3 if they could not recall their Apple ID info immediately, to pass Activation Lock.

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[Update: Although details around the problem with iOS 9.3 links causing hangs and crashes remain sparse, it appears to be related to the third-party apps a user installed on the system. We have been able to take an unaffected iPhone 6 and iPad Pro, install the Booking.com app, and then observe Safari consistently hanging when long pressing a link. We do not recommend repeating this however to see the bug for yourself, as the problem appears to stay around. Our test devices continue to exhibit the crashing bug after uninstalling the app and rebooting. We are not sure what exactly causes the issue and thus do not know what class of apps cause the problem to arise. It is likely not limited to just one app, but we are yet to find others. Apple is yet to comment officially on the issue.]

Readers are reporting a strange bug with iOS 9.3 (and older versions apparently, exact characteristics of affected devices is unclear), primarily affecting the latest Apple devices, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The issue has also been reported on older phones and some iPad models as well. The cause is unknown, but many users are finding themselves unable to open links in Safari, Messages, Mail, Notes and other apps. Instead of visiting the target website, the app crashes, freezes or hangs. Hundreds of reports have already been posted about the iOS 9.3 problem on the Apple Support forums.

Other users are reporting that tapping on links simply does nothing, whereas a tap-and-hold causes a crash. A permanent fix for the issue is not known and Apple has yet to comment on what may be going on. Some people have reported that disabling JavaScript partially solves the issue for opening links in Safari, but remains for other apps.

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When Apple launched the iPhone 6s/Plus, 3D Touch was one of the headline features. Apple devoted a full four-minute video to showing what it does and how it works. Even today, visit the Apple website and click on the iPhone 6s, and it’s the first thing you see. Apple’s summary of the phone is ‘3D Touch, 12MP photos, 4K video.’

The first tab at the top of the screen is 3D Touch. The first video linked is the one for 3D Touch. Scroll down the page for the detail of the phone, and 3D Touch – ‘the next generation of multi-touch’ – is again the first feature to be shown. Clearly Apple thinks it’s a big deal.

And yet, the company just this week unveiled not just one but two new iOS devices, neither of which offers the feature. This is perhaps understandable in the case of the iPhone SE – Apple needed some tech distinctions between its flagship phone and its new budget model. But it’s an odd omission from a brand new iPad …

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Following the release of iOS 9.3, Shazam has released a significant update to its iOS app that bumps it version 9.4.1. The update deepens the app’s integration with Apple Music, allowing users to now more easily add songs they Shazam to their Apple Music library.

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