At Ubisoft's E3 event this afternoon, Rob McElhenney, known for "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, today shared some new details on his upcoming TV show for Apple TV+, "Mythic Quest," along with a new trailer for the series.
"Mythic Quest" features a team of game developers who work on a massive multiplayer roleplaying game called, as the name suggests, Mythic Quest, which is similar to World of Warcraft or Everquest, only bigger.
The team is about to put out "Raven's Banquet," a new expansion. Rob McElhenney stars as Ian Grimm, the leader of the company developing Mythic Quest. In the trailer, the video announcing the new expansion turns out to be a video of Grimm, and all his employees criticize it.
The show also includes F. Murray Abraham, Imani Hakim, David Hornsby, Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch, Charlotte Nicdao, and Jessie Ennis. It was created by McElhenney and Charlie Day, though Day is not in the show. The show was revealed at Ubisoft's E3 event because the "Mythic Quest" creators partnered with Ubisoft to learn how a real game development studio works.
Apple hasn't yet shared the trailer on its Apple TV+ YouTube channel, but it was shown in the livestream at about two hours in, and is available in the video above. Apple will likely have the trailer available on its own YouTube channel soon.
Apple also recently shared a full trailer for another one of its shows, "For All Mankind," which explores what would have happened had the space race never ended.
"Mythic Quest" and "For All Mankind" are set to launch this fall when the Apple TV+ service becomes available.
Paciolan, a ticketing service provider for college athletics, today announced plans to allow customers to add contactless tickets for sporting events to their Apple Wallets.
The contactless tickets available in Apple Wallet will allow event attendees to enter stadiums with just their iPhone and Apple Watch using NFC. Apple Pay chief Jennifer Bailey said that students and fans will love having their tickets right on their Apple devices.
"iPhone and Apple Watch make going to college sports games easier than ever," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Internet Services. "We've said our goal is to replace the physical wallet and students and fans will love the convenience and security of having their tickets right on the Apple devices they carry with them every day."
iPhone and Apple Watch users will receive purchased tickets via the Messages app and can add them into the Wallet app by tapping on a link. When at a stadium, the tickets will pop up on the iPhone or Apple Watch's display.
Paciolan says that NFC-based tickets will help cut down on fraud at the gate and will allow colleges to better understand who is attending games.
Contactless tickets will be available starting in the fall 2019 football season for games at Baylor University, Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, University of Mississippi, Georgia Tech, and Rutgers University.
Establishing a billion dollar search engine deal with Google took Apple more than four months, according to new details shared today by former Apple lawyer Bruce Sewell.
Sewell recently did an interview with a Columbia law student, which was noticed this afternoon by CNBC, and in the interview, he shared details on his time at Apple and some of the negotiations he handled for the company.
According to Sewell, he attended near daily meetings with Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Google lawyer Kent Walker when hammering out a deal, working alongside Tim Cook or Eddy Cue.
And then with myself and either Tim [Cook] or Eddy Cue who was my counterpart on that deal. They'd be at Google or we'd be at Apple almost every day, it's just one example there are a lot of those kinds of negotiations or lawsuits that just completely suck up all your time.
Sewell did not go into detail about the amount of money that Google pays Apple to be the primary search engine on Apple devices, but in the past, Google has been rumored to be paying billions for the privilege.
Sewell says that in his time at Apple, he had 900 people working under him. 600 of those were in the law group and included lawyers and paralegals.
In just one of the Samsung lawsuits, Apple had 350 people billing time on that case at any given moment, most of which were outside counsel because it's impossible for Apple to handle cases of that magnitude with an internal team. "And this was just one of them. There were seven of them going on," said Sewell.
There were seven or eight billion documents to review, and collectively, law firms billed Apple 280,000 hours. Sewell says his budget was "just shy of a billion dollars a year."
Sewell says that he steered Apple in the wrong direction on its iBooks negotiations, leading to the iBooks snafu with the U.S. government that cost Apple a lot of money because he didn't know about deals publishers made among themselves. Cook, though, was forgiving and said he'd made the right choices.
But that was an example of sailing as close to the wind because it was so important to Apple. But in the end, I got it wrong and Apple ended up having to pay a large fine. The reaction from Tim was "That's the right choice. You made the best choice that you could with the information you had. You didn't know about these other things. Don't let that scare you. I don't want you to stop pushing the envelope because that's why legal is an important function at the company."
During the interview, Sewell also shared a few tidbits about Apple CEO Tim Cook, who he said would send him emails in the very early morning due to Cook's "crazy" work schedule.
From 4:00 a.m. to 5 a.m., there's a there's a lot of activity, so my first thing when I got up around 6:30 a.m. would be to check my email and see all the stuff that Tim had left for me, the little cookies he's left for me.
Sewell had other thoughts to share on working as a traditional lawyer vs. working for a major company as legal counsel, and his shift from Intel to Apple, which he likened to going to kindergarten from university given Apple's focus on creativity. The full interview can be watched in the video up above.
From 2009 to 2017, Bruce Sewell served as Apple's general counsel before retiring at the end of 2017. Sewell has since been replaced by Katherine Adams.
Apple this afternoon shared a new video in its ongoing "Shot on iPhone" series, this time showcasing the work of photojournalist Christopher Anderson, who Apple says is known for "magnetic portraiture."
In the video, which is in portrait orientation and meant to be watched on an iPhone, Anderson provides some tips on what he pays attention to when creating a portrait of a person.
Anderson says he takes into account lighting conditions and interesting backgrounds when setting up to take photographs, as well as anticipating the movements of his subjects and the look of the foreground and background to get the perfect shot.
To add color and intrigue, he plays with props or an object that can create shadows of reflections to define subjects and obscure parts of the image that might be distracting. He uses things like keys, glasses, bottles and mirrors to experiment with different looks.
Post processing is also important, and be says that he uses a lot of Apple's built-in tools for adjusting contrast and lighting.
Apple has shared multiple videos in its Shot on iPhone series, including several longer-form videos created by various artists, including the recent Maldives video and a series of nature scenes called "Don't Mess With Mother."
Apple today released iOS 12.3.2, a minor update to the iOS 12 operating system that runs on the iPhone and the iPad. iOS 12.3.2 comes a month after the release of iOS 12.3, the last major update, and two weeks after the release of iOS 12.3.1, another bug fix update.
The iOS 12.3.2 update is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. As with all iOS updates, iOS 12.3.2 is free to download, but it may take some time for iOS 12.3.2 to propagate to all iOS users. Today's update is limited to the iPhone 8 Plus and it is not available on other devices.
According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 12.3.2 update addresses an issue that caused the Camera app to capture Portrait mode photos without a depth effect on the iPhone 8 Plus.
Apple is also working on an iOS 12.4 update that's set to be released in the near future, as well as iOS 13, which will come out this September.
Apple's Beats brand today launched a collection of new Solo3 Wireless Headphones in a range of bright color combinations, including yellow and blue, white and red, red and blue, and navy and white.
The new headphones are priced at $199.95 like other Solo3 Wireless models, and with their launch, Beats has discontinued all other available Solo3 headphones with the exception of the special Mickey version.
Like most Beats headphones, the Solo3 models are equipped with a W1 wireless chip for quick and easy connections to Apple devices, alone with up to 40 hours of battery life.
Apple is running a promotion on some existing Beats headphones models as well, dropping the price of all Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones from $349.95 to $279.95, a $70 discount.
The week has kicked off with a few new deals, including special E3 discounts for Sony's DualShock 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One wireless controllers. Additionally, you'll find the latest 15 percent discount on App Store and iTunes gift cards and some of the lowest prices online for the Apple Watch Series 4 in Target's flash sale.
Sony and Microsoft's Wireless Controller Discounts
This week is E3, and Sony and Microsoft are discounting their console controllers to mark the event. Thanks to Apple's recent announcement that the DualShock 4 and Xbox One controller will be compatible with iOS 13 and tvOS 13, both devices will make perfect mobile gaming controllers come this fall.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
For the DualShock 4 (which is the main controller of the PS4), you'll find the controller for $39.99 at numerous retailers, down from $59.99. This includes Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. These $20 off sales relate to the basic Black color option, but some sites are also discounting colors like the Blue Camo, Magma Red, and Gold.
You can purchase the Xbox One wireless controller for $39.99 from Walmart, down from $59.99. Amazon and Best Buy have the same controller for $41.99. Like the Sony controller, Microsoft's sales largely focus on the basic Black color option, but alternatives like White are available near the $40 range as well.
Once iOS 13 launches in the fall, you'll be able to sync either of these devices to an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV via Bluetooth and control compatible games. This will be particularly useful for apps like Sony's Remote Play app, which lets you control your PS4 from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection.
iTunes Gift Card Deals
Costco has one of the best deals on App Store and iTunes gift cards today, offering the $100 iTunes gift card for just $84.49. You can also get the $25 iTunes gift card for $21.49 (both are delivered via email). These sales are only available to Costco members, and will expire later this week, on June 15.
App Store and iTunes gift card sales have typically averaged 15 percent off discounts the past few years, so this Costco sale matches previous offers and is a great opportunity to load your iTunes account with credit if you're a Costco member. With the gift cards, you can rent or purchase movies on the iTunes Movies store, buy books on iBooks, pay for your Apple Music subscription, and more.
If you don't have a Costco membership, then PayPal on eBay is also offering its own 15 percent discount on iTunes gift cards. There you'll find the $100 iTunes gift card for $85 for a limited time, but you'll need a PayPal account to claim the offer. Once you pay for the gift card, it'll be delivered to your email within a few hours.
Apple Watch Series 4 Sale
Target is discounting a variety of cellular Apple Watch Series 4 models this week to new low prices, with some on sale for as much as $100 off. Low prices begin at $399.99 for the 40mm aluminum models and $429.99 for the 44mm aluminum models. At this time Target doesn't appear to be discounting the GPS only models.
You can get the 40mm GPS and cellular Apple Watch Series 4 in the following configurations for $399.99, down from $499.99: Silver Aluminum and White Sport Band, Space Gray Aluminum and Black Sport Band, Gold Aluminum and Pink Sand Sport Band, or Gold Aluminum and Pink Sand Sport Loop. A few similar colorways are available for the 44mm GPS and cellular models, which are priced at $429.99, down from $529.99.
Given the prices, many of the models have begun selling out, so if you're interested be sure to head to Target and place your order before the sale ends later tonight. If you're on the hunt for GPS only Apple Watch Series 4 models, Amazon has you covered this week with many on sale for as much as $60 off. Low prices begin at $339 for the 40mm aluminum models and $369 for the 44mm aluminum models. Similar to Target's sale, these are some of the lowest prices currently available online, so be sure to head to Amazon and browse the sale before it ends.
Head to our full Deals Roundup for more information on the latest sales and bargains.
Starting in watchOS 6, the Apple Watch has become a trusted device for Apple ID authentication purposes.
When you or someone else signs in to your Apple ID on a new device or browser, the Apple Watch will automatically alert you, complete with an approximate location of the person. If the sign-in attempt is allowed, a six-digit verification code will then appear to be entered on the new device or browser.
Something I haven’t seen before watchOS 6: the Apple Watch can now receive and display Apple ID Verification Codes as a trusted device for 2-factor authentication. pic.twitter.com/Oin8AbYEDc
— Jeremy Horwitz (@horwitz) June 10, 2019
This functionality has been available on iPhones and iPads since iOS 9, and on Macs since OS X El Capitan, for Apple ID accounts with two-factor authentication enabled. Now, users simply have one more option in the Apple Watch.
Apple has since updated its website following the end of WWDC, however, revealing that the new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR are "coming in September." This date is listed on Apple's homepage in an overlay that pops open after clicking on "notify me" under each product, although only in the United States.
This date has yet to be listed outside of the United States, while the main Mac Pro page and other marketing materials still say "coming in the fall," so this may or may not be an error. We've reached out to Apple for comment.
The all-new Mac Pro is an absolute powerhouse with up to 28-core Intel Xeon processors, up to 1.5TB of ECC RAM, up to 4TB of SSD storage, up to AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo graphics with 64GB of HBM2 memory, and eight PCIe expansion slots for maximum performance, expansion, and configurability.
The new design includes a stainless steel frame with smooth handles and an aluminum housing that lifts off for 360-degree access to the entire system. The housing also features a unique lattice pattern, which has already been referred to as a cheese grater, to maximize airflow and quiet operation.
Apple's Pro Display XDR is a 32-inch 6K monitor with a P3 wide color gamut and true 10-bit color support, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and a super-wide, off-axis viewing angle.
The new Mac Pro will start at $5,999, while the Pro Display XDR will start at $4,999 with an optional $999 stand.
Update: Apple's homepage now says the new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR are "coming this fall." It's unclear if the "September" timeframe was simply a mistake or prematurely-revealed information. We've yet to hear back from Apple.
In iOS 13, Apple has added new functionality in Safari that should enable iPhone and iPad users to better manage their open tabs.
Because of the way Safari for iOS displays tabs in a vertical array, the amount of open tabs in the browser can often get out of hand, and sometimes number in the tens or even hundreds.
However in iOS 13, Safari will offer to automatically close tabs that have not been viewed recently after one day, one week, or one month. The new Safari function can be changed later in the Settings app.
Apple unveiled iOS 13 last week at WWDC. The newest version of the operating system for iPhone (and the iPad, though the iPad version has been renamed to iPadOS) introduces a long list of new features and some changes that are quite exciting. Be sure to check out the video above for more.
Say "Hey Siri" when using an iPad, and Apple's virtual assistant will take over the entire display, obscuring whatever you were doing on the device. Say the same thing to your Mac, however, and Siri responds in a more multitasking-friendly way by appearing in a small window in the corner of the screen, allowing you to drag and drop retrieved items from it.
iPad concept of improved Siri behavior (image via iHelp BR)
This less disruptive, more functional implementation of Siri in macOS may well be coming to iPad, although it's unlikely to appear in the first version of iPadOS, which is due to be released this fall. The possibility was hinted at by Craig Federighi, Apple's VP of software engineering, in response to an email sent to him by Apple user Juliano Rossi.
Responding to Rossi's request that Siri on iPadOS behaves like on the Mac, without filling the entire screen, Federighi wrote:
"Hi Juliano,
Thanks for the note. Really glad that you enjoyed the keynote.
What you describe is certainly valid feedback. Unfortunately, it's not something we can add in at the last minute, but we will certainly consider it for the future.
Thanks for caring!
- craig"
Craig replied me back! 😳 The mail was about my request for Siri on iPad to behave like on the Mac, without filling the entire screen.
Well, maybe next year. pic.twitter.com/7xIgxDB7hf
— Juliano Rossi (@_JulianoRossi) June 9, 2019
As Federighi's response suggests, adding this less intrusive Siri behavior would require some significant changes to the OS, so it's not something that could be included at this late stage in software testing. But as Portuguese tech blog iHelp BR notes, it's at least good to know that Apple is aware of the legitimate request, which would bring iPadOS even closer to the macOS experience.
Apple often considers user feedback, but sometimes takes a while to act on it. For instance, the company eventually responded to multiple user requests that it change the volume level indicator in iOS. When pressing the volume buttons on iPhone or iPad running iOS 12 or earlier, the volume indicator displays in the center of the screen, obscuring content. As of iOS 13, coming this fall, the indicator is smaller and appears at the side of the display in a less intrusive manner.
Unveiled last week during Apple's WWDC keynote, iPadOS is designed to bring more desktop-class functionality to iPads with bigger screens. iPadOS will incorporate several features that recognize the tablet's function as a potential computer replacement, including a new Home screen, an updated Split View to enhance multitasking, and improved Apple Pencil support.
Sky: Children of the Light, by Journey developer thatgamecompany, is officially launching on July 11 for iOS. The announcement follows last year's launch of the beta version of the game, titled Sky: Light Awaits.
The title was first unveiled on stage in 2017 during Apple's headline iPhone X event. Back then it was billed as an Apple TV-only game that would support single-finger play using the Siri Remote, but the developer's priorities appear to have changed in the interim.
The YouTube video trailer, embedded below, describes next month's release of Sky as iPhone and iPad only, with the game's debut on tVOS, macOS, PC, and console to follow at a later date.
MacRumors sister site TouchArcade offered readers further details on the content and direction of the game:
Sky lets you explore seven different realms to uncover a mystery. You will be matched with players around the world. This bit sounds like Journey, where you would encounter real players, and that experience was beyond special. Sky will also have character customization and gifting that lets you grow friendships. thatgamecompany also announced plans to have seasonal events and keep expanding the realms.
Razer makes a few eGPU enclosure options, but the Core X Chroma is both the newest and the coolest thanks to the Chroma lighting embedded inside. Razer's Chroma technology lets you choose from more than 16 million colors for your Core X lighting.
For those unfamiliar with eGPU enclosures, Razer's options are designed to provide notebook owners a way to play desktop class games and take advantage of a more powerful GPU for GPU-intensive tasks.
eGPU enclosures do not come with a GPU included -- you'll need to add your own -- but Razer's model is compatible a with range of desktop PCIe graphics cards, including NVIDIA GeForce RTX, GeForce GTX, and Quadro cards along with AMD XConnect-enabled Radeon and Radeon Pro cards. Mac users will, of course, want to use AMD graphics cards.
The Core X Chroma, priced at $300, is similar to Razer's previous Core X eGPU enclosure, and is compatible with Thunderbolt 3-equipped PCs and Macs, including Apple's Thunderbolt 3 notebooks. It features a black aluminum casing with a side window that shows off the aforementioned Chroma lighting.
Graphics cards can be inserted using a simple drawer-style slide and lock mechanism and a single thumbscrew, so it's simple enough that even a non-technical person can use it. Once your graphics card is installed, all you need to do to use it is plug the Core X Chroma into the Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac. There's a dual-chip feature in the Core X Chroma for handling graphic and peripheral data all with a single Thunderbolt 3 cable.
The Core X Chroma features a Gigabit Ethernet port, along with four USB 3.1 Type-A ports. It supports up to 3 slot-wide desktop graphics cards that require up to 500W of power, and for Macs, it supplies up to 100W of power for charging purposes. There are open vents and cooling features to optimize thermal performance.
Because of the Chroma technology inside, the Core X Chroma matches up well with Razer's other Chroma-enabled products, from keyboards to notebooks, but you don't need Razer devices to use the Core X Chroma.
We have two of the Core X Chroma eGPU enclosures to give away to MacRumors readers. 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.
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The contest will run from today (June 7) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 14. The winners will be chosen randomly on June 14 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
In iOS 13 and iPadOS, Apple has added a new way to delete apps from your device right from the App Store.
When you're updating apps on your phone, or viewing apps that were recently updated, you can swipe left on any app in the list to bring up a "Delete" option.
Tapping on delete brings up the standard app deletion interface, where you can confirm the app's deletion or select the cancel option.
The option to delete apps right from the App Store is a convenient way to get rid of unwanted apps as soon as you see them, without the need to leave the App Store, hunt down the app's icon, and remove it that way as was necessary in prior versions of iOS.
iPadOS let’s you delete apps from the update list, before or after an update is completed. This has been on the wishlist for years. pic.twitter.com/G7WMFjDauN
— Brian Stucki (@brianstucki) June 6, 2019
Apple has moved the app update interface in iOS 12 to make room for Apple Arcade. The new Apple Arcade tab replaces the prior Update tab to provide easy access to the upcoming gaming service.
You can now access app updates by tapping on your profile picture at the top of the App Store and scrolling down to the Pending Updates section, which also houses a list of recent updates.
Amazon is continuing to discount the latest 9.7-inch iPad, which Apple updated in March 2018 with support for the Apple Pencil. These discounts include a few lowest-ever prices on the iPad, and all around represent the best prices for these models among the major Apple resellers online.
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.
One of the highlights of the sale is Apple's 32GB 9.7-inch iPad (Wi-Fi and cellular) for $379, savings of $80 and the lowest price we've seen on the tablet. There are numerous other models discounted this week, including both Wi-Fi only and cellular devices.
Cellular 32GB - $379, down from $459 ($80 off, lowest ever)
Cellular 128 GB - $459, down from $559 ($100 off, lowest ever)
Apple positions this version of the iPad as an affordable entry-level tablet for anyone on a budget, as well as for teachers and others in the education field. The sixth-generation iPad has a 9.7-inch Retina display, an upgraded A10 Fusion chip, 8-megapixel rear camera, and Touch ID support on the Home Button.
If you're on the hunt for any other sales, be sure to head to our full Deals Roundup. There you'll find ongoing bargains on the HomePod, 2017 iMacs, and the best accessories from Anker.
In iOS 13, Apple has included a system-wide Dark Mode option similar to the one it brought to the Mac in 2018 with the release of macOS Mojave.
Dark Mode is designed to be easier on the eyes by providing less harsh display brightness in situations where ambient lighting is lower, while maintaining contrast and vibrancy.
If you have an OLED iPhone, such as an iPhone X, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max, enabling Dark Mode may also conserve battery life whenever true blacks are on screen, since black pixels in an OLED panel basically switch off and consume far less power.
Enabling Dark Mode in iOS 13 is easy – simply follow the steps below.
Under Appearance, tap Dark to switch to Dark Mode.
Note that the Display & Brightness settings screen also includes an Automatic switch that you can toggle – doing so will cause your device to automatically enable Dark Mode at sunset, and Light Mode at sunrise.
Alternately, you can set a custom schedule for the display change by using the Options menu that appears when you toggle on the Automatic switch.
In macOS Catalina, the Preview app has a new feature that makes it easier to sign PDFs and other documents by leveraging an iPhone or an iPad running the iOS 13/iPadOS operating system.
Rather than using the Trackpad to create a signature, or scanning a piece of paper, you can connect to your iPhone or iPad to sign there using either a finger or an Apple Pencil.
In the Preview app, under Tools > Annotate > Signature > Manage Signatures > Create Signatures, there is a new option to choose to create a signature with an iOS device. Clicking on this option lets you select an available iPhone or iPad to use.
Devices running iOS 12 will show up in this list, but creating a signature only works on a device running iOS 13. Selecting an iPhone or iPad with iOS 13 will pop up a simple signature interface on the device in question, where you can sign with a finger on the iPhone or a finger or Apple Pencil on iPad.
After you've signed, tap the done button, and your signature is instantly made available in the Preview app as an option to be inserted into your documents.
We needed to have the devices unlocked to get the signature interface to pop up, but this may be a bug that will be addressed in a later beta.
You can already sign PDFs right on the iPhone or iPad using Markup features, but the new Preview option is a useful, streamlined way to get a signature on a document if you start the process using a Mac.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of 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.
