Instagram today implemented several new features that were first previewed and announced at Facebook's F8 developer conference in May, including a redesigned Explore tab, new camera effects, and a group video chatting feature.
Instagram's new video chat option, which is a feature that's designed to rival offerings like Skype and FaceTime, can be accessed via Instagram Direct, and it allows for video calls with up to four people at the same time. Instagram users can chat across iOS and Android without the need for a phone number.
As explained by Instagram, starting a new video chat can be done from the Direct inbox. Open a message thread, tap the camera icon, and the video chat will ring on a friend's phone. While video chatting, the video can be minimized to one corner so you can continue to browse Instagram.
You can video chat with anyone you have an active Direct thread with, and blocking a person will prevent them from video chatting you. With group chats, a little icon will let you know when friends are talking and you can join in.
Video chat is perfect for groups. You can video chat with up to four people at a time, and the video will expand as more friends join. If there's an active video chat in a group thread, the camera icon will turn blue. Simply tap the camera to join in the fun. You can video chat with your friends for as long as you'd like. When you're ready to leave the video chat, tap the red phone icon at the bottom.
Instagram's Explore tab has been revamped with new topic channels that are designed to make it easier to find content that you want to see. A "For You" tab offers up suggestions based on your interests, while channels like Art, Sports, Beauty, Fashion, and more offer up additional content suggestions.
You can swipe from grid to grid to discover content within a specific interest after tapping into a channel, and for things you're not interested in, you can mute a channel by pressing and holding on it to bring up the "Mute" option.
In addition to group video chats and a revamped Explore section, Instagram now includes updated camera effects designed by Ariana Grande, Buzzfeed, Liza Koshy, Baby Ariel, and the NBA. If you follow these accounts, the new effects will be available in the Instagram camera through the face icon, while non-followers can tap an effect to try it on and add it to the camera.
Additional effects from other celebrities and popular Instagram accounts will be added in the future.
Instagram can be downloaded from the App Store for free, and all of the new features are available on both Android and iOS as of today. [Direct Link]
Apple today updated its iTunes Remote app for iOS devices to version 4.4, introducing a redesigned look and support for the iPhone X, Apple's newest flagship device.
The iTunes Remote app is designed to allow iPad and iPhone users to control their iTunes libraries from anywhere in the home, accessing music, TV shows, movies, Podcasts, playlists, and more. The app can be used to send music to AirPlay speakers and group speakers together to play music in multiple rooms at the same time.
Apple recommends that customers who download the Remote 4.4 update pair it with iTunes 12.7.5, which is the latest version of iTunes on the Mac.
In addition to a redesigned look, the iTunes Remote app update offers unspecified stability and performance improvements.
iTunes Remote can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave update to its public beta testing group, giving non-developers a chance to try out the software ahead of its fall public release. Today's public beta should be the same as the second developer beta, released last week.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will be able to download the macOS Mojave beta through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store. As a word of warning, though, subsequent betas are installed in a different way, using the Software Update icon in System Preferences.
Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.
Potential beta testers should make a full Time Machine backup before installing macOS Mojave, and it should not be installed on a primary machine because betas are unstable and often have many bugs.
macOS Mojave's main new feature is a systemwide Dark Mode, which gives Mac users a new way to view the operating system. A revamped Mac App Store makes it easier than ever to discover great apps, while Dynamic Desktops give you wallpapers that subtly change throughout the day.
An improved Finder window with Gallery View, Sidebar, Quick Look, and Quick Actions makes it easier to manipulate, edit, and organize your files, while Desktop Stacks organizes all of the files on your desktop.
The Apple News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos apps have made their way to the Mac in Mojave, and for the first time, you can use Siri on Mac to control HomeKit products. Group FaceTime, an iOS 12 feature, is also available in Mojave and lets you chat with up to 32 people at one time.
Apple is keeping your data safer than ever with new security and privacy improvements, and Safari in macOS Mojave makes it much harder to track you through share/like buttons and via your system configuration.
macOS Mojave is compatible with 2015 and newer MacBooks, 2012 and newer MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac models, the 2017 iMac Pro, and Mac Pro models from late 2013 and mid-2010 and mid-2012 models with Metal-capable GPUs.
Mojave will be available in a beta capacity for the next several months so Apple can work out bugs ahead of a fall release.
Apple has confirmed that its new retail location at the open air University Village mall in Seattle will open to the public at 9:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, June 30. Apple University Village will replace the current Apple retail store in University Village, which it has occupied since 2003.
The new location is a standalone structure and will include all of the highlights and amenities of Apple's current crop of next-generation retail stores. Reports from GeekWireindicate the store takes up about 14,000 square feet of a former parking lot that measures 23,000 square feet. Of that amount, 8,000 square feet will be dedicated to a sales floor and sit-down areas for Today at Apple sessions.
Photo of Apple University Village taken by Nat Levy via GeekWire
On the same day, Apple has also announced its location in Palo Alto, California will see a grand reopening at 10:00 a.m. local time this Saturday. This location originally closed for renovations just over a month ago on May 13.
In an interview at Cannes Lions last week, Apple senior vice president of retail Angela Ahrendts said that "retail isn't going away" or "dying," but it will have to "evolve" as time passes. In its own efforts to evolve retail, Ahrendts mentioned that Apple tries to "humanize technology" with next-generation layouts that emphasize communal gathering and encourage interactivity during Today at Apple sessions.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who now works at research firm TF International Securities, has issued a new research note today with a wealth of information about Apple's upcoming products and the company's overall outlook.
Highlights from the research note, obtained by MacRumors:
Kuo believes 2019 iPhones will have "marked innovations," but notes it could take until September or October of this year at the earliest until the exact designs and features become clearer.
Nevertheless, among new iPhones introduced in 2019, Kuo expects shipments of LCD-based models to outpace models with OLED displays. He also notes that, if any 2019 iPhones have triple-lens rear cameras, it would unsurprisingly benefit camera-related companies in Apple's supply chain.
Kuo also still expects three new iPhones in 2018: a second-generation iPhone X, a larger 6.5-inch version dubbed the iPhone X Plus, and a 6.1-inch version that will essentially be a budget iPhone X.
Kuo expects the 6.1-inch iPhone to be available in stores in September of this year, despite entering mass production later than the second-generation iPhone X and so-called iPhone X Plus. This means all three new iPhones in 2018 will be both announced and released in September.
Kuo believes the 6.1-inch iPhone will incentivize customers with older iPhones to upgrade due to it being equipped with similar features as the iPhone X and at a more competitive price of $600 to $700 in the United States.
Kuo on potential impact on Apple of the trade war between the United States and China: "We believe it is unlikely that Apple will be directly impacted by the trade war because it plays an important role in both China and US economy. It is worth monitoring whether Chinese consumers will reject buying Apple's products due to anti-American sentiment."
Kuo on how Apple can grow under fiercer competition: "In the high-end market, Apple's real competitor is itself, which implies that it needs to offer new models that appeal to consumers to boost replacement demands. We attribute the iPhone's slow growth in recent years to there being no significant replacement demands boosted by new models after the iPhone 6."
Kuo on Apple's innovation: "We believe that Apple is still the leading company in the consumer electronics sector and has surpassed its competitors by a wide margin in terms of innovative user experience and ecosystem development. The leading advantages will benefit it when innovating with new applications," like augmented reality.
Much of this reiterates Kuo's previous predictions and information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman over the past several months.
Apple has begun commercial production on the iPhone 6s in India as of last week, according to a new report by The Economic Times, following local manufacturing for the iPhone SE that kicked off in India last year. Production on the 6s started at the Wistron facility in Bangalore, and the model was chosen due to its "sales potential," two senior industry executives reportedly said.
Due to the locally-made devices, Apple will now be able to exempt the iPhone 6s from import duties placed on imported smartphones and their components, which has been an ongoing struggle for the company. A few months ago in February, India announced the latest tax increase on imported mobile phones from 15 percent to 20 percent, and it came under two months after the previous increase.
The tax increases are related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" program, which aims to promote the country's domestic manufacturing so that more companies build products there. After the iPhone SE plant was set up in early 2017, the iPhone 6s was rumored to be the next of Apple's smartphones to get an "Assembled in India" stamp on the back of each device.
Now, iPhone 6s production in Bangalore has begun and retail availability in the country is expected sometime "soon."
"The made-in-India iPhone 6s will be only sold in India like iPhone SE since it will take time to scale up capacity. In fact, Apple will continue with the import of iPhone 6s until capacity improves. Hence, there will be no price correction for the locally manufactured units. The made-in-India iPhone 6s model will hit the stores soon,” an executive said. Apple India did not comment."
On the software side of things, earlier this year users in the country spoke about the poor performance of services like Apple Maps and Siri. One user in Bangalore, Mihir Sharma, told CNBC that "Apple Maps is a joke in India," and many users reported that Siri "often struggles" to make sense and correctly respond to Indian accents. Analyst Faisal Kawoosa said, "There is no denial that the Apple ecosystem isn't aligned much to the usage and value of Indian users," and until Apple can expand its hardware footprint in India most customers believe it will stay that way.
Most recent Android owners who switch to the iPhone ecosystem tend to opt for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, according to a new report sent to MacRumors today by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. The data was gathered during the fiscal quarter that ended March 31, 2018 and is based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. Apple customers who purchased an iPhone during that time.
In a given quarter, CIRP estimates that between 15 and 20 percent of iPhone buyers are switching over from the Android operating system. In terms of popularity, these switchers are opting for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus (40 percent of those moving from Android to iOS), and to a lesser extent the iPhone 7/7 Plus (about 25 percent) and 6s/6s Plus (about 12 percent).
Android users switching to iOS also tend to buy a "Plus" model iPhone more than iPhone owners looking for a new device. In total, 39 percent of Android switchers purchased a Plus model, compared to 29 percent of iPhone users buying another iPhone. "With Android manufacturers offering larger form factors for a longer time, it appears that Android owners appreciate iPhones with larger screens, as well," explained CIRP Partner and Co-Founder Mike Levin.
For older models, more former Android owners are buying the 7, 6s, and iPhone SE models than those users buying an iPhone who already previously owned an iPhone. This makes sense, as current iPhone owners are likely moving on to the latest models, while Android switchers are more content with entering Apple's ecosystem with a slightly older model.
“In marketing iPhones, Apple attempts to persuade current users of Google’s Android operating system to switch to its iOS operating system,” said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder.
“Apple has had varying success, with seasonal variation in the percentage of buyers that are making the switch. We analyzed how Android owners that switch to Apple iPhones differ from repeat iPhone buyers. The former Android users gravitate to the lowest-priced iPhone models, which makes sense to us, with Android phones offering a wide range of models, many at relatively low-price points. And since everything on an iPhone is new to them, there is less value in purchasing the latest flagship model with the most advanced features.”
For the iPhone SE, Android switchers purchased the low-cost smartphone at twice the rate as iPhone owners during the six months ending in March 2018, proving the ongoing entry-level popularity of the small device. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Android switchers purchased the iPhone X (currently the most expensive iPhone) at half the rate as iPhone owners.
While today's report focuses on switching operating systems, CIRP's last survey looked at users who stick with an OS and discovered that Android had a 91 percent loyalty rate in 2017, compared to 86 percent for iOS. This meant that for those users surveyed, Android customers were more loyal to the Android operating system than iOS users were to the iOS operating system.
In April, Apple encouraged Android owners to switch to iPhone with a set of new ads in its "Life's easier on iPhone" series. The videos focused on iPhone features like the App Store, Portrait Mode, and Portrait Lighting, and the company linked back to its "Switch" website that's designed for customers who use an Android device or other smartphone and are thinking of switching to an iPhone.
Schoolwork enables teachers to share assignments and announcements with students, track student progress, tailor instructions to student needs, collaborate one-on-one with students, provide instant feedback, and more.
Schoolwork makes it easy to create and send announcements and assignments with almost any type of content, from web links to PDFs and documents, and even specific activities in apps. Students can use Schoolwork to stay organized and keep track of the work they need to complete and when they need to hand it in.
Schoolwork works alongside Apple's existing Classroom app for iPad, and soon Mac. The latter app lets teachers monitor every student's iPad in class.
Classroom on iPad, for example, helps teachers keep students focused on a specific app or website and lets them view student screens during class, share documents with students, assign shared iPads, reset a student's password, and more.
In the latest company rankings, Brand Finance has detailed the 500 Most Valuable Brands in the United States for 2018 [PDF], with Apple earning 2nd place this year and not moving spots from last year. A lot has shifted around the company, however, with Google dropping from 1st place last year to 3rd place this year, and Amazon rising from 3rd to become Brand Finance's #1 most valuable U.S. brand in 2018 (via Business Insider).
According to the methodology, Brand Finance evaluates which brands "are the strongest and most valuable across all markets." This includes an "Enterprise Value," "Branded Business Value," "Brand Contribution," and "Brand Value." The researchers then combine this with a "Brand Strength" index, which calculates a score out of 100 based on three factors: marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance.
Images via Brand Finance
Overall, the researchers found that 2018's results prove companies in the technology sector "have cemented their position as absolute leaders in the market." In first, Amazon grew its brand value 42 percent this year to $150.8 billion, overtaking Apple's stationary spot in second place. Although the company didn't move, it did grow its brand value 37 percent to $146.3 million.
Google grew its brand value 10 percent to $120.9 million, but was still "unable to keep pace with the remarkable growth of the top two brands." Rounding out the top 10 were Facebook in 4th (45 percent brand value growth), AT&T in 5th (5 percent brand value drop), Microsoft in 6th (6 percent growth), Verizon in 7th (5 percent drop), Walmart in 8th (1 percent drop), Wells Fargo in 9th (6 percent growth), and Chase in 10th (15 percent growth).
It's important to note that Brand Finance's rankings don't directly measure each brand's actual revenue or profit from a given year, but focuses instead on its own specialized system to discover a brand's value. Specifically, Brand Finance CEO David Haigh said the corporate brand valuations are compliant with the International Organization for Standardization's 10668 and 20671 specifications.
In other recent rankings, Apple dropped to the 4th spot in Fortune 500's annual list of the top U.S. corporations based on gross revenue. Earlier in the year, the company earned the top spot as the most intimate brand in the U.S for millennials in a list that measured which brands had the deepest emotional connections with respondents.
The BBC is releasing a new free mobile app today called BBC Sounds, which brings together the broadcaster's extensive library of live and on-demand radio, music, and podcasts within a single audio player interface.
The BBC says the app has been designed to learn from the user's listening habits and introduce them to shows and podcasts that they might not otherwise know about, as Dan Taylor-Watt, head of BBC iPlayer, explains:
"Every user's experience of BBC Sounds will be unique as it's designed to learn from your listening habits, providing one-tap access to the latest episodes of your favorite BBC podcasts and radio shows and introducing you to new audio you wouldn't otherwise have discovered from the 80,000 (yes, really) hours available."
This content is delivered in a "Recommended for you" section, which showcases 10 on-demand shows at any one time, and automatically refreshes based on recent listening.
The live radio section of the app retains the virtual tuning dial used in the BBC iPlayer Radio app, which Sounds will eventually replace, and acts as a portal to all of the BBC's 18 national and 40 local stations.
There are also hand-picked collections of podcasts and on-demand music shows on offer to match the listener's mood, like Funny Chat, Upgrade Your Life, Live Sessions, and Dance Mixes.
Podcast and show categories cover the full gamut of content available, such as hip hop, classical, crime, and science and technology, while a "Continue Listening" section highlights podcasts and radio shows that have only been listened to part-way through, as well as next episodes to consider.
Users can add any individual episode or clip to the "My List" section to listen to later. In addition, subscribing to podcasts and programs generates a personalized feed of the latest episodes via the "My Sounds" section.
The BBC says there are several additional features in the pipeline for Sounds this year, including downloads to enable offline listening, so expect updates in the months ahead.
An upcoming version of the AirPods charging case will be able to wirelessly charge a compatible iPhone, according to Nikkei Asian Review, although proceed with skepticism, as there's a good chance the report is off the mark.
The first paragraph from Cheng Ting-Fang and Lauly Li, in a report titled "Apple to unveil iPhone wireless charging with AirPods":
Users of iPhones will soon be able to wirelessly charge their handsets using the charging case for Apple's popular AirPods wireless earphones, according to an industry source familiar with the plan.
The report claims the charging case could be available as soon as the end of this year, although the timeframe is subject to change.
The report adds:
The development would add to Apple's much-anticipated AirPower wireless charging mat, unveiled last year and due out soon, bringing chief designer Jony Ive's call in 2016 for a "truly wireless future" a step closer. Apple has previously said it is working on a wireless charging case for AirPods that could also be topped up with the AirPower pad, though it gave no further details.
All in all, it's a rather strange report that inspires a lot of questions. Would a user hold or lay their iPhone against the AirPods charging case? The case's current floss-container-like design means that the iPhone would need to be precisely balanced on top of it, if not held together in your hands.
In addition, the AirPods case is and will likely remain too small to adequately charge the latest iPhones. The battery in the current case has a capacity of 398 mAh, roughly 14.6 percent of the iPhone X's battery capacity of 2,716 mAh, limiting its usefulness to emergency or must-have situations.
Is the report backwards? Is it possible some iPhones will be able to wirelessly transfer power to the AirPods charging case on the go? Or, more likely, is the report simply mistranslating the fact that the latest iPhones and the AirPods charging case will be compatible with the AirPower charging mat?
At this point, all we know for certain is that Apple will release both its AirPower charging mat and optional AirPods charging case later this year. According to the reliable Mark Gurman, Apple is aiming to release the AirPower by September, so there's a good chance it'll launch alongside the next iPhones.
The Wi-Fi Alliance has officially started certifying WPA3, the next-generation security standard for wireless networking devices (via Engadget). The new protocol addresses a number of potential vulnerabilities that exist in WPA2 for both personal and enterprise networking environments.
Amongst the enhancements, WPA3-Personal includes a more robust password-based authentication system that reduces the chances of a hacker guessing your password, individualized data encryption to protect against Wi-Fi eavesdropping, and the ability to protect data traffic even if a password is compromised after the data was transmitted.
On the enterprise side, WPA3 also offers an optional mode using 192-bit minimum-strength security protocols, as well as cryptographic tools to better protect sensitive data.
WPA3 also includes new quick-setup options for smart home devices through Easy Connect, a smartphone-based feature for users to set up wireless devices that lack displays.
Support for WPA3 must be built into devices for the protocol to be enabled, so it won't start coming into general use for a while yet. The good news is that WPA3 will retain interoperability with WPA2 devices, so there won't be a need to update every device on the same network.
The Wi-Fi Alliance expects WPA3 certification to increase over the next year, and as adoption grows, the protocol should eventually become a market requirement for all Wi-Fi certified devices.
Mozilla has announced a new security tool for users of its Firefox web browser. Called Firefox Monitor, the website lets visitors check if their accounts have been included in known data breaches and the types of data exposed in each breach.
The security tool is the result of a partnership between Mozilla and HaveIBeenPwned.com (HIBP), a site set up by security researcher Troy Hunt that includes a database of email addresses that are known to have been compromised in data breaches.
Thanks to the partnership, Firefox is able to check email addresses against the HIBP database via a method of anonymized data sharing (full details can be found in Troy Hunt's blog post). The new tool builds on Firefox's existing HIBP integration, which tells users if a site they are visiting was previously exposed in a data breach.
In February, password management app 1Password announced its own partnership with HIBP, which lets users check that their passwords haven't been leaked online. Since that time, developers AgileBits have built the Pwned Passwords database list into its 1Password desktop apps. As of today, users can also search HIBP from directly within 1Password via the Watchtower feature in the web version of the product.
Mozilla says it will begin trialling the new integration between HIBP and Firefox to make breach data searchable over the coming weeks.
Firefox Quantum is available for macOS as a free download directly from the Mozilla website.
Apple CEO Tim Cook this evening sat down for an interview with Fortune's Adam Lashinsky to discuss education, privacy, human rights, and immigration, and to explain why Apple takes a strong stance on these topics.
According to Cook, Apple has always been about "changing the world" and that's not something that can happen "when you stay quiet," but there are no specific guidelines that Apple follows when deciding to speak out.
We've always been about changing the world and it became clear to me some number of years ago that you don't do that by staying quiet on things that matter. For us, that's been the driving issue. There's no formula for when you speak and when you don't. The way I think about it... is it something Apple has a special expertise on? I don't want Apple to be another talking head. We should only speak when we have specific knowledge to bring to the subject.
Do we have standing? Do we have a right to talk about this issue? It's not enough to be a large company to speak. I think about that, and so what that means for us is that we typically speak about education, privacy, human rights, immigration, and the environment because there's something we have where we can bring a point of view -- it may be discounted and most people may view it to be incorrect -- but nevertheless it is a point of view we can share.
Cook went on to say that he doesn't think businesses should deal only in commercial things. "Business to me is nothing more than a collection of people and if people have values -- and I argue we should -- then by extension companies should have values." Companies should speak out after evaluating whether or not a subject is a core value, says Cook.
Ask yourself -- is it a core value of your company? [...] If something happens that isn't consistent with those, then I think you need to speak. Think about if you don't -- then you're in the appalling silence of good people category and this is something I've never wanted to be a part of.
Apple has spoken out on immigration specifically because Apple employs many immigrants. "We've got over 300 folks here on DACA," Cook said. "I want to stand up for them." Apple also has several thousand people that are on H1B visas who may be in "the deep green card back log," which Cook says gives Apple a unique perspective to share on the topic. "There are real people behind this that have real feelings," he explained.
As for diversity, Apple "has a lot of different people from a lot of different places" and is "accepting of people everywhere" which has led Cook to believe that the company has something unique to offer in conversations about diversity, which is also tied to the company's views on human rights and one of the reasons why Cook spoke out on recent U.S. immigration policy that saw children separated from their parents, which he called "inhumane." "Ultimately, that is what human rights are, treating people with dignity and respect," he told Lashinsky.
While Apple is quick to speak out on policies surrounding immigration, diversity, human rights, and similar topics, Cook clarified that Apple does not "get into politics."
We just stick to the policy. If you do that, most people will respect that. Even when people disagree, they will respect that that's what you're doing.
In response to people who think companies should stick to making good products and making good money rather than, Cook said he doesn't believe the majority of people want that. Apple, he reiterated, does not get into politics -- it's about policy.
Apple doesn't give one dollar to political campaigns. We discuss privacy policy, we discuss immigration policy, we discuss corporate tax reform, the policies around tax reform. I think most people look at that and say that makes sense. [...]
The CEO of Apple is never going to fulfill the mission of changing the world in today's environment by doing that. You're not going to be able to do all that you can by staying quiet.
On the topic of privacy, Cook said that Apple's view on privacy started from its values and then its business model was built to live up to those values.
We felt strongly about privacy when no one cared. We could not see the specific details, but we could see that the building of the detailed profile of people likely would result in significant harm over time. That it could be used for too many nefarious things. We think that people in today's environment don't have a full view of who has what and how much of their lives has been opened to commercial entities and public entities.
Cook discussed Apple's newly announced decision to add a curated Midterm Election section to the Apple News app. Cook said Apple has always believed in curation, pointing towards the App Store. "We felt like this is our store and it says something about us as to what's in there," he said. "And so we've done that from day one and we've taken that same view to news."
Apple added a news section because "news is going kind of crazy." It doesn't mean, however, that people who use an iPhone have to rely on Apple News, because users can "get content from anywhere else" if they "don't like it."
Cook says that Apple wants to make sure people are reading content that's not created "strictly with the goal of enraging people." The company wants to focus on "content that has a reason to be out there," with news to be sourced from conservative outlets, liberal outlets, and "in between if there is such a thing anymore." Cook says the 2018 Midterm Election section of Apple News will include a spectrum of content from a variety of sources with no specific political agenda.
There were also some questions relating to the new Screen Time feature in iOS 12, and Cook says Apple never wanted people to overuse its products. For him, Screen Time has caused to cut down on iPhone usage, specifically when it comes to notifications, because the number of notifications he was receiving was "crazy." "We want everyone to have this information," he said. "And then you can do what you want with it."
The final topic of discussion was on long term vs. short term investments, and Cook said that Apple often makes investments that are 7 to 10 years out. If he was "king for a day," 90 day earnings reports "would be flushed" because they're a "remnant of a different day and time." Cook said that as a CEO, when it comes to dealing with the board on short term performance, "you have to look yourself in the mirror and say I'm going to take the heat."
The interview wrapped up with Lashinsky asking Cook how long he planned to be CEO, with his seventh anniversary approaching. "It is the privilege of a lifetime to be at Apple and to lead the company and hopefully I've got some good time left," answered Cook.
Cook's full interview may be made available by Fortune at a later date, and if that's the case, we'll update this post with a link so that it can be watched in its entirety.
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.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to speak at Fortune's CEO Initiative in San Francisco, California tonight, with Fortune planning to share a live stream of the event.
The CEO Initiative, an invite-only event, will kick off at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time, with Cook set to appear at 6:05 p.m. It's not clear what Tim Cook will talk about, but the topic of the Initiative is "companies doing well by doing good."
Fortune's CEO Initiative, an invite-only event that takes place on June 25 and 26 in San Francisco, is devoted to the topic of companies doing well by doing good. The theory is that infusing businesses with a broader purpose can help with recruiting, attracting new customers, and improving corporate images.
Cook is a prime example of a leader who has worked to use Apple's influence to champion important social causes, such as diversity and equality.
The live stream of Fortune's event can be watched at 6:05 p.m. Pacific Time/9:05 p.m. Eastern Time on the Fortune website.
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.
Apple today released the first public beta of iOS 12 for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models, enabling users who aren't signed up for the Apple Developer Program to test the software update ahead of its official release in the fall.
While iOS 12 introduces several new features, it is designed to work on all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models that can run iOS 11, and the company says it has focused on bringing performance improvements to both old and new devices.
That said, iOS 12 is pre-release software, so installing the Public Beta on a secondary device is highly recommended. The stability of beta software cannot be guaranteed, as it often contains bugs and issues that have yet to be ironed out, so installing it on your day-to-day device isn't advised.
Installing the Public Beta shouldn't take longer than half an hour, but first you should create a backup of your device's contents and settings. The following step-by-step instructions are given for iPhone, but apply to iPad and iPod touch just the same.
How to Create a Backup of Your Device in iTunes
Connect your iOS device to a Mac or PC using a Lightning to USB cable.
Open iTunes.
Click the device's icon in the top-left menu.
Under Backups, click This computer.
Tick the Encrypt iPhone backup checkbox if you want to back up your login credentials and any Health and HomeKit data.
Click Back Up Now.
Click iTunes -> Preferences… in the macOS menu bar.
Click the Devices tab.
Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the new backup, and select Archive from the contextual dropdown menu.
How to Enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program
Now that you've backed up your device, you're ready to download the iOS 12 Public Beta. To do so, you must enroll your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in the free Apple Beta Software Program.
Tap the Sign up button, or sign in if you're already a member.
Enter your Apple ID credentials and tap the Sign in button.
Agree to the Apple Beta Software Program terms and conditions if necessary.
A Guide for Public Betas screen will appear. Select the iOS tab, scroll down to the Get Started section and tap enroll your iOS device.
On the Enroll Your Devices screen, with the iOS tab selected, scroll down and tap the Download profile button.
Tap "iPhone" or "iPad" when prompted to choose a device.
Tap Allow.
Tap Install and follow the prompts to install the iOS Beta Software Profile.
Restart your device after installing the profile by tapping the restart popup.
How to Install the iOS 12 Public Beta
Once you're enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program, you can install the iOS 12 Public Beta on your iOS device just as you would a regular software update.
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Tap General.
Tap Software Update.
Tap Download and Install.
Tap Install Now.
If you come across any issues installing the iOS 12 Public Beta, it may help to clear any previous profiles lingering on your device. You can find these in the Settings app under General -> Profile.
Apple this afternoon released the first public beta of iOS 12 to its public beta testing group, giving non-developers a chance to test the software ahead of its upcoming fall release. The first public beta of iOS 12 should correspond to the second developer beta, which was released last week.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 12 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.
Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. Before installing a beta, make sure to create a full encrypted iTunes backup or an iCloud backup and be sure to install iOS 12 on a secondary device because beta software is not always stable and can include bugs.
iOS 12 is a significant update to the iOS operating system, introducing Group FaceTime, local multiplayer shared AR experiences, new Animoji, and a Memoji feature that's designed to let you create a personalized Animoji that looks just like you.
Animoji, stickers, text, and more can be used in FaceTime and the Messages app, and there's a new Screen Time feature to help customers understand and manage the amount of time they're spending on their iOS devices. New Do Not Disturb features make it easier to manage notifications, as do interactive notification options and notification grouping.
Siri has been improved in iOS 12 with Siri Shortcuts, which is designed to allow Siri to work with any app, and Siri is also smarter and able to provide info on motorsports, food, and celebrities.
Under-the-hood improvements to iOS 12 will make everyday tasks on the iPhone and iPad faster and more responsive, with the camera launching up to 70 percent faster and the keyboard showing up to 50 percent faster.
iOS 12 will be available to developers and public beta testers as a beta for several months to allow Apple to work out kinks and bugs. The update will see a launch this fall.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 12 update to its public beta testing group, giving non-developers a chance to try out the new software ahead of its fall public release.
The first beta of tvOS 12 available to public beta testers corresponds with the second tvOS 12 update made available to developers. Developers have had access to tvOS 12 since June 4, when Apple introduced new versions of tvOS, iOS, macOS, and watchOS at WWDC.
The tvOS 12 public beta can be obtained by going to the Settings app on the Apple TV and navigating to the Software Updates section under "System." "Get Public Beta Updates" will need to be toggled on, and once it is, the Apple TV will download the beta software.
tvOS 12 introduces long-awaited support for Dolby Atmos, and when tvOS 12 launches this fall, iTunes will be home to the largest collection of Dolby Atmos-supported movies. As with the launch of 4K HDR, previously purchased content will be upgraded to include Dolby Atmos on all supported titles at no cost.
tvOS 12 brings a new zero sign-on feature that's designed to let cable subscribers watch live channels and on-demand programs that they're entitled to through their cable subscription simply by being logged into their home internet networks. This is something that will be limited to Charter Spectrum users to begin with.
Other tvOS 12 features include autofill passwords from the iPhone to sign into Apple TV apps more quickly, and support for Home Control systems like Crestron and Savant, which will be able to be used to control the Apple TV. Apple also plans to make the Apple TV Remote a default option in Control Center on iOS devices, and there are new aerial screensavers created with help from the International Space Station.
tvOS 12 will see a public launch this fall, and until that time, will be limited to developers and public beta testers as Apple works out bugs and other kinks.
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