MacRumors


Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off next week at the San Jose Convention Center, and ahead of the festivities, Apple has shared a press release that highlights two of the over 5,000 people who will be attending this year.

erika hairston wwdc 2019

Erika Hairston, left, at Apple Entrepreneur Camp

The first is Erika Hairston, a 23-year-old Yale grad working in San Francisco who recently launched her first app named Zimela to promote diversity in tech. The second is David Niemeijer, a 50-year-old from Amsterdam who founded AssistiveWare, a company that designs communication aids for people with disabilities.

Hairston designed Zimela to help underrepresented groups enter tech by establishing mentorships and making users aware of career placement opportunities, like internships, according to Apple. She also recently completed the Apple Entrepreneur Camp for app-driven businesses that are owned or led by women.

Niemeijer designed a virtual keyboard that could be controlled using a mouse alternative that eventually became the program KeyStrokes. In 2001, a KeyStrokes user emailed Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs to ask if KeyStrokes could be integrated into macOS, kicking off a nearly two-decade relationship with Apple.

david niemeijer wwdc 2019

David Niemeijer

Apple is set to host WWDC 2019's opening keynote on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where it is widely expected to unveil iOS 13, macOS 10.15, watchOS 6, tvOS 13, and more. MacRumors will have full coverage of the event as it unfolds.

A video of a smoking MacBook Pro is gaining attention on Twitter and Reddit after being shared by a DJ known as White Panda, who claims that the notebook suddenly "exploded and burst into flames" on Tuesday during normal use. The cause is unconfirmed, but a failed lithium-ion battery is likely to blame.

macbook pro smoking
The backstory:

Yesterday afternoon my MacBook Pro exploded during normal use. It was on my lap, plugged in, and suddenly started to spew smoke out both sides. I quickly placed it on the floor where it popped, the smoke increased, and it caught fire. Toxic smelling smoke filled my house triggering smoke and CO alarms. No one was injured, thankfully, but there was some damage to my home.

The MacBook Pro is a 2015 model with a 15-inch Retina display, according to White Panda. Two repairs to the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s display and trackpad were completed by Apple under warranty during its lifetime, but the notebook has never had any third-party repairs and has no aftermarket parts, he says.


While the ‌MacBook Pro‌ was allegedly charging when the incident occurred, it is unclear if an Apple power adapter or aftermarket charger was used. (Update: White Panda has since said he was using an Apple power adapter.)

After allowing the ‌MacBook Pro‌ to cool down for roughly an hour, White Panda says he took the notebook to an Apple Store, where employees allegedly placed it in a fireproof safe for 24 hours as a mandatory safety precaution.

Apple has since "escalated" the matter and said it would be in touch within five days, according to the DJ. Apple has yet to respond to our request for comment, but the ‌MacBook Pro‌ will likely be sent to Apple's headquarters in Cupertino to be investigated by its product engineers, as is typical in these situations.

While unfortunate and dangerous, this is an isolated incident. The reality is that Apple produces millions of lithium-ion batteries, and while they are typically safe, a very small percentage may experience failure.

We'll update this article if we hear back from Apple or learn any additional details.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Lexus today announced that CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard features in its new 2020 Lexus RX in the United States, marking the first time that either software platform is available in the luxury crossover SUV.

2020 lexus rx carplay
‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto will be accessible through an 8-inch touchscreen display that is standard in all models of the 2020 Lexus RX. A larger 12.3-inch split-screen touchscreen is available as an upgrade option. ‌CarPlay‌ appears to be wired, so the iPhone will have to be connected with a Lightning to USB cable.

The new RX will enter production in the third quarter of 2019, according to Lexus. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

2020 lexus rx
‌CarPlay‌ provides convenient access to frequently used ‌iPhone‌ apps such as Phone, Messages, Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, Apple Music, and Spotify directly from the dashboard. The platform was introduced in 2014 and is now available in over 500 vehicle models in the United States, according to Apple.

Lexus and its parent company Toyota were among the last major automakers to adopt CarPlay, but the duo now offer Apple's software platform in nearly two dozen vehicle models, ranging from the latest Corolla to the latest Lexus LS.

Related Roundup: CarPlay
Tag: Lexus

Apple is working closely with London's transport network (TfL) to enable Apple Pay Express Transit, a feature which allows riders to pay their fare without needing to wake or unlock their device, or authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.

apple pay london underground

Image credit: TfL

"We are having positive discussions with Apple about enabling express transit on Apple devices on the TfL network," a TfL spokesperson said in a statement given to The Verge. "More information about timing and plans will be available at a future date."

TfL's Twitter account also noted that the company is "working closely with Apple to allow the benefits of this update to be introduced on London’s transport network in the coming months."

Users of London's transport network can already use ‌Apple Pay‌ for ride purchases at Oyster terminals and gates, but they must first authenticate with ‌Face ID‌, ‌Touch ID‌, or passcode. Express Transit would change all that with its tap-and-go system, speeding up entry into subway and train stations in the process.

‌Apple Pay‌'s Express Transit mode can be used on iPhone SE, ‌iPhone‌ 6s, or ‌iPhone‌ 6s Plus or later, and Apple Watch Series 1 and 2 or later. Owners of ‌iPhone‌ XS, ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, and ‌iPhone‌ XR can also use Express Transit in power reserve mode, which is available for up to five hours when an ‌iPhone‌ needs to be charged.

Apple introduced Express Transit in iOS 12.3, which was released earlier this month. London would join a handful of cities with transit systems that support the express ‌Apple Pay‌ feature, including Beijing, Shanghai, Portland, and New York City (from Friday). Express Transit also works for Suica cards in Japan.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Apple and other tech giants have joined civil society groups and security experts in condemning proposals from Britain's cybersecurity agency that would enable law enforcement to access end-to-end encrypted messages (via CNBC).

1280px GCHQ aerial

British Government's Communications HQ in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

In an open letter to the U.K.'s GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters), 47 signatories including Apple, Google and WhatsApp urged the U.K. eavesdropping agency to ditch plans for its so-called "ghost protocol," which would require encrypted messaging services to direct a message to a third recipient, at the same time as sending it to its intended user.

Ian Levy, the technical director of Britain's National Cyber Security Centre, and Crispin Robinson, GCHQ's head of cryptanalysis, published details of the proposal in November 2018. In the essay, Levy and Robinson claimed the system would enable law enforcement to access the content of encrypted messages without breaking the encryption.

The officials argued it would be "relatively easy for a service provider to silently add a law enforcement participant to a group chat or call," and claimed this would be "no more intrusive than the virtual crocodile clips," which are currently used in wiretaps of non-encrypted chat and call apps.

Signatories of the letter opposing the plan argued that the proposal required two changes to existing communications systems that were a "serious threat" to digital security and fundamental human rights, and would undermine user trust.

"First, it would require service providers to surreptitiously inject a new public key into a conversation in response to a government demand. This would turn a two-way conversation into a group chat where the government is the additional participant, or add a secret government participant to an existing group chat.

"Second, in order to ensure the government is added to the conversation in secret, GCHQ's proposal would require messaging apps, service providers, and operating systems to change their software so that it would 1) change the encryption schemes used, and/or 2) mislead users by suppressing the notifications that routinely appear when a new communicant joins a chat.

"The overwhelming majority of users rely on their confidence in reputable providers to perform authentication functions and verify that the participants in a conversation are the people they think they are, and only those people. The GCHQ's ghost proposal completely undermines this trust relationship and the authentication process."

Apple's strong stance against weakened device protections for the sake of law enforcement access was highlighted in the 2016 Apple vs. FBI conflict that saw Apple refuse to create a backdoor access solution to allow the FBI to crack the iPhone 5c owned by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook.

Responding to the open letter, which was first sent to GCHQ on May 22, the National Cyber Security Centre's Ian Levy told CNBC: "We welcome this response to our request for thoughts on exceptional access to data — for example to stop terrorists. The hypothetical proposal was always intended as a starting point for discussion."

"We will continue to engage with interested parties and look forward to having an open discussion to reach the best solutions possible," Levy said.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.

Brydge, known for its line of keyboards for the iPad, recently debuted its newest keyboard, an updated model designed for Apple's 2018 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. The new Brydge Pro has been highly anticipated by ‌iPad‌ owners who have used Brydge keyboards in the past and prefer the bulk-free Brydge keyboard style.

I've teamed up with MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera to review the Brydge Pro, so make sure to check out his hands-on video below to get a visual overview of the keyboard and read on for my own review.

Design

If you're familiar with Brydge keyboards, the Bluetooth-enabled Brydge Pro features the same general design as past Brydge options. It is the least bulky of the third-party keyboards for the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models that I've used, and it's my favorite third-party keyboard design by far.

Brydge Pro keyboard
There are two rubber-lined hinged clips on the keyboard that your ‌iPad Pro‌ fits into, which hold it securely in place and mimic a MacBook setup. The clips move forwards and backwards so you can fold it up just like you would a laptop (and when you close it, there are little rubber nubs to prevent the keys from touching the display). Because of the rubber lining, the ‌iPad Pro‌ is secure and stable in the Brydge Pro, but I have noticed that the weight of the ‌iPad Pro‌ can cause to it flip backwards a bit when I pick it up using the keyboard portion.

brydgepronoipad2
The hinges are tighter than a MacBook hinge, but it's still easy to open and close the keyboard and the ‌iPad‌, and when you close it up, the ‌iPad‌'s screen turns off. With the clips, there's an adjustable 180 degree viewing angle, which is nice because it lets you position the ‌iPad‌ at whatever angle works best for you regardless of whether you're typing on a flat surface like a desk or in your lap. On a desk, there are rubber feet at the bottom to keep it in place, which is a nice addition.

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You can only rotate the clips a limited amount, so if you want to use your ‌iPad‌ in portrait mode, you're going to need to take it out of the keyboard, which is a bit of a hassle. There's no option to just fold it back, though I guess you could use it book style. You can pull the ‌iPad‌ out and stick it back in backwards to use the keyboard in tablet mode (folded back) or movie mode (no keyboard visible but ‌iPad‌ propped up) but it's a hassle to have to take it out and put it in the clips.

Brydge Pro tablet view

Brydge Pro tablet view

This isn't a traditional folio style case, but there is a magnetic back cover that's similar to a Smart Cover in both thickness and design. It's meant to protect the back of the ‌iPad‌ when the keyboard is attached, and there are cutouts for the portion of the Brydge Pro that holds the ‌iPad‌ in place. Since this cover isn't blocking the side of the ‌iPad Pro‌, you can still attach and charge your Apple Pencil 2.

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Flipboard today emailed Flipboard users to let them know about a security breach that saw usernames, email addresses, and protected passwords accessed by hackers.

Between June 2, 2018 and April 22, 2019, there was "unauthorized access" to Flipboard databases that leaked account information. Flipboard says the hackers "potentially obtained copies" of some databases, and has not yet shared details on how many accounts were compromised.

flipboardsecuritybreach
Databases included Flipboard usernames, names, email addresses, and passwords, but the passwords were salted and hashed, which means they weren't stored in plaintext and would be difficult to crack.

Also included were digital tokens used to connect Flipboard to third party services like Twitter or Facebook, if users had indeed connected their Flipboard accounts to their social media networks.

Flipboard is resetting all user passwords and replacing or deleting all digital tokens. If you connected Flipboard to Facebook or Twitter, you will need to reconnect your accounts.

Flipboard says that to prevent something like this from happening again, it has implemented "enhanced security measures." Law enforcement officials have also been notified.

The company recommends that users who use the same username and password for Flipboard that they use for other accounts change their passwords for other services as a precautionary measure.

safaripreviewiconApple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced three years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release 83 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Storage Access API, Rendering, Service Workers, CSS, WebRTC, WebDriver, Web API, and Web Inspector.

The new ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was released to the public in September 2018.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.

Accessory maker Mophie today announced a new line of Powerstation battery packs with multiple charging ports, including a USB-C port with both input and output functionality, meaning that it can be used to both charge the battery pack itself and charge connected devices like an iPhone or iPad.

mophie 2019 powerstation battery packs
In addition to USB-C, the battery packs have either one or two USB-A ports depending on the model for charging multiple devices simultaneously. Each has a fabric design with an LED indicator for charging status and battery life.

The new 2019 line is available in multiple capacities and colors as follows:

  • Powerstation mini: 5,000mAh. One USB-C and one USB-A port. Available for $39.95 in Black, Gray, Navy, Hot Pink, and Light Blue.

  • Powerstation: 10,000mAh. One USB-C and one USB-A port. Available for $49.95 in Black, Gray, Navy, and Pink.

  • Powerstation XL: 15,000mAh. One USB-C and two USB-A ports. Available for $59.95 in Black and Gray.

  • Powerstation XXL: 20,000mAh. One USB-C and two USB-A ports. Available for $69.95 in Black.

The battery packs are available now on Mophie.com and will be available at Best Buy, Verizon, and T-Mobile retail stores across the United States.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Mophie. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Microsoft today announced that the Excel app for iOS is gaining the Insert Data from Picture feature that was previously made available on Android devices.

Insert Data from Picture lets you take a photo of data in a table format and convert it to a digital format in Excel. You can capture financial spreadsheets, work schedules, task lists, time tables, and more, so long as it's in a table format to begin with.

microsoftexceldatapicture
According to Microsoft, Insert Data from Picture combines optical character recognition technology, layout understanding techniques, and machine learning to convert information written on paper into digital data.

As of today, the Insert Data from Picture feature also supports 21 languages on both iOS and Android.

The Excel iOS app from Microsoft can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple is widely expected to unveil the next major version of macOS at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference next week, and rumors suggest that the update will introduce standalone apps for Music and Podcasts. Apple also confirmed that its TV app will be expanding to the Mac in the fall.

Now, we have our first glimpse at what the Music and TV apps should look like courtesy of 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo, who has leaked screenshots of each app. Rambo says the screenshots are legitimate, rather than mockups or concepts, although parts have been redacted to protect his sources.

The report claims the new Music app is based on iTunes, as evident by the similar design language. Apple Music sections including For You, Browse, and Radio are listed in the sidebar with playback controls up top.

mac music app

Music app via 9to5Mac

The new TV app is shown with a toolbar for switching between Watch Now, Movies, TV Shows, Kids, and Library sections. The sidebar contains the Library subsections of Recently Added, Movies, TV Shows, and Downloaded along with genres such as Action and Adventure, Comedy, Drama, and Kids.

mac tv app

TV app via 9to5Mac

The screenshots are not particularly revealing since some information has been redacted, but they provide a good glimpse of the overall look and feel of Music and TV on Mac. No screenshots of the rumored Podcasts app were shared.

Apple should unveil macOS 10.15 at its WWDC 2019 keynote on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Recent trademark activity uncovered by MacRumors suggests that macOS 10.15 could be named macOS Mammoth, with other potential options including macOS Monterey, macOS Rincon, and macOS Skyline.

MacRumors will have full coverage of WWDC 2019 on our website and on Twitter at @MacRumorsLive.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

As expected, subscription-based magazine service Texture has shut down following the launch of Apple News+ in late March.

texture goodbye
Apple acquired Texture last year to serve as the foundation of ‌Apple News‌+ and later announced that Texture would cease working after May 28. On cue, the app no longer functions as of today and points users towards ‌Apple News‌+.


Unfortunately, while Apple's notice in the Texture app says "don't worry, you can continue to read your favorite magazines" on ‌Apple News‌+, the service is only available on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. Texture supported multiple platforms, including iOS, macOS, Android, and previously Windows.


‌Apple News‌+ costs $9.99 per month in the United States, the same price as Texture charged, and $12.99 per month in Canada.

Amazon today announced the Echo Show 5, the latest Echo device with a 5.5-inch display, more compact design, and privacy-focused voice controls for Alexa. Echo Show 5 is priced at $89.99 and is set to launch on June 26, 2019.

Amazon's Echo Show devices have speakers and a touchscreen, aimed at letting customers watch the news via apps like NBC and Reuters, look at the weather, or make video calls. Echo Show 5 continues this idea, and Amazon even pointed out that you can use the device to listen to music via Apple Music, thanks to recent integration.

echo show 5
Like other Echo devices, Echo Show 5 can also act as a smart home hub so that you can say things like "Alexa, turn on the lights," or use on-screen display controls to adjust brightness levels. Smart camera feeds can be viewed on the display, as well as thermostat levels and more. Echo Show 5 also supports two-way talk functionality with Ring doorbell cameras.

If you use the Echo Show 5 as an alarm clock, the device's display will naturally brighten and show a sunrise animation before the alarm goes off. At that time, you can set a routine that displays the weather forecast for the day, the morning news, and more on the Echo Show 5 screen.

“Since we launched the first Echo Show device, customers have told us they love asking Alexa to show them things—whether it’s a recipe for banana bread, their shopping list, or music lyrics. With Echo Show 5, we’ve made it even easier and affordable for customers to add a smart display to every room of their house,” said Tom Taylor, Senior Vice President, Amazon Alexa.

“The compact form factor is perfect for a bedside table or desk, plus it has a camera shutter for added peace of mind, and new Alexa privacy features for even more control.”

When not in use, you can set personal photos to act as a home screen on the Echo Show 5, or connect to Facebook to play a slideshow of photos as a screensaver. Echo Show 5 can connect to family members who own an Echo Spot or Echo Show, have the Alexa mobile app, or use Skype. Within the same house, if you own multiple Alexa devices you can also use the drop-in feature to quickly speak to other Alexa speakers.

In terms of privacy, Amazon touched on a variety of security options in its announcement today. First, the company pointed out that Echo Show 5 includes a microphone/camera off button that electronically disconnects both the microphone and camera, along with a visual indicator that shows when audio or video is streaming to the cloud. The device also has a camera shutter so you can easily cover the camera.

echo show 5 image 2
Second, Amazon has introduced an easy way to delete your voice recordings on all of your Alexa devices: you can say, "Alexa, delete everything I said today." Afterwards, the company will delete the respective recordings. In the near future, you'll be able to delete your last request by saying, "Alexa, delete what I just said."

The Echo Show 5 is available to pre-order today in Charcoal and Sandstone for $89.99. The device will then launch in June in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. India will see a launch in July, and Mexico will come at a later date.

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.

B&H Photo is discounting a collection of iMacs this week, with savings reaching as much as $700 off original prices. The sale includes both 21.5-inch and 27-inch Retina iMac models, all of which are from 2017.

imacs 2017Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The two 21.5-inch iMacs in the sale are both hitting lowest-ever prices for these configurations, starting at just $999.00. B&H Photo's sale also includes a flash deal on the 27-inch Retina model, priced at $1,599.00, down from $2,299.00.

B&H Photo's Retina iMac Sale (Mid 2017)

These iMacs were refreshed in June 2017 with Kaby Lake chips, Thunderbolt 3 support, VR ready AMD Radeon Pro graphics, and faster solid state drives for 4K and 5K models. If you're on the hunt for more sales and bargains, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

The Pokémon Company today announced a new cloud service app and two new mobile games, coming in 2020 and beyond. The news was shared during a press conference in Tokyo, alongside other announcements such as a new Detective Pikachu game for Nintendo Switch.

pokemon sleep and home
To start, The Pokémon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara revealed Pokémon Sleep is coming to iOS and Android in 2020. The app is described as an experience that gamifies your sleep, with factors like time spent asleep and time waking up affecting gameplay in a major way. So far, no other details about gameplay have been revealed.

A new peripheral called the Pokémon GO Plus + will connect to the app and launch alongside it, tracking your time sleeping and other data points and sending this information to your iPhone through Bluetooth. The Pokémon GO Plus + will have all of the same features as the original Pokémon GO Plus, so it'll also be able to connect to Pokémon GO.

Secondly, Pokémon HOME was announced as a new cloud service app that lets you manage your entire collection of Pokémon across the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.

The company said that Pokémon HOME will be your centralized location to organize your Pokémon, collected from games like Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, Pokémon GO, and the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games for Nintendo Switch. You'll even be able to trade Pokémon with friends directly from Pokémon HOME, which is set to launch in early 2020 for iOS, Android, and Switch.

pokemon masters image
Other announcements include a new mobile game called Pokémon Masters coming to iOS and Android from The Pokémon Company and DeNA. Like Pokémon Sleep, little is known about the game right now, but it's said to showcase "a new type of Pokémon battling on the go," with many famous Pokémon Trainers from previous games. Gameplay is said to be optimized for mobile devices "for a casual but uniquely Pokémon experience," and more details about Pokémon Masters will come out this June.

We're coming up on the third anniversary of the launch of Pokémon GO for iOS and Android, which became a massive hit on mobile devices and encouraged a wave of copycat games from franchises like Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, and Harry Potter. As of March 2019, Pokémon mobile games have earned approximately $2.5 billion, with the majority of the revenue coming from Pokémon GO.

Tag: Pokemon

Apple has faced increasing scrutiny as of late over the way it runs its App Store, ranging from Spotify's anticompetitive complaint in Europe to a class action lawsuit accusing Apple of operating an App Store monopoly in the United States, which the Supreme Court recently allowed to proceed.

app store principles practices
Apple has now responded with a new page on the ‌App Store‌ section of its website titled Principles and Practices, noting that the ‌App Store‌ was created with two goals: to be "a safe and trusted place for customers to discover and download apps" and "a great business opportunity for all developers."

To achieve the first goal, Apple says it "takes responsibility" for "ensuring that apps are held to a high standard for privacy, security, and content" in accordance with its publicly accessible App Store Review Guidelines:

We believe that what's in our store says a lot about who we are. We strongly support all points of view being represented on the App Store. But we also take steps to make sure apps are respectful to users with differing opinions, and reject apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line — especially when it puts children at risk. For example, we strictly prohibit any app that features pornographic material, discriminatory references, torture and abuse, or anything else in exceptionally poor taste.

Apple says an average of 100,000 apps are reviewed per week, most within 24 hours, by a combination of "hundreds of human experts" and "automated systems." Apple says 60 percent of submissions are approved, with 40 percent rejected, mostly commonly due to minor bugs followed by privacy concerns.

All developers have the opportunity to have a rejection reviewed, with Apple making some 1,000 calls a week to developers to help them resolve any issues.

As for the second goal, Apple says the ‌App Store‌ "welcomes competition":

We believe competition makes everything better and results in the best apps for our customers.

We also care about quality over quantity, and trust over transactions. That’s why, even though other stores have more users and more app downloads, the App Store earns more money for developers. Our users trust Apple — and that trust is critical to how we operate a fair, competitive store for developer app distribution.

Apple includes many examples of third-party apps that compete with its own apps, such as Spotify versus Apple Music and Google Maps versus Apple Maps.

apple apps vs third party apps
Apple notes that it supports developers by providing a robust set of tools and SDKs, free marketing opportunities such as the opportunity to be featured in the Today tab on the ‌App Store‌, programs such as the Apple Developer Academy, and free educational materials such as Everyone Can Code.

84 percent of apps are free, according to Apple, although many are supported by ads, in-app purchases, or subscriptions. Apple collects a 30 percent commission on in-app purchases tied to digital goods, and takes a 30 percent cut of subscriptions for the first year and a 15 percent cut in subsequent years.

Apple's former App Store review team leader raises concerns

In a new podcast interview with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's former senior director of the ‌App Store‌ review team Phillip Shoemaker raised concerns about potential conflict between Apple and its competitors on the ‌App Store‌.

"There is now a conflict as Apple goes into these spaces that are ripe with competition," he said. "I'm really worried about the competition."

BT Sport has announced its first ever live mobile HDR stream will be the Champions League final in Madrid between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on Saturday, June 1. BT Sport subscribers will be able to watch the match in HDR via the BT Sport app for iPhone and Apple TV.

Screenshot 1
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. HDR videos provide a broader range of colors and luminance compared to sub-HDR content, and the format also supports quality video playback on a wide variety of screen sizes.

Logged-in subscribers of the BT Sport app on an ‌iPhone‌ X, XS, XS Max, ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, or iPad Pro (2nd and 3rd generation) will be served with a tile on the homepage so they know the Champions League soccer final is available to them. Users without a HDR-capable device or logged-out users will see the normal tile on the homepage without any reference to HDR.

To AirPlay the match, users will need a capable TV to watch in HDR. The vast majority of 4K TVs sold in the last few years also support HDR. The app will detect HDR compatibility and serve the appropriate stream.

The Champions League final will also be available to non-BT Sport subscribers for free, though not in HDR. It will be shown on the mobile and large-screen apps, on BTSport.com and on YouTube. BT Sport's live coverage begins at 7pm on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 4K UHD.

Apple debuted HDR support with the "Super Retina" display in the 2017 ‌iPhone‌ X, which became the first HDR OLED display incorporated into one of Apple's smartphones.

Apple also lists the ‌iPhone‌ 8, ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus, and ‌iPhone‌ XR as supporting HDR, but the displays for these devices are not the same as the Super Retina display on Apple's OLED iPhones, so any HDR content played on the 8 or 8 Plus isn't true HDR.

BT Sport claims its live HDR coverage of the Champions League Final on a mobile device is a "world first," and says that going forward it plans to show up to 70 live sporting events in High Dynamic Range per season.

Apple Pay is coming to New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority on May 31, reports TechCrunch. The rollout means people will be able to use ‌Apple Pay‌ with the new tap-to-pay fare system on the buses in Staten Island and the 4, 5, and 6 subway lines between Grand Central Station in Manhattan and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

DSCF5596

Image via TechCrunch

To use ‌Apple Pay‌ on the MTA transit, you'll need an iPhone 6s or SE or later, and have the latest version of iOS (12.3) and watchOS (5.2.1) installed. After you've registered a credit or debit card, you can then take advantage of the new Express Transit NFC feature, which allows you to tap your ‌iPhone‌ or Apple Watch against the fare reader to pay and go.

The system is currently limited to single-ride passes, so users of daily, weekly, or monthly passes aren't able to use ‌Apple Pay‌ yet. However, additional fare options are due to introduced by late 2020, when the MTA expects to have rolled out ‌Apple Pay‌ on all subway lines and buses, according to TechCrunch.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay