MacRumors

Spotify has signed a deal to pluck comedian Joe Rogan's hugely popular podcast The Joe Rogan Experience from Apple's Podcasts library as part of a multi-year deal.

Spotify's deal with Rogan means that video and audio of each episode will be listed on Spotify from September 1, with an agreement to make the show exclusively available to Spotify subscribers sometime later in the year, according to a press release.

Since its launch in 2009, the pioneering Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) has broken ground and built one of the most loyal and engaged fan bases in the world. Rogan brings his sensibilities as a stand-up comic to the show, and alongside dynamic and diverse guests, he fearlessly broaches far-ranging topics including neuroscience, sports, comedy, health, infectious disease, and our ever-changing culture—all with a mix of curiosity and humor.

In addition to the wildly popular podcast format, JRE also produces corresponding video episodes, which will also be available on Spotify as in-app vodcasts.

The announcement is a clear signal that Spotify sees its push into podcasts as a long-term commitment. The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the longest-running shows and often dominates Apple's podcast charts. Last year the show was said to have reached about 190 million downloads a month.

In addition to the podcast angle, The Joe Rogan Experience also clocks up massive view counts on YouTube, with a recent interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk generating more than 13 million views so far. Other high-profile interviewees have included Senator Bernie Sanders, author Sam Harris, and cosmologist Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Spotify says that Rogan will retain creative control over his show, but didn't reveal how much it paid to clinch the deal. In an audio message accompanying the press release, Rogan said: "It will be the exact same show. I will not be an employee of Spotify." Spotify said it will also work with an ad agency to jointly sell ads alongside the show.

Spotify first began its efforts to enter the podcast field around three years ago, when it said it was "coming after" Apple with a strong push into podcasts. The last few years have been marked as a so-called golden age for podcasts, causing many companies to look into entering the field.

More signs of Spotify's intention to double down on its podcasts offering were relayed last year, shortly after it acquired several podcast creation companies including Gimlet Media for $300 million.

Spotify said it planned to create new and exclusive podcasts for subscribers, and also revealed that the team that developed its Discover Weekly algorithms was working on a discovery engine for podcasts. Spotify also purchased Anchor, a company that lets users record and create their own shows that can be easily shared online.

Apple's upcoming "iPhone 12" may not come with EarPods included in the box, as a means of driving demand for the company's popular wireless AirPods which are sold separately, according to reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple has included earbuds with the iPhone ever since the first model of the smartphone launched in 2007, in large part because the iPhone was pitched as a natural extension of the iPod – a music player that also made phone calls.

However, in a TF International Securities research note issued to investors today and seen by MacRumors, Kuo said he expects Apple to leave out the traditional wired earphones that come with iPhones, which will usher in strong demand for AirPods shipments this year.

In addition to the need for new iPhone users to supply their own earphones, Kuo expects an uptick in AirPods shipments to be driven by an end to AirPods inventory depletion by the second half of the year, coupled with the likelihood that Apple will offer a special AirPods promotion in late 2020.

In terms of this year, Kuo said that AirPods shipments are likely to be at their lowest ebb in the second quarter due to the impact of the global health crisis, with total shipments declining by 29 percent from the previous quarter to 17.2 million.

However, AirPods shipments will benefit from increasing demand beginning in the third quarter, coupled with continuing strong demand for AirPods Pro throughout the year buoyed by Apple's expected promotional offer in the second half of 2020. Overall, Kuo predicts shipments to grow from his original estimate of 80-90 million pairs to 93.8 million pairs.

In a previous note to investors, Kuo said Apple is working on third-generation AirPods that will go into mass production during the first half of 2021, although this new model will only have internal changes and there won't be a change in external design.

This information goes against rumors of an ‌AirPods‌ update coming in 2020, and Kuo suggests no new ‌AirPods‌ are coming until 2021. By contrast, leaker Jon Prosser recently said that third-generation ‌AirPods‌ are ready to launch anytime.

Kuo acknowledges that the market is expecting a new ‌AirPods‌ model in the second half of 2020, but he thinks this is more likely to be a new set of Beats instead of a new set of ‌AirPods‌, meaning "‌AirPods Pro‌ Lite" rumors are actually referencing new headphones in the Beats lineup.

Apple has been involved in a long-running iPhone trademark dispute in Brazil, which was revived today by IGB Electronica, a Brazilian consumer electronics company that originally registered the "iPhone" name in 2000.

IGB Electronica fought a multi-year battle with Apple in an attempt to get exclusive rights to the "iPhone" trademark, but ultimately lost, and now the case has been brought to the Supreme Federal Court in Brazil, according to Brazilian site Tecnoblog (via Reddit).

IGB Electronica under the name Gradiente produced a line of IPHONE-branded Android smartphones in Brazil in 2012, and there was a period of time where the Brazilian company was given exclusive rights to the iPhone trademark. That ruling didn't last, though, and Apple and IGB ultimately both wound up with rights to use the name in the country.

Apple has sought to prevent IGB from using the trademark, while IGB has been attempting to regain its exclusive access to the branding. A decision in 2018 upheld a 2013 ruling that gave both brands permission to use the trademark.

With the most recent lawsuit, IGB is aiming to reverse that 2018 decision, but the case could take years to get a ruling from the Supreme Federal Court in the country. IGB has been in judicial recovery since 2018 and has lost close to 1 billion Brazilian Reals, so the company may be hoping for a payout from Apple to end the dispute.

An alleged photo of an iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro logic board is circulating on social media, as noted by the Twitter account L0vetodream. It is unclear exactly which model the board corresponds with at this time or if it is legitimate.

The board does not provide us with many visual clues, but one notable aspect is that it has a more elongated design as opposed to the more compact boards seen in recent higher-end iPhone models. Fine print indicates that the board was manufactured in the 40th week of 2019, aka the first week of October.

It appears that Samsung will remain one of Apple's suppliers of flash storage for iPhones. Earlier this month, leaker Jon Prosser claimed that the entire iPhone 12 lineup will start with 128GB of storage, up from 64GB currently.

Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple's rumored over-ear headphones will enter mass production in mid 2020. A report from The Information today corroborates this timeframe, noting that suppliers Goertek and Luxshare will assemble at least a portion of the headphones in Vietnam and begin shipments to Apple in June or July.

As previously rumored, the report claims that the headphones will feature noise cancellation. Apple already sells over-ear Beats Studio3 with noise cancellation, but leaker Jon Prosser recently claimed that the new headphones will be branded as AirPods Studio.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple has tested at least two versions of the headphones, including a "premium version with leather-like fabrics" and a "fitness-focused model that uses lighter, breathable materials with small perforations," adding that at least one version could feature magnetically swappable parts.

Prosser has claimed that the AirPods Studio will retail for $349, with an announcement expected as early as WWDC next month.

Front Page Tech host and leaker Jon Prosser today shared several alleged details about Apple's rumored augmented reality glasses, including an "Apple Glass" marketing name, $499 starting price, prescription lens option, and more.

• The marketing name will be "Apple Glass"
• The glasses will start at $499 with the option for prescription lenses at an extra cost
• There will be displays in both lenses that can be interacted with using gestures
• The glasses will rely on a paired iPhone, similar to the original Apple Watch
• An early prototype featured LiDAR and wireless charging
• Apple originally planned to unveil the glasses as a "One More Thing" surprise at its iPhone event in the fall, but restrictions on in-person gatherings could push back the announcement to a March 2021 event
• Apple is targeting a late 2021 or early 2022 release

Apple is also rumored to be working on a more traditional AR/VR headset that resembles Facebook's Oculus Quest, with previous reports suggesting that the headset will be released prior to the glasses. Earlier this year, a leaked build of iOS 14 revealed a new app codenamed "Gobi" that Apple appears to be using to test new augmented reality experiences.

Prosser also claimed that this year's iPhone event could be held in October, rather than September as usual, due to the global health crisis. Multiple analysts including Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu have indicated that the highest-end 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max might not be available to order until October due to supply chain disruptions.

When Adobe introduced Photoshop for iPad back in November, it promised to provide regular updates to add missing features that are available on the desktop but not in the tablet version of the software.

Adobe is making good on that promise and today has a Photoshop for iPad update out that introduces two useful features: Curves and Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity adjustments.

Curves are designed to allow ‌iPad‌ Photoshop users to make adjustments to the color and the tone of the image, editing contrast, exposure, saturation, highlights, shadows, and color balance in a non-destructive way. The initial version of the Curves tool includes adjustments of total curves for all channels, multi-node selections, and a feature that lets the app recognize when you want to tap and drag a node or select it.

As for ‌Apple Pencil‌, Adobe is adding options to adjust the pressure sensitivity of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ for more precise brushing and effects when using brush-based tools. A new pressure sensitivity slider provides greater pressure values applied with less force at the end of the range and greater force for maximum pressure at the higher end of the range.

Adobe is also updating Adobe Fresco today, adding a multicolor eyedrop for selecting multiple colors, capture shapes, vector trimming tools for cleaning up vector art, support for Photoshop Mixer brushes, advancements to the ruler tool (pinning and pixel-length measurements), better blending for Live Oil brushes, new keyboard shortcuts, and more, with full details available in Adobe's blog post covering the update.

Adobe Fresco and Adobe Photoshop can both be downloaded from the App Store for free, but there are subscriptions required to use the software. Adobe Photoshop for ‌iPad‌ is available for all Creative Cloud plans that include Photoshop access, while Adobe Fresco is $9.99 per month after a 7-day free trial on a standalone basis or available through Creative Cloud plans.

Adobe today announced the launch of its traditional spring update for Creative Cloud apps that include Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Character Animator. Adobe says that this year's updates focus on efficiency and performance for maximizing creativity.

Both Premiere Pro and After Effects include ProRes RAW support, offering a cross-platform solution for Apple ProRES RAW workflows, and automatic audio hardware switching is available on Mac for After Effects, Media Encoder, Audition, Character Animator, Prelude, Premiere Pro, and Premiere Rush. That means when you swap audio devices or plug in headphones, your Mac recognizes the hardware and the Adobe app automatically switches to it.

Premiere Pro is gaining an improved Pen tool with better support for Bezier curves and more precision for lines and shapes, plus filter effects that show attributes limited to keyframes or adjusted parameters for focusing what's currently active.

Adobe is improving the speed of Auto Reframe in Premiere Pro, enhancing the tool that's designed to reformat and reposition video in different aspect ratios for users who need to create videos for multiple social media and content platforms. Premiere Pro is also gaining support for audio files in Creative Cloud Libraries.

In After Effects, Adobe is adding Tapered Shape Strokes for creating tapered, wavy, pointed, or rounded strokes on shape layers, which can then be animated for stylized looks and motion designs.

There's also a Concentric Shape Repeater available in the Offset Paths shape to create copies of a path that radiate outward or inward for retro designs. New Mask and Shape cursor indicators in After Effects clearly display which tool is in use to prevent unnecessary un-dos when creating shapes and masks.

Adobe Premiere Rush for iOS is being updated with a tool for resizing projects to the 4:5 aspect ratio used for Facebook and Instagram, and back camera switching allows users to capture video from all of the rear camera options on an iPhone. Premiere Rush is also gaining an option to import media directly from the Files app.

Character Animator features improvements to audio triggers and timeline filtering, along with a new collection of background puppets to work with.

All of Adobe's Creative Cloud updates will be available starting today, with additional information on what's new available on Adobe's site. Adobe's full Creative Cloud plans, which cover the complete range of Adobe CC software, start at $52.99 per month.

Apple's iPhones continue to rank highest when it comes to customer satisfaction, according to new data shared today by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Apple held its top spot with a customer satisfaction rating of 82 out of 100, up one percent from 81 in 2019. Apple just edged out Samsung, which earned an overall customer satisfaction rating of 81. According to ACSI, iPhone owners are more satisfied with battery life than in previous years.

Apple in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro added bigger batteries and introduced significantly improved battery life.

For customer satisfaction, Apple (+1% to 82) and Samsung (unchanged at 81) continue to wrangle as a small gain puts Apple on top. Apple's overall iPhone revenue rose 8% year over year in the 2019 holiday quarter with strong sales for its iPhone 11 series, which offers advanced cameras and improved battery life. ACSI data show that Apple customers overall are more pleased with their device's battery life compared to a year ago.

When it came to satisfaction rankings based on individual smartphones, however, Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 edged out Apple devices with a score of 85.

The Galaxy S9+, the Galaxy S10, and Apple's 2018 XS Max all earned customer satisfaction scores of 84. Apple's 2019 iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max earned a scores of 82, while the iPhone 11 Pro earned a score of 81.

Apple and Samsung together dominated the individual brand rankings, and 17 of the 18 models that earned a score of 80 or above came from either Samsung or Apple.

The number-one phone is Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 with an ACSI score of 85. The Note 9 rates best in class for both phone features and video quality. The Galaxy S9+ and S10 follow at 84, tied with Apple's iPhone XS Max. All of these models are older, released in 2018, with the exception of the S10. All four also have screen sizes of 6.1 inches or more.

Today's report also covered customer satisfaction with mobile network operators. T-Mobile took the lead and Sprint came in last, though the data collected ahead of when the merger between the two companies was completed.

In network quality rankings, Verizon came in first, followed by AT&T, with T-Mobile taking the third spot.

The ACSI's Wireless Service and Cellular Telephone report is based on interviews with 27,346 customers chosen at random and contacted by email between April 15, 2019 and March 20, 2020. Survey data was entered into ASCI's "cause-and-effect econometric model," which is designed to estimate customer satisfaction as the result of survey-measured inputs of customer expectations, perceptions of quality, and perceptions of value.

Hive, the U.K. smart connected home company backed by British Gas, has quietly added Apple HomeKit support to its range of smart home products.

First spotted by iMore, the support is part of a software update that began rolling out late last week. When the soft launch is complete, Hive's ‌HomeKit‌ compatible accessories include all its Active Smart Plug, Heating, and Connected Lighting products.

The development comes some time after Hive said it was working on supporting ‌HomeKit‌ in its product line. The company made the original announcement after rolling out Siri Shortcuts support in June 2019.

To get Hive products up and running with ‌HomeKit‌, owners will need the latest Hive Hub or the Hub 360, both of which can be updated to version 10.28.0 of the software via the Hive app.

After the update is installed, owners should open the menu in the Hive app and tap Install Devices, where they'll find the ‌HomeKit‌ option with setup instructions at the bottom of the menu.

Apple is purchasing older movies and shows for its TV+ streaming service in a bid to build a back catalog of content that puts it in a better position to rival the huge libraries available on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, reports Bloomberg.

The company’s video-programming executives have taken pitches from Hollywood studios about licensing older content for TV+ and have bought some shows and movies, according to people familiar with the matter.

Apple reportedly plans to keep its television streaming service focused on original shows, and hasn't bought any huge franchises or blockbusters for its back catalog, according to sources cited in the report. Nevertheless, it's a statement of intent from Apple and an acknowledgement that successful streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ tend to have a mix of old and new shows to keep audiences coming back.

Netflix for example has thousands of titles that viewers can choose from, while Apple TV+ currently has fewer than 30 original movies and shows in its catalog. As the report notes, however, at $4.99 per month, ‌Apple TV‌+ costs half the price of a standard Netflix subscription.

Another advantage ‌Apple TV‌+ has over its rivals is that it's free for a year for anyone who buys an Apple device, and students who have a student subscription to ‌Apple Music‌ for $4.99 per month can also get access to ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+ at no additional charge, so the company can expose viewers to its television service before they even sign up.

Apple has so far avoided buying rights to old shows, and has instead looked to host individual services through its TV app in the form of ‌Apple TV‌ Channels, which include the likes of HBO, Starz, SHOWTIME, and EPIX. However, according to Bloomberg's sources, this approach has yielded mixed results.

Though about 10 million people had signed up for TV+ by February, only about half that number actively used the service, according to the people familiar with the matter.

Compare that to Disney+, which signed up over 10 million users on the day it launched in the U.S. and has since attracted over 50 million subscribers. Netflix meanwhile has 182.8 million subscribers globally, making it one of the world's largest entertainment services, and the company added nearly 16 million customers in the first quarter of this year.

• How to Subscribe to Apple TV Channels Using the Apple TV App

Today's news suggests something of a turnaround for the company's plans for ‌Apple TV‌+. During Apple's February shareholder meeting, CEO Tim Cook was asked why Apple didn't make an effort to get the rights to the upcoming Friends reunion show that will be airing on HBO Max.

Cook said that recycled content is "not what ‌Apple TV‌+ is about." ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+ is "about original programming," he said. "It doesn't feel right for Apple to just go out and take a rerun."