MacRumors

Apple today released tvOS 11.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 11.4.1 comes more than a month after the release of tvOS 11.4, an update that introduced support for AirPlay 2.

tvOS 11.4.1 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to the tvOS 11.4.1 automatically.

As a minor 11.x.x update tvOS 11.4.1 focuses on performance improvements and bug fixes to address issues that were discovered following the release of tvOS 11.4. Apple does not provide release notes for tvOS updates, so we may not know exactly what's included in the new software.

tvOS 11.4.1 is likely to be one of the last updates to the tvOS 11 operating system, as Apple in June introduced tvOS 12, which will be released to the public this fall and is currently available to developers and public beta testers.

tvOS 12 introduces support for Dolby Atmos, a new zero sign-on feature, Password AutoFill from the iPhone, and new aerial screensavers created in collaboration with the International Space Station. More information on tvOS 12 can be found in our tvOS 12 roundup.

On June 19, former AT&T executive and new chief executive of Warner Media John Stankey spoke to a group of HBO employees about changes coming to the premium cable company in the near future. The discussion was held in the wake of AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner, which owns HBO, and also included HBO's chief executive officer Richard Plepler.

The telecommunications company previously stated that it would take a "hands-off approach" to running HBO, but The New York Times this weekend reported on Stankey's speech and it sounds like that might not be the case. According to a video of the discussion, Stankey explained Warner Media's intent to align HBO more alongside streaming companies like Netflix in order to increase its subscriber base, although he refrained from referencing Netflix by name.

This means creating more content that releases at a faster pace, in comparison to HBO's current stable of limited Sunday night-focused shows. According to Stankey, the goal is to increase the hours per day viewers watch HBO, which is currently less than rivals like Netflix and Hulu because of HBO's smaller catalog.

“We need hours a day,” Mr. Stankey said, referring to the time viewers spend watching HBO programs. “It’s not hours a week, and it’s not hours a month. We need hours a day. You are competing with devices that sit in people’s hands that capture their attention every 15 minutes.”

Continuing this thread, Stankey specifically stated that more hours of user engagement means that Warner Media can "get more data and information" to monetize through advertisements and new subscription options.

“I want more hours of engagement. Why are more hours of engagement important? Because you get more data and information about a customer that then allows you to do things like monetize through alternate models of advertising as well as subscriptions, which I think is very important to play in tomorrow’s world.”

As the discussion continued, Stankey appeared to have butted heads slightly with Plepler on the topic of HBO's monetization, which Stankey believes can be increased through his new methods. Plepler claimed that the company is already a consistent moneymaker, to which Stankey responded: "Yes, yes you do... Just not enough."

Stankey and Warner Media hope that an increased output of original content will boost HBO's 40 million paid subscribers in the United States, which Stankey said as of now "was not going to cut it." Comparatively, Netflix earlier this year had 55 million U.S. subscribers and Hulu in May had 20 million.

HBO's business currently expands across paid cable add-on packages, the connected HBO GO app, and standalone HBO NOW app. Stankey said that Warner Media's plans will kick off soon and "there's going to be more work" for HBO employees over the next twelve months, which he called a "dog year."

While Apple wasn't mentioned in the discussion, the Cupertino company is another upcoming competitor in the streaming TV market, with plans to debut more than a dozen television shows beginning sometime in 2019. Although the distribution of these shows remains unclear, the company is rumored to be planning a bundle with original TV content, Apple Music, and more.

The company behind social media app Timehop has revealed its servers suffered a data breach in which the personal details of around 21 million users were stolen.

The company, whose service integrates with users' social media accounts to display photos and memories they may have forgotten about, said it became aware of the attack as it was happening in the early hours of July 4.

In a statement published on Saturday, the company said it was able to shut down its cloud servers two hours and twenty minutes into the attack, but not before a significant number of users' data was stolen.

Hackers made off with the names and emails of 21 million users and the phone numbers of 4.7 million users, but no private/direct messages, financial data, social media, photo content, or Timehop data including streaks were affected, according to the company.

However, the keys that enable the service to read and send social media content to users were compromised in the breach. Timehop has deactivated the keys as a security measure, but that means users will need to re-enable the app's permission to access their accounts if they want to continue using the service.

While we investigate, we want to stress two things: First: to date, there has been no evidence of, and no confirmed reports of, any unauthorized access of user data through the use of these access tokens.

Second, we want to be clear that these tokens do not give anyone (including Timehop) access to Facebook Messenger, or Direct Messages on Twitter or Instagram, or things that your friends post to your Facebook wall. In general, Timehop only has access to social media posts you post yourself to your profile. However, it is important that we tell you that there was a short time window during which it was theoretically possible for unauthorized users to access those posts - again, we have no evidence that this actually happened.

Notably, Timehop admitted that prior to the breach, the account login process on the compromised cloud server was not protected by multi-factor authentication.

Multi-factor authentication protocols are often used by companies handling large customer databases because they provide hardened security during login attempts by requesting that the user provides extra information only they would know.

The company said it had now reset all its passwords and added multi-factor authentication to all its cloud server accounts, and would continue to work with local and federal law enforcement officials to investigate the incident further.

Update 7/11: Timehop has disclosed that more user information was compromised in the same data breach, including date of birth and gender.

Arizona-based speech recognition technology company AVRS, short for Advanced Voice Recognition Systems, Inc., has filed a lawsuit against Apple this week, accusing the iPhone maker of infringing on one of its patents with its virtual assistant Siri, according to court documents obtained by MacRumors.

The asserted patent is U.S. Patent No. 7,558,730, titled "Speech recognition and transcription among users having heterogeneous protocols." It was initially filed in 2001 but abandoned, refiled in 2007, and granted in 2009. Siri was first introduced alongside the iPhone 4s in October 2011.

The complaint is very exhaustive and technical, but in simple terms, AVRS believes Siri's ability to process voice commands across multiple protocols and operating systems, such as iOS and macOS, infringes on its patented technology.

AVRS claims that Apple has been aware of the patent since at least 2013, and that Apple has cited it at least 77 times in its other speech recognition patents and in other litigation. AVRS says it also sent Apple correspondence in 2015, but to no avail, as Apple allegedly continues its willful infringement to present day.

AVRS has demanded a jury trial in Arizona district court, where it is seeking damages from Apple, in an amount no less than a reasonable royalty.

AVRS says its speech recognition software was first introduced in 1994, but it does not appear to offer any products or services that incorporate its patented technologies on its website, so it is more than likely a non-practicing entity.

"Our portfolio of intellectual property is the foundation of our business model," the company's website acknowledges.

Apple has yet to formally respond to the complaint.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with V-Moda to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a set of Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones.

Priced starting at $330, the Crossfade Wireless headphones fit over the ear with memory foam ear cushions for comfort even when listening for long periods of time. The hexagon shape is designed to reduce force on the head and ears while minimizing gap for a solid fit, and the steel frame is durable and comfortable.

There are built-in "V-Port" vents that allow for air circulation when working out or using the Crossfade on stage or in other warm environments. Passive noise isolation features are included to cut down on unwanted ambient sounds.

Inside, the Crossfade 2 features 50mm dual-diaphragm drivers engineered in Japan, which V-Moda says separates bass from bleeding into mids and highs for "extraordinary sound quality."

According to V-Moda, the Crossfade 2 headphones have been instrument engineer verified, offering clean deep bass, lifelike vocals, and clear cymbals.

The Crossfade 2 can connect to an iPhone via Bluetooth, but there's also an option for a wired connection so it's versatile and will work with all of your devices. When connected wirelessly, the Crossfade 2 offers 14 hours of wireless listening.

Multitasking functionality lets the headphones pair to two devices at one time, such as an iPhone and a Mac with easy switching between the two, and there's a built-in microphone for use with gaming or phone calls.

Though full-sized over-ear headphones, Crossfade 2 offers a built-in hinge mechanism that allows them to fold up into a small exoskeleton case when traveling.

The Crossfade 2 is available in Black Matte, White Matte, and Rose Gold, with the Rose Gold version offering Qualcomm's aptX audio codec for improved sound over Bluetooth. All three offer the V-Moda Vamp AMP/DAC technology.

We have two sets of the Crossfade 2 to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (July 6) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 13. The winners will be chosen randomly on July 13 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Tap is a hand-worn, futuristic replacement for a keyboard, mouse, and game controller that connects to iPhones and iPads, Macs, and PCs, and other devices using Bluetooth.

Tap fits over your fingers and can be used on any surface, meaning you can do away with a traditional desk, but mastering its use takes some intensive practice that may turn some people away.

Design

Tap is meant to be worn on the left or right hand, with an adjustable ring for each finger. There's a flexible rubber material for the front of each finger (plus a sensor for detecting movement), with each finger connected via a soft woven cord.

The thumb piece of the Tap is the largest of the bunch and houses most of the electronics, while the adjustable rings for the other fingers are smaller. Tap is meant to fit snugly at the bottom of your fingers, where you would wear a ring. Side note: You're probably going to have to take off rings to wear the Tap because of the way that it fits.

The woven cord that is between each ring can be pulled tighter or looser, so it's able to fit a range of fingers. Tap comes in small and large sizes, and will fit many hand sizes.

I have small hands and with the small-sized tap, I was able to adjust the Tap to fit well on all of my fingers. Given that it fits my small hand, it should fit older children and adults alike.

➜ Click here to read more...

Newton Mail today announced a new feature for its iOS mail app called "Recap," aimed at resurfacing conversations that are awaiting your reply or that need to be followed up. Recap covers not only basic text response prompts, but emails that include upcoming due dates, reminders, and more in an effort to ensure you don't miss any important threads.

The company explains that this works through an early morning notification every day relating to the mail that the app thinks is recap-worthy, marked with a blue dot in the new Recap section. You can swipe to dismiss those you might have already responded to, or don't need to respond to, or choose for them to resurface later.

Newton promises that Recap only shows "the most relevant conversations that you need to look at," meaning they go away automatically when they're dealt with or simply disappear after a few days of non-responsiveness.

Recap doesn’t meddle with your workflow, instead complements it in a subtle yet effective manner. It gives you enough time to take care of the mails yourself and reminds you only if it looks like you have missed them (unless the mail has dates mentioned that you shouldn't miss).

Recap is only available for English users at the moment, and it won't be on the Newton Mail app for iPad yet, but the company says to expect that down the line. The update is also bringing Newton out of its introductory price ($4.99 per month or $49.99 per year) and going forward the service will cost $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (existing subscribers will retain their current price).

Recap follows Newton Mail's last feature addition in May, called "True Inbox," which automatically places any sent mail at the top of your Inbox. This happens even if the recipient has yet to respond to your message and in effect treats each email conversation like a threaded messaging app, marking the company's attempt to make the "Sent" folder obsolete.

Microsoft may be working to bring its Windows-based Movies & TV app to iOS devices, according to Windows Central.

The app lets users browse and play movies and TV shows purchased from Microsoft's Store, but it's only available on Windows 10, Xbox, and Windows 10 Mobile, and Microsoft is apparently eager to bring it over to rival platforms to give consumers more of a reason to buy from its catalog of video content.

While most people have moved over to streaming content via services like Netflix, there is still a whole lot of content that isn't immediately, or ever, available to stream. Lots of people buy digital movies and TV content, and Microsoft has a huge store that a lot of people seemingly ignore or don't know about because there is no mobile companion app for their phone.

But it appears Microsoft is now finally working on bringing its Movies & TV service to iOS or Android, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Microsoft killed off its Groove Music streaming service last year, which led many to assume the same fate would befall its Movies & TV service.

However, since the death of Windows 10 mobile in October, Microsoft has seen fit to bring over some popular apps like Edge and Windows Launcher to iOS and Android, and it looks as if the company counts Movies & TV in that select list.

That said, sources told Windows Central not to expect the iOS and Android version of Movies & TV anytime soon, since the app is still a work in progress.

iOS 12 includes a new feature called USB Restricted Mode, which is designed to make your iPhone and iPad immune to certain hacking techniques used by law enforcement and other potentially malicious entities to gain access to an iOS device.

There are some iPhone access methods that use a USB connection, downloading data from your iPhone (or iPad) through the Lightning connector to crack the passcode.

iOS 12 prevents this by disabling data access to the Lightning port if it's been more than an hour since your iOS device was last unlocked.

This feature is enabled by default, but there are some situations where you might want to turn it off, such as when using CarPlay to drive long distances when you might not be able to unlock your iPhone for a few hours. Here's how to access the setting:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Choose Touch ID & Passcode or Face ID & Passcode, depending on the device.
3. Enter your passcode to access the settings.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the app where it says "USB Accessories."
5. Leave it toggled off to disable access to your iOS device if you want it to refuse USB connections if it's been more than an hour since the iPhone or iPad was unlocked.
6. Toggle it on if you want USB accessories to be able to connect even if it's been more than an hour since the iPhone or iPad was unlocked.

Most people are going to want to leave this toggle in its default off position for extra protection.

In normal usage, most of us unlock our iPhones every hour or two, and if you do need to plug your iPhone or iPad into a computer to access it, you can just enter your passcode to allow data access if it's been over an hour since the iPhone was last unlocked.

Right now, in the iOS 12 beta, these USB restrictions do appear to shut down access to a wired CarPlay interface after an hour, so that's one exception where people might want to turn this setting on to disable the restrictions on the USB port. From the iOS 12 beta notes:

"If you use iPod Accessory Protocol (iAP) USB accessories over the Lightning connector (such as CarPlay, assistive devices, charging accessories, or storage carts) or you connect to a Mac or PC you might need to unlock your device to recognize the accessory."

Note: Even if data access to USB port has been disabled because it's been over an hour since an iPhone was last unlocked, it continues to be able to charge through a standard Lightning cable because the power connection is not disabled.

Twitterrific today updated its Twitter clients for iOS and Mac devices to implement some changes to the way the service works ahead of upcoming API changes that will go live on August 16, 2018.

Starting on that date, Twitterrific says that its iOS app will no longer be able to receive and display native notifications. Users will not be notified when someone likes their tweet, quotes a tweet, replies to their tweet, sends a direct message, retweets, or follows them.

As a result, Twitterrific's Today center widget and Apple Watch app, which rely on these features, are being retired.

Users will continue to receive push notifications until August 16, but after that date, the feature will vanish. Twitterrific is removing the Push Notification in-app purchase for new users.

Twitter's upcoming changes also remove live streaming for third-party apps on both iOS and Mac, which will impact how Twitterrific works. Once the API is dismantled, tweets and direct messages will be delayed by a minute or two.

As of today's update, Twitterrific says the apps will still attempt to live stream tweets, but will revert to refreshing every two minutes if it is unable to connect to a live stream. Live streaming will also continue to be available until August 2018.

In most use cases you probably won't notice the difference, except in cases like live events or with popular searches that update frequently. On the plus side, this change means that Lists can finally auto-refresh themselves like other timelines - something that had been sorely missing for a long time.

For users who want to continue to get push notifications, Twitterrific recommends installing the official Twitter client for notifications while continuing to use Twitterrific for everything else.

Twitter shared full details on its upcoming API changes back in May. Twitter is offering premium and enterprise API access to developers, but prices are prohibitively high. There is no replacement for the current live streaming API, which Twitter says is only used by 1 percent of monthly active apps.

MoviePass in June said that it would introduce surge pricing for moviegoers watching movies at peak times, and as of today, those new surcharges have gone into effect.

In an email sent out to customers and a new section on its website, MoviePass explains that its new "Peak Pricing" system may require subscribers to "pay a small additional fee depending on level of demand" for a movie.

MoviePass claims that peak pricing provides "additional flexibility" for MoviePass and its users around popular movies and times for which there is limited inventory.

The service says that to avoid fees, subscribers should choose an alternative date or film, with one fee waiver per subscriber available each month. MoviePass has provided little detail on the new fee system. Peak pricing fees are determined "based on movie demand and popularity" with movies that are in demand for "title, date, or time of day" impacted.

Specific surcharge fees have not been outlined by MoviePass, but a screenshot of the peak pricing feature shared by MoviePass displays a $3.43 fee for seeing "Avengers: Infinity War." Extra fees will be charged to the credit card on file with MoviePass.

Peak pricing will be rolling out for all MoviePass users "in the coming weeks" for all theaters, with MoviePass planning to provide details on which films will be subjected to peak pricing and how much they will cost in the MoviePass app.

Movies affected by peak pricing will feature a red lightning icon when prices have gone up, and a gray lightning icon when prices will soon surge.

MoviePass subscribers who were promised unlimited films for their monthly fee with no restrictions at the time of sign up will likely be unhappy with the new fees. MoviePass says that even with fees, the service is still cheaper than traditional movie tickets.

Even with the peak pricing fee, you will be paying less for the ticket than you would if you bought it at retail price, and in the coming weeks, every subscriber will be able to waive one peak fee per month. That said, if you would like to avoid paying the fee, you can choose an alternate title or showtime!

In the future, MoviePass plans to introduce features that include Bring a Guest for purchasing an additional ticket, and extra fees for IMAX and 3D movie showings. These new options will allow MoviePass to better compete with AMC, which recently launched its Stubs A-List service.

With Stubs A-List, customers can see three movies per week for $19.95 per month, with no restrictions on times or repeat movies. Stubs A-List includes IMAX, Dolby Cinema, RealD 3D, Prime, and Big D movies at no extra charge.