Apple is considering extending the free trial of its Apple TV+ video streaming service that comes with new Apple devices, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple TV+ launched last October for $4.99 per month. Any iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, or Mac purchased from September 10, 2019 was eligible for a year-long free trial of Apple TV+.
As the first free trials will come to an end next month, Apple is apparently considering an extension of the free trial program. Gurman's sources say this would take shape as a continued free access offer with the purchase of a new Apple device, but now for a period shorter than a year.
The Cupertino, California-based company launched TV+ last year for $4.99 a month, but many customers are still on a free year of service that comes with the purchase of an Apple product. The first trial accounts will expire just weeks after the next iPhones are set to debut in October. The company is considering keeping a free access offer to lure new subscribers but with a reduced period of time, the people said.
The offer of a generous year-long free trial for Apple TV+ has been an important part of Apple's strategy to lure in long-term subscribers by giving unfettered access to the full roster of content on the streaming service. Apple TV+ launched with a small amount of content compared with other rival services, so it has been crucial for Apple to build goodwill and interest about the service's shows without expecting immediate returns.
The report also featured the news that Apple is planning to add bonus augmented reality content to Apple TV+.
Today you can get the AirPods with Charging Case (Wired) for $129.00, down from $159.00 on Amazon. This is about $1 shy of the lowest price that we've ever tracked for a new pair of Apple's regular AirPods, and it's currently the best price online.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
These AirPods include the Wired Charging Case, meaning they don't support Qi wireless charging and will need to be charged using a Lightning cable. However, the headphones do support other typical AirPods features, like "Hey Siri" and quick connection to Apple devices using the Apple H1 chip.
We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones. Other sales this week include deals on AirPods Pro at Amazon and B&H Photo, where the noise-cancelling headphones are available for $219.99.
Last week, multiple startup companies in Korea called for an investigation into Apple and Google's in-app purchase practices. Now, The Korea Herald has confirmed that the Korean Ministry of Science and ITC will launch an investigation to look into the two companies' "excessive commissions."
The investigation will examine platform fees, payment systems, and whether Apple and Google have violated Korean laws that prohibit technology service operators from obstructing users to choose services.
Apple and Google made up 87.8 percent of the Korean app market in 2019, and the issue is effectively an antitrust investigation. The original petition submitted by an alliance of app developers and small companies argued that platform operators are using their immense market share to give developers no choice but to submit to high commission fees.
They explained that Apple has been forcing developers to use their specific in-app purchase system since 2011, through which Apple takes a 30 percent commission. Google demands game apps in Korea use its own in-app purchase module and adds an additional 30 percent game-only commission. Google reportedly plans to expand restrictions on developers, and demand a 30 percent commission on webtoons, music streaming, and e-books.
"[The ministry] will carefully monitor and prepare policies that can cope with the increasing influence of platform providers," a Ministry of Science and ITC spokesperson said. "The ministry will also mediate between developers and platform operators to secure user rights."
The ministry laid out plans to collect opinions from local app developers and smaller market sources to see if the companies' platform fees are unfairly hindering business operators and in turn raising prices for consumers.
The outcome of the investigation could be sweeping amendments to Korea's new Telecommunications Business Act, which takes effect in January.
Apple plans to add bonus augmented reality content to its Apple TV+ streaming video service, according to a new report today by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The new feature is said to take aspects of scenes in a TV show, such as characters or objects, and display them on the viewer's iPhone or iPad so they can be seen as if they existed in the user's surrounding environment.
For example, someone watching a moon-walking scene in the Apple show "For All Mankind" might be able to see a virtual lunar rover on their device’s display, seemingly perched atop their living room coffee table. The option would serve as bonus content akin to the director commentary or trailer that accompany a movie download and would be accessed from Apple's TV app on the iPhone or iPad.
The AR feature is expected to debut next year, ahead of an Apple headset in 2022 that will be built around augmented and virtual reality, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to discuss the plan publicly.
Gurman says that Apple intended to release the AR feature for Apple TV+ later this year, but the impact of the global health crisis pushed back the launch. Gurman's sources also cautioned that Apple could decide to ditch the plan entirely.
According to Bloomberg and other sources, Apple will debut laser-powered time-of-flight 3D cameras in its upcoming iPhone 12 lineup that promise significant improvements to AR experiences. The cameras are thought to be similar to the LiDAR Scanner feature that Apple added in the 2020 iPad Pro models. AR remains chronically underused, however, because Apple currently only offers two of its own AR features – Animoji and the Measure app – and relies on third-party app developers to provide additional AR utilities and experiences using its ARKit framework.
Looking further ahead, multiple rumors point to Apple's augmented reality headset being released in 2022, and a recent report claimed Apple and Foxconn have reached a key milestone in the development of the long-rumored AR headset, with the semitransparent lenses for the device moving from prototype to trial production.
An earlier report from Bloomberg's Gurman indicated that Apple's AR and VR projects have been hampered by internal divisions over whether Apple should emphasize graphics and processing power in a design that would connect wirelessly to a nearby hub or a more personal approach with lesser capabilities but which can be contained entirely within the headset.
Apple is said to have multiple AR and VR projects in the works beyond the initial headset, known by the code name of N301, with a sleeker pair of AR glasses known as N421 that could launch in 2023. For everything we know on Apple's AR/VR plans, be sure to check our dedicated roundup.
The latest iOS 14 beta 6 includes a new way for users to review places of interest and upload photos to Apple Maps that doesn't rely on third party integrations.
First spotted by Twitter user BeauGiles and reported by 9to5Mac, the new user interface for places of interest in Maps no longer pulls reviews and photos from the likes of Foursquare, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. Instead, Apple is replacing these third-party services with its own native rating system.
Going forward, users who tap a marker for a place on the map that they have physically visited will be offered the ability to recommend a place using a thumbs up/thumbs down rating that can also distinguish between relevant categories, such as ratings for the quality of products and services in a shop, for example.
Meanwhile, a new "Add Photos to Maps" option in place cards also lets users upload pictures directly to Apple's Maps servers. As outlined in Apple's legal terms for the new feature, the option only appears to users older than 13 years of age and photos are reviewed by humans before appearing in Apple Maps.
Currently, the rating system is only visible on some places of interest in the latest iOS 14 beta, as Apple is clearly still in the initial stages of implementing the feature. In future, however, users shouldn't be redirected to third-party apps in the App Store whenever they want to submit a review or photo of a place of interest in Apple Maps.
Apple customers in the U.S. and Canada are experiencing issues when attempting to purchase products through Apple's online education store, with multiple links currently broken.
The full range of Apple's flagship products appears to be affected, with "Buy" links for all Macs, iPads, iPhones, and Apple Watch models currently returning "Page Not Found" errors.
Several MacRumors readers have reported the problem, leading some users to speculate that the broken link for the product they tried to buy might be related to an imminent update or new promotion.
However, given that the errors are affecting the entire product lineup, including in some cases the Education Store homepage itself, it seems pretty clear that this is just a temporary error on the part of Apple's servers. Apple already launched this year's annual "Back to School" promotion in the United States and Canada in June.
We'll update this article once Apple has rectified the error.
Update #1: We're hearing from readers that other regional education stores and the U.K. online refurb store are also experiencing issues at this time.
Update #2: The issues on Apple's online stores appear to have been resolved.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was recently awarded 560,000 shares of Apple stock for serving as Apple's CEO and for Apple's strong performance under his leadership.
After receiving the award, Cook sold more than 265,000 of those shares at prices ranging from $493.50 to $500.11, netting him somewhere around $131.7 million, according to a filing published today by the SEC. The remaining 294,840 shares worth over $148 million were withheld by Apple for taxes.
As with all transactions where Apple executives sell stock, the sale was done under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that was adopted by Cook's trust on February 28, 2020.
Cook's stock award included 280,000 time-based RSUs and 280,000 performance-based RSUs that were based on Apple's total shareholder return relative to other companies in the S&P 500 over the three-year period from August 25, 2017 through August 24, 2020. Apple achieved a higher shareholder return than at least two-thirds of the other companies in the S&P during that time period.
Mr. Cook's award provides that if Apple's relative TSR performance is within the top third of the companies that remain in the S&P 500 for the entire performance period, the 280,000 performance-based RSUs vest in full. If Apple's performance is in the middle third, the RSUs will be reduced by 50%, and if Apple's performance is in the bottom third, the RSUs will be reduced to zero. Apple needed to achieve a TSR of at least 48.28% to outperform the middle third of the companies in the S&P 500 for the performance period, and at least -3.89% to outperform the bottom third of the companies. Apple's TSR for the three-year period was 194.89%, which ranked 7th of the 442 companies that were included in the S&P 500 for the entire period and placed Apple in the 99th percentile. Therefore, all 280,000 of the RSUs subject to performance requirements vested.
Cook is set to have another 700,000 of his RSUs vest on August 24, 2021, based on his original employment agreement with Apple. Cook's net worth surpassed $1 billion this year, according to estimates calculated by Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.
Apple's stock has soared past the $500 mark this week, and the company's market value has hit $2 trillion. After selling the RSUs provided this year, Cook continues to hold 837,374 shares of Apple stock worth $418 million.
Screenshots said to be sourced from a test model of the upcoming 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max suggest the flagship device could feature a 120Hz display and a LiDAR Scanner.
Shared by leaker Jon Prosser, the screenshots are said to be from a PVT (production validation test) model of the 6.7-inch iPhone. The settings have a toggle to enable "LiDAR" for "assisted auto focus and subject detection for Video and Night Mode."
There's also an option to "Enable High Refresh Rate" and "Enable Adaptive Refresh Rate," a setting that says "the device will alter the refresh rate from 120Hz to 60Hz in accordance to the content displayed on-screen."
There have been mixed rumors on whether some iPhone 12 models will feature 120Hz ProMotion display technology, and display analyst Ross Young earlier this week said that Apple is facing supply chain issues with 120Hz display driver ICs for the iPhone 12 Pro, and so Apple may opt to ship with 60Hz displays or delay the launch of the iPhone 12 Pro models.
Prosser claims that some of the 6.7-inch PVT iPhone models are equipped with 120Hz displays and some are not, and the alleged settings screenshots do mention the existence of both.
Rumors have long suggested the iPhone 12 Pro models will feature a LiDAR Scanner like the LiDAR scanner added to the 2020 iPad Pro models, and this is a feature that is likely to be limited to the higher-end iPhones this year. Both LiDAR tech and 120Hz displays, if implemented, will be high-end features.
These screenshots from Prosser should be viewed with some skepticism. There is some questionable wording in the screenshots, with unusual spelling, capitalization, and wording that Apple does not use. One screenshot uses the UK spelling "behaviour," for example, and Hz is not properly capitalized. "Zoom Capabilities" is misspelled in another of the screenshots, and it references "Slow Mo," when Apple calls it "Slo Mo."
Prosser explains this away by suggesting the wording here is "written for people testing the units," which can't be confirmed. It's not clear if the screenshots or real or have been faked, which would not be difficult to do, but Prosser says that he plans to share a video of the PVT iPhone 12 Pro with these settings in the near future.
In the past, Prosser has been fooled by the people who provide him with content to share. In June, for example, he shared images that he claimed were of a wireless charger Apple was still working on, but it later turned out those images were of a clone device not designed by Apple at all. He has, however, shared accurate information on Apple's launch plans in the past.
Update: EverythingApplePro has also shared the same screenshots on an alleged iPhone 12 Pro Max test device. Curiously, these screenshots show an "AM" next to the time, which is allegedly visible due to the extra display space on either side of the device.
Actual iPhone 12 Pro Max (PVT) notch shot with 120Hz settings. Same notch size, slightly more room for 'AM/PM' badge because of 6.7-in screen, battery icon is a bit different. Thanks to @MaxWinebachpic.twitter.com/Hq7yBNnXUV
— EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) August 25, 2020
EverythingApplePro claims that the 6.7-inch iPhone has a resolution of 2788 x 1284 resolution with 458 pixels per inch and that a power adapter won't be sold alongside the iPhone, which has been previously rumored.
Update 2: Prosser has now shared a video that features the camera settings screenshots and allegedly depicts the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The notch depicted in the video shared by Prosser appears to be the same size as the current notch, suggesting no reduction in size if the device in the video is truly an iPhone 12 Pro Max and not a fake.
Apple today seeded the sixth betas of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 to developers for testing purposes, updating and refining some of the features that are included in the software.
As the beta testing period goes on, changes get much smaller and less notable. The sixth beta has some minor tweaks and feature additions, but there are no real major changes in the update. We've listed all of what's new in the sixth beta of iOS 14 below.
- Time Picker Design - The time picker interface, available in the Clock app when setting an alarm and other places in iOS, has seen a slight design tweak that adds an orange box around the time to make it more obvious that it can be interacted with to change the time.
- Spatial Audio - Spatial Audio, the feature that brings surround sound to the AirPods Pro, isn't implemented as of yet, but Apple appears to be gearing up to add the feature to iOS 14 and the AirPods Pro. In today's beta, there's a new Spatial Audio toggle available in the Accessibility section of the Settings app. Choose AirPods and then at the bottom of the screen, there's a "Follow iPhone" toggle. Follow iPhone makes audio for supported movies and TV shows sound like it's coming from the phone instead of following head movement. There's also new code and internal messaging related to the spatial audio feature. Though this toggle is available, Spatial Audio is not yet functional.
- Maps Splash Screen - There's a new splash screen for the Maps app that lets you know about new features that include cycling directions, curated guides, and support for speed cameras.
Know of any other changes in iOS 14 beta 6 that we didn't list here? Let us know in the comments and we'll add them.
Apple today seeded the sixth betas of upcoming iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 updates to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fifth betas and over two months after unveiling the new software at the WWDC keynote.
Registered developers can download the betas over the air after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.
iOS 14 introduces a redesigned Home Screen that supports widgets on iPhone for the first time, plus widgets have been redesigned and can now be customized in three sizes through the new widgets gallery.
An App Library shows all of the apps installed on an iPhone in one place, both in an icon view and in an alphabetical list. With all of the apps in the App Library, app icons and Home Screen pages can be hidden for a cleaner look.
Incoming phone calls and FaceTime calls no longer take up the entire iPhone/iPad display, and Siri requests have also been minimized so summoning Siri doesn't monopolize the screen. Siri is smarter in iOS 14 and can send audio messages, and dictation can now run on device. A Picture in Picture mode allows users to watch videos or use FaceTime while using other apps.
App Clips lets users take advantage of some app features without needing to download a full app, useful for quick actions like purchasing a coffee, making a restaurant reservation, or renting a scooter, where downloading an entire app would be a hassle. App Clips can be scanned from QR codes, NFC tags, or Apple-designed App Clip Codes, plus they can be shared in Messages or accessed from Safari.
In the Messages app you can now pin important conversations, use @mentions in group chats, and take advantage of inline replies to keep multi-person conversations better organized. There are new Memoji options and group chats can be assigned icons with photos, emoji, or Memoji.
The Health app supports the Apple Watch's new Sleep Tracking feature and there's a Health Checklist for managing health settings, and in the Weather app, there's more info on precipitation and severe weather events.
Cycling directions are available in the Maps app with directions incorporating elevation, how busy a street is, and stairs, plus for those who own electric vehicles, there are options for routes with EV charging stops.
Digital Car Keys let an iPhone be used in lieu of a physical key, a feature that's coming soon to BMWs, and CarPlay now lets users set wallpapers.
A new translate app provides text and voice translations to and from 11 languages, and there are tons of new privacy protections. Developers need to get user permission before accessing devices on a local network, limiting access to photos, and providing apps with approximate locations instead of exact locations.
Safari has a Privacy Report that lets you know which websites have trackers, and there are new icons on the Home screen that let you know when an app is using a camera or microphone. Third-party browser and mail apps can be set as default for the first time, and Apple added new AirPods capabilities.
As for the iPad, the Apple Pencil can now be used in any text field, with handwritten text converted automatically to typed text thanks to the new Scribble feature.
There are tons more features in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, so make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup and our iPadOS 14 roundup for a full list of everything new. We also highlight all of the new feature tweaks and changes introduced with each beta iteration, and you can see the changes from beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 in our beta 2, beta 3, beta 4, and beta 5 tidbits articles.
Beta 3 brought a new red Music icon, changes to the design of the Music Library in the Music app, a Clock widget, an updated Screen Time widget, while beta 4 added an Apple TV widget and improvements to search. Beta 5 introduced a larger Apple News widget option, a scrolling clock wheel for apps like Alarm Clock, an option to turn on Exposure Notifications, and a feature to better hide photo albums.
iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 are available to registered developers and public beta testers at this time. Beta testing for iOS 14 will last for a couple of months, with the update set to be released in the fall alongside new iPhones.
Update: Apple has also released new iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 betas for public beta testers.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming watchOS 7 beta to developers, one week after releasing the fifth beta and two months after unveiling watchOS 7 at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
To install the watchOS 7 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To update to the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device rather than a primary device as this is an early version of the watchOS software that could have bugs that still need to be addressed.
watchOS 7 brings a new watch face sharing feature that lets you share your watch faces with others through Messages or Mail, the App Store, through websites, or through social Media.
There are new Chronograph Pro watch faces, plus a filter option for the Photos face and rich complications for the X-Large face. Developers can now offer more than one complication per app, and Apple has introduced new complications for Shortcuts, Moon phases, the World Clock, and more.
watchOS 7 introduces a new Sleep Tracking feature for the first time that uses the Apple Watch's accelerometer to detect small movements associated with breathing when asleep. Sleep Tracking provides information on sleep duration and offers a Wind Down feature for helping users get ready for bed to increase sleep times.
Putting the Apple Watch in Sleep Mode turns on Do Not Disturb and automatically darkens the watch screen while you're sleeping, while an alarm feature uses haptic feedback or gentle sounds to wake you up with a greeting and a weather report.
In addition to Sleep Tracking, Apple also added a new handwashing tracking feature to help people wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. There's a 20-second countdown timer that comes up whenever the Apple Watch detects handwashing motions and sounds, and the Health app will also show the frequency and duration of the user's handwashing.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming tvOS 14 update to developers for testing purposes. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 14 beta comes one week after the release of the fifth beta.
Registered developers can download the new tvOS 14 beta onto the Apple TV through a profile that's installed using Apple's Xcode software.
tvOS 14 introduces Picture in Picture, a feature that lets you watch movies or TV shows in a small window in the corner of the screen while you do something else on the Apple TV.
There's a new Home section in the Control Center on Apple TV in tvOS 14, which allows HomeKit-connected devices to be controlled right from the TV. There's an option to view HomeKit camera feeds on the larger screen of the television or in Picture in Picture mode so you can keep an eye on your house at all times.
Apple Arcade on Apple TV now supports multiple users, so each tvOS user can keep track of their individual game levels, leaderboards, and invitations. Additional gaming controllers are supported, including the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers, and Apple TV games can now take advantage of haptic feedback and other features built into controllers.
There's an option to manually choose a screensaver category in tvOS 14, and for those who watch YouTube, tvOS 14 supports watching YouTube videos in 4K for the first time.
For more on the new features coming in tvOS 14, make sure to check out our roundup. tvOS 14 is expected to be released this fall alongside iOS and iPadOS 14.
Apple is preparing to terminate Epic Games' developer account on August 28, and is not planning to approve updates for the Fortnite game amid the ongoing legal battle between the two companies. This is inconvenient for Epic Games because a new Fortnite season is starting on August 27, and iOS users will not be able to participate.
Epic Games attempted to get a temporary restraining order from a Northern California court to prevent Apple from blocking Fortnite's updates and terminating the developer account, but after a hearing yesterday, a judge ruled in favor of Apple when it comes to Fortnite. In a statement shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple applauded the judge's decision and said that it's ready to welcome Fortnite back if Epic Games decides to remove the direct payment option and return to the status quo.
We thank the court for recognizing that Epic's problem is entirely self-inflicted and is in their power to resolve. Our very first priority is making sure App Store users have a great experience in a safe and trusted environment, including iPhone users who play Fortnite and who are looking forward to the game's next season.
We agree with Judge Gonzalez-Rogers that 'the sensible way to proceed' is for Epic to comply with the App Store guidelines and continue to operate while the case proceeds. If Epic takes the steps the judge has recommended, we will gladly welcome Fortnite back onto iOS. We look forward to making our case to the court in September.
Though the judge is allowing Apple to terminate the Epic Games developer account on August 28, she did block Apple from also terminating accounts and access related to the development of the Unreal Engine. Apple may not remove accounts held under Epic International, as it is a separate entity from Epic Games and has a separate developer contract with Apple.
Apple during the hearing argued that it is typical for a developer who violates the rules to have all related and linked accounts terminated as well as their main account, but that did not sway the judge from her decision.
As for Fortnite, the judge made it clear that Epic Games created the current situation and can reverse what has been done by "taking it back to the status quo" and letting the rest of the dispute play out in court.
Epic's lawyer during the hearing claimed that Epic Games couldn't "go back into an anticompetitive contract," but now that it's been made clear that there will be no restraining order granted to prevent Apple continuing to block Fortnite, Epic may choose to obey the App Store rules, remove the direct payment option that began the whole snafu, and continue the disagreement through legal means that don't directly impact customers.
Apple today announced that it is updating its video editing software Final Cut Pro X to version 10.4.9 with several new features designed to enhance remote workflows and speed up editing for social media content creators.
With more people working from home, Final Cut Pro X has received improvements to proxy workflows that make libraries more portable and streamline remote work with large, high-resolution files, according to Apple. Users can also now create proxies in either ProRes Proxy or H.264 in dimensions as small as 12.5 percent of the original.
New social media tools automate video cropping in square, vertical, and other custom sizes for popular social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. A new "Transform Overscan" feature reveals media outside the crop boundary when adjusting scale, rotation, and position, which allows storytellers to easily reposition the crop.
Final Cut Pro 10.4.9 will be available today as a free update for existing users, and remains $299.99 for new users on the Mac App Store.
Final Cut Pro's companion apps Motion and Compressor are also being updated today.
In the new version of Motion, Apple says creators can import third-party 3D models or choose from a built-in library of 3D models in the USDZ format for use in titles, generators, effects, and transitions. Motion is also receiving a new Stroke Filter, a tool that automatically outlines an object or text element using its alpha channel.
Compressor is gaining support for custom LUT effects, the ability to use Camera LUTs to convert log-encoded footage to SDR or HDR outputs, and other workflow enhancements.
• Add a hand drawn look to your movies with 5 new filters: Comic, Comic Mono, Comic Vintage, Comic Sepia and Ink • Import iMovie for iOS projects with support for Comic, Comic Mono and Ink filters • Improves overall stability
Final Cut Pro 10.4.9 release notes:
Improved proxy workflows • Generate proxy media in custom frame sizes of 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, or full resolution • Choose to create proxy media in either ProRes Proxy or H.264 • Choose to display original or optimized media if proxy media is not available for some clips in your project • Create a proxy-only copy of a library to reduce size for portability or performance Social media tools • Automatically transform projects for square or vertical delivery with Smart Conform • Display media outside the Viewer boundary when adjusting scale, rotation, and position using Transform Overscan • Add a Custom Overlay as an on-screen guide when placing text and graphics within a square or vertical frame • Use the new Duplicate Project As command in combination with Smart Conform to quickly create a social media version of your existing project Other new features • Adjust ProRes RAW camera settings such as ISO, color temperature, and exposure offset using new controls in the inspector • Crossfade audio on adjacent clips in one step using a menu command or keyboard shortcut • Use Close Project command in a new drop-down menu above the timeline to clear project history • Sort clips and projects by last modified date in list view • Preview 360-degree stereoscopic 3D video in simultaneous left and right eye views with the 360° Viewer • Easily stabilize 360-degree video with one-click tools in the inspector
Fitbit today introduced the Sense, its most advanced health smartwatch ever.
Following in the footsteps of the Apple Watch, the Sense is the first Fitbit with an ECG app that can detect an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation. To receive a reading, users must hold their fingers on the corners of the stainless steel ring around the watch while holding still for 30 seconds. FDA clearance of the feature is still pending.
Going a step further, the Sense offers several health features that the Apple Watch does not yet have, including an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor for stress management, a skin temperature sensor, and blood oxygen monitoring. (Apple Watch Series 6 models are rumored to support blood oxygen monitoring later this year.)
Fitbit shared details on how the new EDA sensor works:
Using the EDA Scan app, place your palm over the face of the device to detect small electrical changes in the sweat level of your skin. Measuring your EDA responses can help you understand your body's response to stressors and help you manage your stress. You can do a quick EDA Scan session on device to see your responses, or pair it with guided mindfulness sessions in the Fitbit app to see how your body responds during meditation or relaxation. At the end of your session, you will see an EDA response graph on-device and in the mobile app to gauge your progress over time and reflect on how you feel emotionally.
Based on its ongoing research study, Fitbit says the Sense can also track three metrics that could help with earlier detection of COVID-19, including average breathing rate, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability.
"Over 100,000 Fitbit users joined the study so far, and we've found that our algorithm can detect nearly 50 percent of COVID-19 cases a day before the onset of symptoms with 70 percent specificity," said Fitbit's co-founder and CTO Eric Friedman. "This research shows great promise to help us understand and detect COVID-19, but can also serve as a model for detecting other diseases and health conditions in the future."
Fitbit is making the Sense available today for pre-order for $329.95 on its website and online at select retailers, with broad worldwide availability to follow in late September. Some health features require a Fitbit Premium subscription for $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, with a free six-month trial included with the Sense.
Apple chipmaker TSMC has set out the potential performance and power efficiency of the upcoming iPhone 12's A14 chip, according to a report by AnandTech.
The iPhone 12 is expected to contain an A14 chip, based on TSMC's smaller 5nm manufacturing process. The iPhone 11's A13 chip used a 7nm process by comparison.
Manufacturing chips using this smaller process offers a number of advantages, including a reduction in power consumption of up to 30 percent, and up to 15 percent increased performance. This indicates what kind of improvements may come to the A14 chip in the iPhone 12.
There is a tradeoff when selecting one or the other, but Apple tends to prioritize performance improvements over power consumption. When reducing the size of the manufacturing process for a new generation of chips, power consumption and performance improvements are slightly lower.
Last year, TSMC announced a $25 billion investment in the new 5nm node technology in a bid to remain the exclusive supplier of Apple's processors. TSMC has reportedly been in mass production of chips using the 5nm process for several months now, and the process is also expected to be used for Apple Silicon chips coming to the Mac before the end of this year.
In addition to the 5nm process for 2020, TSMC outlined its plans for a 3nm process coming in late 2022. This would likely be used for a potential A16 chip and other future Apple Silicon if the company follows previous years, but it is understandably difficult to speculate on Apple's manufacturing plans so far ahead. The 3nm process yields similar 30 percent and 15 percent power consumption and performance improvements over the 5nm process.
It is worth noting that regardless of the performance of TSMC's chips, Apple usually optimizes its software for further performance improvements. It is also possible that Apple could significantly prioritize power consumption over performance for improved battery life. These decisions belong to Apple regardless of TSMC's manufacturing process, making the exact behavior of the A14 chip somewhat uncertain until official announcement.
Eufy, Anker's home security brand, today announced the Smart Drop, a new smart outdoor mailbox that's equipped with a built-in camera and advanced facial recognition capabilities to make package deliveries more secure.
Made from carbon steel, the Smart Drop is a package dropbox that sits outside the home and provides a secure location for delivery people to place packages so they won't be stolen from the doorstep.
There's an included 1080p camera with a 160 degree field of view that also has night vision for around the clock surveillance. Face and motion detection let you know when deliveries arrive, and there are multiple ways to open the dropbox, including a PIN and remote opening with the Eufy app.
The camera is weatherproof with an IP65 water and dust resistance rating, and there's an inner drainage system. Video footage can be stored locally or in the cloud, and the Smart Drop can be fixed to the floor or the wall.
Eufy has no plans to add HomeKit support to the first generation of the Smart Drop, unfortunately, but it does work with both Alexa and Google Assistant. A removable battery pack provides three months of battery life before needing to be recharged, and there's no need to plug in the Smart Drop.
To help delivery and mail couriers use the box, there are voice and light prompts along with an instruction sticker. The Smart Drop measures in at 25.6 inches high, 17.7 inches long, and 15 inches wide with a 68L total capacity.
Eufy is offering the Smart Drop on Kickstarter, with pricing starting at $149 for the basic SmartDrop and $199 for the SmartDrop Pro that includes a eufy Security HomeBase 2 for local storage, Alexa/Google Assistant support, and rich notifications. Eufy plans to begin delivering the Smart Drop next year, with shipments set to begin in June 2021.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eufy on Kickstarter. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon has introduced a few discounts on every version of Apple's iPad mini 5, starting with the 64GB Wi-Fi model at $349.99, down from $399.00. The 256GB Wi-Fi model is also on sale for $499.99, down from $549.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
We've seen these models at slightly lower prices over the past year, but Amazon's current sale is among the best prices around online right now for the iPad mini 5. Apple introduced the fifth-generation iPad mini with an A12 Bionic chip, Apple Pencil support, and an upgraded display in March 2019.
If you're interested in cellular models, the 64GB cellular iPad mini 5 is on sale for $479.99, down from $529.00. The 256GB cellular tablet is on sale for $629.00, down from $679.00.
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
