Libratone today announced that AirPlay 2 is available for its ZIPP and ZIPP MINI speakers through a firmware update that can be downloaded from the Libratone app.
Libratone first announced support for AirPlay 2 back in May when Apple released AirPlay 2 support in the iOS 11.4 update, but it took several months for AirPlay 2 to be implemented.
The ZIPP and the ZIPP MINI join several other speakers that have been updated with AirPlay 2 support, including several Sonos models. Sonos was one of the first companies to implement AirPlay 2 functionality.
With AirPlay 2 support, Libratone speakers will be able to be used alongside other AirPlay 2 speakers for a multi-room home audio experience.
Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller today made a surprise appearance at Adobe's MAX conference, which saw Adobe previewing a full version of Photoshop on the iPad, set to be released in 2019.
Adobe's upcoming version of Photoshop is "not watered down" and is version of Photoshop with all of the assets and tools needed to create the same projects you can make on the desktop on the iPad. According to Adobe, Photoshop for iPad would not have been possible without the company's close work by Apple and the power of the iPad Pro.
According to Phil Schiller, Adobe is excited about the upcoming version of Photoshop for iPad and can't wait for everyone to get it. Adobe, says Apple, has understood its vision for the iPad since the beginning. Apple "cares deeply" about the evolution of the iPad into a tool essential for creative workflows.
At Apple, we care deeply about the evolution of the iPad into increasingly a tool that is essential to a creative workflow. That's why over the last few years we've been creating the iPad Pro line and we've been building unique technologies like our A-Series chips, special versions of that with the CPU and GPU performance for professionals.
We've been building in displays unique for professionals like our 12.9-inch Retina display with ProMotion technology and really fun tools like Apple Pencil, which is perhaps one of our most advanced technologies, but it's so fun and accessible to use. And Adobe has recognized that from the beginning.
Adobe has understood the potential of the iPad Pro and our teams have been working together on some really amazing technology.
Schiller went on to say that Adobe's announcements today are "the beginnings of the world" seeing the kind of work that Apple and Adobe are able to do together. The new version of Photoshop for iPad will appeal to current Photoshop users, but also to a new generation of creators "looking for an entirely mobile workflow" that's more accessible, more intuitive, and simpler to use.
Along with Photoshop for iPad, Adobe today also unveiled Project Aero for creating AR experiences, and Schiller reiterated that AR is "hugely important" to Apple. "We have a vision where we think that will impact all of our lives," he said.
When questioned about the role of the creative professional at Apple today, Schiller said that creativity has been a part of the foundation of Apple from the beginning, both internally and externally.
As I think back on it, I know Steve showed us all the idea that people with passion can change the world. Those words mean a lot to us. We think long and hard about what Apple's role should be supporting Adobe and all of our other users out there.
It is that old line that Steve said: 'We exist at the intersection of technology and lieral arts' and that focus on creativity and the arts to unleash that passion, unleash that vision is just as important to us today as it was from the very, very beginning. None of that has changed.
What has changed is the technology. When we talked about that we never envisioned a world where we would be running Photoshop on an iPad Pro wherever you are. I mean, that's just mindblowing.
Following Phil's discussion of Photoshop in iPad, the Photoshop team gifted him with a jacket that references a new feature in the Photoshop updates announced today -- Content Aware Fill powered by Adobe Sensei. The jacket gifted to Schiller plays on that with the phrase "Content Aware Phil."
Adobe plans to release Photoshop for iPad in 2019, but has not yet provided a more specific launch date.
Apple design chief Jony Ive sat down with Vogue's Anna Wintour this morning for an interview at WIRED's 25th anniversary event, where he talked about secrecy at Apple, his future with the company, and more.
WIRED didn't stream the event, but CNET's Shara Tibken and Washington Post's Geoffrey Fowler were on hand and shared details on what Ive had to say on Twitter.
Image via Shara Tibken
On the topic of iPhone addiction, Ive said that it's good to be connected, but the "real issue" is what's done with that connection. According to Ive, when it comes to innovating, it's impossible to predict all of the consequences. "In my experience, there have been surprising consequences," he said. "Some fabulous and some less so."
Apple introduces new features like Screen Time because the company doesn't believe that its responsibility for a product ends when the product is shipped. Apple, says Ive, wants to design its technology to be more human to "restore some humanity" in the way people connect with one another.
When questioned about why Apple is so secretive and keeps its projects under wraps as much as possible, Ive said that not being secretive would be "bizarre." Not many creators would want to talk about what they're doing "when they're halfway through it," he said.
I've been doing this for long enough where I actually feel a responsibility to not confuse or add more noise about what's being worked on because I know that it sometimes does not work out.
According to Ive, he's at Apple for the long haul. He continues to see a lot to do with Apple, and is happy with the team that he works with. The "energy and vitality" at Apple is "extraordinary" and "very exciting" Ive said.
Ive: "If you lose that childlike excitement, I think then it's probably time to do something else.
Wintour: "Are you at that point?"
Ive: "Oh goodness, no."
Ive is still learning at Apple with each new project, and when asked about the last thing he learned, he said that it was a detail on how you can connect glass to a structural frame. "We're still surprised and learning so much," he said.
It's not yet clear if WIRED plans to share the full interview Anna Wintour conducted with Jony Ive, but should a video or additional details be published, we'll update this post.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts Apple's future device plans, believes the company will continue to offer three iPhones in 2019 with the same general lineup seen in 2018.
In a note to investors about Apple supplier Luxshare's predicted market share released this morning, Kuo included a chart that suggests Apple will continue to offer 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED iPhones in 2019, along with one 6.1-inch LCD model.
That's the same lineup used this year, which consists of the 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED iPhone XS and XS Max and the 6.1-inch iPhone XR.
Rumors about the 2019 iPhones have been circulating for a few months now, but this is the first time that we've heard specific details on the number of devices we can expect to see in 2019 and their screen sizes.
Given that 2018 is sort of an "S" upgrade year with no major changes to the iPhone X design introduced in 2017, there was a possibility that Apple could condense its iPhone lineup or introduce new screen sizes, but it looks like we may be sticking with the current lineup for at least another year.
Other 2019 iPhone rumors have suggested the upcoming iPhones will adopt faster, more efficient A13 chips from TSMC, triple lens rear camera systems, revamped front-facing TrueDepth camera systems, and perhaps support for the Apple Pencil.
Demand for the iPhone XR will be higher than demand for the iPhone 8 last year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reiterated in a note to investors this morning.
Kuo is predicting better than expected replacement demand for iPhone XR along with improved supply starting in October, leading him to revise his predicted shipment estimates.
Apple is now expected to ship 36 to 38 million iPhone XR units in the fourth quarter of 2018, up 10 percent from an original estimate of 33 to 35 million units.
As he said last week in a note about the XR driving upgrades in China, Kuo is expecting the iPhone XR to outsell the iPhone 8 because of its larger display, longer battery life, dual-SIM support, and new form factor design.
With the revised XR shipment expectations, Kuo believes Apple will ship a total of 75 to 80 million iPhone units during 4Q2018.
iPhone XR shipments are also expected to be up in the first quarter of 2019, a historically slow quarter for Apple. Quarter over quarter decline is expected to be at 25 to 30 percent instead of 45 to 50 percent for iPhone 8.
We expect XR shipments to beat low seasonality in 1Q19. We forecast that XR shipments in 1Q19 will decline 25-30% QoQ to 27-30mn units, and we attribute the lower XR shipment QoQ decline, compared with general consumer electronics and smartphones' 30-40% QoQ decline, to better replacement demand and production delay. Also, XR's shipment QoQ decline in 1Q19 will be better than the iPhone 8 series' 45-50% in 1Q18.
Total iPhone shipments in the first quarter of 2019 are expected to grow by 10 percent year-over-year to 55 to 60 million units thanks to the strength of the iPhone XR. Shipment allocations of XS, XR, and legacy models will be at 35 percent, 50 percent, and 15 percent respectively.
Apple's iPhone XR will be available for pre-order at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, October 19, with an official launch to follow on Friday, October 26. Apple's colorful new iPhone will be priced starting at $749 for the entry-level model.
Apple today announced on its WebKit blog that it is ending support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 starting in March 2020. TLS, or Transport Layer Security, is a security protocol used to protect web traffic.
Ahead of the planned deprecation, Apple recommends apps adopt TLS 1.2, which offers "security fit for the modern web." Upgrading from TLS 1.0 and 1.1 provides the following benefits, according to Apple:
- Modern cryptographic cipher suites and algorithms with desirable performance and security properties, e.g., perfect forward secrecy and authenticated encryption, that are not vulnerable to attacks such as BEAST. - Removal of mandatory and insecure SHA-1 and MD5 hash functions as part of peer authentication. - Resistance to downgrade-related attacks such as LogJam and FREAK.
TLS 1.2 is the standard on Apple platforms and already represents 99.6 percent of connections made from Safari. Apple says TLS 1.0 and 1.1 account for less than 0.36 percent of all connections.
Other browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft's Edge, are also planning to drop TLS 1.0 and 1.1 support starting in early 2020.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1 update to developers, one week after seeding the third beta and a month after releasing iOS 12, a major new version of the iOS software.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
iOS 12.1 includes several new features that Apple promised would come to the iPhone XS and XS Max. The beta introduces support for the eSIM, which is a digital SIM that lets you activate a cellular plan from a carrier without the need to use a physical SIM card.
Carriers will need to implement support for eSIM, which is likely to happen after iOS 12.1 launches. In the U.S., AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will support eSIM.
The iOS 12.1 update brings a new real-time Depth Control feature, which lets you adjust the depth of field of your Portrait Mode photos before you capture them. Right now, in iOS 12, Depth Control is only available for post-capture editing.
If you tap on the "F" icon at the top of the screen while capturing a photo you use Depth Control to adjust the amount of background blur in an image.
In addition to these iPhone XS and XS Max features, iOS 12.1 reintroduces the Group FaceTime feature that was removed from iOS 12 during the beta testing period. Group FaceTime was present in many early betas but was ultimately removed because Apple needed more time to test it.
Group FaceTime is designed to let iPhone and Mac users conduct video and audio chats with up to 32 participants at one time, with new camera effects features included.
The update also adds more than 70 new emoji to iPhones and iPads, with options that include red hair, gray hair, curly hair, cold face, party face, face with hearts, mango, kangaroo, peacock, lobster, cupcake, and tons more.
As for bug fixes, iOS 12.1 addresses a charging problem that could cause iPhone and iPad models running iOS 12 to fail to charge when connected to a Lightning cable while the screen is off and it fixes a bug that caused iPhone XS and XS Max models to prefer 2.4GHz WiFi networks to 5GHz networks, resulting in perceived slower WiFi speeds. Both of these bugs have also been addressed in the iOS 12.0.1 update, released last week.
If any additional new features are found in the fourth iOS 12.1 beta, we'll update this post with details.
Update: Apple has also seeded a new public beta of iOS 12.1 to its public beta testing group.
Update 2: As noted by Emojipedia, Apple tweaked the design of the bagel emoji in iOS 12.1 beta 4 to add cream cheese and more texture to the bread.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 5.1 includes support for the Group FaceTime that's also available in iOS 12.1 and macOS 10.14.1, with Group FaceTime calls able to be answered in an audio-only capacity on the Apple Watch. Group FaceTime allows you to chat with up to 32 people at one time.
The watchOS 5.1 update brings a full-screen new "Color" watch face option for the Apple Watch Series 4, with users able to choose between multiple shades. There's also a filled-in circular color option for older Apple Watch models that joins the standard Color clock face.
Alongside macOS 10.14.1 and iOS 12.1, watchOS 5.1 introduces support for more than 70 new emoji characters like face with hearts, red hair, gray hair, curly hair, super heroes, kangaroo, peacock, parrot, lobster, cupcake, mango, and more.
No other new features were discovered in the first three betas of watchOS 5.1, but should we find something new in the fourth beta, we'll update this post.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 12.1 beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode. Subsequent betas can be downloaded over-the-air.
We're not yet sure what fixes and changes the tvOS 12.1 update might bring, but it's likely to focus on bugs that have been discovered since the release of tvOS 12. No new features were discovered in the first three tvOS 12.1 betas.
Apple's tvOS updates have historically been minor in scale, and Apple does not often provide us with detailed notes outlining what's new, but we'll update this post should any changes be found in the fourth beta.
Update: Apple has also seeded a new public beta of tvOS 12.1 to its public beta testing group.
Dell today introduced what it claims is the world's first 49-inch curved monitor with an ultra-wide 32:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 5,120×1,440 pixels.
The UltraSharp 49 is equivalent to two Thunderbolt Displays or other 27-inch Quad HD displays side by side. The expansive screen space can be used to display one desktop, or two with a picture-by-picture mode that displays two different Mac or PC sources side by side using the same keyboard and mouse.
The monitor is compatible with the latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, with connectivity via a single USB-C cable that delivers up to 90W of power. Other connectivity options include two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, five USB 3.0 downstream ports, and two USB 3.0 upstream ports.
The 3800R curvature of the screen enables a panoramic, immersive experience with a consistent focal length across the screen for eye comfort, according to Dell. The monitor has a viewing angle of 178° both vertically and horizontally.
The monitor has an IPS panel and LED backlight, with a 1000:1 contrast ratio and a peak brightness of 350 nits. DCI P3 isn't supported, but it does show 99 percent of the sRGB color gamut. The monitor comes with a height-adjustable stand that tilts, swivels, and is compatible with VESA mounts.
The UltraSharp 49 has a 60Hz refresh rate when driven by a Mac or PC with powerful enough graphics, but it lacks Nvidia G-SYNC or AMD FreeSync technology, so it isn't the best option for gamers. Instead, Dell is primarily marketing the monitor to those who work in fields related to finance and data analysis.
Anyone who could benefit from a massive amount of uninterrupted desktop space will likely find value in the UltraSharp 49, but the luxury comes at a cost. Dell says the monitor will be available Friday, October 26 in the United States, starting at a pricy $1,699.99. Its model number is U4919DW.
Zimmer Biomet, a company that develops joint replacement products, today announced that it is working with Apple to improve patient experience with Apple Watch and iPhone following knee and hip replacements.
A new Zimmer Biomet mymobility app uses the Apple Watch to "facilitate a new level of connection" between patients and their doctors as they recover from major joint replacement surgery. Through the app, patients will be provided with "support and guidance" while preparing for and recovering from surgery, with surgeons able to use the data to "optimize care."
In addition to collecting activity data and allowing surgeons to see recovery progress, the app can be used to send education and therapy reminders directly to patients.
Zimmer Biomet is launching a clinical study to determine the Apple Watch app's impact on patient outcomes and overall costs for joint replacement patients. Knee and hip replacements are common surgeries with more than a million occurring each year in the United States.
As part of the study, which will enroll up to 10,000 people, Zimmer Biomet says that patients will use the mymobility app on the Apple Watch as they progress through the hip or knee replacement journey. Patient reported feedback will be combined with health and activity data from the Apple Watch to see how the mymobility app impacts care.
Apple's chief operating officer Jeff Williams said that with the Apple Watch and Zimmer's app, patients will be able to participate in their own care in ways not previously possible.
"We believe one of the best ways to empower consumers is by giving them the ability to use their health and activity information to improve their own care," said Jeff Williams, Chief Operating Officer, Apple. "We are proud to enable knee and hip replacement patients to use their own data and share it with their doctors seamlessly, so that they can participate in their care and recovery in a way not previously possible through traditional in-person visits. This solution will connect consumers with their doctors continuously, before and after surgery."
Several facilities are participating in the new mymobility Apple Watch clinical study including academic centers, hospitals, and ambulatory surgery centers.
While the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max became available to order less than a month ago, the rumor mill is already looking ahead to next year.
In a research note to investors, shared by the Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said 2019 iPhones will have the same IP68-rated water resistance as the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. Both devices are water resistant up to a depth of two meters for up to 30 minutes.
Kuo said that "the new iPhone waterproof specifications will remain unchanged next year," according to a translated version of the report.
IP codes refer to the degree of protection an iPhone has against dust and liquid. The "6" means the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are dustproof, while the "8" represents the highest level of liquid resistance.
IP68 is effectively the highest rating iPhones can achieve under the IP code standard, but there is no limit on conditions like water depth and pressure. 2019 iPhones could have had IP68-rated water resistance up to three meters, for example, but that will not be the case according to Kuo.
This isn't really bad news, as YouTubers have subjected the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max to a variety of extreme underwater tests, and the devices have generally remained functional. That doesn't mean you should go swimming with your bare iPhone, however, as liquid damage is only covered with AppleCare+.
All in all, this is a relatively minor data point about 2019 iPhones, but one to add to the list as we continue to learn about next year's models.
Last week, Minecraft: Apple TV Edition was removed from the tvOS App Store and developer Mojang announced that anyone who was still playing the game on Apple TV would no longer see any updates or further support. In a statement, the company said that it needed to reallocate resources "to the platforms that our players use the most."
In a new article shared over the weekend, Ars Technica spoke with a few game developers in the wake of Minecraft's removal from the tvOS App Store, attempting to gain a consensus on what they think Apple needs to do to make the Apple TV a true gaming device. Strange Flavour CEO Aaron Fothergill said that Apple could do this by doing a better job of supporting Game Center across platforms, and creating its own gaming controller to bundle in with an Apple TV, "so there's an Apple TV being sold specifically for games."
Developer Patrick Hogan also indicated support for Apple to build its own full-featured gaming controller and include it in "every" Apple TV box, while other developers Ars Technica spoke with believed an optional gaming Apple TV bundle would suffice. Continuing, Hogan said Apple's marketing for Apple TV should emphasize gaming more, and the company should "spend a lot of money on funding platform exclusives, ports, and presence at every major gaming expo and conference to break the chicken-egg problem of getting customers to make it viable to devs."
Most of the developers I spoke with seemed to believe the same thing I did when I reviewed the Apple TV: there's a lot of potential here for this to be the Apple gaming console that people have speculated about for years. But, they add, Apple just isn't trying hard enough to let consumers know what the TV can do or to make it easy for them to use the TV explicitly for gaming purposes.
Although the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV devices have the hardware for powerful gaming support, Apple's actions so far have not indicated it intends to lean into presenting the Apple TV as a video game console. Even Game Center, which previously had a dedicated iOS app and social features, was downgraded to an optional integration for third-party gaming apps in iOS 10.
Apple also hindered gaming development on tvOS at the start by forcing developers to build in support for its touch-based Siri Remote in every gaming app, despite the fact that the Apple TV supports third-party Bluetooth controllers. Apple dropped this requirement within the fourth-generation Apple TV's first year on the market, but many developers mentioned that this left a poor first impression for the Apple TV as a true gaming device.
Still, most of the developers that Ars Technica spoke to remain positive about Apple TV's future as a gaming device. Team Alto lead Ryan Cash commented on the removal of Minecraft, bemused that Mojang and Microsoft completely axed the game as the Apple TV platform "continues to grow."
"If I were in charge of the game though, I think I'd really try to stay there. While the platform certainly isn't the biggest, it continues to grow, and it's a great way for certain types of audiences to experience gaming, often for their first time."
As of now, Apple's focus on the Apple TV is likely its upcoming string of exclusive television shows, which are rumored to be free to customers who own an Apple TV, iPhone, or iPad. Looking to the future, the successor to the Apple TV 4K isn't expected until 2019 or later, as Apple typically goes a few years in between generations of Apple TV, unlike its other products which get more consistent annual updates. Because of this, there have not been any solid rumors yet as to what features or improvements will be coming to the next Apple TV.
At its annual Adobe Max conference, Adobe announced plans to bring a complete version of Photoshop to the iPad in 2019.
Photoshop CC for iPad will feature a revamped interface designed specifically for a touch experience, but it will bring the power and functionality people are accustomed to on the desktop.
Photoshop users will be able to open and edit native PSD files right on the iPad using standard Photoshop image editing tools, including support for layers. Photoshop on iPad will look similar to Photoshop on the desktop, with all of the same toolbar options.
The iPad version of the app will allow projects started on the iPad to be transitioned seamlessly to the desktop and vice versa. According to Adobe, Photoshop for iPad uses the same code base as its desktop counterpart with no compromises on power, performance, or editing results.
At Max, Adobe also unveiled Project Gemini, a new cross-platform drawing app that's coming to the iPad in 2019. Project Gemini is designed to simplify drawing and painting workflows with simple cross-device support.
The new app combines raster, vector, and dynamic brushes into one single experience that's ideal for drawing, and content created using Project Gemini will sync to Photoshop.
Project Gemini will be available first on iPad but Adobe plans to expand it to other devices in the future. Additional information on Photoshop CC for iPad and Project Gemini is available from Adobe's website.
At its annual Adobe Max Creativity Conference, Adobe today announced a range of updates that are being introduced to its Creative Cloud software.
Creative Cloud apps that include Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC, Premiere Pro CC, and Adobe XD are receiving new features, and Adobe is introducing Adobe Premiere Rush CC, the company's new all-in-one cross-device video editing app that's simple to learn and use.
Some of the new features include the following:
Photoshop CC - New Content-Aware Fill workspace powered by Adobe Sensei, expanded undo and auto-resizing options, a new Frame Tool for creating image placeholders, Symmetry Painting for creating artwork with mirrored brushstrokes, and a new Home screen with tutorials.
Lightroom CC - People View for better organization, search improvements, a Share tab, Apple Photos migrator for importing an Apple Photos library to Lightroom, and several other improvements.
Illustrator CC - Support for photorealistic Freeform gradients, global edits, Adobe fonts integration, and a customizable toolbar.
InDesign CC - Content-Aware Fit feature and contextually-aware Properties Panel.
Dimension CC - New rendering engine with improved performance, and better workflow integration with Photoshop and Illustrator.
Adobe XD - New features for creating experiences on voice-powered devices like Amazon Echo.
Premiere Rush, Adobe's new app designed for those who may not be as experienced with video work, is designed to provide an all-in-one experience with tools for capturing video, editing video, and adding color, audio, and motion graphics.
Premiere Rush, available on multiple platforms including iPad, iPhone, and desktop, includes tools for publishing straight to various social networks like YouTube and Instagram, along with built-in access to Motion Graphics templates in Adobe Stock and a one-click auto-duck feature for adjusting music and normalizing sound.
Along with new features for its Creative Cloud apps, Adobe is updating its Adobe Stock app with new search features powered by Adobe Sensei, Adobe's artificial intelligence engine, along with GoPro clips. Adobe Stock is Adobe's content marketplace for photos, videos, images, templates, and more.
Improvements announced in September for Premiere Pro, After Effects, Character Animator, and Audition are also launching today.
Overall, Adobe says that its 2019 Creative Cloud release is designed to provide significant performance and usability improvements, better cross-platform app integration, more intuitive collaboration features and faster access to file assets.
Photoshop's new Content-Aware Fill tool
Full details on all of the new updates and features announced at Adobe Max can be found on Adobe's website.
Adobe's new Creative cloud updates are available to all Creative Cloud subscribers, with plan options outlined on Adobe's pricing website. Premiere Rush CC, Adobe's new software, is available starting at $9.99 per month for individuals. Premiere Rush CC is also included in the All Apps, Student and Premiere Pro CC single app plans and comes with 100GB of CC storage.
Live TV streaming service PlayStation Vue recently added support for Apple's TV app on fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV devices, as well as on iOS. With this addition, PS Vue subscribers can now sync the on-demand movies and TV shows they watch within Sony's app to the TV app, making it easier to jump directly into a PS Vue stream.
The update is evident when browsing for movies and TV shows in the TV app, with PlayStation Vue now listed as a location to stream content alongside previously supported apps like HBO GO, Prime Video, Showtime, Starz, Hulu, and others. If you subscribe to PS Vue and have the app installed, you can add PS Vue-compatible films and TV series to your Up Next list, and as you watch them in the PS Vue app, Apple's TV app will update and keep track of your progress.
As some users on Reddit pointed out, live sports also appear to be supported, so you'll be able to add games to your Up Next list, then jump directly into the game from the TV app to PS Vue and start watching. Apple hasn't noted PS Vue as a supported app yet on its website, but numerous users have reported seeing a splash screen when opening PS Vue on Apple TV, asking them for permission to connect to the TV app.
While there are nearly 90 apps supported in the TV app now, including a few live news apps, PS Vue's addition marks one of the first times an over-the-top live TV streaming service has been added. Rivals like DirecTV Now and YouTube TV lack this compatibility.
Apple is donating 1,000 Apple Watches to a new study that aims to track biological changes in people with eating disorders (via CNBC).
The University of North Carolina's medical school will conduct the study, which is called BEGIN (or the Binge Eating Genetics Initiative), to better understand overeating disorders in which people eat large amounts of food uncontrollably in a small period of time.
People who purge or engage in excessive bouts of exercise following the binge are usually diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. The study will enroll 1,000 participants of ages 18 or older who have experience with either binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa.
Each participant will be given a free Apple Watch, courtesy of Apple, so that researchers can monitor their heart rate to see if there are any spikes prior to binge eating episodes.
Enrolled participants will also sign up with a mobile app called Recovery Record, which they can use to log their thoughts and feelings, to be shared with a healthcare professional ahead of a session.
In addition, participants will receive tests to analyze their genetics and bodily bacteria that the researchers can better understand the root causes of the disease.
"We need to collect data from a whole lot of people to see what it looks like," said Cynthia Bulik, founding director of the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and author of Binge Control: A Compact Recovery Guide. "We want to know if it has a biological and behavioral signature."
Ultimately, researchers hope the collected data might help them to predict binge eating episodes before they happen. Ideally, this could result in a follow-up study in which participants received some kind of alert when they were at risk of binge eating.
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, at least 30 million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, yet the field of research remains underfunded.
Apple has acquired San Francisco-based music analytics startup Asaii, according to unnamed sources cited by Axios. The deal, which has not been confirmed by Apple, was reportedly worth less than $100 million.
Asaii built tools that allowed music labels to discover, track, and manage artists using machine learning. The platform pulled data from social networks and streaming music services, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud, to find hidden talent.
Asaii offered two products specifically: a music management dashboard for A&R representatives to quickly scout and manage talent, and an API for music services to integrate a recommendation engine into their platforms.
"Our machine learning powered algorithms finds artists 10 weeks before they chart," the startup's website states. "Our algorithms are able to find the next Justin Bieber, before anyone else," another page claimed.
The acquisition will enable Apple to bolster its content recommendations to users, and help it compete with Spotify's efforts to work directly with smaller artists and music labels, according to the report. Apple Music and iTunes are likely to benefit from Asaii's machine learning algorithms.
Asaii was founded in August 2016 by Sony Theakanath, Austin Chen, and Chris Zhang, who have collectively worked at Apple, Facebook, Uber, Salesforce, and Yelp previously. All three individuals now work on the Apple Music team at Apple, as of October 2018, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
In an email to customers shared by Music Ally last month, Asaii said it would be shutting down operations on October 14, 2018.
Last month, Apple announced that it completed its acquisition of Shazam, a popular music recognition service that can identify the names and lyrics of songs and music videos. Shazam could be more tightly integrated into Apple products and services as a result, ranging from Apple Music to Siri.
Update - Oct. 15: Startup incubator and Asaii investor The House has confirmed the "recent acquisition."
"As the first investors in Asaii, we are incredibly excited by their recent acquisition by Apple where they will have the opportunity to dramatically scale their impact and continue building out their vision for the future of the music industry," Cameron Baradar, founder of The House, told Music Ally.
However, Apple declined to provide us with its usual statement confirming an acquisition. MacRumors also received an anonymous, unconfirmed tip today claiming that Asaii's co-founders received standard job offers from Apple as part of a deal worth "way, way less" than $100 million, so it may be an acqui-hire.
Update - Oct. 15:TechCrunch's Ingrid Lunden has also been unable to receive Apple's usual statement confirming an acquisition, leading her to report that the company has not acquired the assets of Asaii. Instead, she says Apple merely hired the startup's three co-founders, consistent with the tip we received.
Apple today 
