Apple Pay will launch in Austria in the "coming months," according to well-known Austrian newspaper Der Standard. The report cites two unnamed sources and says Bank Austria could be one of the participating issuers.
Apple Pay first debuted in the United States in October 2014, and its availability has since expanded to over 20 countries and territories around the world, most recently including Norway, Poland, and the Ukraine:
United States
United Kingdom
Australia
Canada
Singapore
Switzerland
Hong Kong
France
Russia
China
Japan
New Zealand
Spain
Taiwan
Ireland
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
Italy
San Marino
Vatican City
Denmark
Finland
Sweden
United Arab Emirates
Brazil
Ukraine
Poland
Norway
Apple Pay enables users to add a debit or credit card from participating banks to the Wallet app and pay with a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch at stores that accept contactless payments, or in apps and on the web.
Apple quietly fixed a bug in iOS 11 that caused some devices to crash when the word "Taiwan" was entered in a text field or the Taiwan emoji was used, according to a security researcher (via Axios).
Digita Security's Patrick Wardle outlined in a blog post how the glitch in iOS 11.3 caused instant crashes on a variety of native and third-party iPhone and iPad apps, including iMessages, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Wardle explained that although some aspects of the bug remained unclear, his investigations found that a "null" code would prompt the crash when a "removeEmoji" operation led the system to check the device's language/region settings.
The glitch appears to be the unintended result of some lines of code that Apple added to iOS to hide the Taiwanese flag emoji on devices set to the China region. Apparently, the code worked for iOS devices set to China, but caused crashes on devices that had somehow ended up in an "unsupported region-less state." It's unclear, however, exactly how a device could end up in that state.
While Apple fixed the glitch in iOS 11.4.1 after Wardle reported it, the bug's occurrence highlights Apple's willingness to placate China when it comes to sensitive political matters. Taiwan and China have had a fractious relationship ever since the Chinese Civil War, with China long considering Taiwan to be under its sovereignty, despite Taiwan officially self-recognizing as an independent democracy wholly separate from mainland China.
Apple has made similar moves in the past to protect its important Chinese market. In July 2017, for example, Apple removed many VPN apps from the App Store in China, following regulations passed earlier in the year that require such apps to be authorized by the Chinese government.
In December 2016, the company was forced to remove both the English-language and Chinese-language versions of The New York Times app from the Chinese App Store, after being informed by the Chinese authorities that they were in violation of local regulations.
Another case of Apple censoring in China included the forced shutdown of iTunes Movies and the iBooks Store, following the release of controversial independent movie Ten Years, which won best picture prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards. The dystopian film imagines Hong Kong in 2025 with language police, mini Red Guards, radical protest and social alienation rife.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Japan's antitrust watchdog on Wednesday said Apple may have breached antitrust regulations by forcing three major domestic network carriers to sell its iPhones cheaply and charge higher monthly fees (via Reuters).
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said that Apple had forced NTT Docomo, KDDI, and SoftBank to offer subsidies and sell iPhones at a discount.
In the eyes of the FTC, this made it hard for the mobile service providers to offer lower rate plans for long-term subscribers and effectively denied consumers a fair choice. FTC anti-monopoly law explicitly forbids such acts as "unfair restraint of trade" that disregards the operations of business partners.
Apple and its Japanese arm have told the FTC they will review their contracts in light of these criticisms, according to sources who spoke to Nikkei Asian Review.
Japan's FTC started investigating Apple's sales practices in 2016, but didn't punish the company after it agreed to revise its contracts with the carriers, according to Reuters.
"Game of Thrones" star Jason Momoa, who played Khal Drogo in the well-known HBO series, has been cast in the lead role in Apple's upcoming futuristic drama series "See," reports Variety.
"See" has been described as an epic world-building drama set in the future, with little additional information available on the series at this time. Momoa will play the role of Baba Voss, a "fearless warrior, leader and guardian."
Image via HBO
Known for his role as Khal Drogo in the first season of "Game of Thrones," Momoa also stars in "Aquaman," coming out later this year. He's also had roles in "Justice League," "Braven," "Once Upon a Time in Venice," "Stargate Atlantis," and "Conan the Barbarian."
"See" was written by "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight and it will be directed by Francis Lawrence, known for his work on "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay."
Apple is said to be considering launching a new streaming video service, which could potentially be bundled with an Apple Music subscription and a digital magazine and new subscription.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation this week charged former Apple employee Xiaolang Zhang with theft of trade secrets, according to documents filed with the Northern District Court of California.
Zhang was hired at Apple in December of 2015 to work on Project Titan, developing software and hardware for use in autonomous vehicles. Zhang specifically worked on Apple's Compute Team, designing and testing circuit boards to analyze sensor data.
The intellectual property disclosure on one of the documents Zhang stole
He was provided with "broad access to secure and confidential internal databases" due to his position, which contained trade secrets and intellectual property for the autonomous driving project that he ultimately ended up stealing.
In April 2018, Zhang took family leave from Apple following the birth of his child, and during that time, he visited China. Shortly after, he told his supervisor at Apple he was leaving the company and moving to China to work for XMotors, a Chinese startup that also focuses on autonomous vehicle technology.
Zhang's supervisor felt that he had "been evasive" during the meeting, which led Apple's New Product Security Team to begin an investigation, looking into Zhang's historical network activity and analyzing his Apple devices, which were seized when he resigned.
Apple found that just prior to Zhang's departure, his network activity had "increased exponentially" compared to the prior two years he had worked at Apple. He accessed content that included prototypes and prototype requirements, which the court documents specify as power requirements, low voltage requirements, battery system, and drivetrain suspension mounts.
The majority of his activity consisted of both bulk searches and targeted downloading copious pages of information from various confidential database applications. The information contained within the downloading contained trade secret intellectual property, based on the level of Zhang's access within Apple's autonomous vehicle team.
A review of recorded footage at Apple indicated Zhang had visited the campus on the evening of Saturday, April 28, entering both Apple's autonomous vehicle software and hardware labs, which coincided with data download times, and he left with a box of hardware.
In a second interview with Apple's security team, Zhang admitted to taking both online data and hardware (a Linux server and circuit boards) from Apple during his paternity leave. He also admitted to AirDropping sensitive content from his own device to his wife's laptop.
All of Apple's evidence was relayed to the FBI after the company's Digital Forensic Investigations team discovered that at least 60 percent of the data Zhang had downloaded and transferred to his wife's computer was "highly problematic." The FBI, in the court filing, describes the information as "largely technical in nature, including engineering schematics, technical reference manuals, and technical reports."
Of interest, the filing also gives a glimpse into Apple's security protocols. To access sensitive projects like Titan, an employee must be logged into Apple's virtual private network and must be granted "disclosure," a status that can only be granted when an employee is sponsored by another employee who already has access to the project, with an administrator reviewing all requests. Approximately 5,000 Apple employees have access to data on Apple's autonomous driving efforts, with the databases Zhang accessed further restricted to approximately 2,700 "core employees."
When hired, Zhang signed an Intellectual Property Agreement and attended a mandatory in-person secrecy training session, which he violated. Zhang was interviewed by the FBI in late June, where he admitted to stealing the information, and he was later arrested attempting to leave to China on July 7.
For stealing Apple's trade secrets, Zhang is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
It's no surprise that Apple cracked down on Zhang. Shortly before Zhang's theft was discovered, Apple sent out a lengthy cautionary memo to employees warning them against leaking data to the media. In the letter, Apple said that in 2017, it caught 29 leakers, with 12 of those individuals being arrested and charged.
Update: Apple provided the following statement on the case to TechCrunch: "Apple takes confidentiality and the protection of our intellectual property very seriously. We're working with authorities on this matter and will do everything possible to make sure this individual and any other individuals involved are held accountable for their actions."
Update 2: XMotors said there is no indication that Zhang ever communicated any sensitive information from Apple to XMotors, according to Reuters. XMotors also said the firm had terminated Zhang and is supporting local authorities.
Apple today updated its Apple Leadership page to include John Giannandrea, who now serves as Apple's Chief of Machine Learning and AI Strategy.
Apple hired Giannandrea back in April, stealing him away from Google where he ran the search and artificial intelligence unit.
Giannandrea is leading Apple's AI and machine learning teams, reporting directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook. He has taken over leadership of Siri, which was previously overseen by software engineering chief Craig Federighi.
Apple told TechCrunch that it is combining its Core ML and Siri teams under Giannandrea. The structure of the two teams will remain intact, but both will now answer to Giannandrea.
Under his leadership, Apple will continue to build its AI/ML teams, says TechCrunch, focusing on general computation in the cloud alongside data-sensitive on-device computations.
Giannandrea spent eight years at Google before joining Apple, and before that, he founded Tellme Networks and Metaweb Technologies.
Apple's hiring of Giannandrea in April came amid ongoing criticism of Siri, which many have claimed has serious shortcomings in comparison to AI offerings from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google due to Apple's focus on privacy.
In 2018, Apple is improving Siri through a new Siri Shortcuts feature that's coming in iOS 12, which is designed to let users create multi-step tasks using both first and third-party apps that can be activated through Siri.
eBay today launched its latest sitewide coupon code, this one focusing on items in the tech category, which is a good chance for those looking to save a little money on Apple products and accessories. The code is lower than previous sales at 10 percent off, but works the same way: find a tech item anywhere on eBay, add it to your cart until the total reaches or exceeds $50, then enter coupon code PRIMOTECH to gain access to the discount.
The code's savings will be capped at a maximum value of $100 and applies to the purchase price (excluding shipping, handling, and taxes) of eligible items on eBay. Eligible items include those from the following categories: computers and electronics, cameras and photo, cell phones and accessories, computers/tablets and networking, consumer electronics, and video games and consoles -- essentially any category in the Electronics tab. If you're interested, be sure to browse eBay and make your purchase before the code expires tonight at 11:00 p.m. PT.
In a similar vein, Rakuten today kicked off a coupon code promo on its website that nets shoppers a 15 percent discount when entering the code SAVE15 at checkout, with maximum savings of up to $50. You'll need a Rakuten account to use the code at checkout, and only one coupon can be used per account within a single transaction. There are also some limits and exclusions, including any gift cards.
Otherwise, you can shop across Rakuten for savings that include the Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones for $181.90, down from $214. Comparatively, the headphones are discounted to $213.75 currently at Walmart and Amazon, making Rakuten's sale a great chance to get the Beats headphones at an all-time-low price. Other ideas include a Nest Thermostat E for $135.99, down from $159.99, a 2-pack of iHome ISP6X Wi-Fi Smartplugs for $49.30, down from $58.00, and more.
Similar to eBay, Rakuten's products are sold by third-party sellers with ratings that you can find at the bottom left of each item page. Rakuten's sitewide sale will end tomorrow, July 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT. For more sales going on this week, be sure to head to our full Deals Roundup.
Apple's watchOS 5 update includes a new automatic workout detection feature, which is designed to make sure you never miss out on getting credit for one of your workouts.
Automatic workout detection is a setting that's enabled by default once you upgrade to watchOS 5, but if you don't want the feature, it can be turned off using the Apple Watch app on the iPhone or on the Apple Watch itself.
Enabling/Disabling Automatic Workouts on Apple Watch
Open the Settings app on Apple Watch.
Choose General.
Select "Workout."
Scroll down to "Start Workout Reminder" and "End Workout Reminder."
Set the toggles to your personal preferences.
Enabling/Disabling Automatic Workouts on iPhone
Open up the Watch app on the iPhone.
Choose "Workout" to access the settings for the Workout app.
Scroll down to "Start Workout Reminder" and "End Workout Reminder."
Set the toggles to your personal preferences.
Automatic workout detection for starting a workout and ending a workout are two separate settings, so you can control them individually if so desired.
Start Workout Reminder
Automatic workout detection is designed to let the Apple Watch remind you to start a workout if you forget to do so, which it will do through a notification that pops up on the Apple Watch asking if you want to begin a workout.
Automatic detection when your workout starts is compatible with running, walking, swimming, elliptical workouts, or rower workouts.
Even if you initially forget to start a workout in watchOS 5, this new workout detection feature will give you credit for the exercise you've already done.
End Workout Reminder
With automatic detection for when a workout ends, which is labeled as "End Workout Reminder" the Apple Watch will remind you to end a workout if it looks like you've finished up. This too works through a notification that directs you to the workout app.
Unlike automatic workout detection for starting a workout, automatic detection for ending one works with all workouts aside from those in the "Other" category.
Trism, developed by Steve Demeter, was one of the first games in the App Store when it launched 10 years ago. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the App Store, a new version of Trism, Trism 2, is available for download today.
The original version of Trism came out on July 11, 2008, one day after the iOS App Store went live. Trism was a gravity-based puzzler where the goal was to match up three or more like-colored pieces, making it one of the first match-three games to become ultra popular on the iPhone.
Two months after its 2008 launch, as it soared up the App Store charts, Trism had earned Demeter $250,000, cementing its place as one of the most well-known original iPhone games.
Trism continues to be available for purchase from the App Store even today, but Demeter has decided to follow it up with the first sequel 10 years later, Trism 2. Like the original Trism, Trism 2 is a match-three game where the goal is to pair three or more bricks of the same color to make matches.
The game boasts an interactive open world, a "deep narrative storyline," branching subquests, episodic content, and multiple endings. Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller tweeted about the new app this morning.
In an interview with Variety last week, Demeter said he first began work on Trism 2 in 2010, but it became a "nightmare cycle of starting and restarting, creating and destroying."
"I poured my heart and soul into that game," he said. "I would develop and iterate and then a new thing would come out, like 'Candy Crush,' and I would go back to the drawing board. So I'd develop and iterate again, and then something else would come out."
Trism 2 was built and rebuilt again until it was perfect, with the aim of a Trism game that's "Zelda meets Bejeweled." The game is launching with two complete islands to play through, with another four in the works as downloadable content. There will be no paid DLC, micro transactions, or in-app purchases.
"The game is about the fans," Demeter told Variety. "I really wanted to make this a love letter to them. I couldn't make it free-to-play. I just couldn't. I thought about that early on, but I just couldn't do that."
Trism 2 can be downloaded from the App Store for $2.99. [Direct Link]
Update: BlueFin Research has informed MacRumors that the research note that was obtained and shared by Barron's was misinterpreted.
It did not refer to the discontinuation of the iPhone SE, but rather suggested Apple has nixed plans to produce a second-generation iPhone SE, which has been called the "iPhone SE 2" in rumors. BlueFin Research did not mention the original iPhone SE model in its note and the information pertains solely to the iPhone SE 2.
If accurate, the prediction suggests Apple will stop selling the iPhone SE in September, when it is widely expected to release a second-generation iPhone X, a tentatively named iPhone X Plus, and an all-new 6.1-inch iPhone, the latter of which is more or less expected to be a budget iPhone X.
In that case, the iPhone 7 would likely shuffle down the lineup to become Apple's lowest priced smartphone, taking over the $449 price point currently held by the iPhone 6s, which is also likely to be discontinued in September.
It's worth noting that Donovan and Mullane do not appear to cite any sources behind their prediction, so their guess is as good as anyone's. We've reached out to the research firm for clarification, and we'll update if we hear back.
The fate of the iPhone SE has become increasingly uncertain as time goes on, as the current model has not been updated since it was first released in March 2016, beyond gaining larger storage capacities of 32GB and 128GB in March 2017. The device also received a price cut, from $399 to $349, last September.
Beyond timing, rumors have also conflicted about the design and features of a new iPhone SE, should there ever be one. For the most part, expectations fall into two camps: one that expects a minor refresh, with a bump in tech specs, and another that expects a full redesign inspired by the iPhone X.
A recent report claimed that Apple has prototyped several different iPhone SE models, including one with a notched display and no home button, while other prototypes are believed to have a similar design as the current iPhone SE, except with a glass back, presumably to allow for wireless charging.
The two biggest draws of the iPhone SE are its smaller size, suitable for one-handed usage, and its lower price. It's hard to imagine the device having an iPhone X-esque design at this point without a significantly higher price tag, so we're more inclined to expect a relatively minor refresh if any.
The current iPhone SE looks much like the iPhone 5s, including its smaller four-inch display, preferred by a subset of customers. The device is powered by Apple's A9 chip, like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and it has 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and Touch ID.
We'd place our bets on a bump in tech specs that brings the iPhone SE internals more in line with the iPhone 8, should the device live on.
Following a demo at CES in January, the VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO smart skylight system has now launched on the iOS App Store [Direct Link] with HomeKit support. The app pairs with the new VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO climate control and monitoring system to enable smartphone control and automation of the skylights, costing $295.
The company says that this marks the first time that skylights will be able to connect to Apple's HomeKit platform, allowing users to open or close the skylight in the Home app or using Siri on iOS, Apple Watch, and HomePod. HomeKit support will be available in new VELUX skylights, as well as existing skylights made by the company and enabled through the new app.
The skylights include smart sensor technology to monitor CO2, humidity levels, and temperature in the home, which it combines with local weather data to automatically open the skylights if fresh air is needed. This helps create a more comfortable living environment through improved air quality, according to the company.
With HomeKit controls, homeowners can also further automate the skylight system and can add it into various scenes in the Home app, or automatically open or close it as they arrive or leave their home. The company explains that the VELUX ACTIVE skylight system was built with technology from French company NETATMO:
"VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO is the result of two stunning technologies: high standard VELUX skylights and Netatmo's know-how for creating simple and useful products and apps," said Fred Potter, founder and CEO of Netatmo. "By automating the opening, closing and shading of skylights, we can make a big difference and improve indoor climate so users don't have to worry about it."
While the VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO system runs for $295, that does not include the cost of the skylights themselves, or the installation fee for your specific home's needs. More information on VELUX's skylights can be found on the company's website. The VELUXE ACTIVE with NETATMO system has an expected ship date sometime later this month.
Apple plans to deploy 1Password internally to all of its corporate and retail employees around the world over the next few months, according to BGR's editor-in-chief Jonathan Geller, who cites an unnamed source.
The report claims Apple plans to offer a free license to the standalone version of 1Password to each of its employees and their families:
According to our source, after many months of planning, Apple plans to deploy 1Password internally to all 100,000 employees. This includes not just employees in Cupertino, but extends all the way to retail, too. Furthermore, the company is said to have carved out a deal that includes family plans, giving up to 5 family members of each employee a free license for 1Password. […]
Apple is also using the stand-alone version of 1Password — at first the company considered using the version that includes AgileBits syncing service that routes through cloud providers like Amazon AWS, but Apple quickly decided that wasn't acceptable. The standalone version of the software lets users sync through iCloud, something Apple is undoubtedly more comfortable with.
The report claims 100 Apple employees will start using 1Password through this initiative starting this week, with all corporate and retail employees at the company expected to be activated within the next one to two months.
The report also mentioned that "acquisition talks were underway," although "unlikely," and AgileBits swiftly denied that claim.
Rumours of my acquisition are completely false. My humans and I are happily independent and plan to remain so.
— 1Password (@1Password) July 10, 2018
Apple employees have already received 1Password for free for several years, so it's unclear what this "deployment" refers to exactly.
Snapchat today announced that all users can now discover and unlock thousands of user-generated Lenses built by the app's global creator community with "Lens Explorer." This marks the first time that Community Lenses will be discoverable alongside the main, Snapchat-created Lenses in the Lens Carousel.
To find the new section, navigate to the Lens Carousel, tap the new smiley face icon in the top right corner, and tap a Lens tile to unlock the Lens you want. Then, the app will navigate you to the Snap Camera to try it out, or you can see how it looks on other users in featured Our Stories. Additionally, if you know the name of a lens you can directly search for it.
The Lenses found in Lens Explorer are made by creators using Snapchat's Lens Studio, a desktop app for Mac and Windows that lets creatives and developers build augmented reality face filters and other effects that go to use in the Snapchat mobile apps. Today, the company announced that since Lens Studio launched last December creators have submitted more than 100,000 unique Lenses that have been viewed more than 2.5 billion times.
Lens Explorer is rolling out beginning today to the iOS Snapchat app.
Mozilla's Firefox Text Pilot program allows users to test out experimental features and provide feedback that goes toward improving the service, and today the company is expanding the program to include two mobile apps. The first is an iOS app called Firefox Lockbox and it enables you to access your saved passwords within the app so that you can easily sign into various other apps on your iPhone.
The password management app syncs with existing Firefox accounts and imports the passwords you've already saved in the Firefox browser. You can then browse a list of all your passwords, copy the one you need, navigate to another app, and paste it into the log-in field. The company says the app is secured by 256-bit encryption and supports unlocking via Touch ID and Face ID.
Since Firefox Lockbox requires you to sync existing passwords from the browser, it'll only be useful for those users who regularly use Firefox to browse online and store their log-in information.
With Firefox Lockbox, iOS users will be able to seamlessly access Firefox saved passwords. This means you can use any password you’ve saved in the browser to log into any online account like your Twitter or Instagram app. No need to open a web page. It’s that seamless and simple. Plus, you can also use Face ID and Fingerprint touch to unlock the app, so you can safely access your accounts.
Notes by Firefox is the second Test Pilot app, and is built for Android users so that they can take and store notes across desktop and mobile devices. Any note written in the Firefox browser can then be synced to the new mobile app, and vice versa.
For those interested in testing out the apps, you will need a Firefox account and Firefox Sync to gain full functionality of each of the app's features. Otherwise, the company explains that the Test Pilot program is open to all Firefox users to try out, and the Firefox Lockbox app is available on the iOS App Store for free starting today [Direct Link].
Netflix has announced a new feature launching for Android smartphones and tablets today, and coming to iOS devices later this year, called "Smart Downloads." With this turned on, the Netflix app will automatically delete the downloaded episode of a show that you've finished watching offline, and replace it by automatically downloading the next episode in line (via BuzzFeed News).
The company says this will help to save space on smartphones and tablets while ensuring that users can keep binges going without having to search through the app's menus for the next episode they want to watch offline. Netflix explains that Smart Downloads are only activated when users are connected to Wi-Fi and are done with an episode.
"Downloading is a very manual process today," Netflix director of product innovation Cameron Johnson told BuzzFeed News. "And you have to manually go back and delete episodes."
How is this useful? Imagine you download an episode or two of Stranger Things at home and watch it on the subway ride to work. Once you connect to your office WiFi, Netflix will delete the episodes you've already watched and seamlessly download the next one in the background.
If users want to keep an episode downloaded to their device without having to worry about Smart Downloads deleting it, the feature can be turned off as well. Smart Downloads only work for episodic TV shows and will not automatically replace a movie with another similar program.
Netflix first introduced offline downloads in November 2016, allowing viewers to download select shows and films to their devices to watch them during moments when they aren't connected to the internet. Most of Netflix's originals are supported for offline viewing, and all content available for download can be found in the "Search" tab of the Netflix mobile app.
Smart Downloads will launch for iOS devices sometime "later this year."
Live streaming television service Philo today launched on the fourth- and fifth-generation Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, after first launching on iPhone, Roku, smart TVs, desktop and web browsers, and more last November.
With the Apple TV app, subscribers can sign into their Philo accounts and watch 40 channels at the cost of $16 per month. The service mainly attracts customers who aren't interested in sports as it has no such channels, which helps to decrease subscription costs.
“Our goal is to build a television service that people love. The expansion onto Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV is a natural extension for us and allows many new people to discover and enjoy Philo, as well as expanding the viewing options for our existing subscribers,” explained Andrew McCollum, Philo’s CEO. “We’re thrilled with the response we’ve seen to Philo so far, but we’re always looking for ways to make it even better, and this is another big step forward in that direction.”
With the connected apps -- now including Apple TV -- users can watch their favorite channels live or on demand, pause live TV, restart programs from the beginning, save shows to a 30-day DVR, and watch on up to three devices at once.
The company promises that a native Android app is coming soon, and also announced that it has raised more than $40 million from investors with AMC Networks, Discovery, and Viacom leading its Series C round of funding. The money will go towards "product features" and "enhancements" to Philo, which will soon include a "socially-driven TV experience."
Earlier in the spring, Philo also introduced the ability for subscribers to unlock the streaming apps for TV networks included in their Philo subscription. Now, more than 35 participating TV Everywhere apps support this feature, so that if users pay to stream a channel like AMC on Philo, they can use their Philo log-in within the AMC app to access paywalled content.
Philo's $16/month tier now provides access to 40 channels, including A&E, AMC, BBC America, Lifetime, TLC, Travel Channel, and VH1. There's also a $20/month option that increases the channel count to 49, adding in options like Logo and Nicktoons. Philo's entertainment-focused lineup lacks sports, live news, major broadcast networks, and local channels -- all of which help lower the monthly cost of the service.
Philo's low-cost angle comes in contrast to rival services that include sports and local channels, at a hit to subscribers' wallets since most have announced price hikes in recent months. YouTube TV started off by increasing its cost from $35/month to $40/month to align with Hulu with Live TV and PlayStation Vue's $40/month starting price. Then in July, DirecTV Now announced the increase of all plan prices by $5/month, meaning its cheapest plan also starts at $40/month.
Sling TV's $20/month Sling Orange plan was one of the closest tiers to Philo on the market, but this plan will increase in price as well, jumping to $25/month beginning in August.
Those interested in Philo can download the Apple TV app today on the tvOS App Store, and the service's iOS app [Direct Link] is also available to watch on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Apple's iOS App Store, Sensor Tower has shared a list of the apps and games that have spent the most time in the #1 spot of the store's various charts. Looking at the period of time from July 1, 2010 to July 5, 2018, Sensor Tower's researchers found that a total of 30,000 unique apps have achieved #1 status on the free, paid, or top grossing charts in at least one country.
Honing in the data a bit more, Sensor Tower found 422 apps that hit #1 on the top free iPhone apps chart in the United States during this period, and of those apps, Facebook Messenger spent the most days at #1 with a combined 317 days. Worldwide, WhatsApp earned the top spot with a combined 1,783 days at #1 for free iPhone apps. Popular apps in both the U.S. and worldwide for these charts included Snapchat and YouTube.
Looking at the amount of days at #1 for paid iPhone apps, Minecraft had the most days both in the U.S. (847 days) and worldwide (1,645 days) App Stores. Games were popular in the U.S. on the paid iPhone apps chart, also including Angry Birds (311 days), Heads Up (225 days), and Where's My Water (47 days), but globally there was more of a mix with apps like Facetune (1,501 days), Afterlight (1,312 days), and 7 Min Workout (1,134 days) rounding out the top four spots under Minecraft.
Clash of Clans spent 805 days at #1 on Apple's top grossing iPhone apps chart in the U.S., coming in far ahead of the second place app Candy Crush at 278 days. The only non-gaming apps on this chart were Pandora (202 days), Netflix (172 days), and Spotify (61 days). Worldwide, Clash of Clans held onto the top spot with 1,900 days, while Spotify also remained in the top ten with 1,047 days spent at #1.
The App Store officially launched on July 10, 2008 with 500 apps for iPhone 3G owners to download, 75 percent of which were paid downloads. Over time the App Store grew and expanded, introducing in-app purchases, apps for the iPad, subscriptions, revamped interfaces, and more. Most recently in iOS 11, Apple introduced editorialized content on the App Store's home page with articles and features that highlight new and interesting apps and games every day.
For more on the ten-year anniversary of the iOS App Store, be sure to check out our retrospective that dives into the big events that hit the App Store over the past decade.
Apple may adopt LED backlighting chips for the LCD panels in its forthcoming 6.1-inch iPhone that enable it to reduce screen bezel size and bring LCD panels closer to bezel-free OLED screens.
DigiTimes reports that Japan-based Nichia will become the exclusive supplier of the LED chips for use in backlighting of the panels used in the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, which Apple is expected to launch around September.
While LTPS-LCD smartphone screens with backlights using 0.4t LED chips have bottom bezels of 4.0-4.5mm, use of 0.3t LED chips can reduce them to 2.0-2.5mm, enhancing LCD screens' competitiveness against OLED all (bezel-free) screens panels, the sources explained.
Packaging of 0.3t LED chips for side-view backlighting of LTPS-LCD smartphone panels is more difficult in accuracy and stability than that of 0.4t LED chips, the sources noted, adding Nichia began trial production of 0.3t LED chips for use in high-end smartphone models launched by China- and Japan-based vendors in the first half of 2018.
Apple is expected to launch three new smartphones later this year: Two OLED models measuring in at 5.8 and 6.5 inches and a 6.1-inch lower-cost LCD model. All three are believed to feature Face ID and edge-to-edge displays.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who first predicted Apple would introduce a low-cost LCD iPhone, believes the device will have a price tag that comes in at $700 to $800, similar to the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus.
Previous rumors have suggested the use of upgraded display technology in the lower-cost device. For example, Apple may use Full Active LCDs from Japan Display, which are said to match or exceed some of the benefits of an OLED display at a lower cost. Japan Display is said to be ramping up LCD production in an effort to fulfill orders from Apple.
According to The Wall Street Journal, sources involved with Apple's supply chain claim that Apple now expects LCD models to make up the majority of iPhone sales in its upcoming lineup. Apple initially wanted roughly equal production of iPhone models with LCDs and OLED displays, but now plans to make more of the LCD model, as it supposedly anticipates strong customer demand for the more affordable X-like model.
DigiTimes sources suggest trial production of the 6.1-inch iPhone will begin in July, with small-volume production in August and volume production beginning September. Based on that timeline, Nichia's production capacity for the enhanced LED backlighting chips is expected to be booked up by Apple in the second half of 2018.
Additional details on what to expect in the iPhones coming in 2018, likely in the September timeframe, can be found in our 2018 iPhones roundup.
Japan's antitrust watchdog on Wednesday said Apple may have breached antitrust regulations by forcing three major domestic network carriers to sell its iPhones cheaply and charge higher monthly fees (via 
