After first announcing plans to launch a standalone streaming service back in January, Comcast and NBCUniversal today have revealed that this service is set to launch in April 2020 (via The Verge).
The news was given during the company's earnings call today, where CEO Steve Burke also confirmed that the streaming service will be built on a similar platform to Sky's Now TV streaming service in the UK. Because of this, it's believed that NBCUniversal's service will likely host content from Sky Studios, which Comcast also now owns after its acquisition of Sky in 2018.
According to the company, the "vast majority" of content on the NBCUniversal service will initially be from third-party production companies, and not original shows and films. The major addition to the service will be The Office, which will be removed from Netflix in 2020 and exclusively housed on NBC's streaming platform.
Standalone streaming services have become increasingly popular over the past few years, with many individual companies removing their content from services like Netflix and Hulu to host them on their own platform. Recent major announcements for new services include Disney+, HBO Max, and Apple's own upcoming Apple TV+ platform.
Apple led the way with 393.3 megawatts of installed solar energy capacity, topping Amazon and Target at 329.8 megawatts and 242.4 megawatts respectively. Google trailed in sixth with 142.9 megawatts. The rankings are based on both on-site and off-site solar installations in the United States.
Last year, Apple announced that all of its global facilities, including retail stores, offices, and data centers, are now powered with 100 percent renewable energy. Apple Park, for example, is powered by a 17-megawatt rooftop solar installation, four megawatts of biogas fuel cells, and other clean sources.
"We're going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Apple this week released a new ad for the Powerbeats Pro, which launched in May in the United States in Canada. The new commercial spotlights the accessory by showing how seven runners from the Paris Running Club joined a 280km relay in Iceland.
Called the "Zero Dark Project," the ad explains how each runner used the Powerbeats Pro to stay motivated through music during the lengthy relay race.
In the wilderness of Iceland, 7 runners from Paris Running Club undertook a relay like no other. Fueled by the new Powerbeats Pro, with up to 9 hours of listening time (24 hours with charging case), they faced a daunting 280km to chase a sun that wouldn’t set for days. A daring challenge that changed their lives forever. This is the Zero Dark Project.
Powerbeats Pro are Apple's first totally wireless Beats earphones, equipped with the same H1 chip as the second-generation AirPods for hands-free "Hey Siri" and faster connection speeds between the iPhone, Apple Watch, and other devices.
The Powerbeats Pro feature adjustable, secure-fit ear hooks and earbud tips with four size options. Powerbeats Pro are priced at $249.95 in the United States and $329.95 in Canada. As of now you can only get the accessory in Black, while Ivory, Moss, and Navy colors will be available later this year.
Best Buy has introduced its Black Friday in July sale this week, beginning with early access for My Best Buy members and expanding wide tomorrow. The sale includes Apple products like the Apple Watch Series 3 and 4, iPad, MacBook Pro, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple Watch
In the sale, there are a number of Apple Watch models being discounted, including two of the Series 3 devices. You can get the 42mm Nike+ Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) in Space Gray Aluminum for $309, down from $409. That same discount is also available for the 42mm Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) in Silver Aluminum.
There are also quite a few newer Series 4 models on sale today, all of which have been discounted by $50. Prices start at $349 for the 40mm Aluminum models and $379 for the 44mm Aluminum models, and raise from there. You can also save on some Stainless Steel models, starting at $699 for 44mm models.
MacBook Air (Late 2018)
Both Best Buy and Amazon have new sales on the MacBook Air from late 2018 going on this week.
8GB RAM, 128GB SSD - $949.99, down from $1,199.00 [Amazon / Best Buy]
8GB RAM, 256GB SSD - $1,099.00, down from $1,399.00 [Amazon / Best Buy]
MacBook Pro
Best Buy has a few current low prices on a selection of older model MacBook Pros, many of which are currently only available for My Best Buy members.
Mid 2017, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD - $1,099.99, down from $1,299.00 [Amazon / Best Buy]
Mid 2018, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD - $1,449.99, down from $1,799.99 [Best Buy]
Mid 2018, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD - $1,599.99, down from $1,999.99 [Best Buy]
Mid 2018, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD - $1,999.99, down from $2,399.99 [Best Buy]
Mid 2018, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD - $2,299.99, down from $2,799.99 [Best Buy]
iPad
Best Buy has a few sales on the 2018 9.7-inch iPad, but Amazon is beating Best Buy's prices nearly across the board.
Apple started underlining its privacy stance earlier this year with a billboard marketing campaign that began in Las Vegas and later came to Canada, and this week the company has extended it to Europe.
Brought to our attention by Macerkopf.de, the new billboards in both Hamburg and Berlin play on their location, while emphasizing how much importance Apple attaches to user privacy and data protection.
Draped across the Port of Hamburg is a long banner-style poster with a picture of an iPhone and an accompanying slogan which translates into English as "The gate to the world. Not to your information."
Elsewhere in Hamburg, an iPhone billboard on the side of a property reads, "Reveals as little about Hamburgers as Hamburgers."
Meanwhile, in Berlin, a tower block billboard with the same recognizable iPhone image runs with the phrase, "Welcome to the safe sector."
All of the posters in Germany round out with the slogan, "Privacy. This is iPhone."
Apple's Las Vegas billboard, which was put up ahead of CES 2019, played on the well-known tourism saying: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." The sign read, "What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone."
Apple has also made privacy-focused iPhone ads that have been aired on various TV markets around the world. The embedded video above is Apple's German privacy ad.
Apple has long said it believes privacy is a "fundamental human right," and as part of that, it aims to minimize its collection of customer data and disassociate it from an individual user when it does. The tech company also has a dedicated privacy website.
Apple's supply chain is currently aiming to produce components for up to 75 million iPhones in the second half of this year, roughly the same as in the same time period last year, according to Bloomberg. The production targets suggest Apple expects iPhone demand to stabilize this year after recent dips in unit sales largely offset by increases in average prices.
2019 iPhone dummy units
Jeff Pu at GF Securities estimates that shipments of newly released iPhones will rise to 74 million in the second half, up about 7% from his estimate of 69 million last year, while TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecast that Apple would sell 75 million to 80 million new iPhones in the second half of 2018. This year’s volumes may signal stabilization after a year of uncertainty, though that’s a far cry from the double-digit growth numbers of years past.
As Bloomberg notes, the fact that suppliers are planning for production of 75 million units doesn't mean Apple will sell that many, but suppliers are also reportedly capable of pushing output to 80 million units if demand calls for it. As always, Apple will assess demand following the launch of the new iPhones and adjust production accordingly.
Apple has also stopped publicly reporting unit sales of iPhones and other products in its quarterly earnings releases, making it more difficult for analysts and others to track those numbers over time and requiring them to calculate unit sales based on reported revenue numbers and estimated average prices.
We're expecting this year's new iPhones to look very similar to the current lineup, with three new models serving as successors to the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR at the same display sizes. The most obvious external difference will be the rear camera, which will be housed in a square bump and see the iPhone XS and XS Max successors bump up to three lenses from the current two while the iPhone XR successor moves from one lens to two.
Samsung's foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, is now set to launch in September after being delayed in order for Samsung to make some design changes, Samsung announced today.
The new version of the Galaxy Fold features several design and construction improvements. The top layer, which was mistakenly peeled off by some reviewers, has been tweaked to make it clear that it's part of the display, while additional reinforcements have been added to better protect the display from external particles.
The full changes Samsung made to the Galaxy Fold are listed below:
The top protective layer of the Infinity Flex Display has been extended beyond the bezel, making it apparent that it is an integral part of the display structure and not meant to be removed.
Galaxy Fold features additional reinforcements to better protect the device from external particles while maintaining its signature foldable experience:
The top and bottom of the hinge area have been strengthened with newly added protection caps. - Additional metal layers underneath the Infinity Flex Display have been included to reinforce the protection of the display. - The space between the hinge and body of Galaxy Fold has been reduced.
The company says it has also been working to improve the overall Galaxy Fold user experience, optimizing more apps and services for the foldable interface.
Samsung initially planned to launch the Galaxy Fold this spring, but ended up delaying the launch after several reviewers experienced broken Galaxy Fold devices after just a few days.
Some of the reviewers mistakenly pulled off the top layer of the display as it looked like a plastic screen protector, which led to display damage. Other reviewers had screen failures, while still others saw display damage due to small particles of dust getting in between the layers of the display.
Based on the changes Samsung made to the Galaxy Fold, it sounds like each of the individual issues has been addressed, and hopefully launch versions of the Galaxy Fold will hold up better than the initial review units.
Samsung says that the Galaxy Fold will be made available to consumers starting in September in select markets, with specific launch details to be shared as a launch approaches.
Samsung's Galaxy Fold, which will be one of the first foldable smartphones on the market, will cost $1,980 when it becomes available for purchase.
Apple Music has invited DJ Khaled to be its first "Artist-in-Residence," Khaled announced today on his Instagram account (via Billboard).
Khaled says that as Artist-in-Residence, he will be taking over "the biggest playlists on the platform" every month while also debuting new artists.
Khaled called on record labels and artists to "hit him up" to collaborate, and he announced his first takeover playlist: Office DJ. Next month, Khaled says that he plans to debut a "Gymflow playlist vibe."
The Office DJ playlist from Khaled includes songs from Jay-Z, Drake, Beyoncé, Buju Banton, Lauryn Hill, Rick Ross, Sam Cooke, Dr. Dre, and more.
Any workplace could use a little pick-me-up. And few people are better at elevating heart rates and boosting productivity than DJ Khaled, Apple Music's first-ever artist in residence. He's staging a corporate takeover with this exclusive, handpicked playlist, serving up new and old classics from hip-hop, R&B, reggae, and pop--Khaled's areas of expertise--specifically designed to carry everyone from opening bell through end-of-day air horn.
Khaled's playlists are available for free to Apple Music subscribers.
Costco recently updated its iOS app to add a Digital Membership Card for the first time, allowing customers to enter the store and make purchases without the need to have a physical card.
Costco has long had an iOS app, but the app did not include support for adding a digital version of the Costco membership card, instead requiring customers to present their actual cards for purchases.
According to a Reddit thread from May, Costco began testing the new Digital Membership Card in October with employees, and announced its upcoming rollout in the spring.
To use the Digital Membership Card, Costco customers can download the Costco app and sign into their Costco.com accounts to verify their membership. Once that's done, the Digital Membership Card is available through the new "Membership" tab in the app.
Along with offering a QR code that can be scanned at Costco, the Membership section of the app allows Executive Members to view their two percent reward balance and renew their memberships online.
The Costco Digital Membership app can't be added to the Apple Wallet app at this time unfortunately, but because Costco does accept Apple Pay, the addition of the Digital Membership Card to the Costco app allows customers to shop with just a smartphone. The Digital Card can be used to verify membership, while Apple Pay can be used for purchases.
Update: An LG spokesperson now says that the information shared by its UK PR team is inaccurate and there are no current plans to bring AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support to LG TVs that were released earlier than 2019. From LG:
"LG cannot guarantee that TV models prior to 2019 will be able to deliver a seamless user experience. Therefore, while this may be a possibility in the future, at the moment, LG has no plans to update its pre-2019 TVs with Airplay 2 or HomeKit."
LG still plans to bring AirPlay 2 to its 2019 TVs this week, and did not rule out the possibility of support for older TVs in the future.
Original article: LG today announced that AirPlay 2 and HomeKit compatibility are rolling out to 2019 AI ThinQ TVs starting on Thursday, July 25.
While the 2019 LG AI ThinQ TVs will be the first to get the firmware update that will enable HomeKit and AirPlay 2, new information shared today by Screen Times suggests AirPlay 2 and HomeKit will eventually be coming to all LG TV models with AI ThinQ in the future.
The information comes from Piers Le Moignan from LG's UK press team, who told Screen Times that "All LG TV models with AI ThinQ from past to present" will support AirPlay 2 and HomeKit eventually.
It's not clear when older LG TV models will receive a firmware update to add AirPlay 2 and HomeKit compatibility, but starting this week, all 2019 LG OLED TVs, NanoCell TVs, and UHD TVs with ThinQ AI capabilities will get the update.
With AirPlay 2, LG TV users can stream TV shows and movies from an iOS or macOS device directly to the television, with no Apple TV set-top box required. A movie can be started on an iPhone and AirPlayed right to a TV, as an example.
Mirroring a Mac or iOS device's screen to the TV is also possible, letting photos, spreadsheets, webpages, documents, games, and more be displayed on the larger screen of a TV set.
AirPlay 2 allows multiple audio sources to play the same content, so a song can be played on a single television set, multiple television sets, or a TV and other AirPlay 2 devices such as speakers for whole home audio.
The AirPlay 2 functionality in LG TVs is linked to HomeKit, so LG TV sets with the new firmware will show up in the Home app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In the Home app, LG TV users can do things like switch inputs, turn the television on and off, and adjust the volume. Siri can also be used for these commands, so a simple "Hey Siri" voice request on an iOS or macOS device can adjust the volume or turn the TV on or off, much like other HomeKit products.
Siri is also able to AirPlay content from an iOS device or Mac to the TV, which means a command like "Hey Siri, play Big Little Lies on the living room TV" will work as a quick way to play a TV show or movie without having to search for it directly.
LG says AirPlay 2 and HomeKit will roll out to 2019 TVs in more than 140 countries this week, with the update "continuing over the weeks to follow."
LG will be the third TV manufacturer to begin offering HomeKit and/or AirPlay 2 support. Samsung rolled out AirPlay 2 and an Apple TV app back in May (Samsung TVs don't support HomeKit) and Vizio has been beta testing its implementation of AirPlay 2 and HomeKit since April.
Apple has doubled down on its privacy features in iOS 13, giving iPhone and iPad users a more granular view of how apps access their location information.
On Apple devices, the location services that apps can tap into use GPS, Bluetooth, and crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cellular mast locations to determine your approximate location. The good news is that iOS 13 makes you more aware of how often apps are tracking you, as well as their motivation for doing so, and importantly it makes sure you're in control of your data.
If an app grabs your location data, iOS may display a popup notification showing you a map with the data that the app has tracked, as well as the specific reason why the app is tracking you, along with the question "Do you want to continue allowing this?"
Armed with this information, you'll usually be given three options: Allow While Using App, Allow Once, and Don't Allow. The first option limits the app's access to your location data to when the app is actively being used, the second allows it to track your location just this once, while the third disables location tracking completely.
You can expect to see the "Just Once" option appear when you first launch a just-installed app. Otherwise, you can check out how apps on your device are using location services anytime you like by opening the Settings app and tapping through to Privacy -> Location Services.
From here, you can change each app's permissions (Never / Ask Next Time /While Using the App / Always) and you'll also learn the reason why an app wants to access your location, allowing you to enable or disable location services on an ad-hoc basis.
The options you choose will depend on the app in question – some apps may have just cause to track your whereabouts in the background, while others may not. The point is Apple wants you to be in control of this behavior, so you can expect similar periodic notifications about what an app is up to with your location information.
Apple 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 88 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for JavaScript, WebRTC, Web API, Pointer Events, Rendering, Accessibility, WebGL, WebGPU, and Web Inspector.
The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS Mojave and MacOS Catalina, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was introduced at the June Worldwide Developers Conference.
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.
7NOW app users will receive a push notification revealing when the flash deal begins, and it will also be announced on 7-Eleven's social media accounts, according to 7-Eleven's website. The first 500 eligible customers who place an order totaling at least $50 before sales tax will qualify for free AirPods.
AirPods will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last, so placing a $50+ order does not guarantee that you will receive a free pair. The offer is limited to U.S. residents who are at least 18 years of age.
Winners will receive an e-mail from 7-Eleven within 72 hours to claim their AirPods. Delivery is estimated to take 4-6 weeks. Here are the full rules.
7NOW delivery is only available in select markets.
OpenTable, a popular online platform for making restaurant reservations, today announced that it has partnered with Caviar, Grubhub, and Uber Eats to offer delivery and pick-up options at thousands of restaurants.
When searching for a restaurant or visiting a restaurant profile page in the OpenTable app, users will now see a "get it delivered" button, which will direct them to the restaurant's preferred delivery partner to complete the transaction. For restaurants with multiple delivery partners, OpenTable will list each option.
At launch, Caviar, Grubhub, and Uber Eats will power delivery for over 8,000 restaurants across 90 metro areas in the United States through the OpenTable app. Future features will include estimated delivery time and cost.
OpenTable says the delivery feature will be available starting today as part of an update to its iOS app, free on the App Store.
Lockdown, a new app launching today, is designed to be an open source firewall, letting users block any connection to any domain, including those that use ad tracking services and analytics platforms to monitor device usage.
Lockdown is free to download and use, and because it operates on device, it collects no user data. Lockdown uses Apple's VPN setup to function, though it is not a VPN and will not obscure your own IP address.
Using Lockdown, you can block any domain, including those from companies like Facebook, and the app comes with a pre-set list of recommended domains to block to prevent tracking. Facebook tracking and other analytics tracking options from companies like Google, Mixpanel, and more are automatically blocked upon installing the app, and you can add your own custom lists too.
In addition to preventing unwanted tracking, the Lockdown app promises faster browsing speeds because unwanted connections are blocked, saving loading time.
Lockdown comes from the team behind Duet Display, and in the future, the app will offer a paid option that includes VPN functionality. Lockdown's developers are hoping that the launch of the app will incentivize developers to use more privacy-focused analytics frameworks and app discovery methods that rely less on trackers from major companies like Google and Facebook.
Parallels Toolbox for Mac has been updated to version 3.5 with a handful of new one-click shortcuts, including clipboard history, a sleep timer, an energy saver tool, and the ability to hide some menu bar icons.
- Clipboard History: Captures what's copied to the Mac clipboard, including plain and formatted text. It also offers full text search, favorites and settings to collect content for up to 30 days. You can also pause the collection or exclude applications, allowing users to further customize the tool.
- Hide Menu Icons: Allows users to hide some icons from the Mac menu bar by creating two sets of menu-bar icons, visible and invisible. Less important icons only become visible when the user clicks the tool's control in the Mac menu bar. Hidden icons automatically hide when the user goes back to working with applications from the control menu.
- Energy Saver: Activates several settings, including hidden ones that reduce system-resources usage and increase battery life, saving up to eight percent in power consumption. It automatically detects your computer's state when it's running on battery and activates options for users to enable or disable.
- Sleep Timer: Allows you to set a timer for the computer to either go to sleep or shut down from the moment you press "Start," helping you save energy. Time options range from 15 minutes to six hours.
New Enhanced Versions of Existing Tools in Parallels Toolbox for Mac:
- Clean Drive: Users can now see files that will be deleted, with the ability to find them in Finder for improved transparency.
- Find Duplicates: Ability to mass-select multiple duplicates for better total-size representation and simplified sorting options.
Parallels Toolbox adds a dropdown menu to the macOS menu bar with a collection of tools and shortcuts that simplify common tasks to just a click or two, such as taking screenshots, resizing images, hiding the desktop, recording audio, switching resolutions, creating password-protected archives of files, and more.
Parallels Toolbox for Mac is priced at $19.99 per year for new users. The annual subscription includes free updates with new and enhanced tools as they become available over time, such as this version 3.5 update.
Note that while Parallels is best known for its virtualization software that allows for Windows and Linux to run within macOS, its Toolbox software can be used natively on any compatible Mac or Windows PC.
The United States Justice Department is launching a broad antitrust review into whether major technology companies are unlawfully stifling competition, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The DoJ will reportedly be examining the practices of online platforms that "dominate internet search, social media and retail services," which will involve Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple.
The Justice Department will examine issues including how the most dominant tech firms have grown in size and might--and expanded their reach into additional businesses. The Justice Department also is interested in how Big Tech has leveraged the powers that come with having very large networks of users, the officials said.
The antitrust review will seek "extensive input and information" from industry participants and, eventually, the tech firms themselves.
There is no defined goal for the investigation other than to determine whether there are antitrust problems that need addressing, but DoJ officials said that a "broad range of options are on the table." Other company practices that ultimately raise concern about compliance with laws also won't be ignored.
This investigation is separate from a rumored Google probe that will look at whether Google has engaged in unlawful monopolization practices.
The FTC and a House antitrust subcommittee have also been investigating anticompetitive conduct among major tech companies, and last week, executives from Facebook, Google, Apple, and Amazon testified before Congress.
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.
Apple this week released iOS 12.4, the newest version of iOS 12 available for iPhones and iPads. One of the new features in iOS 12.4 is an updated data migration option that uses device to device transfers rather than relying on iCloud.
Apple didn't provide much information on the new data migration feature, so we thought we'd check it out in our latest YouTube video.
Setting up an iPhone using the new options uses the same Quick Start process that's been in place since iOS 11. When you get a new iPhone, you simply need to hold your existing iPhone nearby to initiate the setup process on the new device.
Quick Start confirms your Apple ID and then uses the camera to pair the two devices to one another by scanning an animation. After the pairing process completes (which includes the setup of Touch ID and Face ID), you'll see the new "Transfer from iPhone" option.
Transferring from iPhone, as the name suggests, bypasses iCloud and migrates data from one iPhone to another in a device to device capacity, which means it's done offline.
Prior to Apple's introduction of this feature, Quick Start only offered a "Download from iCloud" option which required an iCloud backup.
The new iPhone to iPhone option is a useful way to transfer data for those who only have 5GB of free Apple storage, as there's not always enough room to create an iCloud backup. It's also useful when Wi-Fi connection speeds are limited, and it will ultimately make it quicker to get a new iPhone up and running.
It works similarly to an iCloud backup or an iTunes backup, transferring over information like photos, app information, device preferences and settings, and more. App data is transferred over, but as with an iCloud backup, apps are downloaded directly from the App Store rather than from your existing iPhone.
The amount of time that it takes to transfer data from one iPhone to another will vary based on what's on the existing iPhone, but Apple provides a data transfer estimate on the main data transfer screen.
Using this method, it's faster to get photos, music, and other media from one iPhone to another because there's no longer a need to wait for that content to download from iCloud.
The new iPhone to iPhone data transfer process requires both devices to be running the release version of iOS 12.4 or later, and it won't work on devices running earlier versions of iOS 12.
iPhone to iPhone data transfers can be done over Wi-Fi, but there's also an option to transfer data using a wired connection by utilizing a USB3 Camera Adapter and a Lightning cable.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple has doubled down on its privacy features in iOS 13, giving iPhone and 
Apple today 
The United States Justice Department is launching a broad antitrust review into whether major technology companies are unlawfully stifling competition, reports 
