MacRumors


Adobe today updated its Lightroom apps for the iPad and the iPhone, introducing a new selective brush, a details tab, a refreshed interface for the iPad, and enhanced support for features like the Apple Pencil and 3D Touch.

Both Lightroom for iOS and Lightroom for iPad feature a new Selective Brush tool, which can be used to selectively paint enhancements on any part of an image. On the iPhone, the Selective Brush takes advantage of 3D Touch for pressure sensitivity, and on the iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil can be used for the same effect. The Selective Brush works with exposure, brightness, clarity, and more.

adobelightroomselectivebrush
Adobe has also added the ability to selectively erase linear and radial gradients for a wider range of effects, and there's a new Details Tab that offers global control over sharpening and noise reduction. On the iPhone, there's also a new "Show Highlight Clipping" feature available when using the in-app camera that displays overexposed areas to allow users to adjust exposure before capturing a photo.

For the iPad version of Lightroom, Adobe has introduced an entirely new interface that's designed for the larger screen of an iPad.

Lightroom can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [iPad: Direct Link] [iPhone: Direct Link]

Panic today announced the launch of Transmit 5, the newest version of its popular Mac-based file transfer app. Transmit 5 is a massive update, introducing an improved UI, new features, additional servers, and a Panic Sync feature.

According to Panic, everything from the core file transfer engine to the "Get Info" experience was entirely rethought, overhauled, and improved, for an even better file management experience.

transmit5
For those unfamiliar with Transmit, it's designed to allow users to upload, download, and manage files on local and remote servers, turning file management into a simple drag-and-drop affair with a clean easy-to-use interface. Transmit 5 works with FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and S3, and it connects to Backblaze B2, Box, Google Drive, DreamObjects, Dropbox, Microsoft Azure, and Rackspace.

The new version of Transmit also features Panic Sync, designed to offer a quick and safe way to sync sites and keep Panic data up to date across all apps and devices. Panic Sync is part of another major change - Transmit 5's absence from the Mac App Store.

Panic will not be releasing Transmit 5 in the Mac App Store, which, the company explains, is due to its inability to offer a demo through Apple's storefront. "This allows us to distribute a demo which we think is extremely helpful for people considering Transmit," reads an FAQ on the blog post announcing the release.

Panic says the company plans to "constantly re-evaluate" the Mac App Store and hopes to return at some point, presumably if Apple introduces a wider range of features for developers, such as free trials and demos.

Transmit 5 is priced at $35 for the next week, and after that, the price will go up to $45. There is no upgrade discount for customers who have purchased an earlier version of Transmit, but those who purchased Transmit 4 after June 1 can get a free update.

A free trial is available from the Transmit 5 website for those who would like to try Transmit before making a purchase.

Tag: Panic

Apple today announced the air date for its newest music-related documentary that will be shown exclusively on Apple Music, Kygo: Stole the Show. The documentary, which chronicles the life of Norwegian DJ and musician Kygo, will premiere on Apple Music on Wednesday, July 26.

Apple shared the air date in a new trailer that has been uploaded to the company's YouTube channel. Starting with the early stage's of Kygo's career, the documentary will follow his journey as he works his way up to a mega performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York, an event that took place in January of 2016.

The film offers fans a chance to see an intimate and unfiltered side of Kygo and his team as they prepare for an unprecedented moment in Kygo's career. The documentary features cameos from a few of Kygo's closest friends and collaborators including Steve Aoki, Lyor Cohen, Julia Michaels, Pete Tong, Martin Garrix, Parson James, and more. With an upcoming sophomore studio album due for release later this year, Stole the Show offers riveting insight into the artist's origin, creative process, and aspirations, along with never-before-seen behind the scenes footage, showcasing who Kygo is both on and off the stage.

Apple has been focusing heavily on exclusive video content for Apple Music in recent months, and Stole the Show will follow Can't Stop Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story, the documentary that follows the rise of Sean Combs, aka "Puff Daddy," and the rise of Bad Boy Records throughout the 1990s. Can't Stop Won't Stop premiered as an Apple Music exclusive on June 26.

Other original content includes Planet of the Apps, which launched in June, and Carpool Karaoke: The Series, set to premiere on August 8.

logic pro x iconApple today updated its professional audio editing software Logic Pro X to version 10.3.2, introducing bug fixes, performance improvements, and a couple of new features.

Today's update brings three new Drummers able to play percussion in the styles of Pop, Songwriter, and Latin, and the new Drummer loops can be added to songs and customized with performance controls.

Apple has also improved the responsiveness of the graphical user interface, introduced an automatic time align feature for improved morphing in Alchemy, and debuted new tools for fine tuning the pitch of an audio region. The full change list is below:

What's New in Version 10.3.2
- Includes 3 Drummers who play percussion in the styles of Pop, Songwriter, and Latin
- New Drummer loops can be added to your song and then customized with performance controls
- The pitch of an audio region can now be transposed or fine tuned
- Improves responsiveness of the graphical user interface
- Alchemy includes an automatic time align feature for improved morphing
- New additive effects in Alchemy expand the options for filtering and modulating sound
- The length of individual steps in the Arpeggiator plug-in are adjustable
- Volume automation resets as expected when a cycle returns to the beginning
- Low Latency Mode works as expected for hardware outputs above Output 1-2

Apple has also updated Logic Pro X companion app MainStage 3 with stability and performance improvements.

Logic Pro X can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $199.99. [Direct Link]

MainStage 3 can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $29.99. [Direct Link]

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group today announced that its Bluetooth technology has been updated with support for mesh networking, designed to create large-scale device networks by connecting multiple Bluetooth devices to one another.

Bluetooth calls these "many-to-many" connections, which can support just a handful of devices or up to thousands. In a home setting, the mesh feature will be useful for connecting smart home devices to one another to establish a network that spans an entire house, with no areas that are out of range.


Mesh networks are an improvement over single-point connections because a Bluetooth signal can be transmitted from device to device, reaching further distances. Some products, like the ZigBee-based Philips Hue line of lights, already use mesh networking techniques that are similar to what's being implemented today.

Bluetooth mesh also has many commercial uses, because it creates a reliable network with no single point of failure, it can scale to support thousands of nodes, it supports multi-vendor interoperability, and it offers industrial-grade security. Bluetooth SIG believes Bluetooth mesh will be essential for commercial building and factory automation.

bluetoothmesh

"By adding support for mesh networking, the Bluetooth member community is continuing a long history of focused innovation to help new, up-and-coming markets flourish," said Mark Powell, executive director for Bluetooth SIG, Inc. "In the same way the connected device market experienced rapid growth after the introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy, we believe Bluetooth mesh networking can play a vital role in helping early stage markets, such as building automation and wireless sensor networks, experience more rapid growth."

Existing devices that support Bluetooth 4.0 or 5.0 can be updated with support for Bluetooth mesh, but implementing support requires a firmware update.

Bluetooth mesh networking specifications and the tools that qualify Bluetooth products with networking support are available on the Bluetooth Website. Bluetooth SIG told The Verge that it often takes approximately six months for manufacturers to adopt new Bluetooth technology, but mesh could start rolling out sooner because it doesn't require new hardware.

Apple Pay continues its global expansion today with several new participating banks, and more coming soon, in France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, and the UK.

AIB Ireland Apple Pay 2
In France, Apple says Apple Pay will be available later this year to Banque BCP and Arkéa Banque Privée customers, and through mobile-only banking and/or payment solutions Orange Bank, Lydia, and N26.

In Italy, as promised, Apple Pay is available now for American Express credit cards issued directly by American Express.

In Ireland, Apple Pay is available now at AIB, one of the so-called "Big Four" financial institutions in the country.

apple pay caixabank
In Spain, Apple says Apple Pay will be available later this year at CaixaBank and mobile-only banking app imaginBank. Visa in general will also begin supporting Apple Pay in Spain by the end of the year.

In the UK, Apple Pay is now supported by mobile-only banking app Starling Bank.

Earlier this month, Apple announced several other new and forthcoming banks with Apple Pay support in France, Italy, and Spain. Apple maintains a complete list of Apple Pay participating banks in Europe on its website.

Update: Canadian bank Tangerine says its debit cards now work with Apple Pay following credit card support last year. (Thanks, Chris!)

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

One year after launching its first Bluetooth-enabled smart toothbrush with the Sonicare Flexcare Platinum device, Philips this week announced the all-new Sonicare DiamondClean Smart Sonic toothbrush. The toothbrush packs in the usual array of features found in other smart toothbrushes, including brush coaching and smartphone connectivity, as well as including a revamped brush head system and inductive charging through an included glass cup.

philips toothbrush 3
Like its previous toothbrush, Philips' DiamondClean device includes a variety of sensors that guide users through customized brushing routines, provides real-time feedback through the connected iPhone and Android app, and keeps track of data collected overtime within the app. The app provides a 3D mouth map, highlighting problematic areas that users might miss while brushing, as well as potential issues like bleeding areas and cavities.

philips toothbrush 2
The new brush head system also intends to make choosing a brushing mode easier than the Flexcare Platinum toothbrush. With included microchips in each head, when users snap on one of the four new heads -- plaque control, gum care, whitening, and fresh breath -- the DiamondClean will automatically set the routine for the related activity in the brush head that's been connected. The toothbrush tracks how long and how hard each brush head has been used, and warns the user when it's nearing time to replace them.

"Philips is committed to developing products that have a positive impact on people's lives. Through our research we know that consumers want to achieve their healthiest smile, but don't often know how they are doing in between visits to their dental professional," said Alexander Harris, Senior Marketing Director, Philips Oral Healthcare.

"We developed Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart while working closely with dental professionals to eliminate the guesswork from tooth brushing. Backed by our most recent research and insights, we are able to provide users with data and knowledge that will help them achieve a complete clean, every time."

To charge the toothbrush, Philips has included its inductive charging glass cup -- which doubles as a rinsing glass -- with a base that users connect to a wall outlet, and when the DiamondCare toothbrush is placed inside it instantly begins charging. Included in the box is a deluxe travel case as well, so if users are on the go they can recharge the toothbrush using a connected USB cable. One full charge via either charging option will provide up to two weeks of battery for the toothbrush.

philips toothbrush 4
The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart Toothbrush comes in white, black, pink, and sliver and starts at $229.99 with two brush heads, rising to $269.99 with three brush heads, and $329.99 with a full set of the new brush heads. Those interested can also find the toothbrush on Amazon. The DiamondClean toothbrush uses the same connected iPhone app, Philips Sonicare [Direct Link], that the company debuted with the Flexcare toothbrush last year.

A new iPhone-compatible augmented reality headset has been announced today, called the Mira Prism, and it allows users to plug their iPhone 6, 6s, or 7 into a headset and interact with holographic images overlaid onto real-world objects.

The iPhone 7 sits facing away from the user when placed within the Mira Prism, and then a pair of mirrors reflects what's on the iPhone's screen and positions it on the front glass lenses, providing the augmented reality effect. The headset's app includes a collection of solo and collaborative AR experiences that are displayed above the included Mira launchpad, and any user without a headset can see what others are seeing in AR through the iPhone app's "Spectator Mode."

mira prism headset

No plugs, computers, or wires needed. No matter where you are, simply open the Mira app on your smartphone, slide it into the Prism headset, and begin exploring the wonders of interactive holographic content.

The Mira Prism comes with a motion-based remote control for interacting with the various AR experiences provided by the headset, and the company said that more games and apps will becoming thanks to the Mira SDK. Engadget had a chance to check out the Mira Prism, and described a few of the games available on the AR headset:

Even though I only had a few minutes with the Prism, I was impressed with what I saw. I'm used to trying on headsets that are too expensive for most people to buy, so it was a bit of a shock that it worked at all. Beyond the initial setup experience, I played a holographic game that involved maneuvering a character through a maze, which relied on the controller's motion controls. Another game had me spinning around in my chair to destroy asteroids hovering all around me. I was particularly surprised how well Prism tracked virtual objects in AR, even though it doesn't have any spatial mapping technology like HoloLens and Meta.

One Mira Prism device comes with the headset, remote, launchpad, carrying case, lens cover, and a pair of AAA batteries for the remote, as well as software including Mira's core apps and a premium game bundle. In terms of hardware specs, the headset has a 60-degree field of view and a total resolution of 1334 x 750.


Users interested can pre-order the Mira Prism for $99 beginning today, with an estimated shipping date of holiday 2017, afterwards the headset will cost $150 at retail. A developer edition is also available, and will ship sometime in the fall of 2017, slightly ahead of the consumer version.

Augmented reality has been an increasingly popular area for many companies over the past few years, gaining larger recognition with games like Pokémon Go, and this year preparing to expand to every iOS 11 device thanks to Apple's ARKit. Developers have already begun showing off how the camera on an iPhone can fuel impressive AR experiences, including basic everyday functions like overlaying a measuring tape onto an object, or displaying Minecraft in the real world.

Neonode today announced that AirBar for the 13-inch MacBook Air is now available to purchase for $99 at select retailers in the United States, including Fry's Electronics and Evine.com. It'll also be available online through Amazon, Best Buy, and Staples, but it doesn't appear to be in stock on those websites yet.

airbar macbook air
AirBar, a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree, is a thin aluminum bar that magnetically attaches below the 13-inch MacBook Air's display, connects to a USB port, and transforms the notebook into a touchscreen device.

AirBar projects an invisible light field on the surface of the MacBook Air's display. When a finger, stylus, brush, or other object breaks the light, users are able to interact with the screen without actually touching it, including gestures such as tap-to-select, swiping, scrolling, and pinch-to-zoom.


Neonode said AirBar requires 17mm of free space below the display, so it won't fit any MacBook Pro, 12-inch MacBook, or 11-inch MacBook Air.

AirBar is a plug-and-play sensor that "instantly activates" upon being plugged into any USB port on the right side of the 13-inch MacBook Air. Neonode also offers multi-touch software as a one-time installation to enable additional gestures.

AirBar is also available for select Windows laptops with displays sized 13.3 inches, 14 inches, and 15.6 inches.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Tag: AirBar
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Samsung Electronics will return to producing chips for Apple in next year's iPhone lineup, according to a new report today by The Korea Herald. Before, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company held the sole supplier responsibility of providing Apple's A10 chip in the iPhone 7, as well as the A11 chip in the upcoming iPhone 8, but now today's report references a "crucial deal" made between Samsung Electronics co-CEO Kwon Oh-hyun and Apple during a visit to Cupertino last month.

According to the report, Samsung managed to close the deal because of the company's decision to purchase equipment solely intended for 7-nanometer chip fabrication for iPhone devices. This move, as well as using Samsung's "close ties on OLED," convinced Apple to reintroduce the supplier into the iPhone chip supply chain. Although details remain vague, The Korea Herald's sources said that Samsung would "share some parts" of the 2018 iPhone orders that have been previously monopolized by TSMC.

applea10fusionprocessor

According to news reports on July 18, Samsung recently purchased extreme ultra violet lithography machines, the most advanced chip manufacturing equipment, to produce seven-nanometer mobile processors solely for iPhone.

“The CEO could persuade Apple’s top brass taking advantage of their close ties on OLED,” said an industry source. Samsung, the world’s largest mobile OLED maker with a whopping 95 percent market share, is the sole OLED supplier for the upcoming iPhone.

In 2015, Apple dual-sourced the A9 chip from both TSMC and Samsung for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, leading to some blowback from consumers when battery tests were performed and saw the TSMC chips outperform those made by Samsung. To avoid that issue again, and thanks to TSMC's aggressive moves to adopt smaller and more energy efficient manufacturing processes, Apple chose the company as the sole supplier of the A10 and A11 chips.

Now, Samsung is said to be preparing tests for its own chip processing machines, and next plans to "seek final approval from Apple for the chip production" for what will presumably be called the A12 chip. As the sole OLED supplier for the 2017 iPhone, Samsung Display's deal with Apple has placed the manufacturer with providing between 70 and 92 million OLED displays for the upcoming iPhone 8. Apple is predicted to shift to OLED-only iPhone production as soon as 2018 or 2019.

Tags: Samsung, TSMC
Related Forum: iPhone

Developers have wasted no time testing the limits of Apple's new ARKit platform, as each passing week serves up tantalizing previews of what's possible on an iPhone or iPad now that developers can quickly and easily build augmented reality experiences into their apps.

The latest demo to raise the bar comes courtesy of New York-based virtual reality developer Normal VR and offers a sneak peek at what's potentially in store for anyone with an iOS device, an iMac, and a VR headset.


The video clip, recorded on a 10-inch iPad Pro, shows the company using ARKit and the Unity game engine to capture the physical movements of a VR artist and project her virtual painting onto the real world via the mimicking actions of a digital avatar. The interaction also appears to be two-way, with scaling and repositioning functions controlled by the external viewer using iPad gestures.

It's unknown whether the HTC Vive is connected to a Mac or linked to some other supporting machine, but either way the potential uses for such a setup could be pretty far-reaching.

We already know Apple's latest top-of-the-line iMacs will include VR headset support out of the box once High Sierra gets its final release. Steam game platform creator Valve has also developed a version of its SteamVR software development kit for Mac, offering Apple users the same 360-degree, room-scale tracking as the Windows and Linux variants, with the added bonus of Oculus Rift support.

If ARKit-wielding developers can create apps that allow VR content to be viewed and interacted with outside of a headset, cross-platform Apple users could be looking at an exciting future of shared mixed reality experiences.

The first apps powered by ARKit are set to launch on the new-look App Store alongside iOS 11 this fall.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Tag: ARKit
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forums: Apple Vision Pro, iOS 11

Apple and Qualcomm have been embroiled in a bitter legal battle since the beginning of the year, and though the fight has escalated in recent weeks, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf today told Fortune that an out of court settlement is not out of the question.

"There's not really anything new going on," Mollenkopf said speaking at the Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen. About the Apple dispute, he explained "those things tend to get to resolved out of court and there's no reason why I wouldn't expect that to be the case here."

Mollenkopf went on to say that he has no specific news of a settlement and that nothing new has happened in the case. "I don't have an announcement or anything so please don't ask, he told Fortune. Mollenkopf made a similar statement back in February, but that was before the legal battle between the two companies intensified. At that time, he also said he didn't expect a public fight, something Apple and Qualcomm have not been able to avoid.

qualcomm iphone 7
Today's interview suggests Qualcomm is still open to settlement talks, but whether that will happen remains to be seen. If Apple and Qualcomm do not settle, we can expect a legal battle that will continue on for several years.

The fight between Apple and Qualcomm started in January, after the FTC complained that Qualcomm had engaged in anticompetitive patent licensing practices. Apple sued Qualcomm for $1 billion just days later, accusing the company of charging unfair royalties for "technologies they have nothing to do with" and refusing to pay quarterly rebates.

According to Apple, Qualcomm has overcharged it by billions of dollars by "double-dipping" with unfair patent licensing agreements, while Qualcomm claims its innovations are "at the heart of every iPhone" and that the royalties are fair.

Qualcomm went on to countersue Apple in April, accusing the company of breaching licensing agreements, making false statements, and encouraging regulatory attacks against Qualcomm, which prompted Apple to stop making royalty payments to Qualcomm entirely until a court can determine the proper amount due.

Apple in late June expanded its lawsuit against Qualcomm, and at the beginning of July, Qualcomm filed a separate patent lawsuit against Apple and asked the International Trade Commission to block imports of select iPhone and iPad models.

R Ju2ljgApple today highlighted a new Customer Support role that was recently added to iTunes Connect, which developers can take advantage of if they would like to hire someone specifically to respond to customer reviews in the App Store.

Now you can give the customer support experts in your organization the ability to respond to customer reviews on the App Store with the new Customer Support role in iTunes Connect. Users with the Admin or Customer Support role have the ability to respond to customer reviews.

Your team's admins may choose to assign only this role to users, or assign this role in combination with other roles. Users who have been assigned only the Customer Support role can access Resources and Help, Users and Roles, and My apps in iTunes Connect. When they click on an app in My Apps, they'll go straight to Ratings and Reviews where they can respond to customer reviews.

Apple began allowing developers to respond to customer reviews with iOS 10.3 and macOS Sierra 10.12.4, a feature developers had long requested. The ability to respond to customer reviews allows developers to address negative reviews and offer better service to App Store users.

Prior to iOS 10.3 and macOS Sierra 10.12.4, developers had no way to respond to issues that customers reported via an app review, so there was no way to mitigate a negative review or further converse with a customer having difficulties.

AgileBits today updated 1Password for iOS, introducing a new auto copy feature that's going to make it a lot easier to use two-step authentication for various apps and services.

Whenever you use 1Password to sign into a service on your iPhone that features 1Password integration, the app will now automatically copy any one-time passwords you have associated with that login. That speeds up the login process, because you can have 1Password fill in your account details, and then at the two-factor verification step, the requisite short-term password is already copied to your clipboard.

1passwordonetimepassword
In the screenshot above, for example, I used 1Password to log in to my Dropbox app. Dropbox has 1Password integration, so I just need to tap the 1Password button to fill in my account details and then choose the appropriate account. As 1Password is adding my details, my one-time password for Dropbox's two-step verification process is also copied, so it's super simple to log in.

Prior to this change, to log in to Dropbox, I'd have to open the 1Password app separately to get the one-time password, negating the usefulness of the integrated login feature.

The update also features the ability to create vaults for 1Password.com accounts, support for Korean, and a tweak that causes item creation and modification dates to now appear in item details. There are also several minor bug fixes and other small improvements, like better translations and the addition of previously used passwords for all categories that support them.

We can't think of anything better to beat the heat than a nice cold ice-cream in the sunshine ... with extra sprinkles, of course. We'd like to think of your one-time passwords as the sprinkles that complete your Login items. Now 1Password automatically copies those one-time passwords when you fill an item with the 1Password Extension, saving you a step and a giving you more time to enjoy that ice cream. Yummy!

1Password for Mac has also been updated with the same features that were added to iOS, but the update has not yet been made available for the Mac App Store. It should be coming soon.

1Password can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but will require a subscription to unlock the app's full feature set. [Direct Link]

Smartphone accessory companies Olloclip and Incase today announced a new collaborative product called the "Filmer's Kit" for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The $199 kit includes "curated essentials" for users who regularly find themselves filming, taking photos, or live streaming on an iPhone 7.

olloclip incase iphone 7 kit
Specifically, the Filmer's Kit includes an Olloclip Core Lens Set with Fisheye, Super-wide, and Macro 15x lenses, an Olloclip Active Lens Set with Telephoto and Ultra-Wide lenses, an Olloclip Pivot articulating mobile video grip, and a carrying case that was a joint effort between Olloclip and Incase.

“olloclip remains committed to finding new and exciting ways to making inspiring videos and photos fun and easy to capture on your mobile device. Partnering with Incase made sense to us since they, too, understand the importance of the photographic category and offer a complete collection aimed at the modern-day photographer and videographer,” said Patrick O’Neill, founder of olloclip.

“We also appreciate how Incase’s minimalistic and easy-to-use design language complements olloclip’s design ethos by focusing on maximizing functionality while delivering the finest details and finishes.”

The companies are releasing the $199 Filmer's Kit in a super-exclusive supply run of less than 2,000 copies worldwide. The kit won't be made available to purchase on Apple.com, or on Olloclip's and Incase's websites, so those interested will have to visit an Apple retail location to pick up a copy before they sell out.


Olloclip did refer to the Filmer's Kit as the "inaugural" edition, suggesting there could be more of the product, perhaps in a wider release, coming in the future.

Update Aug 17: The Filmer's Kit is now available at Apple.com.

Subway today unveiled an all-new "fresh forward" redesign coming to 12 pilot locations at its restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, which includes self-order kiosks in select locations that support checking out via Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Subway has long supported Apple Pay as a payments option during the traditional check-out process in its restaurants.

The new kiosks will allow customers to browse Subway's full menu, craft their sandwich order, and then check out with a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Samsung Pay.

subway kiosk apple pay
There will be a designated food preparation and pick-up area for orders made through the new kiosks, on the Subway mobile app, and with Facebook Messenger's Subway chatbot. The company said that this will help speed up food preparation time for both digital orders and for customers waiting in the basic check-out line.

Digital: Self-order kiosks in select locations, digital menu boards and, as always, Apple and Samsung Pay options. Guests enjoy a speedy Subway® experience with a separate food preparation area and a designated pre-order pick-up location for kiosk, mobile app, delivery, catering and bot for Messenger orders.

The Subway redesign will also include dining areas with USB charging ports so customers can fuel up their smartphones and tablets while they eat, as well as complimentary Wi-Fi, menu changes, and new decor.

The "fresh forward" Subway design is launching today at the following locations: Tamarac, FL; Orlando, FL (2 locations); Winter Park, FL; Chula Vista, CA; Knoxville, TN; Palmview, TX; Hillsboro, OR; Vancouver, WA; Beauport, QC; Granby, QC; and Manchester, U.K.

Subway said that, "Many elements of the new brand identity will be worldwide by the end of 2017."

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

After first giving iTunes an emoji-themed makeover, Apple is continuing its celebration of World Emoji Day with a preview of all-new emoji characters coming to iOS, macOS, and watchOS later in 2017.

new emoji apple
The new emoji previewed today by Apple include Woman with Headscarf, Bearded Person, Breastfeeding, Sandwich, Coconut, T-Rex, Zebra, Zombie, Elf, Star-Struck, Exploding Head, and more. All of the emoji shared today were previously included in the new Unicode 10 standard released in June.

The new emoji make it easier for users to express themselves with greater diversity, additional animals and creatures, new smiley faces and more.

Apple didn't specify a launch date for the new line of emoji characters coming to iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches this year, but it's expected that they will arrive sometime around the public launch of iOS 11 this fall, or soon thereafter. World Emoji Day celebrations are also extending to the iOS App Store, where Apple said that it has highlighted apps that showcase fun things to do with the smartphone characters.

Tag: Emoji

Pioneer today announced that its Rayz line of Lightning-equipped earphones designed for the iPhone are receiving a major update that adds "Hey Siri" functionality along with other new features.

Enabled through new firmware and an update to the Rayz app that's being released today, the earphones can now activate Siri with the standard "Hey Siri" command even while the iPhone is tucked away in a pocket. That means Siri can respond to requests without the need for users to take the iPhone out of a purse, bag, or pocket.

pioneer rayz update

"Today we are pleased to announce that users can say 'Hey Siri' while using Rayz earphones to easily make a call, send a message, listen to music and much more, even when iPhone is in their pocket," said Munenori Otsuki, CEO of Pioneer & Onkyo U.S.A. Corporation. With support for Siri, Rayz Lightning Earphones automatically recognize "Hey Siri" commands and allow our users to do so much more using just their voice."

First announced in February, the Rayz Plus earphones feature a built-in Lightning port for charging an iPhone while listening to music, smart noice cancellation, smart buttons, sensors for auto play/shutoff, and a smart mute function that was added in June.

Today's update also introduces AutoPause improvements, status beeps that indicate when Smart Mute is active, and native language support for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Pioneer's Rayz Plus earphones can be purchased from Amazon for $149.95 in Bronze and Graphite. Apple also sells the Pioneer Rayz Plus in Rose Gold and Black. The slimmed down standard version of the Rayz, priced at $99.95, is not yet available for purchase.