MacRumors

Sprint today announced that customers of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or any other postpaid carrier who bring their eligible iPhone or Android-based smartphone to Sprint will receive one free year of unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data. The offer is available for up to five lines per new account opened.

The term "unlimited" has some limitations, including a max of 1080p for streaming video, 1.5 Mbps for streaming music, and 8 Mbps for games. Data de-prioritization applies during times of congestion, and customers that exceed 23GB of data in any billing cycle may be throttled until the next billing cycle.

Unlimited talk includes long distance calls within the United States and Sprint Global Roaming, which includes 2G data and text messaging in over 165 countries for no charge, plus calling for $0.20 per minute. 10GB of high-speed data per line is included to use toward Personal Hotspot, VPN, and Peer-2-Peer usage.

Eligible smartphones must be unlocked and compatible with Sprint's network and SIM card, including the following iPhone models. An asterisk indicates only the Verizon model of that particular iPhone works on Sprint due to CDMA compatibility. Tablets and Personal Hotspot devices are ineligible.

• iPhone 5c*
  

• iPhone 5s*
  

• iPhone 6
  

• iPhone 6 Plus
  

• iPhone 6s
  

• iPhone 6s Plus
  

• iPhone 7*
  

• iPhone 7 Plus*
  

• iPhone SE

As to be expected, the offer has some fine print, but there really are no significant catches or anything that should be considered a deal breaker.

• New customers only: The offer is not available to customers that already have an active Sprint account.
  

• No annual contract: After July 31, 2018, the free plan will convert to Sprint's standard Unlimited Freedom plan starting at $60 per month with AutoPay. Customers don't appear to be under any obligation to continue paying for that plan and may cancel after the first year of free service if desired.
  

• Keep the same phone number: Port-in from postpaid carrier required.
  

• SIM card purchase required: $2.99 + $10 shipping + taxes online. Also available at Sprint stores. SIM card must be activated prior to port-in.
  

• Activation fee rebated: A $30 activation fee will appear on the first bill and an equal credit will appear within 2 bills.
  

• AutoPay and eBilling required: If AutoPay and/or eBill are removed, up to a $7.99 per month charge will apply.
  

• Taxes and fees: A standard $1.99 admin fee, $0.40 regulatory fee, state and local taxes, and other surcharges may apply each month.
  

• No device upgrade allowed during first 120 days: Any upgrades prior to October 1, 2017 will require a plan change to Unlimited Freedom, and the customer will lose the remaining free months in his or her year of free service.

Sprint said this limited time offer is available until June 30. To switch, customers must purchase a SIM card from Sprint's website or stores, activate it, and port their phone number over.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second beta of tvOS 10.2.2 and almost a month after releasing tvOS 10.2.1, a minor bug fix update.

tvOS 10.2.2 is only available for the fourth-generation Apple TV. Registered developers can download the update by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and installing the beta software using iTunes.

Due to the installation requirements, tvOS betas are only available for developers, so tvOS 10.2.2 will not be publicly available until the finalized version of the software is released.

No major feature changes or bug fixes were discovered in the first two betas of tvOS 10.2.2, and it appears to focus on minor under-the-hood improvements and security enhancements.

tvOS 10.2.2 will be one of the last updates to the tvOS 10 operating system as Apple is already working on the next-generation version of tvOS, tvOS 11.

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.2.3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second watchOS 3.2.3 beta and a month after releasing watchOS 3.2.2.

Registered developers can download the watchOS 3.2.3 update through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. For the beta to be installed, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

Apple restricts watchOS betas to developers because there’s no way to downgrade software on an Apple Watch. Non-developers will need to wait for the public release to get the update.

No notable features or bug fixes were discovered in the first two betas of watchOS 3.2.3, suggesting the update focuses primarily on under-the-hood improvements.

watchOS 3.2.3 is likely to be one of the last updates to the watchOS 3 operating system, as Apple has shifted its focus to the next-generation version of watchOS, watchOS 4.

At E3 this week, Sony announced a new social multiplayer experience for its PlayStation 4 console called "PlayLink," which will use iOS and Android devices as extensions of gameplay happening on the console. The games offered through PlayLink are designed to be played in a group setting, and will be available for purchase through the PS4's PlayStation Store.

To join in on the game, users will be able to download a free PlayLink companion app, which will then sync with the PS4 system and become a "versatile controller" for the game. Announced games include narrative-driven thriller Hidden Agenda, trivia party Knowledge is Power, mini-game collection Frantics, karaoke competition SingStar Celebration, and personalized comedy quiz show That's You!

The games use a variety of the iPhone's features, including taking selfies, doodling on images, swiping through potential answers, and more. Other games have included communication between consoles and iPhones in the past, like the Jackbox games, but this is Sony's first attempt to launch a suite of titles specifically controlled by smartphones.

PlayLink titles are designed to be played in a group setting, allowing for a truly fun and dynamic experience. The collection of PlayLink games vary from gritty crime thrillers to quick-fire quizzes. If you have a smartphone or tablet with the free companion app installed and your PS4 hooked up to a TV, you’re already set.

PlayLink games turn your smartphone or tablet into a versatile controller – you can swipe, pinch, drag, tilt, rotate or even snap selfies and draw crafty doodles, depending on the game. No matter which title you choose from our PlayLink collection, it’s guaranteed to be a slick pick-up-and-play experience.

Sony gave detailed information on Supermassive Games' Hidden Agenda, which tasks up to six friends with navigating a gritty crime drama by guiding a detective and a district attorney through dangerous traps left behind by a serial killer called "The Trapper." Similar to Supermassive's PS4 game Until Dawn, players will have to use quick-thinking decision making to help each character survive to the end of the story, but a voting mechanic will weigh the characters' decisions toward whichever option receives the most votes.

Additionally, each player will get a hidden agenda at the start of the game, requiring them to ensure that they reach a private goal, even if it goes against the group's overall plan. No release date for each game was yet given, but Sony will offer That's You! as a free download for all PlayStation Plus subscribers beginning July 4. Sony said that more PlayLink games will come from more studios following the initial launch.

Mobile devices have become increasingly important for companies with their own video game hardware, with Sony planning to launch more than five smartphone games by March 2018, focusing on Japan and other Asian countries first.

Google has hired veteran chip architect Manu Gulati, who worked at Apple for the past eight years, according to Variety.

Gulati is now a Lead SOC Architect at Google, where he began in May, according to his recently updated LinkedIn profile.

Gulati was "instrumental" to the company's efforts to build custom chips for the iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV, according to the report.

Apple's custom silicon ranges from the single-core A4 chip in the original iPad and iPhone 4 to the six-core A10X Fusion chip in the new 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

At Google, his expertise is expected to help the Mountain View company design custom chips for its own Pixel smartphones.

Pixel smartphones are currently powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821 processor, which is the same chip used in several other flagship Android smartphones. But reports claim Google plans to build its own chips, as it takes on the iPhone more directly in the premium smartphone category.

Gulati is listed as an inventor on over a dozen Apple patents related to mobile processors and integrated circuity. He has over 20 years of industry experience, including lengthy stints at AMD and Broadcom.

Whole-home Wi-Fi company eero today announced two new pieces of hardware, a refresh to its iOS app, and a new premium internet security service called "eero Plus."

The new, second-generation version of eero is the same size and form factor as the previous version, but includes twice the power according to the company. Simply called eero (2nd generation), the new router includes next-generation mesh network technology, which eero calls "TrueMesh," to ensure that eero can adapt to any home in which it's placed.

If users stock their home with three eeros, they can even gain access to tri-band Wi-Fi, which broadcasts on three wireless radio bands simultaneously, generating a multi-user experience that doesn't create lag for anyone in the home. As an example, eero said users will be able to download huge files, run a FaceTime call, or compete in a multiplayer game all at the same time, and the routers will provide the same Wi-Fi quality to each experience without compromise.

Once an eero (1st or 2nd generation) is connected to a network's modem, users will be able to introduce the company's all new eero Beacon into their network. eero Beacon is a full-fledged access point which the company says has 30 percent better performance than the original eero, but the Beacon is built for portability and plugs directly into any wall outlet.

Our vision for eero is to go beyond providing perfect connectivity by adding context and intelligence to our homes. As everything in our homes comes online, and we consume more and more content over the internet, we can imagine services and experiences — whether built by us or partners — relying on eero for WiFi and more. We can even imagine changing everything again, this time with another much bigger idea: that over time eero just might evolve into the underlying operating system for the home of the future.

The company said users can add as many Beacons to their network as they want in order to truly cover their entire home in reliable Wi-Fi. As a bonus, Beacon includes a built-in ambient light sensor that automatically lights up dark hallways and rooms at night, and turns off during the day.

In order to ensure that internet browsing is kept secure, eero has introduced a new subscription service called eero Plus, starting at $9.99/month. It includes the following features:

• Advanced Security: Blocks you from accidentally accessing millions of sites associated with harmful content, like malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. Unlike the built-in protections included in your browser or email client, the database of threats eero Plus protects against is automatically updated every single second.
  

• Expanded Parental Controls: Lets you filter adult, illegal, and violent content, or enable SafeSearch for specific profiles on your network. eero Plus ensures that as new content is posted, it’s filtered in real time.
  

• VIP Support: Gives you priority access to our support team so you don’t have to wait to speak with a WiFi expert.

Along with the hardware additions, eero is also updating its eero home Wi-Fi system iOS app [Direct Link], which it says will launch towards the end of June. The update brings a refreshed user interface and new tools, including a "home-type selector" that allows users to precisely detail the size and shape of their living space so they can get the most out of their eero devices.

The new eeros will use Thread, a low-power wireless protocol that uses IPv6 natively, resulting in more reliability and better encryption. Thread will also result in fewer hubs required by users to be scattered about their homes, and eero promised that over-the-air software updates "means your new eero system comes future-proofed."

One eero sells for $199, while an eero Beacon costs $149 on the company's store. Users can also choose from a few start-up packs to save some money, including a Small Homes pack (1-2 bedrooms) that includes one eero and one eero Beacon at $299, as well as a Most Homes pack (2-4 bedrooms) with one eero and two eero Beacons for $399. A Pro Wi-Fi System -- which fuels tri-band mesh capabilities -- packs in three eeros for $499.

The new devices begin shipping at the end of June, and can be ordered today from eero's website, or retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.

During Ubisoft's E3 press conference this week, the company announced an all-new South Park game that's coming to iOS and Google Play sometime later in 2017, called South Park: Phone Destroyer (via TouchArcade). Developed by Ubisoft studio RedLynx in collaboration with South Park Digital Studios, the new app combines the real-time combat of the new series of console South Park games with trading card collecting and multiplayer battles.

Players will become the New Kid in South Park and assume a variety of roles, including cowboy, pirate, cyborg, angel, and more throughout a new single-player campaign. Although not many details have been shared yet, Ubisoft said that card collecting will impact combat, and eventually becomes the strategic key to competing and winning in the real-time multiplayer mode, which includes a ranking system.

In South Park: Phone Destroyer™, players once again assume the role of the New Kid and team up with South Park characters to play a new game with cowboys, pirates, cyborgs and even almighty gods. Take your gang on a new single-player adventure featuring an original story. Full of fun, explosive battles and irreverent humor, players build and upgrade an all-powerful team to master the true strength of the cards they acquire.

Upgrading and learning to use cards strategically is key to competing at the next level: the real-time Multiplayer mode. Player versus Player combat challenges players’ skill and knowledge needed to defeat opponents in order to rise up the global multiplayer ranks.

Ubisoft also noted that South Park: Phone Destroyer will stay true to the TV show with all of the humor, jokes, characters, and animation that fans expect. Show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will also provide the mobile game with authentic audio and voice work of all the classic South Park characters. The developer also confirmed that the game will be free to play.

South Park: Phone Destroyer is set to launch worldwide on the iOS App Store and on the Android Google Play store later this year.

Google is currently promoting a free three-month trial of YouTube Red, its ad-free video service offering subscribers uninterrupted music, background app play, and offline access to YouTube-hosted content.

In addition to allowing users to test out the personalized stations via the new YouTube Music mobile app, the trial provides access to original programming produced by YouTube creators as well as the full range of YouTube Kids channels.

A free Google Play Music account is also included as an extra perk, offering access to an extensive catalog of streamed music and unlimited storage for uploading their existing music library.

After the free trial concludes, subscribers pay $9.99 per month. Users can cancel their YouTube Red trial and full membership at any time. It's also worth noting that if users cancel their Google Play Music subscription they lose access to YouTube Red and no longer qualify for the free trial.

The limited time offer is open to U.S. residents only and ends July 4.

(Thanks, Nick!)

Popular journaling app Day One received an update yesterday that introduces end-to-end encryption to its cloud server for the first time, as well as a handful of other improvements.

Rather than using iCloud, Day One synchronizes data between devices using its own servers, something that has opened it up to criticism in the past because of security concerns regarding private journal data.

Version 2.2 of the app should allay those worries, since Day One now encrypts journal data from client to server via a user-generated private key. However it's important to note that the new end-to-end encryption feature is enabled on a journal-by-journal basis, so users need to go to Journals in Day One's Settings and select the journals they want to encrypt from there.

If users do not enable end-to-end encryption, Day One defaults to standard encryption, which encrypts journal data "at rest" on the company's servers. This less secure method requires that Day One staff hold the keys to decrypt journal data.

In addition to the enhanced security feature, the in-app camera has been improved to make it easier to take photos and quickly add multiple square-cropped shots to entries. Journal metadata now also includes the device name on which an entry was created.

Elsewhere, recent searches are now saved in a list for convenient re-use, while an app-wide state restoration system has been implemented so that users can pick up where they left off in the event of a crash or a force quit. The update also includes several fixes that should improve the user experience.

End-to-end encryption is included in the 2.2 update for both iOS and Mac. Day One is a $4.99 app on the iOS App Store and costs $39.99 on the Mac App Store.

Logitech today announced a follow-up to its popular Circle home camera, debuting the Circle 2. The Circle 2 builds on the features built into the original Circle camera, with Logitech introducing HomeKit support and two separate models, both wired and wire-free for different uses around the house.

For those unfamiliar with the Logitech Circle, it is an in-home camera designed to let you keep an eye on what's going on in your house when you're not there. It's great for keeping an eye on pets and kids, with cloud storage, two-way communication, and more. In our review of the Circle, we questioned its usefulness compared to other home security solutions on the market, and that's a specific area Logitech addressed in the Circle 2.

Logitech found that many people who purchased the original Circle camera were interested in it for home security, and the company has doubled down on those features in the second-generation version. Along with wired and wire-free models that offer more options for in-home placement, Logitech is also shipping the Circle 2 with a variety of mounting accessories. There's also more granular control over things like motion zones and person detection in the revamped app that will be offered alongside Circle 2, so you can choose what your camera records and doesn't record, and when and how it alerts you.

The wired Circle 2 model is meant to be plugged in all the time and offers continuous recording, while the wire-free model runs on a battery and records video when motion is detected, allowing the battery to last for weeks or months at a time. Both models feature the same camera hardware, offering high-quality 180-degree video, night vision support, and a ball joint so it can be adjusted to any angle. Both models are weatherproof and can be placed outside for outdoor use.

Multiple accessories, priced from $29.99 to $49.99, expand the range of places where the Circle 2 can be placed. Accessory options are outlined below:

- Circle 2 Window Mount - The window mount allows the Circle 2 to be attached directly to a window pane with an adhesive ring.

- Circle 2 Plug Mount - With the Plug Mount, the Circle 2 can be plugged directly into and powered by any home wall outlet, which is ideal for kitchen or garage placement.

- Circle 2 Weatherproof Extension - The Weatherproof Extension is designed for the Circle 2 Wired Camera and protects cables from outside weather conditions.

- Circle 2 Rechargeable Battery - Designed for the Circle 2 Wire-Free Camera, the backup battery allows you to swap out batteries and keep one charged at all times.

With HomeKit support, the Circle 2 video feed will be available in the Home app, and it will also be able to integrate and work with other HomeKit-connected products. Logitech plans to enable HomeKit compatibility to the Wired version through a software update following the launch of the Circle 2. Circle 2 also works with Amazon Alexa and the Logitech POP Smart Button.

"People want the peace of mind that comes with a simple security solution," said Vincent Borel, director of new ventures at Logitech. "Circle 2 gives people just that - you can place the camera wherever you need it, inside or out, and rest assured that you'll be alerted of any changes in your home while you're away."

Like the original Circle, Circle 2 will offer 24 hours of free encrypted cloud storage. Logitech also offers Circle Safe plans for a fee, which offer 14 to 31 days of storage.

Circle 2 is available for pre-order from the Logitech website starting today. The wired version of the Circle 2 is available for $179.99, while the wire-free version is available for $199.99. A range of mounts and accessories can also be purchased for $29.99 to $49.99.

Logitech plans to begin shipping Circle 2 orders to customers in July.