MacRumors

Apple has renewed "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" for a second season, CBS CEO Les Moonves announced this afternoon (via The Hollywood Reporter). Positioned as Apple's second original TV show after "Planet of the Apps," "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" season 1 debuted last August.

"Carpool Karaoke: The Series" is based on the Carpool Karaoke segment made popular by "The Late Late Show With James Corden." Apple's TV show pairs up different celebrities, musicians, athletes, putting them together in a car to sing popular songs.

In season 1, featured celebrity pairings included Will Smith and James Corden; Miley, Noah, Billy Ray and the entire Cyrus family; Shakira and Trevor Noah; Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams; Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith; John Legend, Alicia Keys and Taraji P. Henson; LeBron James and James Corden; and more.

"Carpool Karaoke: The Series" was developed by Apple as a way to promote its Apple Music service and to offer exclusive entertainment to Apple Music subscribers. The show aired each Tuesday on Apple Music, and past episodes can be viewed by Apple Music subscribers.

It is not yet clear when the second season of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" might debut, but it could see an August launch much like the first season.

Apple has confirmed that a fix for a recently discovered bug that causes apps like Messages to crash on iPhone, iPad, and Mac has been included in iOS 11.3, macOS 10.13.4, watchOS 4.3, and tvOS 11.3, updates that are currently being beta tested ahead of a release this spring.

Furthermore, Apple told iMore's Rene Ritchie that the bug will also be addressed in an upcoming iOS update that will be released in the near future, ahead of iOS 11.3, so customers won't need to wait several weeks for a fix. Minor updates for other operating systems will likely come at the same time.

The bug, induced by sending a specific character in the Indian language Telugu, causes certain apps on iPhones, iPads, and Macs to freeze up and become unresponsive. Messages, Safari, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and other apps that accept text input are all affected.

When the character is sent in an iMessage, for example, it can freeze up the entire Messages app on all of a person's Mac and iOS devices. The Messages app will then refuse to function properly until the offending character is removed by deleting the conversation with the person who sent it.

In some situations, if the character is viewed through an iOS notification, it can cause the entire device to crash, resulting in a re-spring or worse.

Apple users who have received a message with the character will, as mentioned above, need to delete the Messages conversation with the person who sent the character. Alternatively, installing the iOS 11.3 or macOS 10.13.4 betas will fix the problem.

The HomePod's silicone base can leave white rings on some wood surfaces that have an oil or wax finish, a problem that Apple yesterday said was "not unusual." As it turns out, Apple wasn't incorrect -- the Sonos One, a competing smart speaker, also leaves white rings on furniture.

Tom's Guide reviewer Mike Prospero read about the HomePod causing rings on furniture yesterday and went to check his wood cabinet, where he did indeed discover a ring caused by the HomePod. But next to it, he found smaller square shaped marks, which had been caused by the Sonos One located near the HomePod.

When I got home, I saw a large white ring, a telltale indication that the HomePod's silicone base had messed up the finish. But, as I was inspecting the damage, I noticed a series of smaller white marks near where the HomePod was sitting.

A closer inspection revealed that the Sonos One speaker, which also has small silicone feet, had made these marks on my cabinet. Looking around the top of the cabinet, I noticed a bunch of little white marks, all left from the Sonos Ones as I moved them around. So, they will damage your wood furniture, too. We're awaiting comment from Sonos.

Like the HomePod, the Sonos One has a silicone base with four small feet. It doesn't make a ring as prominent as the ring caused by the HomePod, but it does appear to cause the same marks.

White rings became a topic of discussion yesterday morning after independent reviews from Pocket-lint and Wirecutter pointed out the marks the HomePod left on oiled or waxed furniture. After the issue received significant media attention, Apple published a "Cleaning and taking care of HomePod" support document that warned about the potential for marks on some wooden surfaces.

Apple said it is not unusual silicone bases to leave mild marks, and that they should go away with time or with some light polishing. Tom's Guide reviewer Mike Prospero says that the marks do indeed appear to fade with time. From Apple's support document:

HomePod is designed for indoor use only. When using HomePod, make sure to place it on a solid surface. Place the power cord so that it won't be walked on or pinched.

It is not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces. The marks can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface, and will often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface. If not, wiping the surface gently with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. If marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer's recommended cleaning process. If you're concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface.

It is not clear why Apple did not inform customers about the possibility of white marks on wood, as this is presumably an issue the company had to know about following the HomePod's extended beta test with Apple employees and the years of development that went into the product.

A simple HomePod care support document published ahead of the HomePod's launch, rather than after customers were left to discover the issue on their own would have likely mitigated much of the negative press and frustration from customers.

For those who are concerned about the HomePod damaging their expensive wood furniture, Apple recommends putting the HomePod on a different surface to avoid problems all together.

Apple captured a record 51 percent share of revenue in the worldwide smartphone industry last quarter, which encompassed the launch of the iPhone X, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

iPhone revenue totaled $61.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017, as Apple disclosed in its earnings report earlier this month. Strategy Analytics estimates Apple's smartphone revenue was three times higher than its nearest rival Samsung and seven times more than Chinese competitor Huawei.

Apple accounted for more smartphone revenue than the rest of the entire industry combined in the quarter, driven by "solid demand" for the iPhone X, said Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston.

iPhone's average selling price was $796 last quarter, up from $695 in year-ago quarter, which Strategy Analytics estimates to be almost three times higher than the overall industry average. Apple sold 77.3 million iPhones in the quarter, but it didn't disclose how many of those sales were iPhone X models.

Priced at $999 and up, the iPhone X has undoubtedly helped Apple increase its revenue share in the smartphone industry. What's more important is profits, however, and the iPhone often accounts for over 100 percent of net income in the smartphone industry when factoring in the losses posted by some rivals.

A recently discovered bug that causes app and system crashing on iPhone, iPad, and Mac due to a specific letter in the Indian language Telugu has been fixed in Apple's upcoming iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4 software updates.

MacRumors has not been able to reproduce any crashes, freezes, or resprings on any devices running the latest iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4 betas when the particular letter is present anywhere across the systems, as the upcoming software versions can now display the affected character properly.

On earlier software versions, including the latest publicly released versions iOS 11.2.5 and macOS 10.13.3, it appears that Apple devices are unable to render the Indian character for some reason, causing apps or the entire system to abruptly crash depending on where it is trying to be displayed.

If the character is sent in an iMessage, for example, the recipient's Messages app will crash when the conversation is opened. Likewise, if the character is pasted into the Safari or Chrome address bar on Mac, the browsers crash. This behavior extends to virtually any system text field on iOS and macOS, resulting in many third-party apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger being affected as well.

Even worse, some users have found that if the character is displayed in an iOS notification, it can cause an entire iPhone or iPad to respring, and in worst-case scenarios, restoring in DFU mode is the only possible solution.

If you've already received the letter and can no longer open Messages, try having a friend message you, which may allow you to regain access to the app and delete the conversation with the bad character. If not, consider enrolling in Apple's free public beta program and upgrade to iOS 11.3 or macOS 10.13.4 beta.

MacRumors was alerted about this bug by developer Peter Steinberger on Monday, and it was submitted to Open Radar by developer Igor Bulyga on the same day. We elected not to report on the bug at the time to avoid contributing to its spread, since it can be used maliciously and a fix will be widely available soon.

The bug has received widespread attention today, so we wanted to acknowledge that Apple is aware of the issue and has implemented a fix. iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4 should be publicly released by the end of March, but it's very possible we'll see minor updates pushed out with fixes in the near term.

These kinds of bugs have surfaced several times in the past, with text strings, videos, and more crashing the Messages app and causing other glitches. Just last month, a link to a GitHub page surfaced that froze the Messages app when received.

It costs Apple an estimated $216 in raw components to build the HomePod, which sells for $349, according to research conducted by TechInsights and shared by Bloomberg.

Internal components like the microphones, tweeter, woofer, and power management chips cost Apple an estimated $58, while smaller components like the lighting system used for Siri and other animations cost $60. The A8 chip, which powers the speaker's spatial awareness, Siri features, sound adjustments, and other smart features, costs an estimated $25.

TechInsights believes the external housing and other exterior components add up to $25, while manufacturing, testing, and packaging cost an additional $17.50.

At $216 for parts and a $349 selling point, the HomePod brings in less money for each device sold than other Apple products like the iPhone. The $999 iPhone X, for example, uses components estimated to cost $357.50, and the entry-level iPhone 8 costs Apple an estimated $247.51 to make but sells for $699.

HomePod also has a smaller profit margin than competing speaker products from other companies. TechInsights says that while the HomePod has a profit margin of 38 percent based on component costs, the Google Home and Amazon Echo have margins of 66 and 56 percent, respectively. Both of those speakers use less expensive components and were not created with sound quality as the primary focus.

"Apple is compressing their margins a bit, wanting to go big or go home," said Al Cowsky, TechInsight's costing manager. "In doing so, I suspect they reduced the selling price from a normal Apple margin in order to sell more units on volume."

Component costs reports from companies like TechInsights do not take into account expenses like research and development, software creation, and other related costs, and can't be counted as an accurate look at Apple's profit margin for any given product.

Back in 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook said cost estimates are often "much different from reality." "I've never seen one that is anywhere close to being accurate," he said.

Days after the HomePod was released, there are still some new HomePod owners who are unable to use their new speakers due to HomeKit and Wi-Fi-related setup errors.

Because it's controlled entirely through Apple's Home app, HomePod connects to HomeKit and relies on a functional HomeKit setup to function properly. Based on reports on Reddit, the Apple Support Communities, and the MacRumors forums, there are a handful of different errors people are running into.

The most common issue seems to be error -6722 or a blank white screen when setting up HomePod, caused by a bugged HomeKit setup. According a HomePod troubleshooting document Apple published this week, there are several possible fixes for the issue.

First and foremost, devices need to be running the latest version of iOS (iOS 11.2.5 or iOS 11.3 if you're on a beta) and both the Music and Home apps need to be installed on your device. HomePod also requires both two-factor authentication and iCloud Keychain to be turned on.

If these settings are enabled and you're still seeing the error message and a screen in the Home app that says "Loading Accessories and Scenes," Apple says to let the Home app load for 30 minutes or longer until an option to erase and reset app comes up. It's not immediately clear that you need to run the app for so long to get to that erase option, so make sure to leave it open and running for the full period of time to get to the reset menu.

We had our own issues here at MacRumors, and one of our HomePod setups wasn't fully functional. We weren't running into the error message above, but none of the HomePod's settings were available. We were able to fix this issue by opening up the Home app, tapping the location arrow at the top left of the device, and choosing the "Remove Home" option to nix our current HomeKit setup.

After doing that and creating a new Home with a HomeKit device before attempting to re-add the HomePod, we were able to successfully set up the HomePod with HomeKit, so that's something other HomePod users with issues might want to try.

Other people have had success resetting the HomePod and trying again, logging out of iCloud, and resetting Wi-Fi, but redoing the HomeKit setup entirely seems to be the most reliable fix. There are. however, instances where even these fixes have not worked for a bugged HomeKit setup, and in that situation, you're going to need to get in touch with Apple Support for more advanced troubleshooting.

If you're running into a different setup issue, such as a failed Wi-Fi connection, it's worth noting that HomePod requires a WPA/WPA 2 Wi-Fi network. Some MacRumors readers were having problems with HomePod not properly recognizing their WPA network, and a reliable fix appears to be unplugging the HomePod and tweaking Wi-Fi settings to disable both auto join and audio login. HomePod does not work with Enterprise Wi-Fi setups or public or subscription networks with sign-in requirements.

Having ongoing HomePod issues with your own HomeKit setup? Let us know in the comments.

Apple today updated its online store for refurbished products in the United States to add a selection of Apple Watch Series 3 models, marking the first time Apple's newest wrist-worn device has been available from the refurbished store since its September 2017 release.

As of the writing of this article, there are two refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 GPS-only models available at a $50 discount, which equates to 13 to 15 percent off of the regular price. No LTE models or models with stainless steel or ceramic cases are available at this time.

A 38mm Gold Aluminum Apple Watch Series 3 with Pink Sand Sport Band is available for $279, down from $329, and Apple also has a 42mm Space Gray Aluminum model with Black Sport Band available for $309, down from $359.

The Apple Watch Series 3, first introduced last September alongside new iPhones, is the first Apple Watch model to offer an option for LTE connectivity. Compared to earlier Apple Watch versions, the Series 3 also comes equipped with a faster dual-core S3 processor and an Apple-designed W2 chip for 85 percent faster Wi-Fi

Apple Watch Series 3 refurbished stock is limited at this time, but Apple refreshes available units on a regular basis, so it's worth keeping an eye on the refurbished store if you're looking for a discount on a particular model.

All of Apple's refurbished products go through a rigorous refurbishment process before being offered for sale, which includes inspection, repairs, cleaning, and repackaging. Refurbished Apple Watch models come with a one-year warranty that can be extended with an AppleCare+ purchase.

For tips on purchasing a refurbished product, make sure to check out our guide.

Apple has issued a statement confirming that the HomePod can possibly leave white rings on wood surfaces with an oil or wax finish.

The strange discovery was brought to light in HomePod reviews published by Wirecutter and Pocket-lint, as highlighted by VentureBeat, while at least one customer shared a picture of the same problem on Twitter.

Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles:

For our tests we placed the speaker on a solid oak kitchen worktop treated with Danish oil.

Within 20 minutes the HomePod had caused a white discoloured ring to appear on the wood that some days later has faded, although still hasn't completely disappeared.

We subsequently tested the HomePod on other materials: the same wood that hadn't been treated with Danish oil and a regular lacquered desk and haven't seen the same issues.

Apple told Pocket-lint that it is "not unusual" for a speaker with a silicone base to leave a "mild mark" when placed on certain oiled or waxed surfaces, suggesting the rings are caused by chemical interactions with treated wood.

Apple told Wirecutter that "the marks can improve over several days after the speaker is removed from the wood surface." If not, Apple recommends "cleaning the surface with the manufacturer's suggested oiling method."

The HomePod can damage wood furniture: An unhappy discovery after we placed a HomePod on an oiled butcher-block countertop and later on a wooden side table was that it left a defined white ring in the surface. Other reviewers and owners have reported the same issue, which an Apple representative has confirmed. Apple says "the marks can improve over several days after the speaker is removed from the wood surface," and if they don’t fade on their own, you can basically just go refinish the furniture—the exact advice Apple gave in an email to Wirecutter was to "try cleaning the surface with the manufacturer's suggested oiling method."

It's unclear at this point whether the issue is limited to treated wood, or if the problem could cause any sort of long-term damage to the HomePod's rubber base. For now, we would obviously recommend not placing your HomePod on a surface with an oil or wax finish if possible.

Wirecutter conducted some additional testing and saw no visible damage when placing the HomePod on glass, granite countertop, nice fiberboard, polyurethane-sealed wood, and cheap IKEA bookcases.

Update: Apple shared a "Cleaning and taking care of HomePod" support document that includes a section called "Where to place HomePod." This section includes details on the silicone base of the device and warns that it can cause marks on some wooden surfaces.

HomePod is designed for indoor use only. When using HomePod, make sure to place it on a solid surface. Place the power cord so that it won't be walked on or pinched.

It is not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces. The marks can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface, and will often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface. If not, wiping the surface gently with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. If marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer's recommended cleaning process. If you're concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface.

Apple also suggests users avoid putting the HomePod near heat sources and liquids, and advises users that it can be cleaned with a damp cloth.

Apple News can yield a flood of traffic for news publishers, with the app accounting for as much as 50 to 60 percent of readership for some stories, according to a paywalled report by Tom Dotan for The Information.

Apple News has generated half of Vox.com's daily traffic at times, according to a person familiar with Vox's numbers. An executive at the website of a major TV network said Apple News has accounted for as much as 60% of traffic for some stories.

The report claims Apple has an editorial team of about a dozen former journalists, led by veteran Apple executive Roger Rosner, who decide which articles get featured in the Top Stories or Spotlight sections of Apple News, or in the News tab on an iPhone, accessible by swiping left from the first page of the home screen.

The editorial team in the United States runs a dedicated Slack channel in which publishers can pitch stories to Apple, which tends to favor big breaking stories, special features, and multi-part series, according to the report. Apple is said to have similar teams working with publishers in Australia and the United Kingdom.

The curation process isn't praised by all publishers, as smaller to medium-sized sites say Apple News tends to favor big mainstream outlets, which get featured prominently when users first sign up for Apple News.

A bigger issue that publishers have with Apple News is that many don't earn any significant ad revenue from the app.

Part of the problem relates to how it sells ad space next to stories. Apple initially used its ad team iAd, but it later outsourced sales to NBC. It has yet to integrate Google's industry standard ad-serving tool DoubleClick, which publishing executive say would make ad sales much easier.

This may change soon, as Apple has supposedly begun to run a closed test of Google's industry standard ad-serving tool DoubleClick with around 20 publishers, in line with a report from last July. However, it's unclear when or if Apple News will roll it out wider, according to the report.

All in all, while Apple News has proved more successful than first expected, there is still some progress to be made as Apple aims to become a key distribution outlet for news publishers around the world.

Apple will launch a trio of new iPhone models later this year with a second-generation TrueDepth camera system, which will potentially be reduced in size, according to a research note issued today by analysts Andrew Gardiner, Hiral Patel, Joseph Wolf, and Blayne Curtis at investment bank Barclays.

While the analysts believe the new TrueDepth system will only "evolve slightly," they predict it could allow for a "smaller notch" on the 2018 range of iPhones with Face ID, which is rumored to include a second-generation iPhone X, a larger iPhone X Plus, and an all-new mid-range 6.1-inch LCD model.

MacRumors obtained a copy of the research note, which also corroborates rumors about Apple extending Face ID to the iPad Pro this year:

Based on several data points within the 4Q17 reporting period and our supply chain meetings at CES, we remain confident that Apple is set to deploy its TrueDepth 3D sensor across the iPhone range in 2018 and to also add it to the pending iPad Pro refresh as well.

Given the complexity and multiple years spent developing the current generation of module, combined with supplier comments over the past month regarding multi-year customer commitments, we do not envisage a major change to the architectural make-up in 2018 […]

We do expect the sensor to evolve slightly, potentially reducing in size (i.e., smaller notch) and improving in specificity […] helping to further drive very strong growth [for some Apple suppliers] in 2H18 as the second generation of sensor ships in this year's new iPhones.

A smaller notch would be a welcomed change for critics of the iPhone X design, but it remains to be seen if it will happen so soon. An earlier rumor suggested the notch won't be reduced in size until 2019 or later, and it's generally expected that 2018 iPhones will look virtually identical to the iPhone X.

The prevailing thought is that Apple doesn't want to deal with the type of delays it faced with the iPhone X last year, and by keeping the hardware relatively unchanged, suppliers could avoid some retooling. However, it's certainly possible the TrueDepth camera system could be slightly shrunk down this year.

Beyond this year, the Barclays analysts believe Apple is "working hard" on a rear-facing TrueDepth camera system for future iPhones. The technology could be ready by 2019, but it sounds too far out to know for certain.

A key discussion point regarding 2019 is whether or not Apple will be ready to insert a rear or world-facing sensor, given the additional complexity associated with a greater range and field of view and […] the potential safety implications for the human eye.

Our discussions with suppliers suggests Apple and its partners are working hard on a world-facing solution, but development is ongoing and with over 18 months to go until the 2019 iPhone cycle, not all is yet determined.

The rear-facing TrueDepth camera system would pave the way for expanded augmented reality capabilities on iPhones. Apple has repeatedly expressed a profound interest in augmented reality, and recently highlighted some use cases of the technology in areas like education and gaming with a new page on its website.

Bloomberg News previously reported that Apple is exploring rear-facing 3D sensing, to be added to iPhones as early as 2019, while KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo agrees the technology won't be ready in 2018, so there does appear to be consensus about back-and-front TrueDepth being a next-year feature.

Apple's trio of new iPhones should be announced in September as usual, while the new iPad Pro with Face ID could debut in June.