Just hours before new app downloads would be banned in the United States, Vanessa Pappas, the interim head of TikTok, announced on Saturday that the company has reached a proposal with Oracle and Walmart that will keep the video sharing platform alive in the country. The deal has also been approved by President Donald Trump, reports Bloomberg.
The deal will effectively establish a new company, TikTok Global, in which Oracle and Walmart can together take up to a 20 percent stake in. TikTok Global will be headquartered in the United States and will bring 25,000 jobs to the country. Pappas said that Oracle will be responsible for storing user data, emphasizing the company's commitment to protect its users' privacy.
We're pleased that today we've confirmed a proposal that resolves the Administration's security concerns and settles questions around TikTok's future in the US. Our plan is extensive and consistent with previous CFIUS resolutions, including working with Oracle, who will be our trusted cloud and technology provider responsible for fully securing our users' data. We are committed to protecting our users globally and providing the highest levels of security. Both Oracle and Walmart will take part in a TikTok Global pre-IPO financing round in which they can take up to a 20% cumulative stake in the company. We will also maintain and expand the US as TikTok Global's headquarters while bringing 25,000 jobs across the country.
The deal was announced just hours before the U.S. Commerce Department was set to ban new downloads of TikTok, and Bloomberg says the ban on TikTok has been delayed by a week after Trump gave his initial approval of the proposal. The initial ban was set to include both TikTok and WeChat, but it is unclear at the current time if the latter app, which is owned by China's Tencent Holdings, will still be banned from Apple and Google's respective U.S. app stores on Sunday.
President Trump in August signed an executive order giving ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, 90 days to sell its TikTok business in the United States due to evidence of possible national security threats from the China-based company. Though TikTok has opted for a partnership instead of a divestment of U.S. operations, all user data will be stored by U.S.-based Oracle, and the company will be able to review TikTok's current source code and that of any subsequent updates.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
This week's news was obviously dominated by Apple's media event and the launch of iOS 14, but there was a lot to digest, so check out our summary below for the high-level view of the past week.
With the exception of the massively redesigned iPad Air, all of the new hardware introduced this week is starting to appear on store shelves and on customers' doorsteps, while all of the new software updates bring some changes and new features to existing devices, so there's lots to explore!
Everything Apple Announced at This Week's iPad and Apple Watch Event in Just Seven Minutes
Apple also announced that it will be offering its various services in a bundle called Apple One starting later this year, including an all-new Fitness+ service that will offer "studio-style workouts delivered by inspiring world-class trainers" on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
Key new features of the Series 6 include blood oxygen measuring, up to 20 percent faster performance than the Series 5, a brighter always-on display, a next-generation always-on altimeter, and new casing options like blue aluminum and graphite stainless steel.
Apple Watch Series 6 is available to order now on Apple.com and through the Apple Store app, and has just begun arriving in customers' hands. Pricing starts at $399 in the United States.
Lower-Cost Apple Watch SE Unveiled Without Features Like ECG App and Blood Oxygen Measuring
Apple also unveiled a lower-cost Apple Watch SE that features the same external design as the Apple Watch Series 6, but with some features missing, including an always-on display, blood oxygen measuring, and the ECG app for detecting atrial fibrillation. Apple Watch SE is also powered by the previous-generation S5 chip used in last year's Apple Watch Series 5.
Apple Watch SE shares a handful of features with the Series 6, including fall detection, a compass, an always-on altimeter, Emergency SOS with international emergency calling, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notifications, water resistance up to 50 meters, the Noise app, and compatibility with the watchOS 7 update released this week.
Priced from $279, the Apple Watch SE is available to order now on Apple.com and through the Apple Store app, and it is starting to make its way into customers' hands now.
Apple Introduces 10.9-Inch iPad Air With A14 Chip, All-Screen Design, Touch ID in Power Button, and USB-C
Shifting attention to the tablet side of things, Apple introduced a redesigned iPad Air with slimmer bezels, paving the way for an all-screen design similar to recent iPad Pro models. In addition, the new iPad Air is the first Apple device with Touch ID built into the power button.
The new iPad Air features a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone support, a USB-C port, and an improved 12-megapixel rear camera. The device is powered by a new six-core A14 Bionic chip for up to 40 percent faster performance and up to 30 percent faster graphics than the previous-generation iPad Air.
The new iPad Air will be available starting in October on Apple.com and through the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions. Wi-Fi models will start at $599, while cellular models will start at $729, with 64GB and 256GB storage capacities available. There will be five colors to choose from, including silver, space gray, rose gold, and all-new green and sky blue finishes.
With iOS 14 and associated other updates barely out the door, Apple has already moved on to a fresh round of beta updates, jumping straight to iOS 14.2, which adds new Shazam music recognition integration to Control Center and a delivers few other tweaks. iOS 14.1 will presumably be shipping with the new iPhones next month, with iOS 14.2's public release to follow.
'Apple One' Bundles Introduced With Apple Music, Apple TV+ and More, Pricing Starts at $14.95/Month
Apple this week introduced new "Apple One" bundles for its services, which will allow customers to subscribe to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more for one set monthly price, with the total cost being cheaper than subscribing to the services individually.
There will be three tiers of Apple One available starting later this year, including Individual, Family, and Premier. All three will include Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade, with varying amounts of iCloud storage, while the Premier tier will add Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+.
Fitness+ is a new service that will sync with the Apple Watch to help you stay fit. Priced at $9.99 per month on a standalone basis, the service will offer "studio-style workouts delivered by inspiring world-class trainers" on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Apple says the service will launch before the end of 2020.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Over the course of the iOS 14 beta test, we here at MacRumors have been putting together in-depth feature guides, tutorial videos, and how tos on the new features in the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 updates.
Many of our MacRumors readers have likely been running the betas for a couple of months now, but those who are new to the update will want to check out all of the content we have available below. It's also a great resource to send to friends and family members who have questions about iOS and iPadOS 14 content.
So...You Just Installed iOS 14?
If you just installed iOS 14, it's always a little daunting to figure out how to take advantage of all the new features. We made this video to walk a new iOS 14 user through the first things you should do to start taking advantage of the new features.
Now that you're set up with the basics, let's move on to our top iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 features.
Top iOS 14 Features for iPhone
In our Top iOS 14 Features article and video, we highlighted what we thought were the best features of the release. Watch the video or read the article which dives into the features in a bit more depth.
iPad owners also get a number of new features specifically for their devices. iPadOS 14 Features You Need to Know covered notable iPad-only features that can be found in the latest update. Similarly, the video will take you through them all but the article expands on each feature.
MacRumors readers use our iOS 14 forum to discuss software performance, minor tweaks, apps, and more. Our forums are also a great resource if you need iOS 14 help.
More Help
Have a question not covered in our guides and how tos? Let us know in the comments or send us an email here. Send us an email here. You can always find more on all of the iOS 14 features in our iOS 14 roundup.
Today's the official launch date for the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE, both of which Apple announced on Tuesday. We picked up a couple of the new models and thought we'd give them a quick look for MacRumors readers thinking of ordering a new watch.
Apple Watch Series 6 & Apple Watch SE Hands-On!
When it comes to design, both the $399 Series 6 and the $279 SE look just like the Apple Watch Series 5 with the larger, thinner display introduced with the Series 4 and 40 and 44mm size options, so there are no surprises there.
We couldn't get one of the new colors delivered on Friday, but the Series 6 aluminum models come in new blue and (PRODUCT)RED aluminum shades along with the standard silver, space gray, and gold options. You can't get those new colors with the Apple Watch SE because it only comes in silver, space gray, and gold. The SE also isn't available in stainless steel or titanium like the Series 6.
Neither of Apple's new watches comes with a 5W power adapter for charging, so hopefully you have a few already on hand. You do still get the 1m charging cable, though. Apple said when introducing the watches that the power adapter was removed for environmental reasons, and we're also expecting to see the power adapter nixed from the iPhone 12 boxes too, based on rumors.
The new Apple Watches look like the Series 5, but there are some differences between them. The Apple Watch Series 6 has the same Always-On display that was in the Series 5, but it's brighter outside. We had a hard time telling a difference, but it may be more obvious in some conditions.
The Always-On display in the Series 6 also lets you use Control Center and check notifications without having to raise your wrist. The Apple Watch SE has no Always-On display at all, so it's the same old blank screen when your wrist is down that you may be used to from prior Apple Watches.
Both watches have new Always-On altimeters for hiking, skiing, and other activities that involve elevation changes. You'll see the altimeter in real-time on the Series 6 thanks to that Always-On display.
There's a faster A6 chip in the Series 6 while the SE has the same S5 chip that was in the Series 5, and there's a noticeable jump in performance when using the Series 6. It feels faster and more powerful when navigating through the watchOS operating system.
If you flip the two watches over, there's a difference when it comes to sensors. The Series 6 is equipped with green, red, and infrared LEDs to support the new blood oxygen monitoring feature which is the big new health change. Blood oxygen monitoring and ECG are Series 6-exclusive features.
The LEDs and infrared light in the Series 6 shine light onto your wrist and photodiodes detect the color of your blood to determine the oxygen percentage. Bright red blood is well oxygenated, while darker blood has less oxygen. The Apple Watch reads all of that information and provides an oxygen level reading between 70 and 100 percent.
It can be a little tricky to get a blood oxygen reading because you need to make sure to hold still. You can get readings on demand or the Apple Watch will occasionally take measurements in the background. It's neat to have the option, but it's not really clear what we're supposed to do with blood oxygen levels.
Healthy people are going to have a SpO2 level that ranges from 95 to 100% and rarely fluctuates, so like ECGs, this may be a feature that most people aren't going to take much advantage of. For those who don't feel the need to have the specific ECG and blood oxygen monitoring capabilities, the Apple Watch SE does just about everything else the Series 6 does at a more affordable price point, which makes it a good value.
You still get key health features like the optical heart rate sensor, fall detection, noise level monitoring, and emergency SOS, and it has the same general health and fitness functionality outside of the blood oxygen detection and ECG.
Apple also introduced new Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop bands with the Series 6 and SE, and we picked up a Solo Loop. These bands have no clasps or buckles and are meant to stretch to slide over your hand. Apple sells them in nine sizes, and you have to measure to make sure you get the right fit. MacRumors videographer Dan ordered a size 10 which ended up fitting his wrist well, and he said it's "incredibly comfortable." The rubber of the band stretches quite a bit, which makes it easy to get on and off.
All in all, if you have a Series 5, there may be no need to upgrade unless you really want the blood oxygen monitoring capabilities and the faster S6 chip, and if you have an older watch and don't need ECG or blood oxygen monitoring, the SE may be the better choice for you.
We'll be doing some more in-depth videos on the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE next week, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors.com and subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel.
Apple hosted its virtual "Time Flies" event this week, where it introduced four new products, including the Apple Watch Series 6, lower-cost Apple Watch SE, a 10.9-inch iPad Air with an all-screen design, and an updated 10.2-inch iPad with a faster A12 Bionic chip. As expected, there were no new iPhones, which are believed to be coming in October instead.
Apple also announced that it will be offering its various services in a bundle called Apple One starting later this year, including an all-new Fitness+ service that will offer "studio-style workouts delivered by inspiring world-class trainers" on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
As usual, there were a flurry of leaks and rumors leading up to Apple's event, making it hard to remember who said what. For that reason, we've put together a Rumor Report Card, assessing the accuracy of many of the biggest leaks that surfaced.
Apple in iOS 14 added Picture in Picture to the iPhone, a feature designed to let you watch a video in a small screen on your device while you continue to do other things on the phone.
When Picture in Picture was working with YouTube
The YouTube app doesn't support Picture in Picture, but up until yesterday there was a functional workaround that allowed videos from YouTube.com to be watched in Safari in Picture in Picture mode.
As of today, that workaround is gone, and it's not clear if it's a bug or a deliberate removal. Attempting to use Picture in Picture on a video on the mobile YouTube website simply doesn't work. Tapping the Picture in Picture button when in full screen mode pops the video out for a second, but it immediately pops back into the website, so it can't be used as a Picture in Picture window.
Picture in Picture in iOS 14 stopped working on iPhone for videos on YouTube’s website. YouTube videos embedded elsewhere still work fine. pic.twitter.com/8vTFy4u3Ut
— Eric Slivka (@eslivka) September 18, 2020
Picture in Picture works with YouTube.com on the iPad, and YouTube videos embedded on third-party sites such as MacRumors.com appear to be able to play in Picture in Picture mode, but Picture in Picture is not functioning on the YouTube website.
We tested Picture in Picture with YouTube just yesterday for a Picture in Picture tutorial video and as you can see below, it was working fine. Since then there have been no updates to iOS or Safari, so it's not clear what's going on.
For now, Picture in Picture is no longer working with the mobile YouTube website, but there is another workaround. If you request desktop site on YouTube.com in Safari, you can get Picture in Picture to work as intended.
Update: Picture in Picture appears to work on the mobile YouTube website in Safari for those who are YouTube Premium subscribers, which suggests that the restriction is intentional and not a bug.
Apple in August refreshed the 2020 iMac lineup with a new 27-inch model that's equipped with 10th-generation Intel processors, more RAM, more SSD settings, and faster AMD GPUs.
Unfortunately, some new Mac owners have been running into problems with their machines and have been reporting ongoing glitching with the graphics. There's a 57-page thread on the MacRumors forums filled with complaints dating back to August, suggesting this is a problem that's been impacting iMac owners since the new Macs came out.
Based on a poll, a good number of iMac owners who have the higher-end 5700XT GPU are seeing a white horizontal line flicker across the display on occasion, but the problem does not seem to impact all users. MacRumors reader torifile describes the issue:
I got my 2020 iMac Thursday night. It's as fast as expected and gorgeous. Last night I thought I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a horizontal white line flash mid-way up the screen. It was really fleeting and I thought I was just seeing things. This morning, I saw the same thing. The computer isn't running hot or anything. iStat Menus has all the cores untaxed. I recall having this same problem with my MBP 13" (2019) with an earlier version of macOS (I can't remember if it was a late Mojave build or an early Catalina) and it was cleared up with a software update.
The white line described by those affected appears to flash across the screen at random intervals throughout the day, and there are some other seemingly related graphical issues that iMac owners have run into. Some users have reported being able to remedy the problem by choosing a scaled resolution other than the default, but that's not an ideal longterm solution.
It's not clear if the issue that iMac owners are experiencing is hardware or software based, but Apple has not yet implemented a fix for the problem.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with iMazing to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone 12 Pro Max and a copy of the iMazing software for iPhone backups and management.
Now we know Apple's iPhone 12 models haven't been announced yet, but the winner of the giveaway will receive the new iPhone once it comes out and is available for purchase. A fresh copy of iMazing will be available right after the giveaway, though, so you can backup your current iPhone and get ready for the new device.
For those unfamiliar with iMazing, it's a Mac and Windows app designed to provide a wealth of tools for iOS device management, many of which are not easily available through Apple's own Finder-based management system for iPhones.
iMazing offers Time Machine-like wireless backups with multiple backup versions available rather than Apple's single iCloud and Mac/Windows backup tools that overwrite older backups. Backups are stored on your Mac or PC, and you can set backups to happen automatically on your schedule.
Backup snapshots are available for you to browse through, and you can see your saved data. There are options to save backups for weeks, months, or longer, and the iMazing software is designed to let you restore any specific backup.
Also useful is an option to transfer photos from an iOS device to a Mac with simple drag and drop gestures so you can keep what you need and delete what you don't need, with the software loading images right from your device. iMazing has a built-in EXIF viewer so you can see details on file type, size, location, and more, simplifying photo management.
All of your iPhone messages from the Messages app can be saved and archived for later use with iMazing, and the same goes for WhatsApp. It saves all of the content of messages, including photos, videos, contacts, and links.
For those who like to download their own music, you can use iMazing to transfer songs from your iPhone to your computer and vice versa. Have an old iPod? iMazing can even recover music from older devices that otherwise can't be transferred to your Mac or PC.
iMazing includes app management, which is useful for those who miss the app access that iTunes used to provide. The software supports bulk deleting apps, backing up and restoring app data, and downloading apps to the iMazing app library so they can be reinstalled if they're deleted from the App Store.
Configuration and supervision tools are available for small businesses, making it easier for them to manage multiple devices and activate functionality like locking an iPad in Single App Mode, useful for point of sale stations.
The iMazing software is compatible with iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur, the newest software updates. Apple's iPhone 12 models will come with iOS 14 installed by default, and will work with iMazing out of the box.
We have one iPhone 12 Pro Max to give away to a MacRumors reader. The iPhone 12 Pro Max refers to Apple's rumored 6.7-inch iPhone, which will be the highest-end model with an edge-to-edge OLED display, 5G capabilities, upgraded cameras, and more.
The winner will get to choose their preferred color, and again, this prize will be provided when the iPhone 12 Pro Max launches. Based on rumors, the new higher-end iPhone could come out in October, but we could see a staggered launch this year that may delay some Pro models until November.
To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (September 18) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 25. The winner will be chosen randomly on September 25 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
On the day of its release, Walmart is already offering the 2020 10.2-inch iPad (32GB) for $299.00, down from $329.00. This is the price that Apple offers education customers on its website, and is now available for anyone on Walmart.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
As of writing, the 32GB iPad is only available in Gold and Space Gray, so the deal likely won't last much longer. The iPad is available for free shipping on Walmart's website, and some store pickup options are also available.
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.
One of the tvOS 14 features that's meant to be included in the update is support for 4K videos for the first time, but as many MacRumors readers have noticed, 4K video content is not available after updating to the tvOS 14 update released earlier this week.
Selecting a 4K video on a 4K Apple TV upgraded to tvOS 14 limits the video playback to 1080p, which is the same playback quality that was available before.
Apple's Apple TV 4K website continues to say that 4K support for YouTube videos is a feature that's supposed to be included in tvOS 14, but it is missing in the release version of the software.
It's not clear what's going on, but there have been many upset Apple TV owners complaining on Twitter. Some users have said that 4K playback was working as expected with YouTube during some of the betas, but functionality was erratic, so perhaps there are bugs that need to be worked out.
It may be that YouTube needs to push an app update for the feature to work, and YouTube's Twitter support team seems confused. Just yesterday, a TeamYouTube account said that 4K resolution YouTube can't be delivered to the Apple TV 4K because it does not support VP9, so it seems YouTube's own staff is confused by the feature.
Appreciate the details – we can't deliver 4K resolution bc Apple TV 4K model (5th generation) does not support VP9 at this time. But we appreciate your suggestion and we're actively making improvements based on user input. More details in this article: https://t.co/fOEOLtX5X0
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) September 16, 2020
Update: YouTube deleted the original tweet from its support staff, and has clarified that Apple TV 4K will support 4K playback "soon."
Sorry about the back and forth -- jumping in to clarify that Apple TV 4K will support 4K playback soon. Stay tuned for an update here.
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) September 18, 2020
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.
Starting with AT&T, if you buy one Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, or SE, you can get $200 off a second model. Both models will have to be purchased on qualifying installment plans, and the offer requires a new line to be added to the account.
At Verizon, you can get $100 off an Apple Watch Series 6 or SE with an eligible trade in of an Apple Watch Series 3, Galaxy Watch, Gear S3 or S2, and Galaxy Watch Active or Active 2. After this, you'll get $100 credited to your account over 24 months.
Verizon is also offering $100 off the latest Apple Watch models when purchasing an iPhone. You'll have to add both devices to your cart and add them onto eligible monthly device plans, activate the Apple Watch or iPhone on a new line of service, and receive the promo credit over 24 months.
T-Mobile's offer is similar to AT&T, with a few differences. You'll have to join T-Mobile and purchase a new Apple Watch Series 6 or SE on an eligible plan (Series 3-5 also qualify). Then when you buy a second new Apple Watch of equal or lesser value and add two total qualifying lines, you'll get $200 in bill credits.
Today is Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE launch day in the United States and over 25 other countries and regions around the world, and customers are now beginning to receive delivery of the latest models.
Key new features of the Apple Watch Series 6 include blood oxygen measuring, up to 20 percent faster performance than the Series 5, a 2.5-times brighter always-on display outdoors in a wrist-down position, a next-generation always-on altimeter, and new casing options like blue aluminum and graphite stainless steel. Pricing starts at $399.
Priced from $279, the lower-cost Apple Watch SE looks and feels like the Series 6, but has some features missing, including an always-on display, blood oxygen measuring, and the ECG app for detecting atrial fibrillation. Apple Watch SE is also powered by the previous-generation S5 chip used in last year's Series 5.
Apple Watch SE shares a handful of features with the Series 6, including fall detection, a compass, an always-on altimeter, Emergency SOS with international emergency calling, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notifications, water resistance up to 50 meters, the Noise app, and compatibility with the watchOS 7 update released this week.
Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE, and new Apple Watch bands will be available at select Apple Stores starting today, according to Apple. We recommend contacting your local Apple Store before visiting to ensure availability of specific models or bands, as well as to review health and safety precautions in place.
Apple's press release indicated that the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop in (PRODUCT)RED will be available in late October.
Nike has today announced a number of software updates to the Apple Watch Nike and the Nike Run Club app for the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch Nike now includes a new, exclusive modular sport watch face. Designed to offer multiple complications, the new face includes a quick-start button, total monthly miles, and "Guided Runs" with updated content and artwork.
The latest watch face also includes Nike Twilight Mode, offering a new in-run display and brighter design to be more visible at night.
When using the Nike Run Club app for Apple Watch during a run, new metrics now appear to help measure the user's every stride. In addition to total miles run, the updated interface enables runners to view their average pace and cadence.
To motivate users to keep running, the latest Nike Run Club interface offers a new "Streaks" function. The feature awards users with a streak badge if they complete at least one run per week. Each week the user keeps the streak alive, they unlock the next streak icon on the watch face.
The update for the Nike Run Club app is available now, but only users with an Apple Watch Nike can use the new exclusive watch face.
The U.S. Commerce Department is moving to ban downloads of TikTok and WeChat within the United States from this Sunday (via Reuters).
The U.S. Commerce Department plans to issue an order today that will "deplatform" WeChat and TikTok by banning people in the United States from downloading the apps. The order will take effect from Sunday, September 20.
U.S. government officials speaking to Reuters said that the ban on downloads of TikTok could still be rescinded before it takes effect late on Sunday, providing that TikTok owner ByteDance can agree on a deal to sell its U.S. operations.
Commerce Department officials said they were taking the unprecedented step of banning the apps because of the risks posed by their data collection practices and Chinese ownership. ByteDance and WeChat-owner Tencent Holdings have repeatedly denied that U.S. data collection is used for spying.
"We have taken significant action to combat China's malicious collection of American citizens' personal data, while promoting our national values, democratic rules-based norms, and aggressive enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations," said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
ByteDance has been in serious talks with U.S. cloud computing company Oracle for some time, and proposed an agreement to form a new company called "TikTok Global," in order to address U.S. security concerns. ByteDance still requires the approval of President Donald Trump to acquiesce to a deal and prevent a ban, and there is doubt about whether an agreement will be reached.
All domestic app stores, including the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, will be compelled to remove both apps on any platform "that can be reached from within the United States." Other apps from ByteDance and Tencent, such as games, will continue to be available under this order.
The order will only ban the apps within the United States, and U.S. companies, such as Walmart and Starbucks, will still be able to conduct business using TikTok and WeChat outside of the U.S. as they currently do.
The Commerce Department also said that it will not seek to compel people in the United States to remove the apps or stop using them, but it will forbid further updates or new downloads. A Commerce official said "We are aiming at a top corporate level. We're not going to go out after the individual users."
The order will also bar "additional technical transactions," "content delivery services," "peering services," and data hosting within the United States, meaning that the usability and functionality of the apps for those who already have them in the United States will degrade significantly. For TikTok, to give more time to secure a deal, the degradation in existing service will not take place until November 12.
It is unclear if the news from U.S. Commerce Department officials is intended to serve as a warning-shot to hasten a deal for TikTok with Oracle, or if the White House, dissatisfied with Oracle's proposal, is truly seeking to ban TikTok outright. WeChat is not being considered for an acquisition deal and therefore cannot avoid the ban.
President Trump initially issued an executive order on August 6 that gave the Commerce Department 45 days to determine what apps posed a national security threat. This is why the ban comes into effect on Sunday. Today's new order is set to be published in full at 8:45 a.m. EDT.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
In November 2018, Spotify released an accompanying app for Apple Watch that allows iPhone users to access and control their favorite Spotify music and podcasts from their wrist.
Image via iPhone-Ticker.de
One of the limitations of the app is that it doesn't allow users to stream music directly to their Apple Watch without an iPhone connection, which effectively makes it a wrist-based remote control for Spotify on iPhone.
That could be set to change, however, as iPhone-Ticker.de reports that some users of the app are seeing dedicated support for direct audio streaming to Apple Watch without being connected to iPhone.
Users with the feature report that they can stream Spotify through connected Bluetooth headphones or through the Apple Watch's built-in speaker over LTE or Wi-Fi. The function appears in the app as a blue beta icon, suggesting it's still an experimental feature with limited rollout.
There's no indication that the appearance of the beta feature is tied to a particular version of watchOS or iOS, but hopefully it won't be long before the ability to stream Spotify from the wrist will be available to all subscribers. That should come as good news for Apple Watch LTE owners who regularly leave their iPhone at home to go for a run, for instance.
Having said that, the Spotify app for Apple Watch still has no option to store music locally on your wrist for offline listening, so hopefully that's something the company is also working on behind the scenes.
Epic Games has announced that "Fortnite: Save the World" will no longer be playable on macOS, after Apple terminated Epic Games' developer account.
Fortnite has been in violation of the App Store rules since August 13, when it introduced a direct payment option that skirted Apple's in-app purchase system by allowing payments directly to Epic Games. Shortly after Epic blatantly disregarded App Store policies, Apple pulled the app from the App Store, leading to a lawsuit from Epic and a quickly escalating legal fight between the two companies.
Since Epic initiated the dispute with Apple, it has refused to back down from the direct purchase option added to Fortnite, and Apple has refused to allow the app in the App Store while the direct payment option remains. Apple told Epic that it was ready to "welcome Fortnite back onto iOS" if Epic removed the direct payment option and returned to the status quo while the legal battle plays out in court, but Epic has refused.
At the end of last month, Apple terminated Epic Games' developer account, meaning that it can no longer develop apps or issue updates for any of Apple's operating systems. The result of this is seen in the confirmation from Epic that Fortnite: Save the World will be losing support on macOS.
Apple is preventing Epic from signing games and patches for distribution on Mac, which ends our ability to develop and offer Fortnite: Save the World for the platform. Specifically, our upcoming v14.20 release will cause bugs for players on v13.40, resulting in a very poor experience. Since we are no longer able to sign updates and release fixes for these issues, beginning September 23, 2020, Fortnite: Save the World will no longer be playable on macOS.
Epic also said that it will be issuing an automatic refund for recent in-game purchases. As of today, in-game purchases will no longer be available on macOS. Due to cross-progression, players' Heroes, Schematics, and Homebase will automatically transfer across supported platforms.
Fortnite: Battle Royale remains playable for Mac users at this time on the v13.40 build, but is no longer receiving version updates due to Apple's actions.
The statement insinuated that Apple was at fault by emphasizing that the development is a result of "Apple's actions."
Apple and Epic Games are preparing for a hearing on a preliminary injunction to decide whether Apple will be compelled to return Fortnite to the App Store as the legal battle between the two companies plays out. Apple has since filed a countersuit against Epic requesting damages for breach of contract.
New adventure game "Marble Knights" has arrived on Apple Arcade. The title comes from indie outfit WayForward, developers of "DuckTales: Remastered" and "Double Dragon Neon," and offers players a mixture of sword-swinging fantasy mixed and marble mania.
Sword-swinging fantasy meets marble mania! Roll into battle with Orbin, Marabelle, and the other Knights of the Round to defend King Rolland and the Kingdom of Roundingham from the evil Lord Terroball! Armed with your blade, your wits, and a variety of orb-based powers, you’ll smite foes, solve puzzles, and embark on an epic fantasy journey with up to three other players!
"Marble Knights" is suitable for players of the age of nine and above, and can be played on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV through the Apple Arcade subscription gaming service.
Apple in iOS and iPadOS 14 allows users to set third-party apps as alternatives to the default mail and browser apps on iPhone and iPad, but a widespread bug appears to revert these settings to Apple's default apps whenever the user's device is rebooted.
The issue was discovered by several users who reported it on social media, and Apple has since confirmed the bug's existence in a statement given to CNET.
"We are aware of an issue that can impact default email and browser settings in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. A fix will be available to users in a software update," Apple said in a statement.
Until Apple resolves the issue, suffice to say if you've set a preferred third-party browser or mail app over Safari or Apple Mail, you should probably avoid shutting down or restarting your iPhone or iPad, otherwise you'll have to re-select your preferences again each time you boot up your device. Of course, that's unavoidable if your device runs out of battery.
After a restart, iOS 14 forgets your default browser choice, and the Safari setting doesn't have the option to change the browser anymore! The option is there though, if you go to Chrome or Edge settings and when you change it, Safari shows the option again 😒 https://t.co/qliL4P6vJ5pic.twitter.com/2KLE4O6Nlx
— Maximiliano Firtman (@firt) September 17, 2020
Currently, Chrome, Edge, DuckDuckGo, and Firefox can be set as default browsers, while Spark and Microsoft Outlook can be set as default Mail apps. Users who don't get on with Safari or Apple's native Mail app can choose an alternative and it will be opened automatically whenever the system requires it. As long as they haven't restarted their device, that is.
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