MacRumors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Thanks, Nick!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple recently emailed Apple ID users with two-step verification enabled to inform them that, upon installing iOS 11 or macOS High Sierra, they will be automatically updated to its newer two-factor authentication method.

Apple introduced two-factor authentication in 2015 as an improved version of its two-step verification method for securing an Apple ID account with both a password and a secondary form of verification. Two-factor authentication requires an Apple device with iOS 9, OS X El Capitan, watchOS 2, any tvOS version, or later.

The two security methods are similar in many ways, but two-factor authentication automatically sends a six-digit verification code to all trusted devices registered to a given Apple ID, whereas two-step verification manually prompts users to send a four-digit code to any SMS-capable trusted device registered.

Two-factor authentication also displays a map on all trusted devices with an approximate location of where an Apple ID sign-in attempt occurred when a user is trying to access the account from an unknown device or on the web.

Apple's two-factor authentication method disables the Recovery Key by default, since offline verification codes can be generated on trusted devices in the Settings app. On iOS, users can still enable the Recovery Key as a backup method in Settings > Apple ID > Password & Security > Recovery Key.

The full text of the email is copied below:

If you install the iOS 11 or macOS High Sierra public betas this summer and meet the basic requirements, your Apple ID will be automatically updated to use two-factor authentication. This is our most advanced, easy-to-use account security, and it's required to use some of the latest features of iOS, macOS, and iCloud.

Once updated, you'll get the same extra layer of security you enjoy with two-step verification today, but with an even better user experience. Verification codes will be displayed on your trusted devices automatically whenever you sign in, and you will no longer need to keep a printed recovery key to make sure you can reset a forgotten password.

iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra public betas will be available in late June through the Apple Beta Software Program. The software updates will be available for all eligible iOS devices and Macs in the fall.

As Apple gears up to sell iPhones directly through its website in India later in 2017, the company's successful sale of older generation iPhones in the country has come to light in a new article by Bloomberg. Within India, Apple has let third-party resellers and shops -- including Amazon and Flipkart -- reduce prices for "retro model" iPhones, because Indian users are said to be willing to concede in performance and specs for a cheaper Apple-branded smartphone.

One of the older iPhones in question is the iPhone 5s, launched in 2013 and replaced by the iPhone SE three years later in 2016. One user in the country described purchasing an iPhone 5s for 20,400 rupees (about $300) at local reseller iPlanet, and Amazon even listed the 5s as low as 15,999 rupees during a sale in May. Right now in the U.S., the cheapest iPhone you can buy is a SIM-free iPhone SE for $399.

Last summer, Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted that iPhones are too expensive in India, saying he wants Indian customers "to be able to buy at a price that looks like the U.S. price." Now, it appears that potential iPhone users in India are being able to do that at even cheaper prices.

Now it’s letting stores and online retailers such as Amazon.com Inc. and Flipkart Ltd. slash prices for retro models, a rare concession for a brand that carefully guards its high-end image

“It doesn’t bother me that it is several generations old,” says Varuni T.V., a business professor in India who teaches at a college in Hospet, a mining town six hours north of Bangalore. “It’s a good feeling to own an Apple phone.”

Apple shipped 2.6 million devices to India in 2016, and older iPhones accounted for about 55 percent of those devices. In addition to the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 are said to be popular options at Indian retailers and online stores. The company is believed to be doubling down on this retro iPhone sales idea, hearing retailer pitches about cash-back offers, product exchanges, and monthly payment plans on iPhones, "all aimed at making it easier for young Indians to spend a month’s earnings or more on a 5S."

Additionally, Apple will hire "affordability managers" in India, who will negotiate with banks and other money lenders on behalf of potential iPhone buyers, focusing on customers in smaller towns with less of a track record in buying expensive smartphones. Apple's competition in the country is still steep, with Xiaomi and Oppo remaining the dominant forces in the Indian smartphone market.

Analysts remain hopeful for Apple's presence in India, thanks to the onset of iPhone SE production in the country in its Bangalore plant. Next, it's believed that Apple will attempt to begin individual component manufacturing for iPhone devices in India in order to continue establishing its foothold in the country.

Last week at WWDC, Apple announced a new feature coming to Apple Pay that will let iOS users pay one another directly within Messages, placing the funds in a new "Apple Pay Cash" card that can then be transferred to a bank account or spent anywhere Apple Pay is supported. In addition to current competitors in the peer-to-peer payments space, including Venmo and Square Cash, a coalition of five U.S. banks are this week launching support for a new P2P payments service that promises speedier fund deposits, and support coming from more banks in the future.

The service is called "Zelle," and it will be rolled into the apps and websites of the banks supporting it, which will begin with JPMorgan, Bank of America Corp, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bancorp, and Capital One (via Reuters). Another two dozen banks and credit unions are predicted to join Zelle over the course of the next year. Zelle was originally announced last October.

Zelle's supporters are focusing on its ability to deposit funds "in minutes" into a friend's bank account, using only an email address or phone number, "because the banks are finally linking to each other." Apps like Venmo and Square Cash normally take up to one day to transfer money into a bank account, with potential for instant transfers available at additional costs.

The long-awaited network will allow tens of millions of bank customers to send money to each other instantly - known as person-to-person payments - with a few taps on their smartphones. That is an improvement over Venmo, which immediately alerts users that a money transfer is in progress, but takes time to shift funds between bank accounts.

"By coming together to offer Zelle, we are providing a large majority of Americans with a safe, fast and easy way to move money," said Bill Wallace, head of digital at JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), the biggest U.S. bank by assets.

Zelle was created by an industry consortium called Early Warning Services, whose CEO Paul Finch also cited payment service fragmentation as a major frustration for customers. Besides Venmo and Square Cash, even Facebook, Snapchat, and Google have their own peer-to-peer payments solutions, which Finch references as "inconsistent solutions."

“Fragmentation has been frustrating for consumers. Inconsistent experiences, have made it difficult to send and receive money between banks,” said Paul Finch, Chief Executive Officer, Early Warning Services. “Zelle unites the financial community behind a single, real-time P2P payments experience for millions of consumers. Together, we are removing friction from finance, allowing money to move seamlessly between accounts in minutes. This revolution in money movement will create for consumers a viable alternative to checks and cash.”

The banks supporting Zelle "are being careful not to confuse customers" with the introduction of another payments app, so it's said that a company like Chase will slowly introduce Zelle into its existing QuickPay app, calling it "QuickPay with Zelle." Later in 2017, Zelle will also allow customers with banks that don't connect with the service to use its instant payment features by pairing an upcoming Zelle app with a Visa or Mastercard debit account.

Zelle has a full list of banks and financial institutions launching support for the service, although it hasn't detailed which will be available first beyond the five banks mentioned today, and encourages users to check with their financial providers for more information.

Apple's own peer-to-peer payments solution will launch alongside iOS 11 this fall.