Apple executives in charge of the company's video efforts will be attending the Toronto International Film Festival this week to scope out potential movie acquisitions, reports Variety.
The site says that at least one of the top programming executives, which includes Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, will be at the festival to look for new content that could fill out an upcoming entertainment service.
The Toronto International Film Festival is set to kick off on Thursday, September 6, and it will run through Sunday, September 16. This will mark the first time that Apple executives have attended the film festival, and the company will be competing with at least one other TV giant -- Amazon. Amazon executives are also going to be attending the festival to look for new movies to pick up.
342 films are set to be shown off at the Toronto International Film Festival, with a list of content available on the website for the festival.
While Apple has more than a dozen original television shows that are in the works, it has thus far established few deals for movies.
In fact, we only know about one potential movie deal with Cartoon Saloon, a company that develops animated movies like "The Secret of Kells," "The Song of the Sea," and "The Breadwinner."
Rumors have suggested that Apple is planning to launch some kind of streaming television service in the future where all of the television shows are in the works will be available, and if Apple is aiming to compete with Netflix and Amazon, exclusive movie offerings will help to fill out its content catalogue.
There has, however, been no concrete information outlining exactly how Apple is going to distribute its original content, nor details on what a potential streaming service could cost if it is in the works, but we may learn more next year as the first of the TV shows is rumored to be debuting in March 2019.
Apple's upcoming Apple Watch Series 4 models will feature larger displays thanks to reduced bezel size, and information 9to5Mac discovered in the most recent watchOS 5 beta suggests the 42mm Apple Watch will likely have a screen resolution of 384x480.
The current 42mm Apple Watch Series 3 model, for comparison, has a resolution of 312x390.
With the higher resolution (and increased PPI), Apple Watch Series 4 apps will be able to display more information at a higher resolution on the display, as shown in the example image below that were taken from a modified Apple Watch Simulator using a guesstimated PPI of 345.
As was seen in leaked marketing materials last week, the upcoming Apple Watch Series 4 models will feature at least one new watch face capable of displaying up to nine complications at one time.
Additional new watch faces could be included, and information taken from the beta suggests there will be new types of complications for Apple Watch apps to use.
Given the increase in resolution, third-party app developers will need to tweak their apps to work with the new Apple Watch Series 4 screen sizes.
Apple today updated the Events app on the Apple TV to prepare for next Wednesday's "Gather Round" iPhone-centric event, which will see the debut of the 2018 iPhone lineup, new Apple Watch models, and new accessories.
The Events app, along with the Events section of Apple's website, will be used to live stream the product unveiling. Apple's Gather Round event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus.
To see the updated Events app on the Apple TV, it needs to be updated through the Apple TV App Store.
Apple is set to introduce the new 2018 iPhones, which will include the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone Xs, the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone Xs Max, and the lower-cost 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, which we don't yet know the name of. All three iPhones are expected to adopt edge-to-edge designs with a TrueDepth Camera System that will replace the Touch ID Home button.
We're also expecting to see new Apple Watch Series 4 models with smaller bezels for more screen real estate, refreshed AirPods with "Hey Siri" support, new Apple Watch bands, and perhaps the long-awaited debut of the AirPower, which is able to charge the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once.
For those who are unable to watch Apple's live stream, MacRumors will have live coverage of the event on MacRumors.com and on our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Apple's upcoming 6.5-inch iPhone could be called the "iPhone Xs Max" according to information shared by both BGR and 9to5Mac citing sources with knowledge of Apple's marketing plans.
Naming for Apple's 2018 iPhone lineup has been unclear and Apple is said to have struggled to decide on a new naming scheme to follow the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.
Last week, leaked information suggested Apple has settled on "iPhone Xs" as the name for the 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED devices that are in the works. At the time, it was believed both could use the same "iPhone Xs" name like the iPad Pro, but now it looks like the larger model could continue to feature a unique name.
Apple is not planning to use the same "Plus" labeling that it has used since the iPhone 6 Plus was introduced, and "Max" could potentially be the replacement. "iPhone Xs Plus" is a mouthful and difficult to say, but "iPhone Xs Max" is easier to pronounce.
The 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max will be sold alongside the 5.8-inch iPhone Xs and the 6.1-inch iPhone, which we don't yet know the name of.
In other related news, German site Macerkopf has shared details on potential European pricing for the 2018 lineup. Citing a pair of unnamed sources, the site says that the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone could cost 799 euros, the 5.8-inch iPhone Xs could cost 909 euros, and the iPhone Xs Max could cost 1149 euros.
These are the same prices Apple currently charges for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, and would translate to pricing of $699, $799, and $999 in the United States.
That's mostly in line with rumors we've heard about U.S. pricing, which have pegged the cost at $600 to $700 for the 6.1-inch iPhone, $800 to $900 for the iPhone Xs, and $900 to $1,000 for the iPhone Xs Max.
With Apple's event set to take place in one week on Wednesday, September 12, we don't have long to wait to find out Apple's exact naming and pricing plans for the three devices.
The new iPhones will be unveiled at an event set to take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus. Apple plans to live stream the event, and MacRumors will also feature live coverage both on MacRumors.com and on the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Just ahead of when Apple plans to release new 2018 iPhones, the company has quietly updated its AirPort Utility app to introduce support for the longer display of the iPhone X.
AirPort Utility is one of the last remaining Apple apps that have gone for months without an iPhone X update.
For those unfamiliar with the app, it is designed to allow AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule owners to manage their devices.
Apple has discontinued development on all of these products, but has pledged to continue to support them for the next several years. Today's app update follows a major firmware update for the AirPort Express that introduced support for AirPlay 2.
Apple will soon allow hardware developers to manufacture Made for iPhone (MFi) certified USB-C to Lightning cables, reports Japanese site Mac Otakara. Apple is said to have recently informed developers who participate in the MFi program about the change.
Right now, there are no Apple-approved USB-C to Lightning cables available for purchase, which means customers who want a USB-C to Lightning cable must purchase one directly from Apple for $19. With the new MFi update, third-party hardware manufacturers will be able to create USB-C to Lightning cables.
These cables are necessary for fast charging the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and Apple's upcoming 2018 iPhones when paired with an 18W+ power adapter.
Rumors have suggested that Apple is planning to ship its 2018 iPhones with an upgraded power adapter and a USB-C to Lightning cable, enabling fast charging right out of the box with no need to make an additional purchase.
The approval of Made for iPhone USB-C to Lightning cables indicates that this rumor could be true, with Apple and third-party manufacturers starting to make a shift from standard USB-A Lightning cables to the new fast charge compatible USB-C version.
According to Mac Otakara, developers who want to manufacture a Lightning to USB-C cable will need to use a new C94 Lightning connector provided by Apple, which offers a maximum of 15W of charging with a non-fast charging compatible power adapter and 18W with a compatible power adapter.
Apple has also upgraded its other Lightning connectors, charging about 50 cents more for the new technology.
Apple plans to move C48 Lightning connector to C89 Lightning connector, C68 Lightning connector to C78 Lightning connector, C12 Lightning connector to C79 Lightning connector, the price will also be about $ 0.5 higher.
Mac Otakara expects the first third-party USB-C to Lightning cables to start appearing in mid-2019.
Beats by Dr. Dre, Apple's well-known headphones brand, today announced a marketing and merchandising partnership with the NBA, which will make it the official headphone, wireless speaker, and audio partner of the NBA, and sister associations WNBA, NBA G League, and USA Basketball as of October 2018.
Under the terms of the partnership, which will span multiple years, Beats will establish separate deals with NBA teams to launch audio products for NBA fans, including NBA team-branded headphones.
Apple is aiming to boost Beats by Dre brand recognition through the NBA deal by leveraging NBA stars that include LeBron James, Draymond Green, James Harden, Ben Simmons, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Luke Woods, Beats by Dr. Dre president, said that the company's partnership with NBA is the "perfect alignment," an unsurprising statement given that Beats has long used major athletes to advertise its headphones, even prior to the purchase by Apple.
"The NBA and its players have long been significant drivers of global culture. Basketball, music, and style speak as one voice: Julius Erving became a style icon, Allen Iverson cemented hip hop's place on and off the court and LeBron James is breaking new music every day... the list goes on and on," said Luke Wood, President of Beats by Dr. Dre. "This partnership with the NBA is the perfect alignment for Beats. It feels like coming home."
In addition to developing NBA-themed headphones for fans, Beats also plans to provide headphones to players and advertise during major events like the NBA All-Star, NBA Draft, international games, WNBA games, and more.
The Beats NBA partnership will kick off in October, which is when the 2018-2019 NBA season will begin.
A new profile on Apple chief Eddy Cue has been shared online today by The Information, highlighting Cue's history and leadership at the company, as well as a few of his more interesting quirks. Specifically, the story looks at Apple's services segment -- which Cue oversees -- and some of the missteps it has taken over the years, despite being a consistent revenue earner for the company.
According to analyst James McQuivey, Apple's services business "has been the biggest opportunity that Apple has misspent for the last ten years." Issues include the company's need to play catchup with Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify in streaming TV and music, fading into irrelevance in the eBooks category, and ongoing struggles with Apple Maps and Siri, the latter of which Cue no longer is responsible for.
As he looked into Cue's history with Apple, The Information's Aaron Tilley interviewed more than two dozen people who have worked with Cue. While some describe him "as a leader of intelligence and empathy," others say he "seems overextended" and has "failed to intercede in conflicts." Specifically, one former Apple employee gave an example related to the early days of Apple Music, ultimately claiming that Cue is "always doing too many things."
But others who have worked with him say he seems overextended and, at important moments, has failed to intercede in conflicts—for instance, during the creation of the company’s subscription music service, Apple Music, when former employees of Beats, which Apple acquired, battled with counterparts at iTunes.
“Apple tries to do too much with too few people,” said one former Apple executive, who like most people interviewed for this story requested anonymity to avoid the disfavor of one of the tech industry’s most powerful companies. “That sometimes backfires. Eddy is the best example of that at Apple. He’s always doing too many things.”
According to former employees, Cue "seemed to lack much interest in [Siri]" from "the moment he gained responsibility." During meetings about technical data for Siri's performance, Cue "seemed to fall asleep in at least two meetings." Siri leadership recently moved to Craig Federighi and is now under John Giannandrea.
“Putting Siri under Eddy was a bad fit to begin with,” said one former Siri engineer. “I don’t think he ever had a great deal of interest.”
The profile also looks at Apple's entry into streaming music, following former CEO Steve Jobs' derision of the idea of renting music. Apple reportedly "fought tooth and nail" to keep Spotify out of the United States following its debut in Europe, with Jobs going so far as to privately threaten Universal Music by stating Apple would remove its content from iTunes if it worked with Spotify in the U.S.
Following his death in the fall of 2011, Cue decided that Apple had to shift its music business to streaming somehow, ultimately spearheading the largest acquisition in Apple's history with the purchase of Beats for $3 billion. Following the deal, one former Beats employee who joined Apple told The Information that it eventually became clear that "Apple was under-resourced to manage this."
Moreover, the two companies clashed so much about decisions over how Beats Music would transition into Apple Music, "there were almost literally fistfights over design aspects, features, aesthetics," one person said. "They all hated each other." Amid all of this, Cue's leadership style was put into question:
As tensions mounted on the Apple Music team, Mr. Cue, who was known for his hands-off leadership style, was rarely seen by the team working on the project, said people working on the streaming service. “One downside with Eddy as a manager was that it’s unlikely for Eddy to mediate between warring factions,” said one former lieutenant. “If there were conflicts or tensions between groups, Eddy didn’t get involved.”
Looking ahead, The Information says that Cue's "biggest test yet" will be Apple's streaming TV service. In meetings, Cue is said to have discussed the possibility of making the Apple TV app available beyond Apple's own devices -- even on smart TVs and Android -- in an effort to make sure its shows are seen as widely as possible. This also hints that Apple is considering making the TV app the location of its original TV shows, which has been suggested in the past.
The rest of The Information's profile on Eddy Cue is available to read if you have a subscription.
Video platform Vimeo today is expanding its recent focus on software tools for video creators, part of a continued pivot away from earlier attempts to get into original content creation itself. Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud confirmed the move to Axios today, explaining that the company saw "so much organic growth" from software tools it already sells that the pivot "became a no-brainer."
Currently, Vimeo calls itself "the high quality home for video hosting and watching," with many videos like short films, documentaries, and more residing on the service. Vimeo found a niche for smaller content creators to host their videos on its site, since they could sell their content to interested viewers and take 90 percent of the revenue each video earned after fees.
Now, as more tech companies enter the already "saturated" video viewing market, and are willing to invest billions in original content, Vimeo has pulled back from competing in that space to focus on helping professional creators through the launch of tools such as stock video clips.
The pivot allows Vimeo to go after a less competitive social “SaaS” (software as a service) market that focuses on stock video, as opposed to the saturated original content viewing market, which is dominated by massive tech companies investing billions in original content to win eyeballs.
“Today 100% of our business model is software as a service, like a Dropbox or a Slack … We just saw so much organic growth from the software tools side among the creators that it became a no-brainer that this is what we should focus on.”
Although Apple is not directly mentioned, the company has set aside a "$1 billion war chest" in planning its upcoming streaming television service, and Vimeo has recognized that this expensive pursuit of original content is making for a very crowded marketplace. Ahead of a rumors 2019 launch, Apple has hired executives from Sony Pictures and Amazon Studios, prepared a lineup of over a dozen original shows, and is said to be "completely all in" on original content, according to iTunes chief Eddy Cue.
Vimeo does have a small collection of original series, but its Vimeo Originals platform never took off in comparison to rival video services. Ahead of the pivot, over the past year Vimeo has been "trying to pull back" from being a video viewing platform by "no longer investing in original content." Instead, Vimeo will now present itself as an "agnostic and independent home" full of tools and services that let creators edit their work, to then be shared on other platforms like YouTube or Facebook Watch.
“Most large video-viewing destinations, like YouTube and Facebook, are ad supported, and are focused on keeping content and eyeballs on their platform. But if you’re a creator, you need an agnostic and independent home to create and distribute your work and there really are no other creator platforms that do that at scale.”
Vimeo's new tools will be called "Vimeo Stock," with HD clips starting at $79 and 4K clips starting at $199. Vimeo is also offering paid memberships with various upload limits, tools, and team member limits, with memberships and clips available at discounted prices when purchased together.
On the other side of the equation, Vimeo says it will offer contributors of stock footage for the service a "higher revenue share" than its competitors, as much as 60-70 percent of revenue generated from their content.
As part of its quiet year-long move away from its own original content creation, Vimeo in April launched a dedicated macOS app aimed at Final Cut Pro users. The app gives these users "more control over file formats and video codecs," and integrates Vimeo with Final Cut Pro to export ProRes videos, manage uploads, share videos for team reviews, and more features that are exclusively focused on content creation and editing.
For Apple devices, Vimeo is available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, but the company did not give any word regarding how these apps will change following the pivot.
Update: This article has been updated to clarify that Vimeo is not moving away from its traditional video hosting platform for creators. The company's ongoing shift away from its own original content is being augmented with today's launch of Vimeo Stock tools to assist independent creators with producing their own content.
This is the first model year of the ILX available with factory installed CarPlay in the U.S., following in the footsteps of the 2017 and newer NSX, 2018 and newer MDX, 2018 and newer TLX, and 2019 RDX.
While the 2019 ILX is available with a stacked dual-screen setup, including a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen on the bottom, CarPlay is displayed on the top screen, which is controlled by in-car knobs only.
Like most automakers, Acura is using wired CarPlay, so an iPhone must be connected to the system with a Lightning to USB cable.
Acura provides a brief demo of CarPlay in the 2019 ILX in its teaser video for the vehicle, starting at the 25 second mark. Fine print in the video confirms that CarPlay is available on the Premium trim and above.
CarPlay enables iPhone users to access a range of apps from the dashboard, such as Messages, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Pandora, and WhatsApp. Google Maps and Waze are also supported as of iOS 12.
The 2019 Acura ILX will begin arriving at Acura dealerships across the U.S. in October. Pricing has not been disclosed.
Under the program, qualifying business accounts activating 25 or more lines with T-Mobile can lease iPhone and iPad models with no upfront costs, and lower monthly installments versus purchasing the devices outright.
By leasing instead of owning, businesses pay only for their usage of the devices, with the option to upgrade to the latest models each year.
For example, businesses can get an iPhone 8 for as low as $18 per month. Paired with unlimited talk, text, and data through T-Mobile ONE for $25 per month, the monthly out of pocket cost is as low as $43 per line.
In addition, while purchasing devices upfront or through a financing plan is a capital expenditure, leasing devices over 24 months through Apple can move the cost to an operating expense for financial flexibility.
For a limited time, T-Mobile says it will cover the first $100 of every iPhone and iPad leased through the program. Businesses can sign up for the program, and learn more, on T-Mobile's enterprise website.
Four months after launching the second version of Spectacles, Snapchat today revealed two new styles of its wearable glasses, called "Nico" and "Veronica." Instead of the circular lenses with colorful styles, the new Spectacles come in black-on-black with polarized lenses and more traditional sunglasses designs.
Otherwise, the glasses appear to be largely the same as the the models that were announced in April. You can capture up to 70 videos or "hundreds" of photos on a single charge, and all the content will be transferred to your connected smartphone via Bluetooth. Nico and Veronica also retain the Spectacles 2's water resistance feature, so you don't have to worry about wearing them in the rain or at the beach.
In the fall, Snapchat says that a new Spectacles feature will debut that automatically curates your Spectacles Snaps into one Highlight Story. The company explains that this should make it "faster and easier" to find your favorite recorded moments and share them with your Snapchat friends after you've recorded a lot of videos and photos.
In addition to polarized lenses, The Verge reports that another difference between the new Spectacles and the models from April is a new black "semi-soft" carrying case. This is another aim by Snapchat to be more subtle with its Spectacles line, as the original devices all came with a bright, hard yellow charging case.
According to Snapchat, the April launch of Spectacles 2 saw a 40 percent increase in content uploaded to Snapchat via Spectacles:
Snap says that since the introduction of Spectacles 2, users have been posting, on average, 40 percent more photos and videos captured with the glasses. The company has also made it easier to share that content on other platforms outside Snapchat by adding automatic camera roll saves and by allowing users to export video in more conventional square and horizontal formats.
Those interested can purchase the Nico and Veronica Spectacles on Snapchat.com today for $199.99. Following the online launch, the updated Spectacles will be sold at select Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus retail stores in the fall, as well as a "variety of retailers in Europe." Prescription versions will also be available through Lensabl.
The new Spectacles come after Snapchat lost millions of users throughout 2018, following its controversial redesign that began rolling out in November 2017. During its second quarter earnings results, the company said it went down from 191 million daily active users in Q1 2018 to 188 million in Q2, "primarily driven" by the "disruption caused by our redesign," according to CEO Evan Spiegel.
Still, Spiegel at the time said that Snapchat is working to iterate and improve the app based on community feedback, promising that the major frustrations have already been addressed.
Germany today denied a report that claimed the finance ministry had given up on plans to introduce more taxes on certain "internet giants," like Apple, Amazon, and Google. The taxes are related to a new proposal from the European Commission, which aims to make companies with "significant digital revenues" in Europe pay a three percent tax on such services in the EU (via Reuters).
While Germany "has long been cool" on the plans, a report from Bild recently claimed that Finance Minister Olaf Scholz had "abandoned plans" to implement the taxes on digital companies. Citing confidential finance ministry documents, the report said this was because a "demonization" of these companies was seen as "not productive."
Denying the report, the German finance ministry says there has simply been "no decision made yet" on whether or not Germany will implement the digital tax. Speaking to Reuters, a finance ministry spokesperson explained that Germany is ultimately aiming for "fair taxation of internet companies." A final decision is expected by January 2019.
“There has been no decision made yet by the minister or the ministry on one or more instruments,” a finance ministry spokesman said when asked to comment on the Bild report.
“The debate is still ongoing, also among the finance ministers of Europe and the G7/G20 countries. The Federal Government still aims to ensure a fair taxation of internet companies,” the spokesman added.
For Apple, such a tax would affect the company's services segment, which remains to be an important revenue driver for the company. These include services like iTunes, the App Store, Mac App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, Apple Pay, and AppleCare.
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.
MacPaw today announced the launch of CleanMyMac X, an updated version of the CleanMyMac software that's designed to help users get rid of unwanted files and clean up space on their Macs.
According to MacPaw, CleanMyMac X offers up a new Malware Removal option along with 14 tools for optimizing macOS. It also offers a Menu app for quick access to CleanMyMac X options, an extended Safety Database, and personalized cleanup tips.
A Smart Scan feature offers up a quick, complete scan of the Mac with options for Cleanup, Protection, and Speed to remove unnecessary system junk and malware while also offering performance optimization tips.
Scanning with CleanMyMac X is up to three times faster than the previous CleanMyMac 3 software, while the newly implemented Malware Removal tool will check for vulnerabilities and get rid of suspicious files.
An optimization module provides tools for managing login items, launch agents, and apps that are absorbing too many system resources, and a built-in assistant will provide explanations, reminders for regular checkups, and additional optimization steps that are meant to improve performance.
All of these tools are run when using the Smart Scan option, but there are also individual controls for cleaning up system junk, photo junk, mail attachments, trash bins, and iTunes junk.
Malware scans can also be conducted individually, as can optimization scans, and there is a built-in uninstaller and updater for application management.
MacPaw is charging $39.95 per year for a subscription to CleanMyMac X, or $89.95 for a one-time purchase, but the new software is also included in Setapp, MacPaw's Mac software subscription service priced at $9.99 per month.
Setapp offers more than 100 apps for the $9.99 per month price tag, including titles like iStat Menus, Bartender, Ulysses, Canary Mail, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with MacPaw. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
A security researcher has demonstrated how macOS users are vulnerable to remote infection through a malicious exploit involving the "Do you want to allow..." popup that can be encountered when visiting websites in Safari.
In a lengthy breakdown, Patrick Wardle explains how the exploit utilizes document handlers, which request permission to open a link or a file in another app – like a PDF in Preview, for example – and URL handlers, which work similarly in the way they notify macOS that they can accept certain file formats.
The exploit occurs when a user visits a malicious website and a ZIP file is downloaded and automatically unzipped by Safari, whereby the custom URL scheme is initially registered on the user's filesystem.
Once the target visits our malicious website, we trigger the download of an archive (.zip) file that contains our malicious application. If the Mac user is using Safari, the archive will be automatically unzipped, as Apple thinks it's wise to automatically open "safe" files. This fact is paramount, as it means the malicious application (vs. just a compressed zip archive) will now be on the user's filesystem, which will trigger the registration of any custom URL scheme handlers! Thanks Apple!
In the next stage, the malicious web page runs code that can load or "browse" to the custom URL scheme, which causes macOS to activate the URL handler and launch the malicious application.
This action is enabled through the Safari user prompt that includes options to "Allow" or "Cancel" the process, however the popup text and available options are controlled by the attacker, and are therefore easily changed to trick or deceive the user.
The standard defenses built into macOS – Gatekeeper, for example – are said to be ineffective when it comes to the attack described above, and while Apple could always revoke the malicious app's signature, that course of action would obviously be too late for anyone who had already gone ahead and launched it.
Until then, turning off automatic unzipping of "safe" files should be enough to prevent the malicious procedure from ever occurring. Concerned users can do so by clicking the Safari menu bar, selecting Preferences..., and under the General tab, unchecking Open "safe" files after downloading.
Productivity app Evernote has slashed its premium subscription rates amid reports of a flurry of key staff departures at the startup.
An annual membership for the productivity suite now costs $42, down from $70, provided customers pay the fee in one lump sum. Monthly premium subscriptions remain at $7.99 per month (almost $100 over a year), so the deal is worth looking at if you're a long-time fan of the app.
According to TechCrunch, the productivity app has lost several of its most senior executives in the last month, including CTO Anirban Kundu, CFO Vincent Toolan, CPO Erik Wrobel, and head of HR Michelle Wagner.
Evernote has not commented on the departures, but one source claiming knowledge of the matter told TechCrunch that "Evernote is in a death spiral... Paid user growth and active users have been flat for the last six years and their enterprise product offering has not caught on."
Evernote used to be ranked as one of the most popular productivity apps in the App Store, but its popularity has gradually waned with the emergence of rival (and free) alternatives such as Apple Notes, Google Keep and Microsoft OneNote.
Google Maps received an update today that introduces a couple of potentially useful new features, including a new section that lists notable events happening nearby.
The new Events section lives at the bottom of the Explore tab, where users can find a variety of things listed depending on what's going on in their location.
Google says Events that appear in the new section can include everything from late night comedy shows to movie screenings in the local park.
Also new in version 4.57, cycling and walking directions now feature a handy elevation chart, offering users an idea of how much physical effort they can expect to exert for the route in question.
Elevation information has been available for some time on the Google Maps website, so having the data in-app should come as a welcome addition.
Microsoft today announced that it has added call recording functionality to the latest version of Skype available on Mac and iOS.
Skype says that the new call recording feature is cloud-based, with Skype informing every participant in a given call that a call is being recorded.
Call recording for video chats includes everyone's video and screens that are shared during the call, with the call available to be saved and shared for the next 30 days. There is no way to record the audio portion of a video chat without also recording the video.
On both mobile and desktop, call recording can be initiated by clicking or tapping on the "+" icon at the bottom of the screen and then selecting "Start recording." Once call recording has been initiated, participants will see a mobile banner letting them know that a recording is in progress.
Call recording is available in the current version of Skype, which can be downloaded from the Skype website on the Mac or the App Store on iOS. [Direct Link]
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Productivity app 
