Third-generation butterfly keyboard on 2018 MacBook Pro via iFixit
In a statement, an Apple spokesperson acknowledged the issues and apologized:
We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry. The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard.
Unfortunately, while Apple initiated a service program offering free repairs of affected 2015-2017 MacBook and 2016-2017 MacBook Pro models with first- and second-generation butterfly keyboards, the latest 2018 MacBook Pro and 2018 MacBook Air models with third-generation butterfly keyboards do not qualify at this time.
Stern wrote her column without using the letters E or R as a clever way of illustrating the problem — there are toggle switches to turn each letter back on. Humorously, there are also toggle switches to read the article with double E's or double T's, as repeating letters are one symptom of the sticky keys.
In an internal document obtained by MacRumors last year, Apple said the third-generation keyboard has a silicone membrane under the keycaps to "prevent debris from entering the butterfly mechanism." However, the membrane has only reduced the keyboard issues instead of eliminating them entirely.
Apple has not admitted this reasoning publicly, instead saying that the third-generation keyboard delivers a "quieter" typing experience.
Stern concludes with a plea to Apple to "stop prioritizing thinness over usability."
Apple's first and only retail store in Singapore opened at the Knightsbridge Mall shopping complex on Orchard Road in 2017. Now, a report says the iPhone maker plans to open two additional stores in the island country later this year.
A render of Jewel Changi Airport
The Straits Times reports that one of Apple's new stores will open at Jewel Changi Airport within Singapore's main airport. The tourist destination, slated to open April 17, will feature more than 280 shops amid a five-story terraced garden with a 40-meter-tall waterfall cascading from a vaulted glass roof.
The other new store is said to open at the Marina Bay Sands resort next to Singapore's central business district. The dome-shaped store will be situated over water, connected to the luxurious resort with a walkway nestled amid palm trees. The site was previously occupied by night club Avalon.
An aerial view of Marina Bay Sands via Wayfarer, highlighted with reported location of Apple's new store
Apple is believed to be behind the construction of this dome-like structure for its Marina Bay Sands store
Both locations look like they will be very unique additions to Apple's chain of over 500 stores around the world, in line with the company's more ambitious store designs in recent years. The report claims the new stores will open in the "coming months," but Apple has yet to announce any grand opening dates.
A year and a half ago, Flexibits branched out from its popular calendar app Fantastical to debut Cardhop, an intuitive contacts management app for macOS. Cardhop took Apple's Contacts to the next level, offering a smart input field that intelligently parses the text you're typing and figures out what you want to do. Customizable quick actions let you easily perform tasks related to your contacts, such as placing a phone call, sending an email, or contacting on Skype.
Flexibits is now bringing the power of Cardhop to iOS, today launching a universal iPhone and iPad app that offers many of the same features found in the macOS version. The intelligent natural language input is here, automatically detecting whether you're trying to search, add, or edit a contact based on what you've typed.
While Cardhop's contact cards will look very familiar to those who are used to Apple's native Contacts app, Cardhop's enhanced abilities make it much easier to manage and use the information stored on those cards.
Cardhop for iOS makes it easy to edit your contacts, as all you have to do is tap and hold on the piece of information you're looking to update. As on macOS, there are customizable action keys that give you one-tap access to whatever functions you're most interested in, and those action keys live right above your keyboard at all times.
Cardhop for iOS offers a choice of dark and light themes, as well as a combination theme that shows your lists and results in a dark color and individual contact cards in a light color. Siri Shortcuts are also supported in Cardhop, letting you automate various actions with your contacts and integrate those actions across apps.
Notes is another area Flexibits has chosen to emphasize with Cardhop. While Apple's Contacts app lets you take notes about people stored in your database, Cardhop makes the feature more prominent with a slide-up interface and distinctive background (yellow or gray depending on theme), encouraging you to save information about the people you meet for more meaningful future interactions.
Cardhop also supports personal business cards, letting you customize a card with the information you want to share and displaying it like a business card on your phone. With a QR code embedded on the card, it's easy to share just by letting others scan the code using the camera app on their phones.
The natural language input field in Cardhop supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese, and if the app incorrectly parses your input, you can hit a flag icon to help the app learn what it should have done.
Finally, Cardhop for iOS supports directory lookups for Google Contacts, G Suite, and Exchange to let you quickly pull down contact information from your accounts on those services. A free update to Cardhop for macOS launching today also brings directory lookups to the desktop.
Flexibits is launching Cardhop for iOS as a paid universal app with no additional in-app purchases required. A limited-time launch sale will see Cardhop priced at $3.99, and once that expires the regular price will be $4.99.
Apple Pay appears to be on the cusp of another European expansion, with upcoming availability in at least seven additional countries.
Mobile banking service N26 today on its Twitter account announced that Apple Pay will soon be available in Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia, one day after revealing that Apple Pay is coming soon to Austria. Likewise, ING Bank has announced that Apple Pay is coming soon to Romania.
Coming Soon! @n26 will bring #ApplePay, which is transforming mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay that’s fast and convenient to customers in Estonia 🇪🇪, Greece 🇬🇷, Portugal 🇵🇹, Slovakia 🇸🇰, and Slovenia 🇸🇮! pic.twitter.com/iWgyH7pBYA
— N26 (@n26) March 27, 2019
Hey André, it's true! 😊 Apple Pay will be coming to Portugal soon, please keep an eye out on our social media for further updates on the release!
— N26 Support (@N26_Support) March 27, 2019
Slovakian bank Slovenská sporiteľňa confirmed that it will start supporting Apple Pay later this year, as reported by Zive.sk.
Apple Pay has been gradually expanding across Europe and the Middle East, including Belgium and Kazakhstan in November, Germany in December, and Czech Republic and Saudi Arabia last month. Apple said the service, which debuted in the U.S. in October 2014, will be available in over 40 regions by the end of 2019.
If you missed Apple's "It's Show Time" event that took place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time yesterday morning, or if you just want to rewatch, the event video is now available in its entirety on YouTube.
Apple's March event focused on services, with the company introducing multiple new products, most of which are launching later in the year. Apple debuted Apple News+, Apple Card, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, and a revamped Apple TV app.
Apple News+, the only service that's available now, is designed to let Apple News readers sign up to access magazines and content from some paywalled news sites like The Wall Street Journal for $9.99 per month.
Apple Card, set to be available this summer, is a new Apple credit card being released in partnership with Goldman Sachs. Apple Card offers daily cash back on purchases, unique privacy features, and spending tracking options right in the Wallet app.
Apple Arcade is a gaming service that Apple plans to release this fall that will give subscribers access to more than 100 iOS games for a single monthly fee (not yet announced). Apple is contributing to the development costs of the games included, all of which are new and have been created with the service in mind. Apple Arcade includes all updates and content within games, with no in-app purchases.
Apple TV+, also launching in the fall, is Apple's new streaming TV service that will house its original content. It's similar to something like HBO in that it will only offer Apple-created content. Apple has also announced a revamped Apple TV app coming in May that will include channels, aka subscriptions you can buy right in the TV app with content you can watch without leaving the TV app.
If you missed MacRumors' coverage of all the announcements yesterday, we've rounded it up below:
You can also watch Apple's live stream on Apple's own Events website, but the YouTube version is easier to pause and fast forward/rewind than Apple's version.
Make sure to keep an eye on MacRumors because we have more coverage of Apple's new services coming, including guides on Apple Card and Apple TV+.
Apple's second-generation AirPods, announced last week, started showing up on people's doorsteps this morning and also became available for purchase in Apple retail stores. We picked up a set of AirPods 2 to see how they compare to the original AirPods.
Second-generation AirPods actually come in two configurations: with a new Wireless Charging Case and with a Lightning-only charging case, with the former priced at $199 and the latter priced at $159. We purchased the version with the Wireless Charging Case, as the new case is one of the major changes.
Design wise, you're not going to be able to tell the new AirPods from the original AirPods. They're still only available in white and they continue to feature the exact same design - white plastic buds with a stem at the bottom.
All of the changes to the AirPods are actually internal. There's a new H1 chip that replaces the W1 chip and brings quite a few improvements. In our experience, AirPods 2 connect to your devices much more quickly than the original AirPods, and swapping between devices is faster.
Latency has been cut down, and because the AirPods 2 support Bluetooth 5.0, you may see some range and quality improvements. We think the AirPods 2 seem to sound a bit better, especially at higher volumes.
There's a new "Hey Siri" feature that lets you activate Siri hands-free without the need to tap on the AirPods, and when talking on the phone, battery life is now three hours instead of two.
A major difference between AirPods 1 and AirPods 2 is the aforementioned Wireless Charging Case, which comes with AirPods 2 and can be purchased on a standalone basis for AirPods 1 for $79. The Wireless Charging Case lets you use any Qi-based wireless charger to charge up your AirPods, and it will let the AirPods work with the AirPower if Apple ever releases it.
If you try to use an original AirPod with a second-generation AirPod in the AirPods Charging Case, it will flash red to let you know they're incompatible, but the same warning also appears if you try to use AirPods from different sets of the same generation.
There's no real way to visually tell the two versions apart, but if you connect them to your iPhone, you can see which version you have by opening up the Settings app, choosing General, and scrolling down to the AirPods section. You can tell the Charging Case from the standard case because the LED light that indicates charging is on the outside of the case rather on the inside.
The second-generation AirPods shipped without features many were hoping for such as a new color and health tracking capabilities, but still mark a solid upgrade over the original version. What do you think of Apple's new AirPods? Let us know in the comments.
Apple today updated its Apple TV Remote app, which doesn't receive new features very often. According to Apple's release notes, there's nothing major that's included in the update, but it does feature a new app icon.
The prior icon was an Apple logo next to the word "TV," the branding that Apple uses for its Apple TV set-top boxes. The new logo resembles the Apple TV Remote, making it clearer what its function is.
Today's revamped logo matches the updated logo for the Apple TV Remote option in the Control Center on iOS devices. Apple also changed that icon from the Apple TV branding to a remote control design in the iOS 12.2 update.
iOS 12.2 brought other changes to the Remote option on the iPhone and iPad as well, introducing a design that is darker, more streamlined, and takes up the majority of the iPhone's interface. With a full Apple TV Remote available in Control Center on modern devices, there's little reason to download the standalone Apple TV Remote app.
Apple is, however, still keeping it around, and according to today's release notes, version 2.2 brings "general performance and stability improvements" along with the new app icon.
The Apple TV Remote app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple in September 2019 launched its subscription gaming service, Apple Arcade, allowing App Store users to pay a monthly fee to get access to hundreds of games that have no in-app purchases or additional costs. This guide features everything you need to know about Apple Arcade.
What is Apple Arcade?
Apple Arcade is Apple's premium subscription gaming service that lets users download and play included games for one monthly fee with no added costs.
What's Apple Arcade cost?
Apple Arcade was originally priced at $4.99 per month, but it increased to $6.99 per month in late 2023. A free one-month trial is available to test it out, and that trial extends to three months with the purchase of a new Apple device. Apple Arcade is also included in Apple One bundles that include other services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud+, and more at discounted rates compared to subscribing to the services individually.
Is Family Sharing included?
Yes. A single $6.99 Apple Arcade subscription lets up to six family members access games. You just need to set up Family Sharing, which requires all family members to have the same credit card associated with their Apple IDs.
What games are included?
Apple has teamed up with both indie developers and big-name gaming companies to create "new and exclusive" games for the Apple Arcade service. Almost all of the content that is released through Apple Arcade is freshly created for Apple Arcade, with the exception of the classic titles that Apple has revamped.
Apple worked with Annapurna Interactive, Bossa Studios, Cartoon Network, Finji, Giant Squid, Klei Entertainment, Konami, LEGO, Mistwalker Corporation, SEGA, Snowman, ustwo games and many other developers for Apple Arcade games.
Apple has been steadily adding new titles to Apple Arcade on a regular basis, so there are now over 200 games to play. This includes original titles, along with many classic games like Fruit Ninja, Monument Valley, Threes, and more. On occasion, Apple also retires underperforming games.
Where can I find Apple Arcade games?
Apple added an Apple Arcade tab to the App Store where you can find all of the games included in the Apple Arcade service. Apple's App Store editors highlights different titles, make suggestions for you, and help you find new games to play.
Are there ads?
Nope. Apple Arcade is a play-all-you-want subscription service with no additional in-app purchases or costs to unlock content. Since there are no ads, there's also no ad tracking, so user privacy is protected. All future upgrades and content additions are also included in the subscription price.
Will Apple Arcade games be able to be purchased separately?
No. Apple Arcade games are available in the App Store only through Apple Arcade and cannot be purchased individually without an Apple Arcade subscription. Some of these games are also available on consoles, however.
Can Apple Arcade games be played offline?
Yep. Apple lets you download these games and play them even without a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Apple Arcade games are downloaded just like any other game in the App Store, just through the Apple Arcade tab.
What devices can Apple Arcade games be played on?
Apple Arcade games will work on the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Macs, and Apple Vision Pro. The games are supported by Made for iPhone game controllers along with PlayStation and Xbox controllers. Apple built controller support into tvOS 13, iOS 13, and iPadOS 13, so iOS/tvOS/iPadOS 13 or later is required if you want to use a controller with Apple Arcade.
Because multiple platforms are supported, you can start a game on one device and then swap over to another without losing your place. So if you want to play a title on Mac and then take it on the go on your iPhone, you can do so.
What countries is Apple Arcade available in?
Apple Arcade is available in more than 150 countries. Basically, any country with an App Store available has access to Apple Arcade titles.
When did Apple Arcade launch?
Apple Arcade officially launched on September 19, 2019, alongside iOS 13, and it is available on all later versions of iOS as well. Apple Arcade games can be accessed on iOS devices, Macs, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.
Free Trial
Apple offers a free trial to test out Apple Arcade before paying for a subscription. It's worth noting that if the trial is canceled before the expiration date is up, it will end immediately on the date of cancelation. That means if you want to try it for the maximum amount of time without paying, you should wait until the end of the trial to cancel.
Hands-On With Apple Arcade
We tested out Apple Arcade, so if you want to get a little taste of what it's like before signing up, make sure to check out our video.
Guide Feedback
See something we left out of our Apple Arcade guide or have a question not answered here? Let us know in the comments or Send us an email here.
A U.S. International Trade Commission judge today ruled that Apple has infringed on a Qualcomm patent with its iPhones, and has recommended that a limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order be issued against Apple.
According to the ruling, Apple violated claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 8,063,674, "multiple supply-voltage power-up/down detectors." Apple did not violate two other patents that were involved in the case, with the infringement limited to the '674 patent.
The judge has recommended an import ban on infringing iPhones, which would prevent them from being sold in the United States.
As CNET points out, this is not a final ruling, and will need to be approved by a panel of judges before it moves on to presidential review.
This is one of two patent infringement rulings expected from the ITC in the ongoing Qualcomm vs. Apple legal battle. Back in September, an initial ruling in a second case also found that Apple infringed on a Qualcomm patent related to power management technology.
The judge in that case recommended against an import ban because of "public interest factors."
Qualcomm wants the ITC to ban imports of AT&T and T-Mobile iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X models that use chips from Intel.
Qualcomm and Apple have been fighting in courts all over the world, and Qualcomm has successfully won import bans in China and Germany, which Apple has since skirted with software and hardware updates.
In the U.S., a jury recently found Apple guilty of infringing on three of Qualcomm's patents, recommending a fine of approximately $31 million in damages. Apple is appealing that ruling and the fight between the two companies is far from over.
Update: In a second patent infringement case that the ITC ruled on today [PDF], Apple was found not to have infringed on patented Qualcomm technology related to power management. This second ruling does not impact the first infringement ruling covered in the initial article.
Update 2: Apple provided Bloomberg with the following statement on the second ITC verdict: "We're pleased the ITC has found Qualcomm's latest patent claims invalid, it's another important step to making sure American companies are able to compete fairly in the marketplace. Qualcomm is using these cases to distract from having to answer for the real issues, their monopolistic business practices. They are being investigated by governments around the world for their behavior and we look forward to detailing the many ways they're harming consumers and stifling innovation when we present our case in San Diego next month."
Apple's new second-generation AirPods are beginning to arrive to customers around the world, and some early adopters have turned to the MacRumors forums and social media to share their first impressions of the earphones.
The new AirPods have the same outward design as the original and remain available in white only. Apple continues to include a one-meter Lightning to USB-A cable in the box with all second-generation AirPods.
Hey Siri
Powered by a new H1 chip, the new AirPods support hands-free Siri, enabling users to change songs, make phone calls, adjust the volume, get directions, and more by saying "Hey Siri." Siri can still be activated by doubling tapping one of the AirPods if enabled in Settings > Bluetooth on an iOS device.
First impressions about the new Hey Siri functionality are mostly positive so far. MacRumors forum member Moxxham from Australia wrote that "Hey Siri seems to work really well," even with loud music playing in the background, while Reddit user Lachlanhunt found the feature "works reasonably well."
Sound Quality
First impressions about overall audio quality are both subjective and anecdotal, with conflicting opinions as to whether the new AirPods sound better than the original. Reports range from users not noticing any difference all the way to feeling like the new AirPods are a huge improvement for sound.
HOLY CRAP the sound quality on the 2nd Generation Air Pods is WAY BETTER than the 1st gen. Listening to some Daft Punk, it’s a hell of a change, and here I wasn’t even expecting a real jump in sound quality. SHeeeeeeeesh
— Gaijinhunter (@aevanko) March 26, 2019
MacRumors forum member Kiky disagrees with the above tweet:
When listening to music, I could not make out any discernible difference between my AirPods 2 and my wife’s original AirPods. I bought the AirPods 2 mainly for the gym and casual wireless listening. They will replace my Jabra’s which have lousy latency issues and fatigue my ears after 30 mins or so.
At the very least, MacRumors reader Vladislav Kuznetsov and many others agree that features like Siri and FaceTime calls sound clearer:
Got new AirPods! Much better sound quality in FaceTime and Siri. Faster switching between devices. Worth upgrading from first gen only if your battery is dying.
— Vladislav Kuznetsov (@v1597psh) March 26, 2019
On a related note, Apple recently seeded a 6.3.2 firmware update for the first-generation AirPods, and some users on MacRumors and Reddit are speculating that the update has led to improved audio quality and faster connection speeds on the first-generation AirPods. Evidence is anecdotal at this point.
Early adopters are also noticing that the new AirPods switch more quickly between devices like the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac they are connected. Apple says the H1 chip makes switching between sources up to two times faster.
As far as battery life is concerned, more time will be needed for a proper comparison between the new AirPods and the original pair.
Apple says the new AirPods get up to three hours of talk time per charge, compared to up to two hours with the previous generation. Other battery life stats remain the same, with up to five hours of listening time per charge and more than 24 hours of total battery life from extra charges stored in the case.
The new AirPods are available to order on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app with a wired charging case for $159, the same price as the original AirPods, and with a wireless charging case for $199. Apple says both options will be available at Apple Stores and select resellers starting this week.
MacRumors will be sharing our own second-generation AirPods hands-on video and impressions soon. Let us know your own first impressions in the comments section or by tweeting at us with a @MacRumors mention!
Apple's updated second-generation AirPods began arriving to customers around the world this morning, marking the official launch of the new earbuds.
The new AirPods have also made their way into stores and are available for in-store pickup. Many stores across the United States appear to have immediate availability of the AirPods, so if you want a set, you can pop into a retail location and get them today.
It's not clear how much available supply there is, but almost are stores are listing stock at the current time.
Retail stores are stocking the AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case ($199), AirPods 2 with standard Charging Case ($159), and the standalone Wireless Charging Case ($79) that adds wireless charging capabilities to your existing AirPods.
Apple's second-generation AirPods continue to be available solely in white, and there were no design changes introduced with the update. The AirPods are equipped with an updated H1 chip, which brings connectivity improvements. AirPods now connect more quickly to your devices, and swapping between devices is two times faster.
Bluetooth 5.0 is supported for improved range, and the new AirPods have a hands-free "Hey Siri" feature so you no longer need to activate Siri by tapping on one of the earbuds (though this option still exists).
The major new feature with the AirPods 2 is of course wireless charging, which, with the Wireless Charging Case allows the AirPods and case to be charged using any Qi-based wireless charging option. When the long-awaited and still missing AirPower is released, the new AirPods Wireless Charging Case will be required to charge AirPods with the accessory.
Apple today released an updated version of Shortcuts, introducing support for several new actions related to the Notes app. There are options for Create Note, Append to Note, Find Notes, and Show Notes, all of which can be incorporated into your shortcuts.
There's also a new Get Numbers input action for pulling numbers from text, and Get Time Travel includes more details like route name, arrival time, and distance. You can also now tap on the Library tab to get to the bottom of the shortcuts list more quickly.
Apple's full release notes for the new 2.2 Shortcuts update are below:
- Create and access Notes in your shortcuts with the new Create Note, Append to Note, Find Notes, and Show Note actions - Pull out numbers from text using the new Get Numbers from Input action - Tapping on the Library tab will now scroll to the bottom of your shortcuts list - Get Travel Time now returns more details, including route name, arrival time, and distance - Bug fixes and improvements
The Shortcuts app, introduced in iOS 12, is designed to allow iOS users to create multi-step shortcuts and automations using both first and third-party apps, with the shortcuts able to be activated using Siri commands.
Through Shortcuts, for example, you can create an automation to do something like turn on the thermostat at home using the Nest app, text your roommate that you're on the way with Messages, and open up the Maps app with directions home all with a single "I'm going home" Siri command spoken when leaving work.
Shortcuts are deeply customizable, with Apple's Shortcuts app providing a gallery of Shortcut suggestions along with the tools to create your own.
The aluminum stand also includes inserts to fit a wide range of other Apple notebooks. These include the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro (USB-C), the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Air with Retina Display, and the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
Otherwise, the new BookArc looks and performs similarly to previous models, providing a place to rest your MacBook while you tether it to an external display for a more comfortable workflow. BookArc can also be used to charge and display a MacBook. Twelve South shared a video about the origins of BookArc, which was the company's first product.
The updated BookArc is available on Twelve South's website for $49.99, and will launch in retail soon. Existing BookArc owners can buy just the insert for the MacBook Air with Retina Display for $9.99.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Twelve South. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple yesterday shared plans to bring its Apple TV app to multiple smart TVs and third-party set-top boxes, including the Amazon Fire TV and Roku. The TV app will house Apple TV+, Apple's upcoming streaming service for its original content when it launches later this year.
Following Apple's announcement, Roku CEO Anthony Wood spoke to CNBC about Apple's decision to expand access to the TV app, expressing excitement that the content will be available on Roku devices.
Wood believes that Apple is "well-positioned" to be successful in the TV streaming market, despite its competitiveness, due to the company's large user base.
There were not a lot of details announced, but I think they're well-positioned to be successful. They've got a lot of experience with subscription services, they're investing a lot of money in content, and they've got a great brand and lots of loyal customers.
Wood went on to say that while Apple is counting on its iOS and macOS devices to "jumpstart" Apple TV+, the importance of smart TVs should not be ignored.
When you have a TV streaming service, you know, obviously they're counting on jumpstarting that with all of their iPhone and iPad and Mac customers, but actually, smart TVs are the way that most streaming services - long form streaming services - are viewed by customers. That's where they spend most of their hours.
Roku, says Wood, is the leading streaming TV platform, and if Apple wants to be successful, Apple needs to be on Roku and other similar platforms.
For any kind of service like that to be successful, you want to be on the leading streaming TV platforms and Roku is the leading streaming TV platform. We're the leading distributor of streaming content in the U.S.
According to Wood, there are no real negatives to Apple entering the streaming market for Roku because Roku supports all streaming services to offer its customers choice. Roku isn't betting on any one company to come out ahead in the streaming market because Roku "works with everyone" and benefits from a large amount of content being available.
Apple TV+ will launch in the fall, but ahead of its debut, the newly revamped TV app will become available in May. Apple plans to bring the TV app to multiple third-party platforms, starting with Samsung Smart TVs. Later in the year, it will expand to Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku devices, and smart TVs from Sony, LG, and Vizio.
Spotify today announced its latest acquisition, this one related to a podcast company called Parcast (via Reuters). This marks Spotify's third podcast-related acquisition in two months, and represents the company's ongoing plan to boost the music streaming platform as a hub for podcasts that can compete with Apple Podcasts.
Last month, Spotify purchased Gimlet Media for $300 million, acquiring the company's big-name podcasts like "Homecoming" and "Reply All." Around the same time, Spotify also purchased Anchor, a company that is more behind-the-scenes of the podcast world and lets its users record and create their own shows that can easily be shared online.
Parcast will be added to that list, and Spotify will now have ownership of its specialization in crime and mystery-themed podcast content, genres that are hugely successful in the market. Parcast is home to a big list of popular genres and podcasts, covering topics like cults, serial killers, haunted places, unexplained mysteries, extraterrestrials, and more.
These purchased shows will also join new and original podcasts created by Spotify, all of which will be curated by the team that built Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist algorithm. Eventually, the music streaming company hopes to become the Netflix of podcasts, able to provide recommendations on what to watch and house both third-party and exclusive first-party content.
Spotify first began its efforts to enter the podcast field around two years ago, when it said it was "coming after" Apple with a strong push into podcasts. The last few years have been marked as a so-called golden age for podcasts, causing many companies to look into entering the field.
Apple and Spotify have been in another dispute this year as well, after Spotify filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission. In the complaint, Spotify accused Apple of enforcing App Store rules that "purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience" and said that Apple acts "as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers."
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek particularly called out Apple's policy of charging a 30 percent "tax" on App Store purchases. This results in Spotify charging existing subscribers $12.99 per month for its Premium plan via the App Store just to collect nearly the $9.99 per month it charges normally. The spat continued with Apple claiming that Spotify provided "misleading rhetoric," and with Spotify stating that "every monopolist will suggest they have done nothing wrong."
For the podcast initiative, it's unclear when Spotify plans to launch the new part of its service.
Apple yesterday began sending emails to Apple Pay customers, warning them about new changes to the service that are taking effect immediately with iOS 12.2 and watchOS 5.2. With the updates, Apple has ended support for sending money through Apple Pay Cash using a credit card (including the upcoming Apple Card).
Previously, users could link their credit card to fund person-to-person payments in Messages, which are then linked to Apple Pay Cash in the Wallet app. Now, Apple has stopped accepting credit cards as funding options for Apple Pay Cash effective March 25, 2019.
Apple Pay users can still send money using a debit card or their existing Apple Pay Cash balance. The company says that the update "will ensure Apple Pay Cash customers never have to worry about cash advance fees that may be charged by issuing banks."
In the same email, Apple discusses Apple Pay Cash Instant Transfers, which lets users quickly transfer money from an Apple Pay Cash balance to an eligible Visa debit card in the Wallet app. These transfers are processed within minutes and a 1 percent fee (minimum fee of $0.25 and maximum fee of $10) is deducted from the amount of each transfer. Traditional bank transfers still remain, offering free ACH bank transfers that take one to three business days.
Lastly, during yesterday's keynote Apple showcased a new name for Apple Pay Cash, now simply called "Apple Cash." The company highlighted the name change during the Apple Card segment of the event, explaining how Apple Card owners will be able to get Daily Cash rewards that instantly appear on their Apple Cash cards.
Jennifer Bailey, VP of Apple Pay: "So when you're buying your morning coffee, shopping for groceries, and any time you pay using Apple Card, you get Daily Cash. Not a month from now, but every day. So every day you spend, cash is added to your Apple Cash card, which is also in the Wallet app.
This simplifies the name, although the change has yet to appear as of iOS 12.2. It's possible the name change will show up alongside the launch of Apple Card this summer.
If you missed yesterday's event, or want a quick refresher, be sure to check out or six-minute recap of everything Apple announced at the event.
The issue has been noted by readers in the MacRumors forums and on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit since early Tuesday. Apple appears to have informed some customers that it is aware of the problem and working on a fix, although its system status page does not yet reflect any issues.
There do not seem to be any workarounds that resolve the crashing for more than a few seconds, so affected users will likely have to wait on Apple for a fix, which developer Steve Troughton-Smith believes could arrive remotely.
Why is Apple News crashing today? Why, bad data pushed to the client, of course. Should be something they can fix remotely pic.twitter.com/YS6U3DNKih
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) March 26, 2019
The crashing is likely related to some kind of technical hiccup following the rollout of Apple News+ yesterday. The subscription service offers unlimited access to hundreds of magazines and newspapers for $9.99 per month in the United States and $12.99 per month in Canada within the Apple News app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
More than 40 million Android smartphone owners around the world have now installed the Apple Music app from the Google Play Store, according to data shared this week by Sensor Tower.
It's projected that Apple Music will see 3.8 million installs on Android devices by the end of Q1 2019, up from 3.3 million in Q4 2018 and a year-over-year increase of 65 percent.
Apple has been able to grow its Android user base for Apple Music in mid-to-late 2018, following a few quarters of decline. Beginning in Q4 2017 and continuing through Q2 2018, Apple Music installs on Android dwindled from 3.3 million to 2.3 million.
Now, the current quarter is anticipated to be Apple Music's best yet for new user installs on Android.
New users of the app in 4Q18 were up 43 percent over 1Q18, and we project that 1Q19 installs will total 3.8 million for a year-over-year increase of 65 percent.
Google Play users in the United States account for approximately 28 percent of all Apple Music for Android installs to date, with India a distant second at about 7 percent to the total. Great Britain, Brazil, and Russia round out the app’s five largest markets at 6 percent, 5 percent, and 4 percent of installs, respectively.
Apple Music first launched on Android in the fall of 2015, months after debuting on Apple devices. The Android app was just updated this week with a redesigned Browse tab to match iOS devices, and introduced support for Chromebooks.
Apple today updated its 
