MacRumors

Apple has partnered with hearing implants company Cochlear to launch the first made for iPhone Cochlear implant, which can stream audio from a compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch directly to a surgically embedded sound processor (via TechCrunch). Cochlear implants are reserved for people with profound hearing loss that traditional hearing aids can't help to alleviate, and consist of both an internal and external component.

Thanks to the Apple-approved certification, patients can control the Cochlear implant directly from their Apple device and not have to download and launch a separate iOS app. Users can navigate to their iPhone Settings app, click General, and then Accessibility, and find their the Cochlear hearing implant -- with a Nucleus 7 Sound Processor -- listed for them under "hearing devices."

“The approval of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is a turning point for people with hearing loss, opening the door for them to make phone calls, listen to music in high-quality stereo sound, watch videos and have FaceTime calls streamed directly to their Cochlear implant,” Cochlear CEO Chris Smith said in a statement. “This new sound processor builds on our long-standing commitment to help more people with hearing loss connect with others and live a full life.”

After being paired, users can control the implant's volume using their iOS device's volume controls, and any audio can be sent into the implant including phone calls and music playback. In addition, the external component of the Nucleus 7 is said to have a longer battery while being smaller and 24 percent lighter than the previous version of the device.

There have been other audio-assisting technologies that Apple has showcased in the past, like the ReSound LiNX 3D hearing aid, and speaking with TechCrunch the company reiterated its intent to push accessibility features in every version of iOS.

“We wanted to see something that could become ubiquitous out in the world,” Apple’s Sarah Herrlinger, senior manager for global accessibility policy and initiatives told TechCrunch. “We want everybody to use our technology and to say ‘wow my iPhone is the best piece of technology I’ve ever used before’…with every iteration of our operating system our goal is to add in new accessibility features in order to expand the support that we can give to people all over the world.”

In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day this year, Apple held a concert at One Infinite Loop with headliner Stevie Wonder performing for employees during the event. Following the release of a collection of accessibility-focused "designed for" videos, CEO Tim Cook sat down and talked about macOS and iOS accessibility features with YouTubers who use these features daily.

Earlier in May, news came out that Facebook was working to develop a slate of television shows that would combine short 5-10 minute videos with big-budget, cable-length dramatic series in a new video section on the popular social network. After a delay, people familiar with the company's plans are pointing towards a mid-August debut for the new TV-focused Facebook update (via Bloomberg).

Facebook is said to be asking its video partners to deliver the first episodes of their "spotlight shows," mainly focusing on the shorter and more inexpensive programs that will run under 10 minutes in length. The longer marquee series will launch "later on the site," and presumably on the main iOS app and video-focused Apple TV app.

The company has been asking its partners to turn in the first episodes of their spotlight shows, the people said. Some already have finished these short-form, inexpensive programs. Facebook is also funding higher-end TV-style shows, which will be launched later on the site, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public.

The new video section will offer the social network’s more than 2 billion users a mix of scripted and user-generated content. Facebook aims to make something higher-end than Google’s YouTube, but it’s not competing with video producers such as Netflix, HBO and Showtime.

Even though it doesn't want to enter the market as a competitor to such big networks, Facebook hopes to use the TV content to gain a cut of the overall advertising market that's traditionally associated with cable networks. To this end, Facebook has already hired former MTV executive Mina Lefevre to oversee its push into original TV shows, one of which is said to be a dating series from media partner Condé Nast.

Original TV production is becoming a focus for many companies that aren't normally associated with scripted television content, with Snapchat having already launched short-form shows on its app, and Twitter gearing up for a big 24/7 live news network in partnership with Bloomberg.

Apple Music has also become Apple's home for its first original TV content, having debuted Planet of the Apps in June and getting ready for the launch of Carpool Karaoke: The Series in August. Down the line, Apple intends to launch its own traditional TV-length dramatic content with shows from potential partners like J.J. Abrams, guided by two former Sony executives who are helping to create the slate of original TV shows.

U.S. District Judge William Conley today ordered Apple to pay $506 million to the University of Wisconsin's Alumni Research Foundation for infringing on a patent related to computer processing technology used in its A7, A8, and A8X chips, reports Reuters.

The $506 million total is more than double the $234 million in damages that a Jury ordered Apple to pay back in 2015, with Conley adding an extra $272 million. According to Conley, Apple owes additional damages along with interest because Apple continued to infringe on the patent until it expired at the end of 2016.

The lawsuit in question dates back to 2014, when the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation accused Apple of infringing on a patent titled "Table based data speculation circuit for parallel processing computer," that was originally granted in 1998 and covers a method for improving processor efficiency.

A jury ruled that Apple's A7, A8, and A8X processors infringe on the patent, and the university has also filed a second lawsuit covering Apple's A9 chips, which has not yet been ruled on.

Apple plans to appeal the judge's decision.

Kanex today announced availability of its GoPlay Sidekick wireless game controller for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. The pocket-sized controller, introduced at CES 2017, can be purchased from Kanex's website starting today for $59.95. A company spokesperson told MacRumors it will also be available on Amazon next week.

The console-inspired game controller features pressure-sensitive buttons, dual analog joysticks, trigger buttons, a directional pad, and a Lightning connector, while one of its more interesting features is its patent pending protective clamshell case with an integrated stand that props up an iPhone during gameplay.

The controller, certified under Apple's MFi Program, connects to Apple devices over Bluetooth 4.0 and offers up to 20 hours of gameplay on a single charge. It works with almost any controller-supported game on the App Store.

Competing products sold by Apple include the SteelSeries Nimbus Wireless Gaming Controller and HORIPAD ULTIMATE Wireless Game Controller, each $49.95 in the United States. Prices vary in other countries.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 11 update to its public beta testing group, two weeks after providing testers with the second beta. The tvOS 11 public beta marks the first time public beta testers have had access to pre-release tvOS software, and this third beta corresponds to the fourth developer beta.

Prior to tvOS 11, public betas were limited to iOS and macOS software likely due to the slightly more complicated tvOS beta installation process, but now public beta testers can access all software platforms with the exception of watchOS thanks to new installation procedures.

The tvOS 11 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.

Compared to iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, and watchOS 4, tvOS 11 is a minor update that brings few changes to the tvOS operating system. It's minor enough that it received no time on stage at the Worldwide Developers Conference aside from a mention of an Amazon Prime Video app coming to the Apple TV this fall.

According to Apple's release notes, tvOS 11 introduces automatic light/dark appearance switching based on local time, Home screen syncing options for syncing content between two or more Apple TVs in a household, new background modes and notification support, plus new tools for developers and improvements to Mobile Device Management.

Additional tvOS 11 features may be unveiled ahead of the operating system's public release, which is expected to be in the fall alongside other software updates.

Apple has shared a new 60-second black-and-white Apple Music ad starring chart-topping American country singer Brantley Gilbert.

I love the feeling out here. The freedom. The simplicity. The open road. This is my home. No matter where I go, my heart stays here. With my friends, my family. Just country. There's nothing that replaces the feeling of getting out there and letting it all go in the wind. People you meet, memories you share, and the soundtrack that drives it. My country. My people. My music. Apple Music.

The commercial features snippets of Gilbert's latest single, The Ones That Like Me, plus country and rock classics such as Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf.

"I've never been one for commercials," says the man who's certified back-to-back platinum for Halfway To Heavenand Just As I Am. "But when we started talking to the folks at Apple, they were saying, 'We want to capture you, the way you live and the values you hold. We want people to see your world, show them what you hear and respond to. If they see you, it says everything.'"

The ad debuted on NBC's pre-race show for NASCAR's annual Brickyard 400, sponsored by Gilbert and his label, on Sunday.

Gilbert has released three studio albums since signing with Big Machine Records in 2011, with four chart-topping singles such as Bottoms Up. He also wrote country singer Jason Aldean's popular singles My Kinda Party and Dirt Road Anthem.

When Pinterest acquired keyboard app maker Fleksy last summer, development was paused on the company's well-known iOS and Android keyboard apps as the team was integrated into Pinterest's projects. The companies said that Fleksy would continue to exist with minimal updates, but otherwise not much news has come out about the keyboard app, until today.

Now, Barcelona-based keyboard startup Thingthing [iOS App Store Direct Link] announced in a blog post this morning that it will take over development of the Fleksy keyboard, while the original Fleksy team continues to work at Pinterest (via TechCrunch). Thingthing said that thanks to the deal, the company is "closer than ever to our goal of bringing you the world’s first Keyboard as a Platform (KaaP)."

The company highlighted improvements coming to Fleksy + Gif Keyboard on the iOS App Store [Direct Link] and Android devices over the coming months, including: "A new brand, more themes and extensions, continued focus on data privacy, awesome auto-correction, new services thanks to our open keyboard as a platform, [and] ongoing support to all of you!"

For now, the company updated Fleksy with a few basic bug fixes today, while a "very, very big" product launch is expected sometime this fall.

Thingthing users are used to being productive, using the keyboard’s interface to improve their typing experience and reducing time to realise day-to-day activities, which are performed naturally in Thingthing.

Still, a lot of you have requested more languages, more services, more customization, a better auto-correct, etc. This is exactly what we’re bringing to you: what you asked for.

Thingthing's chief technical officer mentioned that the developer intends to "vastly improve" upon the current Fleksy keyboard with these updates, building the keyboard up into a platform of its own with extensions for apps like Spotify, YouTube, and more. The upcoming brand refresh will be centered on changing the design and feel of the app and its logo, while the Fleksy name will remain in place.

Earlier in July, a report by The Korea Herald suggested that Apple and supplier LG Display were working on a deal that would see Apple investing $1.75-2.62 billion into LG Display's OLED manufacturing, specifically a plant that would be exclusively devoted to Apple orders. Today, Reuters has provided a few more details on LG Display's plans to enter the OLED display market for smartphones, which rival Samsung Display currently dominates.

In total, LG Display plans to invest $13.5 billion into boosting its output of OLED screens over the next three years, covering TV screens and specifically hoping to "make inroads against rival Samsung in smartphone displays." LG Display is already the OLED leader in large-screen television displays, but now the supplier is said to be seeking a strong foothold in the OLED screen market for smartphones, coming in the wake of OLED-backed iPhone 8 rumors and Apple's reported plans to go OLED-only on iPhones beginning in 2019, and perhaps even 2018.

LG Display will invest around $4.5 billion for a new production line that will create flexible OLED panels to help bolster its position in the auto display and smartphone market, and another $2.5 billion will be saved for another line of "large-size OLED screens." In regards to lines dedicated to small and mid-sized OLED displays, it's said that Apple will help out with getting the lines up and running, continuing the investment rumors began earlier this month.

Around 5 trillion won is earmarked for a new line for flexible OLED aimed at bolstering its position in auto displays and smartphones while 2.8 trillion won will go toward a separate new line for large-size OLED screens. Both production lines will be located in Paju, northwest of Seoul. Its planned 15 trillion won investment over three years implies an average of 5 trillion won in capital spending per year, above its usual 4 trillion won, but analysts said it will probably not be enough.

"For small and mid-sized OLED, it is expected to receive additional investment from somewhere else, perhaps Apple," said Lee Min-hee, analyst at Heungkuk Securities. "One production line for small and mid-sized OLED can require nearly 10 trillion won in investment. LG doesn't have the firepower to single-handedly build a lot of OLED production lines."

Apple's current OLED deal with Samsung will see the manufacturer supply 92 million OLED panels over the next two years. In The Korea Herald's report from early July, it was rumored that LG Display's OLED output for Apple would gear up in 2019, aligning with the end of Apple's contract with Samsung. A rumor this week has also pointed towards Apple's plans to develop its own OLED technology to reduce its reliance on suppliers like Samsung Display.

Apple's launch of the first-ever OLED iPhone is widely expected to be coming later this fall, in the majorly redesigned "iPhone 8," while more iterative updates in the "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus" will receive traditional LCD screens.