Heading into the weekend, all of today’s best deals are headlined by Apple’s AirPods 3 returning to the all-time low of $140. That’s alongside official iPhone 12 series MagSafe cases from $10 and Apple’s white 12.9-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard at $49 off. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Apple’s new AirPods 3 return to all-time low of $140 Apple’s latest earbuds just launched back in October of last year and most notably arrive with a redesigned casing that takes a page out of the pro version’s book....

iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 beta testing continues today. Apple today is rolling out iOS 15.1 beta 3 to developers alongside iPadOS 15.1 beta 3. iOS 15.1 includes the return of SharePlay as well as updates to the Apple Wallet and Apple Health app for storing COVID-19 vaccination cards. Update: Now available to public beta testers as well. Today’s new release of the iOS 15.1 beta 3 is available to developers via an over-the-air update in the Settings app....

As the year comes to a close, Apple has shared an update on its Employee Giving program that’s making a big impact around the world through both direct donations and time from over 76,000 volunteers. The company also shared stories about how the efforts are making the world a better place. Apple shared the update on its 11-year-old Employee Giving program in a Newsroom post this morning: “Since its inception 11 years ago, Apple’s Employee Giving program has raised over $880 million dollars for almost 44,000 organizations globally....

Apple Trade In is one of the best ways to trade in your old device, and every year, Apple waits until the newest iPhone models are announced before accepting models from the previous year. Apple just added iPhone 12 models to the trade in program. Prices are as follows: iPhone 12 Mini: Up to $400 iPhone 12: Up to $530 iPhone 12 Pro: Up to $640 iPhone 12 Pro Max: Up to $790 While Apple Trade In doesn’t always offer the top values for older phones, they do tend to be the most forgiving about hitting all the requirements for being in “good condition”....

From time to time we hear about people who have had their lives saved thanks to the Apple Watch, and recently this happened to Dan Pfau after he fainted and hit his head hard on the floor. The story comes from the Boston Globe, which talked to Pfau after the accident. At the age of 70, this is not the first time the retired administrative consultant has been saved thanks to his Apple Watch....

Anyone with a PlayStation VR is familiar with the character Astro Bot, a perky and charismatic mascot mainstay of the The Playroom VR, who heads off to rescue his friends in a memorable mini-game pack-in. Utilizing a headset-oriented camera, players follow and control Astro as they bop around in search of lost robot pals, hiding behind bright foliage or dilly-dallying down secret paths. Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a full-length upgrade on that initial proof-of-concept, and gives PS VR gamers a signature exclusive to proudly lord over their non-VR-having friends....

Avengers: Infinity War finally premiered this week, shortly ahead of its general release, and it has already received a ‘Certified Fresh’ seal from review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. This badge of critic approval is given to movies that receive more than 40 reviews, with a “Tomatometer” score of 75% or more. As of the time of writing, Infinity War has a score of 87% with more than 80 reviews counted....

James Gunn reveals that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 will be a brand new narrative altogether. While everyone is still excitedly waiting for what the rest of Phase 3 will bring to the franchise before it wraps up, some are already a few steps ahead – pondering what is next for the famed superhero film series. Now, Gunn has just added another thing to consider for those who are already playing the guessing game with regard to the future of the comic book movie saga....

Netflix has renewed Altered Carbon for season 2, swapping out former lead Joel Kinnaman for Anthony Mackie. The high-priced science fiction series about a body-hopping mercenary earned mixed reviews in its first season, but clearly performed well enough to merit continuing. This news comes as Netflix looks to continue promoting original content in the face of competition from new and upcoming streaming services. Based on the books by Richard K. Morgan, the series depicts a future where humanity has spread out to the galaxy, aided by the ability to swap their consciousness from one body to another via high-tech “cortical stacks” implanted at the base of the skull....

Instagram has infamously lacked a dedicated iPad app since day one, and it doesn’t appear that will change anytime soon. In a post on Twitter this weekend, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri again attempted to defend this decision, albeit with a pretty weak excuse… No hope for Instagram for iPad… This is far from the first time that Instagram has come under scrutiny for its failure to make a dedicated app for Instagram....

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers today handed down her decision in the Apple vs. Epic legal case over the App Store. Judge Rogers ruled that Apple violates antitrust law with its anti-steering policies in the App Store, but that Apple is not a monopoly. Judge Rogers issued a permanent injunction saying that Apple can no longer forbid developers from directing users to third-party payment options. While Epic Games has already announced that it plans to appeal the ruling, Apple is pleased with the outcome....

All of Thursday’s best deals are headlined by Apple Pencil 2 dropping to $100. That’s alongside the first discount on elago’s new W7 iPod shuffle AirTag Case and $40 off Apple Watch Series 7. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. Apple Pencil 2 is an iPad must-have at $100 Verizon Wireless is now offering the Apple Pencil 2 for $100. Normally fetching $129, you’re looking at the second-best price to date at $29 off....

Following the launch of the new App Store Connect experience earlier this month, Apple on Tuesday updated its App Store Connect API with new features. The new version is now available for developers and brings features such as more flexibility, custom workflows, and more. With the update, developers can create and submit in-app events and even custom product pages using the API. All the new features introduced with the new App Store Connect experience, which includes sending multiple items in a single submission and changing app details without having to submit a new app version, are also part of the new API....

Apple today shared the official trailer for the upcoming third season of alt-reality For All Mankind. Season three picks up ten years further on in the story, with NASA aiming to occupy the surface of Mars. Apple’s flagship space drama debuted as part of the Apple TV+ launch in November 2019, and the show has continued to receive strong critical acclaim. For All Mankind season two was selected as the #1 show of last year, by Rolling Stone....

This year will see Warner Bros. and DC Films expand the reaches of the DC Extended Universe with highly anticipated pictures Wonder Woman and Justice League making their way to theaters. With the addition of each new film in big franchises such as these, the introduction of new characters is sure to be included. There are many new characters that fans are eager to see, but this will be a big year for Amber Heard....

The director of Aquaman, James Wan, wanted to do a horror movie about Batman before he landed the big-time undersea gig. Wan has quite an eclectic career as a director. Aquaman is his first foray into official superheroes, though Wan did direct Furious 7, which was essentially a pulse-pounding superhero movie without any actual superpowers or costumes. Before Aquaman and Furious 7, though, Wan’s career was entrenched in the horror genre....

Aquaman has already outgrossed both Wonder Woman and Man of Steel at the overseas box office. December is always a busy month for the film industry, with every studio releasing their own four-quadrant movies to intense competition. This year, with no Star Wars film dropping at Christmas, the studios have been fighting it out - and Aquaman looks set to be the winner. The film’s domestic takings haven’t been particularly impressive....

Warning: SPOILERS for Aquaman: - A new King was crowned in Aquaman but the movie also proved Mera (Amber Heard) deserves to be Queen of Atlantis. While the main plot of director James Wan’s blockbuster involved Arthur Curry’s (Jason Momoa) quest to find Atlan’s Trident and claim his birthright, Mera concurrently established herself as the person best suited to actually rule the undersea kingdom. In Aquaman, Mera initiated the plan she and the royal vizier Vulko (Willem Dafoe) concocted to stop King Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson) from uniting the remaining kingdoms of Atlantis, declaring himself Ocean Master, and waging war on the surface world....

UPDATE: The new Green Arrow’s identity has been revealed. The season 7 premiere of Arrow reveals that a new vigilante has emerged to take Oliver Queen’s place as the Green Arrow. The mysterious hooded archer’s identity remains a secret, but there’s a good chance that the man behind the hood is the original Green Arrow’s former sidekick, Roy Harper (Colton Haynes). Thea Queen’s boyfriend, Roy Harper, was trained by Oliver (Stephen Amell) during season 2....

Kate Kane aka. Batwoman (Ruby Rose) uses her Bat-gadgets to stop a prison break in the latest image from the Arrowverse Elseworlds crossover. The TV event includes Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, and takes place over the course of three nights in early December. In the years since Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen and Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen teamed up for the first Arrowverse crossover (between Arrow and The Flash), The CW’s annual DCTV crossover events have further incorporated Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and the Legends of Tomorrow into the mix....