MacRumors

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.2.1 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing tvOS 10.2, an update that introduced improve scrolling and iPad support for the Apple TV Remote app.

The tvOS 10.2.1 beta is designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV. It can be downloaded by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and installing the beta software from a registered developer account using iTunes.

Because of the tricky installation requirements, tvOS betas are limited to developers. tvOS 10.2.1 will not be available to the public until the final version of the software launches.

Apple does not typically provide detailed beta release notes, so we don't yet know what's included in tvOS 10.2.1. It's likely to focus primarily on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements, so we may not know what's new until the software sees an official release.

Should any noticeable changes be discovered in tvOS 10.2.1, we'll update this post.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after the launch of watchOS 3.2, a major update that introduced Theater Mode.

watchOS 3.2.2 can be downloaded through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS betas require an iPhone running iOS 10 to install, and they're only available to developers because there's no way to downgrade the software on an Apple Watch.

It's not yet clear if watchOS 3.2.2 introduces any new features or bug fixes because Apple doesn't typically provide release notes for betas, but we'll update this post should anything new be discovered.

Given that this is a minor 3.x.x update, it's likely to focus primarily on bug fixes.

T-Mobile today announced that it will offer its customers a free annual subscription to MLB.TV Premium, a $119.99 value, on Tuesday, April 4.

T-Mobile customers will be able to claim the gift through its T-Mobile Tuesdays app until Wednesday, April 5 at 1:59 a.m. Pacific Time. Then, customers need to sign up for MLB.TV Premium by Tuesday, April 11 at 1:59 a.m. Pacific Time.

MLB.TV Premium allows baseball fans to stream every out-of-market game live or on demand on the web with supported devices, including the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, PlayStation 4, Roku, and Google Chromecast.

MLB.TV Premium also includes a free subscription to At Bat Premium, which unlocks high-quality streaming of select live MLB.TV broadcasts and highlight clips in the MLB.com At Bat app for iPhone and iPad.

Opening Day of the 2017 Major League Baseball season is Sunday, April 2. Spring Training wraps up this week.

T-Mobile customers must have a qualifying monthly rate plan, including "most consumer and business, postpaid, and prepaid plans." Government accounts and plans without high speed data are not eligible.

2017 marks the fourth consecutive year that T-Mobile has offered its customers a free year of MLB.TV Premium.

Amazon has launched another grocery initiative, this time for Amazon employees in Seattle. The service is called AmazonFresh Pickup and it allows customers to order groceries from the Amazon mobile app on iOS and Android, or on the web, select a pickup time, and show up at the AmazonFresh Pickup location to get their items bagged into their vehicle by an Amazon worker.

Although it's limited to Amazon employees right now, when it opens to a wider audience AmazonFresh Pickup will be available to Prime members (who are near a location) as a free addition to their membership (via TechCrunch).

The service has no minimum order requirement, so customers can create grocery lists for dozens of items or for a single bottle of mouthwash, for example -- whatever is ordered will be waiting for them when they drive up. Customers can order fresh produce, meats, bread, dairy and a range of household items off of AmazonFresh Pickup, which currently has two locations in Seattle's SODO and Ballard neighborhoods.

Amazon previously tested out "Amazon Go" pop up stores, which let customers walk in, purchase groceries, and walk out of the store without needing to go through any lengthy check out process. That service worked by having customers scan their smartphone when entering, and the Amazon Go app tracked every item taken from the store's shelves and tallied it all up in a virtual cart, which charged a customer's connected payment card.

Recently, it was reported that Amazon is delaying a wider launch of Amazon Go locations to "work out kinks" related to the cashierless technology that charges customers automatically. Amazon is constantly testing out and slowly launching neat new ideas that could see a wider debut for its customers in the future -- like Amazon Prime Air, which has evolved from futuristic reveal to small-scale, working delivery drone in just over three years. With today's announcement, it appears that AmazonFresh Pickup is the next in line.

Following yesterday's iOS 10.3 release, several carriers around the world have enabled support for native Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE on iPhone.

In addition to updating to iOS 10.3, the features require installing a carrier settings update to be enabled. Your device should prompt you to install the carrier settings update in Settings > General > Software Update.

Features may be limited to certain iPhone models, so check with your carrier. British carrier O2, for example, has only enabled support on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus right now, with plans to add other devices soon.

The full list of carriers that have just enabled native Wi-Fi calling on iOS 10.3:

• Australia: Optus
  

• Austria: A1 Telekom
  

• Belgium: Telenet
  

• Greece: Cosmote
  

• Hong Kong: 1010
  

• Norway: Telia
  

• Poland: Orange, Play
  

• Switzerland: Sunrise
  

• United Kingdom: O2

The full list of carriers that have just enabled VoLTE on iOS 10.3:

• Denmark: 3
  

• Greece: Cosmote
  

• Peru: Movistar
  

• Poland: Orange
  

• Russia: MegaFon
  

• Turkey: Turk Telecom
  

• United Kingdom: O2

To enable Wi-Fi calling, open the Settings app, tap on General > Wi-Fi Calling, and toggle on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone.

To enable VoLTE, open the Settings app and tap on Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options > Enable 4G > Voice & Data.

Meanwhile, Verizon customers with an iPhone running iOS 10.3 can now make and receive Wi-Fi calls on other iCloud-connected devices, including the iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, and most 2012 or later Macs, even if the iPhone is turned off. The devices must be signed into the same Apple ID used on the iPhone.

Update: Slovenia's Telekom also officially announced VoLTE support today, although the carrier was already included on Apple's list.

Facebook today is officially rolling out its long-in-testing upgrade to the main Facebook mobile app on iOS and Android, bringing a number of changes focused on the addition of an all-new camera, filters, themed effects and "Facebook Stories." The company's 24-hour post Snapchat clone was reported to have launched a few weeks ago, but a Facebook spokesperson contacted MacRumors at the time and confirmed that the feature was still in testing ahead of a wide launch, happening today.

The new camera can be found in the top left of the Facebook app's main news feed, or users can swipe right on their news feed to open up the camera (similar to Instagram). Here users can take pictures and selfies using masks, filters, and "reactive effects," where they can interact with dynamic objects such as falling snow. Style effects apply a Prisma-like artistic filter onto an image in real-time.

Brands and advertisers are also joining in on the Facebook camera launch, with users able to take selfies using filters for upcoming films like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Alien: Covenant, and Wonder Woman. Facebook said that the company will consistently update all of these effects in the camera "to give you fun new effects to explore," and even more customization is coming down the line as well.

Over the coming months, we plan to introduce new ways for the Facebook community to create their own frames and effects that can be used on any photo or video created with the new Facebook camera. Our goal is for the camera to be a home to hundreds of dynamic and fun effects that give you new ways to connect with friends, family, and your community.

We hope that with the new Facebook camera, Stories and Direct, it will be easier than ever to see the world through each other’s eyes, and we can’t wait to see the photos and videos you create. In the meantime, here’s one of my own in my tropical island disguise, hiding from work with my cat Ebi.

The launch of the Facebook camera on iOS and Android is also bringing Facebook Stories to the masses for the first time. The feature hasn't changed since it was originally in testing in January, or since it launched as Instagram Stories last summer: users can post images and videos, add silly effects and captions, and watch them disappear forever after a 24-hour period.

For users who don't want to share publicly, a new Direct option will allow Facebook friends to share the same disappearing posts directly to one another. When shared through Direct, a friend or family member will be able to look at the photo or video one time, replay it, and write a reply, but after that it'll be gone forever -- similar to Snapchat's own chat section.

Facebook can be downloaded from the iOS App Store for free [Direct Link], and the update should begin appearing for users throughout the day.

Payments company Square today announced that it has officially launched within the United Kingdom, bringing its popular Square Reader to small and medium businesses within the UK Square's UK debut marks the company's first European launch, but its products are already available in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia.

In the UK, the Square Reader will cost businesses £39, and will act just as it does in other territories by connecting to a mobile smartphone or tablet, turning the device into a payment receptacle through the use of mobile wallets or physical credit cards. Every transaction that occurs in person will have a 1.75 percent flat fee charged to businesses, while all online, telephone, and electronic invoice transactions will incur a 2.5 percent fee.

After it's set up, businesses will be able to browse the Square software built for mobile devices to track real-time sales data, invoicing and digital receipts. In its announcement today, Square said that the UK is a prime target for its technology because the average UK adult carries less than £25 in cash, while 70 percent of UK shoppers prefer card payments. Despite these statistics, "half of the UK's 5.4 million small businesses do not yet take card payments."

“We founded Square to empower small businesses with tools to accept all forms of payment and to make a sale anytime, anywhere,” said Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square. “We look forward to working alongside the millions of entrepreneurs and thriving small and medium-sized businesses across the UK, especially those who do not yet take card payments.”

In the United States Square has been a partner with Apple over the past few years, launching an NFC reader that introduced Apple Pay and other mobile wallets to small businesses for the first time, while also recently giving them the opportunity to obtain free processing fees when processing transactions through Apple's mobile wallet.

Samsung announced on Monday that it will sell refurbished versions of its Galaxy Note7 smartphones, the model it officially discontinued last year because of fire-prone batteries.

Samsung's Note 7 devices were permanently scrapped in October and recalled globally, after multiple reports of some phones self-combusting. A highly publicized in-depth investigation by the company discovered that batteries supplied by two different companies were to blame. No other faults were discovered in the components or parts.

The news surprised some analysts, coming just days before Samsung officially announces its Galaxy S8, which is generally regarded as the firm's comeback mobile device and "iPhone 8" rival. Samsung said the refurbished Note7 phones will be equipped with new batteries that have gone through new safety checks.

"Regarding the Galaxy Note 7 devices as refurbished phones or rental phones, applicability is dependent upon consultations with regulatory authorities and carriers as well as due consideration of local demand," Samsung said in a statement. "The product details including the name, technical specification and price range will be announced when the device is available. Samsung will not be offering refurbished Galaxy Note 7 devices for rent or sale in the US."

The move should allow Samsung to recoup some of the $2.3 billion in losses it suffered because of the ill-fated phone, but the company told The Verge that the main objective of introducing the refurbished devices was "solely to reduce and minimize any environmental impact".

Last month, Greenpeace protestors interrupted the company's Mobile World Congress keynote and demanded to know what the company's plans were for its 4.3 million recalled devices, so it's possible Samsung's latest announcement is timed to avoid a repeat incident overshadowing its S8 launch on Wednesday. "Samsung's announcement is the first step to show its effort to set a new path for recycling smartphones starting with Note 7s," Greenpeace wrote in a blog post.

Samsung told Reuters the company has not set specifics on refurbished sales plans, including which markets they will be sold in and when they will go on sale. However, it noted that the phones will not be sold in India, as some media mistakenly reported earlier this year.

Google has revealed that its Amazon Echo rival, Google Home, will arrive in the United Kingdom on April 6. The announcement was made on Tuesday at an event in London, where it was also revealed that the British version of the connected smart speaker will deliver news briefings from several U.K. media outlets including The Guardian and the BBC.

Rollout of Google Home beyond American shores has lagged behind its main rival. The Echo range of speakers was released in Germany and the U.K. back in September 2016, allowing Amazon to gain an early foothold in the British market over the holiday period.

Google's voice-activated speaker has also recently been dogged by accusations that its virtual Google Assistant responds to some questions with dubious answers because of flaws in the way its online search algorithm operates.

Google Home will cost £129 when it arrives in the U.K. next month and will be available from the Google Store, Argos, Dixons, John Lewis, and Maplins. Google is also launching colored bases, costing £18 for fabric and £36 for metal versions.

Swedish home furniture store IKEA announced its own affordable smart lighting system today called Trådfri, which means "wireless" in Swedish.

The Smart Lighting range of products includes Trådfri LED bulbs, a remote dimmer switch puck, a gateway kit, a motion sensor kit, and dimming lights. IKEA is also introducing a selection of LED light panels and doors that can be built into cabinets for the bedroom and kitchen.

The Gateway starter kit will cost around $80 and includes two bulbs, a remote, and a gateway hub to connect everything to the app. The Trådfri bulbs have three white color temperature options (2200K, 2700K, and 4000K) that IKEA claims each last around 25,000 hours.

"The Ikea vision is to bring affordable home furnishing solutions to the many people. We know from research that existing smart lighting technology is perceived to be too expensive and difficult to understand, so we have worked to remove those barriers to make smart lighting more accessible," IKEA Home Furnishing expert Helen Longford said in a statement.

Like the Philips Hue series, IKEA's first range of automated lighting products is based on the ZigBee Light Link standard that got released in a number European countries late last year and should see a larger rollout at the end of this month.

IKEA gives a March 31 availability date for the lighting range in Sweden, with the range expected to arrive in the U.K in April, making them likely to roll out to other countries soon. The IKEA website makes no mention of compatibility with existing smart home platforms like Apple HomeKit, but support for other standards seems likely at some point down the line.

First introduced in watchOS 3.2, Theater Mode is a simple but useful feature that's designed to prevent the Apple Watch's screen from activating when you raise your wrist.

It's useful in situations where the bright screen can be a distraction, such as a movie or a play, and it's also useful for those who like to sleep with their Apple Watches.

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Activating Theater Mode

Theater Mode is available as an option in the Apple Watch Control Center, so toggling it on and off is simple.

1. Raise your wrist to activate the Apple Watch screen or press the Digital Crown.
2. Swipe up from the bottom of the Apple Watch to bring up Control Center.
3. Swipe up again to access the icon that looks like a pair of theater masks.
4. Tap the masks.
5. A screen will pop up explaining theater mode. Tap again to activate it.

While Theater Mode is active, you'll see an the icon at the top of the Apple Watch whenever you view the screen. To turn it off, open up the Control Center again and tap the Theater Mode button.

How Theater Mode Works

When Theater Mode is enabled, the screen will remain dark when you raise your wrist instead of lighting up. It will also stay dark when a notification is received, but you'll still know if you get an incoming text or other alert because haptic feedback remains on.

Accessing Notifications While Theater Mode is On

You'll continue to get a tap whenever there's an incoming notification when Theater Mode is turned on, and to view it, you'll need to press the Digital Crown or tap on the screen.

Tapping, pressing the Digital Crown, or pressing the side button is also how you check the time when Theater Mode is enabled.