MacRumors

Spotify is experimenting with a new podcast initiative that's said to be aimed at gaining ground on the current leader in the field, Apple, as a way to convince Spotify users on iOS to stick around in the Spotify app, and not migrate over to Apple Podcasts. As of now, the podcast initiative is described as a "test," with Spotify launching a few original podcasts and running promotions for the shows to see how users respond (via Bloomberg).

Currently, podcasts on Spotify sit within the Browse tab of the iOS app and lack any highlighted featured section on the Home screen. Spotify's new initiative seeks a way to change that and begin showcasing podcasts for users in the same way that the service curates music. Earlier this year, Spotify commissioned original podcasts focused on music, premiering first on Spotify before expanding to other services.

Next, more original shows will continue the podcast test over the coming months.

Spotify will fund a new batch of original podcasts in the coming months, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing the private plans.

“Spotify has the potential to do a lot for podcasting,” Quah said. “They have a large user base, and all it takes is a few tweaks here and there to put podcasting in the foreground for the daily listeners.”

The initiative is also expanding into advertising fields, with Spotify agreeing to promote specific podcasts within the app and on mobile transportation, in return for these podcast hosts "talking up" Spotify on social media and throughout their shows. Right now, the podcasts in agreement with Spotify include "Reply All," "Pod Save America," and "The Bill Simmons Podcast."

At WWDC this year, Apple announced major features for both users and podcast creators coming to the overhauled Podcasts app in iOS 11. Although the recently rebranded "Apple Podcasts" holds the majority share of the podcast market (around 55 percent, according to weekly podcast newsletter author Nick Quah), Spotify's stance as the largest streaming service in the world presents it with "an opportunity to steal share from Apple."

Due to the surge in popularity of podcasts over recent years, Apple in 2016 even met with leading podcasters to discuss their grievances over iTunes and its podcasts section.

Gboard is Google's own keyboard app for iOS devices, and today the company announced that it's integrating Google Maps and YouTube directly within the keyboard. The two new features will be housed behind the "G" button on Gboard, now sitting alongside Google Search.

With Google Maps in Gboard, users can share their location, or another location that they wish to serve as a rendezvous point, and send the address to a contact in Messages. YouTube lets users search and send any YouTube video to friends and family directly from Gboard. There's also a new "Ink" tab that lets users draw pieces of art to share with their contacts.

Outside of the Gboard app, Google also has a Google Maps app for Apple's Messages App Store, which lets users send their location to a friend as an iMessage.

Gboard originally launched in May of 2016, with built-in Google search as its flagship feature, and was later updated with 3D Touch cursor tracking and voice support.

Gboard is one of the main iOS keyboard apps that users can install as an additional keyboard to text with on their iPhone or iPad. Microsoft's SwiftKey is another well-known keyboard app for iOS, which the company has now decided to focus on after recently removing Word Flow from the iOS App Store.

Gboard is available on the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Google's former senior vice president of social, Vic Gundotra, recently made remarks on Facebook about the advantages of Apple's iPhone ecosystem, specifically pertaining to the iOS Camera app and the quality of photos it creates (via Business Insider).

He said that the "end of the DSLR era" has arrived, and shared pics he took of his family recently with an iPhone 7 as an example.

The end of the DSLR for most people has already arrived. I left my professional camera at home and took these shots at dinner with my iPhone 7 using computational photography (portrait mode as Apple calls it). Hard not to call these results (in a restaurant, taken on a mobile phone with no flash) stunning. Great job Apple.

Gundotra's original post received a comment that said Samsung's Galaxy S8 was a better photography tool than the iPhone 7, to which he commented with a detailed response explaining why he believes that's not the case. Specifically, the former Google executive referenced Android's need to be "neutral to all parties" since it's an open source platform, making it difficult for Google to release hardware and software innovations at the same time.

He also mentioned that Google has "fallen back" recently in regards to its development of computational photography software. But where Android-backed smartphone innovation lags, Gundotra said that Apple is far ahead of the competition because it "doesn't have all these constraints," leading to the best smartphone camera system on the market.

Apple doesn't have all these constraints. They innovate in the underlying hardware, and just simply update the software with their latest innovations (like portrait mode) and ship it.

Bottom line: If you truly care about great photography, you own an iPhone. If you don't mind being a few years behind, buy an Android.

The iPhone 8 is expected to see yet another leap forward in the realm of smartphone photography, potentially including a VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) system for the rear camera, which would enable speedier autofocus when capturing an image. The vertically aligned dual-lens camera system will also help fuel augmented reality experiences on the iPhone 8, which we've already begun to see take shape in ARKit demos.

Apple's difficulty in garnering a larger share of the smartphone market in China has been looked at recently by The Wall Street Journal, which described the ubiquitous mobile app WeChat [Direct Link] as the iPhone's "toughest rival" in the country. Citing data from QuestMobile, on average WeChat is said to have captured nearly 35 percent of each user's monthly smartphone usage time, averaging about 1 billion monthly active users in total.

The problem for Apple is that WeChat is an entire ecosystem, with one app allowing users to pay for services, text, call cabs, watch videos, play mobile games, and access cloud-based "mini programs," or apps that don't need to be downloaded to a device to be used. Because all of these WeChat features are universal across smartphone brands, analysts speaking with The Wall Street Journal questioned whether or not Apple is "losing its edge" in China.

Specifically, Apple saw a sales drop in Greater China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) in the first half of this past fiscal year, with revenue falling 13 percent in the period. According to analysts looking towards the launch of the iPhone 8, that device's success "largely depends on sales in China."

Skeptical investors are asking whether consumers in China will pay $1,000 for a new iPhone, when they spend more than 60% of their phone time inside a system from Tencent or from rivals Baidu Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. “That’s the question: Is Apple losing its edge?” said Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley, who remains optimistic about Apple’s prospects in China.

Apple has been making moves recently to focus on China, including naming Isabel Ge Mahe as vice president and managing director of Greater China, who is said to ensure that Apple's products and services appeal specifically to China users. Just this weekend, Apple also removed VPN apps from the China App Store, a move that could potentially help Apple gain favor with Chinese authorities.

Some iOS 11 features -- such as the new QR code scanner in the Camera app -- are also seen as a way for Apple to appeal to users in China who are used to having these abilities on hand with WeChat. If Apple doesn't continue to bolster its software, solely relying on upgraded hardware changes might not be enough to convince iPhone users to stick around, according to analyst Ben Thompson.

Tailoring software for the market could be critical to keeping the iPhone competitive. Otherwise, Mr. Thompson wrote, Apple runs the risk that the phone’s appearance becomes the only thing that matters when Chinese consumers buy a new device.

Such a shift potentially would force Apple to overhaul its entire business model, moving to a system where it releases a new-looking phone annually rather than every other year, as it does currently.

In terms of market share, market research firm Warren Capital noted that Apple and the iPhone have taken fourth place in China, behind Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei. Apple dropped to fifth place in terms of smartphone devices shipped in Q4 2016 (with Xiaomi added into the mix along with the previously mentioned Chinese brands), and in April Kantar Worldpanel's data noted that iOS dropped to its lowest share of the China smartphone market since 2014.

Thompson points to WeChat as a major reason only 50 percent of China-based iPhone owners stayed with Apple when purchasing a new phone, while in other countries that number is closer to 80 percent on average. Since users spend so much time within WeChat and rarely see any other advantages to owning an iPhone, the app "has turned Apple into just another vendor in China," which analysts see as particularly problematic for Apple as the iPhone 8 launch grows nearer.

During a visit to China earlier in the year, Apple CEO Tim Cook told local media outlet Caixin, "We're not just someone who's here to access the market. We've created almost 5 million jobs in China. I'm not sure there are too many companies, domestic or foreign, who can say that." Ultimately, Cook said that Apple isn't afraid of the challenges it faces in China, telling the site that Apple is "here to stay."

Ring, maker of the popular video doorbells and recently launched Floodlight Cam, is today announcing a new line of Spotlight Cams.

Similar in function to the Floodlight Cam but with a different lighting system, the new Spotlight Cam features LED light panels that automatically turn on when motion is detected, as well as a 1080p camera with night vision, two-way audio, and a 110 dB siren to let homeowners see activity around their homes and communicate with people who set foot on their property.

The Ring Spotlight Cam will integrate with other Ring products through the Ring app to provide a complete security solution around the perimeter of the home.

Ring's new Spotlight Cam is available in either black or white and will be available in three versions: Wired, Battery, and Solar. The Wired version includes a 270-degree horizontal motion detection angle, 140-degree camera field of view, and a 20-foot power cable. It is priced at $199 and is available to order today with shipments starting in 7–10 days.

The Battery ($199) and Solar ($229) versions have a narrower 160-degree motion detection angle but the same 140-degree camera field of view as the wired version. The Battery and Solar models each come with a single 6000 mAh battery pack, but the light itself can hold two battery packs for maximum battery life. Extra battery packs are priced at $29 each. The Solar model comes with a Ring Solar Panel to keep the battery packs charged at all times. The Battery and Solar models are available for pre-order today and will begin shipping in the fall.

In April of 2016, Microsoft opened up a beta test and then launched its Word Flow Windows Phone keyboard on the iOS App Store in the United States. Over a year later, some users have noticed that Microsoft has now closed down the app and removed it from Apple's App Store (via WindowsCentral).

On Word Flow's Microsoft Garage page, the company notes that "the Word Flow experiment is now complete," and suggests that users download SwiftKey. Microsoft acquired SwiftKey in February of 2016, so it appears that the company has decided to focus solely on one predictive keyboard app on the iOS App Store.

As with all apps removed from Apple's App Store, when attempting to visit old links for Word Flow on iTunes [Direct Link], an error message now reads, "The item you've requested is not currently available in the U.S. store."

The Word Flow experiment is now complete! We encourage you to download the SwiftKey Keyboard from the App Store. The SwiftKey product team is frequently building and evaluating new features for SwiftKey and shipping updates.

Like many third-party keyboard apps, Word Flow incorporated GIFs, theme customization options, and machine learning for better predictive texts. The app's standout feature was "Arc Mode," which curved the iOS keyboard into a circular shape and hugged the side of the iPhone that a user would type on, allowing for comfortable one-handed typing.

Now that it's gone, users won't have access to Arc Mode, but SwiftKey includes many of the same features as Word Flow, including a swipe-to-type ability. The app was updated about two weeks ago with emoji prediction, new themes, upgraded 3D Touch features, and more languages. SwiftKey is available to download from the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Without question, the biggest thing that happened in iOS gaming this week was the disastrous Pokemon Go Fest that took place in Chicago last Saturday the 22nd. The event was hyped to unbelievable levels in the Pokemon Go community, particularly as exclusive in-game rewards for attending were teased. This led to people from quite literally all over the world flying into Chicago to participate in what was thought to be the premiere Pokemon Go event. Having been to large Pokemon Go meetups where cellular networks were crippled by the people in attendance, I was curious to see how Niantic was going to solve inevitable connectivity problems.

Right around the time the event was set to start, massive server problems and crash bugs hit Pokemon Go. Then, as more people started flowing through the gates, cellular networks were so crippled that it was incredibly difficult to get online to even attempt to connect to the game. Throw in the exquisite misery of an unbelievably hot and humid Chicago summer day, people who paid anywhere between hundreds to thousands of dollars to travel to the event, and a game that straight up doesn't work, and you were left with crowds eager to boo and heckle any Niantic representative that took the stage.

This eventually resulted in Niantic refunding everyone's tickets, along with giving all players who came $100 worth of premium in-game currency as well as the legendary Pokemon Lugia. I've posted more details on the day over on TouchArcade, and we discussed it on our podcast, if you want to dive even deeper into the Pokemon Go Fest fallout.

In other news, we're huge fans of both Demon's Rise as well as its sequel, Demon's Rise 2. They're highly strategic turn-based games that don't reinvent the strategy RPG genre, but instead just execute it really well on touch devices. Another game from the same developer titled Strike Team Hydra is due to launch in mid-August and we're super-excited for a continuation of gameplay reminiscent of the Demon's Rise series, but set in a futuristic environment. Strike Team Hydra is definitely a game to keep an eye out for in the future.

To coincide with the new season of Rick and Morty premiering this Sunday, Pocket Mortys is continuing to get loads of new season three content. If you haven't tried the game yet, it's easily among the best Pokemon-likes on the App Store, except instead of catching Pokemon you're catching Mortys. It's free to play, but the monetization scheme is very player friendly. Rick and Morty fans will find loads of in-jokes, and everyone else will just find a really competent lightweight RPG battler.

One thing we've kept our eyes on waiting for it to go anywhere is mobile virtual reality. Google Cardboard and Galaxy Gear-like headsets are a good (and low cost) way to get involved in virtual reality, but none of the "mobile" VR headsets out there are really that portable. A Swedish startup aims to solve that problem with the "Moggles," a pair of VR goggles that compact down into a case that's significantly more portable than existing solutions. I'm still not sure what the killer app is for mobile VR, but at least the headsets are getting better?

The Elder Scrolls: Legends has finally been updated to be universal, which should greatly grow its playerbase if Hearthstone's path to success was any indication. Legends is another digital collectable card game, but with a level of complexity that should satisfy hardcore card gamers. For more information, check out our interview with Pete Hines, Bethesda's VP of PR/Marketing.

Last, but not least, is a huge update for Phoenix II which adds support for the 120 Hz screen of the new iPad Pro. It's impossible for me to capture in video just how much of a difference this makes when playing the game, but needless to say, if you've got a new iPad Pro you need to give this game a shot. It really wouldn't surprise me if Phoenix II found itself on the demo iPads on the Apple Store, as tons of fast moving objects on the screen at high refresh rates do a great job of showing off the screen.

That's all of the big stories from this week, but as always, if you're interested in iOS gaming and want to easily keep your finger on the pulse of the mobile gaming scene, check out TouchArcade. We post this kind of stuff, along with news, reviews, guides, and more all week long.

A new picture of an alleged packaging insert for the so-called iPhone 8's SIM-eject tool has been shared on Chinese microblogging service Sina Weibo. The image was then submitted to leak aggregator Slashleaks today.

The insert includes a generic diagram of what is supposedly the iPhone 8. If legitimate, the smartphone's design is consistent with rumors, which suggest it'll be almost entirely screen on the front, beyond narrow, uniform bezels along the edges and a tiny notch for the front camera and sensors.

It's almost August, when mass production of Apple's next iPhones would normally be underway, ahead of their usual September launch. However, recent reports suggest the iPhone 8 may be running several weeks behind. Some analysts believe the device may not begin shipping whatsoever until at least October.

Make sure to read our comprehensive iPhone 8 roundup, which is updated regularly with the latest information and rumors about what could be Apple's most significantly redesigned smartphone ever.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Mous to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Limitless iPhone case from Mous.

Mous's iPhone cases started out as an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that ultimately brought in nearly $2 million thanks to the impressive range of features offered.

Available for the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, and 7 Plus, the Mous Limitless cases are equipped with AiroShock, which is a smart material that's meant to offer superior protection without adding a lot of bulk to Apple's super thin iPhones. Limitless cases add just over 2mm of thickness to the iPhone and weigh 42 grams.

With AiroShock, Limitless cases have a built-in micro air pocket structure that protects them from impacts, along with a raised front lip to keep the screen from cracking in case of a drop.

Cases are available in real materials like bamboo wood, black marble, black leather, kevlar carbon fiber, walnut wood, and white marble, to suit a range of tastes.

Along with drop protection, Limitless cases are built with magnets and a steel plate in the back, allowing them to work with accessories like a wall mount, which is included with the case for free, and an optional modular wallet and flex mount that can be used anywhere. All cases also ship with a screen protector for total device protection.

The included wall mount attaches to a flat surface using an adhesive strip and then attaches to the Limitless case using magnets. It's an ideal setup for using the iPhone in a kitchen or another spot where hands-free usage is helpful.

Mous's Limitless iPhone cases are normally priced at $35, but we have 10 cases to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (July 28) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 4. The winners will be chosen randomly on August 4 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Winners will be able to choose the size and color of their choice, with all cases coming with a free wall mount and a free screen protector.

iRobot has responded to an article posted earlier this week by Reuters, in which it was said that company CEO Colin Angle "could reach a deal to sell its maps to one or more of the Big Three in the next couple of years," representing Apple, Amazon, and Google. Angle said that such shared data could bolster the intelligence of other smart home devices like light bulbs, thermostats, and security cameras.

Many users became fearful of such personal home data flowing freely between multiple companies, and in response today Angle and an iRobot PR representative have confirmed that "iRobot will never sell your data." In a letter sent to ZDNet, Angle said that information gathered by its Roomba vacuums "needs to be controlled by the customer and not as a data asset of a corporation to exploit."

He went on to say that's how the company operates currently, and how it will continue to operate in the future.

First things first, iRobot will never sell your data. Our mission is to help you keep a cleaner home and, in time, to help the smart home and the devices in it work better.

Information that is shared needs to be controlled by the customer and not as a data asset of a corporation to exploit. That is how data is handled by iRobot today. Customers have control over sharing it. I want to make very clear that this is how data will be handled in the future.

You may also want your robot to work with other connected devices in your home. For this to work, we will also require your permission, and we will always ensure secure means of communication between devices.

Additionally, ZDNet was able to further delve into Angle's original comments on the subject, asking what might have happened to spark an outbreak of privacy fear from the first article. When questioned whether the Reuters report was a "misinterpretation" on the subject of user data being sold to other companies, or a misstatement on Angle's part, iRobot responded by confirming that it was in fact a misinterpretation.

ZDNet: The Reuters report indicated how iRobot was in talks to sell the data. Can you respond with whether that was a misinterpretation by the reporter or a misstatement on the part of Colin? Was there, in fact, never any monetary negotiations or discussions over data?

iRobot: This was a misinterpretation. Colin never said that iRobot would look to sell customer maps or data to other companies. iRobot has not had any conversations with other companies about data transactions, and iRobot will not sell customer data.

The company went on to elaborate upon where exactly Roomba's mapping and navigation information is stored, confirming that all data for the Roomba 900 Series "stays on the robot." Usage data for Wi-Fi-enabled Roombas does get sent to the cloud to populate data logs on the connected smartphone app, but "images used for navigation are NOT sent to the cloud."

The company also pointed out that its Roomba vacuums lack any sort of traditional camera systems, so images that they see don't divulge much in the way of detailed personal information in the first place.

iRobot further iterated on the consent required for mapping data to be made available on the mobile app, saying that only if a user agrees can they see such a map of their homes created during the Roomba's cleaning schedule. If it is allowed, the data is sent to the cloud, processed and simplified so users can parse the data easily, but never sent anywhere else.

Last night, Canadian rock band Arcade Fire performed songs from their new album, Everything Now, during a live global broadcast on Apple Music, which was announced last week. Those who missed the Brooklyn-based performance can still check it out today, as Apple has uploaded the exclusive two-hour concert film in full on Apple Music.

Apple has spotlighted Everything Now Live on the Browse tab of Apple Music, and within the featured card there are highlights from the show, songs featured during the concert from new and old albums, playlists, and Beats 1 shows during which the band has performed and discussed Everything Now.

Apple's description of the exclusive performance follows:

Known for larger-than-life anthems that blend folk intimacy with dance-floor electricity, the shape-shifting Montreal collective is one of the decade's most exciting bands. To celebrate the release of their fifth album, Everything Now, they took the stage at Brooklyn's Grand Prospect Hall. See the film exclusively on Apple Music.

While Everything Now Live is exclusive to Apple Music, the Everything Now album is available on Spotify as well. Previous music-related films exclusive to Apple Music have included performances by Taylor Swift and a behind-the-album look at Harry Styles' first solo album.