MacRumors

A special "Decade Collection" range of Beats Headphones are currently being promoted by online retail merchants ahead of scheduled availability on June 4.

A new Beats "Decade Collection" page on the Best Buy website spotted by AppleInsider provides a thorough breakdown of the Beats By Dre 10th anniversary limited edition range, which has yet to appear in Apple's online product listings. Details about the new Beats models also went live on the website of New Zealand-based retailer Smiths City.

Beats was launched so people could hear music the way the artist intended. A decade later they're still changing the game. Styled in Defiant Black-Red in tribute to their bold beginnings and music's dynamic emotion, the Beats Decade Collection celebrates their first 10 years of innovation.

The collection showcases a "Defiant Black-Red" color scheme to existing products in the Beats lineup, including Studio3 Wireless, Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats3 Wireless, BeatsX Wireless, and urBeats3. All the headphones are available to pre-order at the same price as their more typically styled equivalents.

A report last week claimed that Apple's rumored "low-priced" version of the HomePod will be placed under the Beats by Dre brand instead of the expected Apple branding - although it seems unlikely that Apple would combine the two brands into one product.

Apple is also rumored to be working on a set of high-end over-ear headphones that, like the company's HomePod and AirPods, will be Apple branded rather than Beats branded.

Update: The new Decade Collection Beats are now available to order on Apple's site.

Since November 2017, AT&T has offered customers the chance to get the 32GB Apple TV 4K at no extra cost when they sign up and pay for either four months or three months of DirecTV Now. Since this means you pay just $105 for an Apple TV 4K (under the current offer), it's been the best deal available online for Apple's latest streaming box. According to our affiliate, an end date for this sale is set for one week from today, May 31, but AT&T has been known to extend these expiration dates in the past.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Still, it's worth a heads up about the potential end of a great offer. If you haven't yet taken advantage of the savings, follow these steps:

• Visit DirecTVNow.com's landing page for the deal
• Click "Redeem & Stream"
• Select the "Live a Little" package to get the Apple TV at the lowest possible price
• Choose if you want to add another stream and premium channels, or click "Skip for now"
• Click "Add to plan" under the Apple TV 4K box in the Special offer section
• Click "Continue" and go through the account creation and checkout processes

It's important to note that the deal is for new subscribers only, but existing subscribers can claim it by using an alternative email address from their original account, or by setting up an iCloud email alias. Once ordered, the Apple TV 4K arrives in the mail within a few weeks, and those who don't want to continue paying for DirecTV Now beyond the three months offered in this deal can cancel the service before the fourth month is billed and keep the Apple TV 4K.

There's also a pair of deals over at Costco kicking off this week, including $120 off Apple's 10.5-inch iPad from Mid 2017. With the savings, you can get the 256GB model for $649.99, down from $769.99. Additionally, Costco has the 3rd Generation Nest Learning Thermostat for $149.99, down from around $200 and one of the best prices currently available online.

Comparatively, Nest is selling the device directly on its storefront for $50 off for Memorial Day, priced at $199.99, and the Nest Thermostat E has been marked down by $20, to $149.99. Both come with a free Google Home Mini when purchased on Nest.com during the limited sale.

For those looking to discover new Mac gaming deals, The Wet Hot Aspyr Summer Sale has kicked off this May, with a series of notable discounts on many macOS- and iOS-compatible games available now and coming throughout May and June. The company says that it'll refresh its deals on the Thursday of every week, so be sure to check back with our Deals Roundup for the newest games on sale.

The game discounts listed below will expire on Thursday, May 31:

iOS

• Jade Empire Special Edition - $4.99, down from $9.99

macOS

• Star Wars: KOTOR - $4.99, down from $9.99

• Star Wars: KOTOR 2 - $4.99, down from $9.99

• Star Wars: Force Unleashed - $9.99, down from $19.99

• Star Wars: Jedi Academy - $4.99, down from $9.99

• Star Wars: Empire at War - $9.99, down from $19.99

• Star Wars: Jedi Outcast - $4.99, down from $9.99

• Call of Duty: Black Ops - $19.99, down from $39.99

• Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy - $4.99, down from $9.99

For more of the latest discounts, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup.

Mophie today announced the launch of the Charge Stream Travel Kit, which is a wireless charging kit that's designed for use while traveling, as the name suggests.

Designed for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus, as well as other Qi-enabled devices, the Charge Stream Travel Kit includes a 5W Charge Stream Pad Mini, which is a wireless charger that can also be purchased separately, paired with a 2.4A wall adapter, a 2.4A car adapter, and a 1.5-foot USB-A to micro-USB cable.

All of the components for the travel kit come in a handy case that keeps them all together and that can be easily stowed in a backpack or a car.

The Charge Stream Pad Mini is a 5W charger, which means it's not going to charge the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus at the faster 7.5W charging speed. Design wise, the Charge Stream Pad Mini is compact and slightly elevated with a low profile design that works anywhere. It includes a non-slip rubber grip to keep your iPhone in place.

Mophie is charging $49.95 for the Charge Stream Travel Kit on its website and the Charge Stream Mini Pad can also be purchased separately for $24.95.

First Alert has announced that its Onelink Safe & Sound smoke and carbon monoxide detector is now available to order.

Introduced at CES 2018, the Onelink Safe & Sound distinguishes itself from a traditional smoke detector with a built-in speaker and noice-canceling microphones, and support for Amazon Alexa, making it a ceiling-mounted assistant.

Homeowners can ask Alexa to stream music from Amazon Music, Pandora, and soon Spotify, read the news, check the weather, control other smart home devices, and more. Audio playback is also supported via Bluetooth.

Onelink Safe & Sound also supports HomeKit, enabling iPhone and iPad users to control the detector with Siri or Apple's Home app.

While its latest press release does not mention AirPlay 2, First Alert has informed MacRumors that the Safe & Sound's speaker will support the since-delayed Apple protocol as soon as it is available, enabling multi-room audio and Siri control for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users through the Home app.

AirPlay 2 support will allow a homeowner to install multiple detectors around the house and control audio on a room-by-room basis.

In terms of the detector itself, an alarm alerts homeowners on their smartphones in the event of a smoke or carbon monoxide emergency, whether home or away. With exclusive voice and location technology by First Alert, the Safe & Sound alerts users to the type of danger and its location within the home.

Beyond its smart alarm capabilities, the Safe & Sound also features a customizable night light with multiple colors and brightness levels.

The Onelink Safe & Sound is currently available for $249.99 from Amazon and First Alert's online store in the United States, but a regular price of $299.99 is listed. It's unclear when the $50 off introductory offer will end.

In March 2017, a report from Bloomberg stated that Verizon Communications was preparing to launch its own live streaming television service, entering as a competitor to DirecTV Now, Sling TV, PS Vue, and more. Later in October, the service was delayed to 2018, and now company CEO Lowell McAdam has hinted that plans for the OTT platform will shift to a partnership-focused model.

Speaking with Yahoo Finance this week, McAdam said that he believes the "linear" model of TV is dead, referencing how viewers traditionally received their content via a strict live schedule, in contrast to on-demand streaming. Reporting on the interview, Multichannel News stated McAdam is looking into integrating Oath's content (a subsidiary of Verizon) with an existing over-the-top provider.

McAdam is believed to have a partner for this picked out soon, and the plan is to launch in the fourth quarter of 2018. Back in October, McAdam stated that the company was giving itself six months to decide whether to offer the service as stand-alone or through a partnership -- a decision that now appears to be made.

Well by the time we launch in fourth quarter we will have a partner picked out, and we'll integrate our Oath assets into the linear assets that they have and bring the full package to customers. We think that's gonna be a big hit from a customer perspective.

It's uncertain which platform Verizon might choose with the growing stable of live TV streaming services on the market. Least likely candidates are DirecTV Now due to AT&T's ownership of the service, and T-Mobile's own upcoming OTT service. Other popular services include YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV, and fuboTV. All of these include options to watch linear live tv, as well as check out content at any time on demand.

At the time of the initial rumor, Verizon's platform was reported to launch with "dozens" of channels and run between $20/month and $35/month, which are Sling TV's and DirecTV Now's starting prices, respectively. At the time of the delay, people close to the company referenced staff shuffling, negotiations for streaming rights, and technology reboots as contributing factors to the postponed launch, and likely affected the company's decision to partner with an existing service instead.

At one point Apple was hoping to become a competitor in the live-streaming service field with its own dedicated cord-cutting bundle, but rumors of that service died down after news came out that the company was "frustrated" by its repeated inability to reach mutually beneficial terms with network programmers. Now, Apple is focusing on launching an on-demand streaming service along the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Music video platform Vevo has confirmed that it will be shutting down all of its mobile apps and consumer-facing video hosting website, signaling a shift in its business to focus on YouTube (via Variety). Apps affected include those for iOS and Android, but as of now "select" smart TV apps, potentially including Apple TV, will continue to run.

Vevo is well known for being a platform that users can go to watch the latest music videos, but many viewers simply use the company's YouTube channel, leading Vevo's iOS, Android, Apple TV, and other apps to struggle with growth. After the discontinuation of its apps and website, Vevo's YouTube channel will become the primary source of its music video distribution.

Major-label owned Vevo is giving up on plans to build its own music video platform outside of YouTube’s control: Vevo is shutting down its mobile apps and consumer-facing website, the company announced Thursday morning.

“We will phase out elements of our owned and operated platforms,” the company said in a blog post Thursday. “Going forward, Vevo will remain focused on engaging the biggest audiences and pursuing growth opportunities.”

To ensure a smooth transition, Vevo will provide a playlist tool to its mobile app users so they can import their Vevo playlists over to YouTube. In the iOS app [Direct Link] for iPhone and iPad, Vevo offers its users personalized recommendations, user profiles to follow, specific notifications about new videos and live performances, and more -- all of which will now go away.

The announcement comes a few weeks after it was revealed that YouTube and Vevo have a new deal that lets YouTube sell the music video platform's clips directly to advertisers, in an effort to boost ad sales. The sunsetting of Vevo apps also follows months of shakeups at the company, with former CEO Erik Huggers leaving in December, head of product Mark Hall leaving in January, chief technology officer Alex Nunes departing in the spring, and "significant" layoffs to Vevo's product and engineering teams at the same time.

Apple has also been increasing its focus on music videos within its Music app, launching a dedicated "Music Videos" section inside of Apple Music this spring. In the new area, subscribers can find new weekly playlists for various genres, browse through the latest videos, watch exclusive content, and more.

Pioneer has joined Alpine as the second electronics maker to release wireless CarPlay systems for aftermarket installation.

Introduced at CES 2018 in January, product listings have since confirmed that Pioneer's latest AVH-W4400NEX and AVIC-W8400NEX receivers are capable of not only wired and wireless Android Auto, but also wired and wireless CarPlay, enabling drivers to connect an iPhone to either receiver via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Receivers with wired implementations require connecting an iPhone with a Lightning to USB cable to access CarPlay functionality.

The lower-end AVH-W4400NEX features a double-DIN design with a seven-inch resistive touchscreen. The receiver has a suggested price of $699.99 in the United States through resellers such as Crutchfield and Sound of Tri-State. It's also available for C$899.99 in Canada via Best Buy's online store.

The higher-end AVH-W8400NEX features a double-DIN design with a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen. The receiver has a suggested price of $1,199.99 in the United States through resellers such as Crutchfield and Sound of Tri-State. It's also available for C$1,399.99 in Canada via Best Buy's online store.

The $500 price difference between the two receivers largely relates to the type of touchscreen used. Capacitive touchscreens—think of an iPhone—rely on the electrical charge of a finger, and are generally considered to be better than resistive touchscreens, which rely on the physical pressure of a finger or stylus.

Both receivers feature CD/DVD drives, AM/FM, HD Radio, SiriusXM compatibility, two rear USB-A ports, SD card readers, and hands-free phone calls and music playback via Bluetooth in standard AppRadio Mode.

Alpine released the first aftermarket wireless CarPlay system in June 2017. Its iLX-107 receiver features a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen and is available for a suggested price of $900 in the United States. Wireless CarPlay is also available in select new vehicles from BMW, and Mercedes-Benz starting soon.

Pioneer has also released some wireless CarPlay receivers in Europe, according to the blog CarPlay Life. Thanks to MacRumors reader Dean Cobb.

Following in the footsteps of companies like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, YouTube this week confirmed that it is "experimenting" with a way to organize its users Subscription Feeds that removes reverse chronological order and uses algorithms to "personalize" the video order. The news came from the @TeamYouTube Twitter account after it responded to a disgruntled user (via iGeneration).

YouTube's Subscription Feed traditionally begins with a "Today" banner, presenting users with a reverse chronological list of every video that has been posted by the YouTubers they subscribe to, going back to "Yesterday," "This Week," "This Month," etc. For those in the experiment, this order is replaced with what Team YouTube calls a "personalized order," which appears to use a viewer's watch history and other factors to recommend videos from their subscriptions that the company thinks the user will want to watch.

YouTube already presents "Recommended" videos on its homepage and in the sidebar of other videos, leading many YouTubers to respond negatively to the change of the last chronological list of videos that could be found on the service. It's unclear what platforms the experiment is currently taking place on, but if it launches for all users it would likely affect YouTube across mobile, desktop, TV, and more.

Using algorithms to surface content has long been popular among social media networks. Facebook's News Feed has done this for years, and Instagram followed in March 2016 stating that as it's grown its users "often don’t see the posts [they] might care about the most," although the company has made slight tweaks to the algorithms since then. For its part, Twitter as a whole still shows tweets from new to old, but it does choose to surface non-chronological content with features like "In case you missed it," displaying followers' liked tweets among your own, ads, and more.

Apple Pay is launching a new promo today, offering new Postmates customers the chance to get their first delivery free when they check out with Apple Pay. This summer promotion is a bit lengthier than previous offers from Apple, running through 11:59 p.m. on June 30.

Apple notes in the fine print of the deal that the offer is only applicable to new customers who have not previously made an order on Postmates. Otherwise, you can place your first order, use Apple Pay to check out, and wave the delivery fee. No promo code is required.

The summer-themed e-mail promotion also highlights other stores where Apple Pay is accepted, like Whole Foods, Gap, and Crate and Barrel, where Apple says you can "find all you'll need to entertain" for summertime parties. In apps, the company encourages you to pay using Apple Pay in Overstock, Jet, and Kohl's.

Apple previously partnered with Postmates in one of these promotions during the holidays last year, offering free deliveries on all orders over $20 if you used Apple Pay to sign up for Postmates Unlimited. More recently, the company has promoted Hayneedle, 1-800-Flowers, and Instacart.

Popular read-it-later service Instapaper has temporarily suspended user access across Europe as it comes to terms with the EU's impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws.

In a message sent to users yesterday – subsequently shared via Twitter courtesy of tech reporter Owen Williams - the bookmarking service said it needs extra time to make necessary changes to comply with GDPR before the deadline on Friday, May 25.

Starting tomorrow May 24, 2018, access to the Instapaper service will be temporarily unavailable for residents in Europe as we continue to make changes in light of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which goes into effect May 25, 2018. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we intend to restore access as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about your account, would like us to generate an export of your saves, or want to check in on our progress, please let us know at support@help.instapaper.com. We look forward to having the same Instapaper service you know and love accessible in Europe in the very near future. Thanks for your patience.

Instapaper gave no indication how long the service would be suspended, and offered no further details on why it has waited until now to take action, almost two years after companies were informed of the GDPR timeline.

Created by Marco Arment in 2008, Instapaper was one of the first apps that implemented read-it-later functionality, and it was certainly one of the most widely used and well-known apps in the genre. The service was acquired by Pinterest in 2016, which may have complicated efforts for GDPR compliance given the potential for data sharing between the parent company and its subsidiary.

Businesses that interact with users in the EU must comply with the GDPR law, which sets out requirements on the collection, storage, and handling of personal data. Companies who fail to do so by the deadline risk heavy fines.

On Wednesday, Apple launched a new Data & Privacy website, which provides customers in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland with the ability to download all the personal information tied to their Apple ID account.

(Via The Verge.)