More than 30 community colleges in the US to offer Apple app development with Swift

Apple says that App Development with Swift curriculum will now be offered in more than 30 community college systems across the Unites States in the 2017-2018 school year, providing opportunities to millions of students to build apps that will prepare them for careers in software development and information technology.

The Austin Community College District (ACC), one of the nation’s largest higher learning institutions, will begin offering the course to its 74,000 students this fall.

Created by engineers and educators at Apple, the full-year App Development with Swift course teaches students how to build apps using Swift, an open source programming language that emphasizes safety, performance and modern software design patterns. The course takes students with no programming experience and enables them to build fully-functional apps of their own design.

Click to read more ...

Microsoft Store offering a buy one-take one deal on Lumia 950 Windows Phone

If you've been pining for one of the flagship Lumia 950 smartphones, now may be the time to pull the trigger as the Microsoft Store is offering the a free Lumia 950 for every unlocked Lumia 950 XL you buy. This is a great way to move the expensive yet powerful Windows Phone flagships. The Microsoft Store states that -Limited-time offer: Get an Unlocked Lumia 950 (Black) for FREE‡ when you buy this Lumia 950 XL ($749 in savings).

Both Lumias sport Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processors, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard memory and the ability to run Windows Continuum which can push the OS and some universal apps to a connected display, mouse and keyboard, creating a makeshift desktop running from a phone. You also get exceptional 20MP cameras with 4K video recording. Lumia 950 XL is 5.7-inches while the Lumia 950 is a 5.2-inch device.

Microsoft has been down on the future of Windows Phone for the time being but there's an undeniable group of users who don't mind the app gap in Windows Phone (or who simply don't care for having ports of the trendier apps), this could be the deal they are waiting for. This deal is valid for one week, or through May 1, 2016, or while supplies last. 

27 more banks in the US to partner with Apple Pay

Apple's mobile payments platform for the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch is making progress towards ubiquity, at least in the US. 27 more banks have signed up with the service and will be offering their customers the option to make payments on their devices. Hit jump for a list of new Apple Pay partners.

Click to read more ...

Apple Pay now enjoys 1,000 US card issuers

Apple Pay, Apple's mobile payments platform tied to iPhone and Apple Watch now has 1,000 US card issuers as it makes a push to get more retailers into the fold. The company only has 998 banks and credit unions, but other issuers include retailers BJ's Wholesale Club and Kohl's. The service is available in 2 million locations and is also expected to expand into new countries like Spain and China. Apple Pay is available in Canada but only for American Express customers. We're hoping that other banks and credit cards will offer the service soon.

Source: Apple