Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will reportedly copy one of the iPhone X's most popular new features: Animoji.
Korean website ETNews claims the flagship smartphones will have a new 3D emoji function that is "more advanced" than Animoji. Like on the iPhone X, users will be able to choose from various 3D characters, including animals, that mimic facial movements as tracked by the Galaxy S9's facial recognition sensors.
Samsung should reveal the name of its Animoji competitor when the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are unveiled at Mobile World Congress on February 25. Many details about the smartphones have already leaked, including entire images of the devices shared by Evan Blass, hinting at many features that can be expected.
While rumors suggest the next major version of Android will include support for smartphones with a so-called notched design, like the iPhone X, it appears that the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will retain slim bezels along the top and bottom of the display for the front camera, microphone, and sensors.
3D emojis will be powered by the Galaxy S9's facial recognition system, which is expected to remain less secure than Face ID on the iPhone X. Other biometric options will include a rear fingerprint sensor and an iris scanner.
Samsung is rumored to release the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 on Friday, March 16, with pre-orders expected to begin about two weeks prior.
Just over two years after "Rise of the Tomb Raider" first launched as an Xbox console exclusive in late 2015, Feral Interactive today announced that it will bring the definitive edition of the game to macOS and Linux this spring. Called "Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration," the Mac game will be a port of the same title that launched for PS4 in late 2016, bundling the base game with all special add-on and DLC pack content.
"Rise of the Tomb Raider" is a sequel to the series reboot "Tomb Raider" from 2013, letting players control Lara Croft in a new adventure as she seeks an artifact rumored to grant immortality and believed to be located in the lost city of Kitezh. Players control Lara through what developer Crystal Dynamics refers to as "guerrilla combat," configuring Lara's loadout with new tools and weapons, including customizable items like poisoned arrows and explosive shotgun shells.
Downloadable content found in the 20 Year Celebration edition includes add-ons like Blood Ties and Baba Yaga, two standalone stories that place Lara at home in Croft Manor and in the Siberian wilderness, respectively. There are also a pair of horde mode levels set in the same locations, called Lara's Nightmare and Cold Darkness Awakened, where players fight off waves of infected enemies.
Other modes and add-on content includes:
Endurance Mode: Two players team up to survive the dangerous forest while plundering crypts for relics. Extreme Survivor Challenge: In the hardest difficulty setting for the main campaign, players overcome difficult limits of save points, resources, ammunition, and health. 5 Classic Skins: Nostalgic skins from Tomb Raider history: Croft Manor, Tomb Raider II, Tomb Raider II Bomber Jacket, Chronicles Catsuit, and Angel of Darkness. 12 Outfits: Ancient Vanguard (Byzantine-era chain mail), Apex Predator (bear fur, animal claws, and warpaint), Shadowrunner (tactical vest and watch cap), and the reimagined Antarctica outfit inspired by Tomb Raider III. Expedition Cards: Players use cards in Expedition Mode to boost their score, modify their abilities, and apply cosmetic effects like Big Head Enemies.
Feral Interactive has not yet announced specific Mac system requirements, a launch date, or how much the game will be, but said this information "will be revealed closer to release" in the spring. Currently, the PS4 version of "Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration" is priced around $30.
Facebook in October introduced a new feature designed to let publishers sell subscriptions to their news sites directly on Facebook, but the social network could not work out a deal with Apple, preventing the news subscription options from being available on Facebook for iOS.
At issue was Apple's demand for its standard 30 percent cut of any subscription revenue brought in through the Facebook iOS app, while Facebook wanted all money to go to publishers.
At today's Code Media event, Facebook executive Campbell Brown said the dispute with Apple had been resolved, which means the subscription service tool will launch on iOS devices on March 1.
Brown did not provide details on the deal that Facebook and Apple worked out, so it is not clear if Apple will be taking a standard 30 percent cut, a lower cut, or no cut at all.
Facebook's news service does not offer subscriptions purchased directly on Facebook, but instead redirects customers to sign up for a subscription on the publisher website once the article limit has been reached.
Publishers have asked Facebook to change the number of free articles Facebook users can view without a subscription from 10 to 5, a change Facebook will also implement starting on March 1.
Apple is expanding discounted student memberships for Apple Music to 82 additional markets, making half price subscriptions available in nearly all regions where the Apple Music streaming service is available.
According to iMore's Rene Ritchie, student discounts are available in 79 new regions as of today, with an additional three to be added on February 26. New countries where Apple Music discounts are available for students include Israel, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, and Taiwan.
First introduced in 2016, Apple Music memberships for students cut the normal price of Apple Music in half. In the United States, this means the regular $9.99 Apple Music subscription is priced at $4.99 for students.
To qualify for discounted pricing, students must be enrolled in an eligible college or university. Student eligibility is determined and verified through UNiDAYs, a student validation service.
UNiDAYS confirms that Apple Music subscribers are enrolled in a degree-granting program before allowing customers to get the discounted subscription price.
Customers who subscribe to Apple Music with a student subscription will need to confirm their status on a regular basis through UNiDAYS. Subscribers who are no longer students or who have had student pricing for a total of 48 months will be switched over to a full price individual Apple Music subscription.
Instagram is testing a new feature that will send an alert whenever you take a screenshot of a story, effectively putting an end to the practice of covertly taking screenshots of the temporary story posts on the social network.
News of the new feature was shared on Twitter by a user who posted an image of a screenshot warning message. Instagram plans to offer a one-time warning letting screenshotters know that subsequent screenshots or screen recordings will be visible to the person who posted the story.
The feature is being tested with a small number of users. Participants can see who took a screenshot of their story by going to the list of story viewers and checking to see if there are camera icons next to any of the names. A flash icon denotes a user who took a screenshot.
Instagram does not plan to send out notifications when a screenshot of a story is captured, but it will be visible in the list of people who viewed the story.
PSA: How you get notified on Instagram when someone took a screenshot of your Stories pic.twitter.com/Iua2QeyskF
— iz reading On the Edge of Scandal 🍑 (@readbyher) February 11, 2018
Instagram confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature is in testing right now: "We are always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram and make it easier to share any moment with the people who matter to you."
It's not yet clear if and when Instagram will officially introduce this feature.
HomePod, much like an iPhone or iPad, can be used as an alarm clock replacement to wake you up in the morning or remind you of important tasks.
Using HomePod as an alarm clock is simple, but it is controlled separately than alarms on your iPhone and there are a few tricks to be aware of.
Setting Using Siri
The easiest way to set an alarm on the HomePod is to ask Siri. Siri can set a one-time alarm for you, or Siri can set recurring alarms that go off every day. Some sample commands:
Hey Siri, set an alarm for 10:00 a.m
Hey Siri, set an alarm for 9:00 a.m. every weekday
Hey Siri, set an alarm for 10:00 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday
Hey Siri, set an alarm for 2:00 p.m. labeled Flight Check-In
Hey Siri, set an alarm for 9:00 a.m. every weekend
TIP: Labeling your alarms makes it easier for you to remember them and to reference them again when giving commands to Siri.
Managing Alarms Using Siri
You can manage your alarms with Siri, too. For example, if you want to delete an alarm, you can say something like "Hey Siri, delete the 2:00 p.m. alarm," or "Hey Siri, delete all of my alarms."
Changing an alarm is also possible, with a command like "Hey Siri, change the 2:00 p.m. alarm to 3:00 p.m, and if you want to know what alarms you have set up, say "Hey Siri, what alarms do I have on?"
Siri will run through all alarms that are set up on the HomePod with that command.
Managing and Setting Alarms in the Home App
Alarms that you set up on the HomePod through Siri can be viewed and managed in the Home app.
Open up the Home app.
Tap on a HomePod card on the main screen.
Scroll down to the "Alarms" section and tap New.
Tap the time to adjust when you want the alarm to go off.
Use the Repeat and Label options to select whether this is a recurring alarm and to give your alarm a name, respectively.
Under "Alarm Sound," choose to Play Tone or Play Media. If you choose the latter, additional options will appear for you to select the media to play, as well as the volume.
When you're finished, tap Done.
You can set multiple alarms on a single HomePod all of which will be listed under the Alarms section on the HomePod's card in the Home app.
Disabling an Alarm
When an alarm goes off on the HomePod, an alarm sound activates and the top of the HomePod flashes with a white light. To turn it off, you simply need to tap the top of the HomePod.
If you don't have a free hand, you can also ask Siri to turn off the alarm: "Hey Siri, turn off the alarm." To snooze an alarm, you can say "Hey Siri, snooze" and it will snooze for a short period of time before the alarm goes off again.
To play music from third-party music services like Spotify to your HomePod, you don't need an iOS device -- a Mac will work too. You can send any audio playing on your Mac right to your HomePod, and not just audio from iTunes.
To AirPlay from Mac to HomePod, your Mac and your HomePod need to be on the same Wi-Fi network.
Make Sure Volume is Enabled in Menu Bar
It's easiest to AirPlay sound to the HomePod from a Mac using the menu bar on your Mac, but to do that, you need to make sure your audio settings are readily accessible. By default, audio settings aren't available on the menu bar, so you'll need to fix that.
Open up System Preferences.
Choose Sound.
Select the "Output" tab.
Check the "Show volume in menu bar" box.
While it's easiest to use the menu bar, you can actually AirPlay to the HomePod using the Sound section of System Preferences. To do so, double click on the HomePod, which should be named after the room that it's in.
Selecting HomePod as an Audio Output Device from the Menu Bar
Once sound controls are accessible from the menu bar, it's simple to route the sound from your Mac to the HomePod.
Click on the volume button in the menu bar.
Under the "Output Device" list, choose the HomePod, which is labeled as the room that it's in. Mine is Office 2, because I have two AirPlay devices in my office.
With the HomePod selected as the audio output device, all audio from your Mac will be sent to the HomePod. You can't pick and choose -- every sound from your Mac will be played on the HomePod instead of on your Mac's speakers.
When using the HomePod this way, as an external speaker for the Mac, there's no option to use Siri to do things like skip songs. tYou'll need to control playback on your Mac, but you can use the physical controls on the HomePod to adjust volume.
AirPlaying from iTunes
For the most part, you need to use the audio output settings to AirPlay music from a third-party service to the Mac, but if you're playing content from iTunes, you can use the built-in iTunes AirPlay controls.
Open iTunes.
Play a song from Apple Music or your music library.
In iTunes, click on the icon.
Select the HomePod icon.
Because you can play Apple Music and iCloud Music Library content directly on the HomePod, there's probably not much need to AirPlay from iTunes to the HomePod, but the option is there if you need it.
Consumer Reports has conducted some early audio testing of the HomePod, and while the full evaluation isn't yet finished, the site believes that both the $400 Google Home Max and the $200 Sonos One sound better than Apple's new $349 smart speaker.
The HomePod received a "Very Good" sound quality rating, as did the Sonos One and the Google Home Max, but the latter two speakers also received higher overall sound quality scores.
Consumer Reports says that its speaker tests are conducted in a dedicated listening room, with experienced testers who compare each model with "high-quality reference speakers." In the case of the HomePod, testers found a few issues.
The bass was "boomy and overemphasized," while midrange tones were "somewhat hazy," and treble sounds were "underemphasized." Overall, Consumer Reports found the HomePod's sound to be "a bit muddy" when played next to the Sonos One and the Google Home Max.
The HomePod will serve many music fans well, but CR testers did hear some flaws. The HomePod's bass was a bit boomy and overemphasized. And the midrange tones were somewhat hazy, meaning that some of the nuance in vocals, guitars, and horns was lost: These elements of the music couldn't be heard as distinctly as in more highly rated speakers. Treble sounds, like cymbals, were underemphasized. But the HomePod played reasonably loudly in a midsized room.
All three smart speakers "fall significantly short" of other wireless speakers Consumer Reports has tested, like the Edifier S1000DB, priced at $350.
The HomePod's sound has been highly praised both by new HomePod owners and by media sites that tested the device ahead of its release. While Consumer Reports doesn't believe the HomePod outshines the Google Home Max and the Sonos One, other reviews have disagreed, including an extensive, in-depth review published by a self-professed audiophile earlier this morning.
Apple today shared three new iPhone tutorial videos on its YouTube channel, providing quick walkthroughs on shooting a Portrait mode selfie, editing a Portrait selfie, and creating a Live Photo that uses the "bounce" effect.
The first two videos pertain to the iPhone X, which is the only iPhone that supports Portrait mode selfies thanks to the front-facing TrueDepth camera, while the Live Photos video is applicable to all devices that support Live Photos.
Each video is just over 30 seconds in length and goes through all of the steps necessary to accomplish each task using an actual iPhone screen recording to highlight each action.
Apple has thus far shared several videos in this same tutorial series, offering quick tips on how to use various iPhone and iPad features. Like Apple's other tutorial videos, these new photo tutorials are aimed at people who aren't particularly familiar with the feature set of the iPhone.
Apple recently updated its Maps app to add transit directions and data for Tucson, Arizona. Transit directions have been available in Phoenix, Arizona since October of 2017, but transit information for Tucson appears to be new.
Apple Maps users in Tucson can now select public transportation routes when getting directions between two locations, with SunTran bus lines available as a transit transportation option. Amtrak routes are also available, and have been for some time.
Apple has not yet added Tucson to the website where it lists locations where transit directions are available, but it should be added in the near future.
Transit directions were first added to Apple Maps in 2015 with the launch of iOS 9. Maps initially only offered transit information in a handful of cities, but over the course of the last three years, Apple has worked to expand the feature to additional areas.
Transit information is now live in dozens of cities and countries around the world, with a full list available on Apple's iOS 11 Feature Availability website.
If you're having trouble with HomePod and need to return it to its factory settings, there are two simple methods for resetting the device and erasing all of your content.
You can either use the Home app on the iPhone, or manually reset the HomePod on the device itself. Here's how:
Resetting HomePod with iPhone
Open up the Home app.
3D Touch or long press on the HomePod icon.
Choose "Details" to access your HomePod's settings.
Scroll down to the bottom of the settings section and tap "Remove Accessory."
Tap "Remove" again after the confirmation window comes up.
Resetting HomePod Without iPhone
Unplug your HomePod.
Plug your HomePod back in again.
Press and hold the top of the HomePod.
Continue holding until Siri tells you to let go.
When using this method, make sure to place your finger on the HomePod right after you plug it back in again and don't lift it off, or you'll need to restart the process.
During this process, you will see a red flashing light on the top of the HomePod, and you'll hear Siri say "Your HomePod is about to reset, keep pressing until you hear three beeps." Once those three beeps sound, the HomePod is reset to its original state.
Resetting the HomePod is useful if you run into an issue, but these are also steps that you will need to follow if you want to sell your HomePod or if you need to send it in for service.
Siri on HomePod lets you listen to any show found in Apple's Podcasts catalog with a few voice controls that are similar to those for Apple Music playback. In this guide, we've listed some of the most useful Siri controls for Podcasts, along with basic commands that will help you do things like pause and rewind parts of a Podcast you might have missed, subscribe to a podcast, change the volume, and more.
Podcast Commands
"Hey Siri, play the Game Scoop podcast."
"Hey Siri, play the newest episode of Lore."
"Hey Siri, play the first episode of Anna Faris is Unqualified."
"Hey Siri, play my newest podcasts."
"Hey Siri, what podcast is this?"
"Hey Siri, subscribe to this podcast."
"Hey Siri, subscribe to NPR News Now."
Controls
"Hey Siri, pause."
"Hey Siri, jump back 10 seconds."
"Hey Siri, skip forward one minute."
"Hey Siri, raise/lower the volume."
"Hey Siri, play it twice as fast."
As with Apple Music, HomePod will source the Podcast data you ask for from the Podcasts app on iPhone or iPad, or the Podcasts section of iTunes. Using the app, you can listen to podcasts directly on your iOS device, browse deeper into your library, and look for new shows.
Verizon plans to stop selling unlocked smartphones as a way to deter criminals from stealing the devices, the company told CNET.
As of today, Verizon devices will be locked to the Verizon network and unlocked as soon as a customer signs up for service and activates the phone. Later in the spring, though, smartphones will remain locked until unlocked by Verizon, and Verizon has not yet shared details on how long it will keep phones locked before offering to unlock them.
Verizon previously sold all of its smartphones, iPhones included, unlocked, which means they were not tied to the Verizon network and could be used with any carrier right after purchase.
Purchasing a Verizon iPhone has long been a way to get an unlocked device right away, as Apple often does not sell its own unlocked models until several weeks to several months after a new iPhone launches.
With the iPhone X, for example, all Verizon models sold in November were unlocked and were able to be used across different cellular networks.
Going forward, the smartphones that Verizon sells will be locked to the Verizon network. Smartphones locked this way will not be compatible with other carriers until unlocked by Verizon, which is similar to how other cellular carriers in the United States operate.
According to Verizon, the new policy is aimed at preventing criminals from stealing unlocked phones that can be resold or used overseas. "We're taking steps to combat this theft and reduce fraud, Tami Erwin, executive vice president of wireless operations for Verizon told CNET in a statement. "These steps will make our phones exponentially less desirable to criminals.
Verizon has not yet shared details on how its unlocking policy will work, but if it's like other carriers, such as AT&T, the company will offer to unlock a smartphone after a waiting period. AT&T requires customers to wait for 60 days, Sprint requires customers to wait for 50 days (and then automatically unlocks devices), and T-Mobile has a 40-day waiting period, but does offer temporary unlocking for customers who need to travel.
AT&T and Sprint require smartphones to be paid off before being unlocked, but CNET says Verizon will allow customers to unlock their devices regardless of whether or not they're paid off once the waiting period has expired.
Last month, Apple sued French tax activist group "Attac" for occupying its flagship Parisian store during a protest of what Attac called "wide-scale tax evasion." Today, Apple has asked the court in Paris to ban the group from its French stores and prevent any further stunts from happening.
In response to the court filing, Attac today mobilized in front of the court in further protest, sporting a Star Wars theme that equates Apple to The Empire and Tim Cook to Emperor Palpatine (via The Guardian and MacGeneration).
The court will rule later in February on the case, and Apple is said to hope for a full ban to prevent any Attac members entering or being near its Apple retail locations. Apple said the group "vandalizes" its stores and potentially "endangers" staff and customers. One protest in November 2017 saw Attac write "Apple pay your taxes" on a window at Apple Aix-en-Provence. Following Apple's claims, the group said its protests are "good natured."
At the height of the Christmas shopping period last December, about 100 Attac volunteers arrived at Apple’s Paris store at Place de l’Opéra. Some danced the conga, others unfurled a huge banner saying “We’ll stop when Apple pays” and some brandished huge cardboard cheques in reference to the European commission ruling in August 2016 that the iPhone maker must reimburse the Irish state a record €13bn (£11.5bn) to make up for what it considered to be unpaid taxes over a number of years.
In the case filing, Apple said that it has "a long tradition of supporting individuals and groups that peacefully express their opinions," but the company believes the vandalism of its stores and potential danger to its customers are steps too far. In addition to the ban, Apple France has asked the court to fine the activist group 150,000 EUR, and 3,000 EUR in commercial damages "if they break the ban."
An Attac spokesperson denied the vandalism reports from 2017 and said the group "simply went into Apple shops in a festive and good-natured way with music and theatre."
Attac’s lawyer Julien Pignon told France Info: “These demands are totally out of proportion with regard to the superior principle of freedom of expression and freedom to demonstrate which is guaranteed by French law and the European convention on human rights.”
Attac's ire is focused on tax avoidance claims lodged at Apple over the past few years. In August 2016, the European Commission ruled that Apple must repay 13 billion euros ($15.46 billion) in back taxes dating between 2003 and 2014, which it reportedly avoided with the help of sweetheart tax deals from Ireland. Now, Apple will begin paying the back taxes owed to Ireland around March, expected to continue through September.
The French court is expected to announce its decision on the case on Friday, February 23.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple's lineup of MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models accounted for roughly one in ten notebooks shipped worldwide last year, according to data published today by research firm TrendForce.
TrendForce claims that Apple surpassed ASUS to become the world's fourth largest notebook vendor, with an estimated 9.6 percent market share in 2017, up from 8.3 percent in 2016. ASUS saw its market share drop to an estimated 9.5 percent last year, down from a reported 10.3 percent in 2016.
The research firm says Apple releasing updated MacBook Pro models in June 2017 helped the company expand its shipments by 18 percent for the whole year—supposedly the highest growth rate among all notebook brands.
TrendForce estimates notebook shipments from all brands totaled 164.7 million units worldwide, a year-on-year increase of 2.1 percent. Windows PC makers HP, Lenovo, and Dell led the industry with estimated 24.3 percent, 20.2 percent, and 15.2 percent market shares respectively in 2017.
It's important to note that Apple doesn't break down its Mac sales on a model-by-model basis in its earnings reports, so TrendForce's data is estimated, likely based in part on the average selling price of a Mac.
Another caveat is that PC makers like HP, Lenovo, and Dell sell a wide variety of notebooks at all different price points, while Apple primarily targets the high-end market, with its cheapest notebook being the outdated MacBook Air for $999 and up. Apple's profit margins are also significantly higher.
Apple routinely flip-flops between fourth and fifth place in the notebook market, so these results aren't overly surprising. The company is expected to remain the world's fourth most popular notebook vendor in 2018.
What's next for Apple's notebook lineup? We haven't heard much yet, but a recent report claimed that at least three new Mac models integrated with custom co-processors, including updated notebooks and a new desktop, are planned for release later this year. MacBook refreshes often occur between March and June.
Apple's desktop lineup has actually received more attention than MacBooks recently. In addition to the all-new iMac Pro, Apple continues to work on a Mac Pro with an upgradeable design. The portable Mac mini has also gone well over three years without an update, and could certainly use a refresh.
For a history of release dates and the latest rumors about the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, be sure to visit our Mac Buyer's Guide.
iOS game developer Snowman today announced that "Alto's Odyssey" will launch on the iOS and tvOS App Stores on Thursday, February 22. With the confirmation of a release date, Apple today shared a new card on the iOS App Store noting the launch, along with snippets of an interview with the game's developers (via TouchArcade). The game was originally set to debut in the summer of 2017 but got delayed because "it takes longer to build things right."
Alto's Odyssey is a sequel to the original 2015 game "Alto's Adventure," and will introduce a few new pieces of gameplay into the endless runner formula from the first game, like wall jumping, balloon bouncing, and more. Characters can be unlocked and each will have their own abilities, and players will be able to relax a bit with a "Zen Mode" that removes all coins, power ups, and scores to focus on exploration.
"We want to make sure both games feel connected," says Harry Nesbitt, lead artist and programmer for the eight-person Team Alto. "They're part of the same world, so they need to feel like they're painted with the same brush. But we also want to celebrate the new desert environment and explore everything it has to offer."
Instead of a snowy location, Alto's Odyssey takes place in a desert and players will control Alto through the franchise's "one-touch trick system" to chain combos and complete level goals. The sequel also has a Photo Mode, where players can pause the game and take pictures of their trips through the desert to share online with friends and family.
Alto's Odyssey is a universal iOS app, and supports the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, syncing progress across all devices. The game is up for pre-order today [Direct Link] ahead of its February 22 launch date, priced at $4.99 "with no ads or in-app purchases."
The report claims that Apple's software engineers will have more discretion to delay features that aren't as polished, with the company essentially shifting to more of a two-year roadmap for iOS and macOS, rather than trying to release major feature-packed upgrades every single year without question.
Instead of keeping engineers on a relentless annual schedule and cramming features into a single update, Apple will start focusing on the next two years of updates for its iPhone and iPad operating system, according to people familiar with the change. The company will continue to update its software annually, but internally engineers will have more discretion to push back features that aren't as polished to the following year.
Apple's commitment to a fast-paced iOS release schedule already led some features to be delayed regardless, including Apple Pay Cash and Messages on iCloud, so the new strategy would likely involve not announcing or testing those features in beta until they are much closer to being ready for public release.
Despite the increased focus on under-the-hood refinements, iOS 12 is still expected to include some significant new features, including Animoji in FaceTime, which will enable people to place virtual faces over themselves during video calls.
Additionally, in iOS 12, Apple is planning deeper Siri integration in the iPhone's search view, Do Not Disturb improvements that will give users more options to automatically reject phone calls or silence notifications, a redesigned version of its Stocks app, and a multiplayer mode for augmented reality games.
As previously reported, Apple is also expected to make it possible for developers to release apps that work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, starting with iOS 12 and macOS 10.14, which should be introduced at WWDC 2018 in June.
Last month, Gurman reported that developers will be able to design a single third-party app that works with both a touchscreen, and a mouse or trackpad, depending on whether it's running on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Apple would presumably also streamline its own apps on the desktop and mobile.
The report didn't reveal exactly how the process will work, but Apple could be planning to release a new SDK with new APIs that enable true cross-platform functionality. Right now, Apple's UIKit and AppKit frameworks provide the required infrastructure for iOS and macOS app user interfaces respectively.
Today's report reiterates other features that are delayed, including redesigned home screens on iPhone, iPad, and CarPlay, tabbed apps on iPad, and the ability to view two screens from the same app side by side on iPad.
Update: EMagin's Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Lucas told Bloomberg that Apple has not invested in the company, despite the document filed with the Securities and Exchange commission.
Emagin listed the companies in the document because it "has had discussions with them at industry events." Lucas says Apple did not actually invest in the company and the filing was misinterpreted.
Apple has joined a group of companies investing in OLED microdisplay maker eMagin, believed to be part of Apple's overall virtual and augmented reality hardware strategy. LG, Valve, Immerex, and Stillwater Holdings have all joined in on the investment with Apple, which is said to be worth up to a total of $10.6 million (via TechCrunch).
eMagin confirmed the investment, stating that it will use the money for "working capital and general corporate purposes." The company created "a new kind of display" to use in VR headsets that allows for sharper images, which it believes will help fuel the "next generation" of AR and VR devices.
eMagin’s technology is notable in that it has created a new kind of display that can be used in VR headsets, which provides a sharper image by using a denser layout of lines (versus the pixels commonly used in existing products). This helps reduces the so-called “screen door” effect on the display and makes what you see up close through the headset much sharper.
“We believe that our direct patterning technology is a key differentiator for enabling next generation AR/VR hardware for the consumer and enterprise segments because of the brightness and the pixel density afforded by the technology,” the company notes.
For Apple, the last few years have seen a ramp up in the hiring of talent and acquisitions of companies that all revolve around its AR/VR efforts. Since 2015, Apple has purchased several companies in this area, but some acquisitions date back even further. A few of these AR/VR acquisitions made by Apple include companies like Metaio, Faceshift, Emotient, Flyby Media, RealFace, and VRvana.
Apple has already put the technology behind Faceshift to use with Animoji in iPhone X, but outside of software the company's plans for a hardware product in the AR/VR space remain unclear. Right now, plans for a pair of "smart glasses" or VR headset are believed to be in prototype stages, so if they do ever launch it will still be a few years down the road. More recently, a report suggested that Apple is ramping up development on an AR headset running a new operating system called "rOS."
Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that any AR/VR hardware from Apple is a few years away because "the technology itself doesn't exist to do that in a quality way." At the time, Cook said that one of the biggest challenges for building such an AR headset today would be the display technology required to make it work, suggesting the new eMagin investment could be helping Apple in this area. One of the last major reports regarding Apple's interest in AR hardware was the company's meeting with potential AR glasses suppliers, said to have happened at CES last month.
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