MacRumors

Google has released an update to its Motion Stills app that lets users create moving text effects for inclusion in their videos.

Motion Stills is designed to create unique GIFs from Live Photo images captured with the iPhone 7, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE. The app was released earlier this year and its main features were subsequently integrated into Google Photos for iOS.

The update means that users can add motion-tracked text overlays to their high-resolution videos and fun gifs, as described and demonstrated in the company's research blog post.

We've added motion text so you can create moving text effects, similar to what you might see in movies and TV shows, directly on your phone. With Motion Text, you can easily position text anywhere over your video to get the exact result you want. It only takes a second to initialize while you type, and a tracks at 1000 FPS throughout the whole Live Photo, so the process feels instantaneous.

The update also brings Google's RAISR machine learning technology to the app to create super-resolution detail in images, adds 3D Touch support to the interface, and introduces fully automatic cinemagraphs – looping moving images in which the foreground subject moves while the background remains static.

Google's updated Motion Stills app for iPhone and iPad can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct link]

A $44 million investment pledge in an Indonesian R&D center has paved the way for Apple to be able to sell the iPhone 7 in the country, according to one of the country's senior government officials.

A director-general overseeing electronics told Reuters that as a result of the three-year investment commitment, Apple had received a "local content certification" last month which would allow it to sell iPhones throughout Indonesia.

"Apple has committed around $44 million to invest in R&D over three years," I Gusti Putu Suryawirawan said in a text message. "Therefore, they can distribute devices priced 6 million rupiah ($448) and above. That means all iPhones can be distributed."

Starting from 2017, Indonesia will introduce a telecommunications policy which stipulates that all 4G handsets sold in the country must have "local content" of at least 30 percent, whether that be in terms of hardware, software or an investment commitment.

Asked by Reuters to comment on the investment figure, Apple merely pointed to an announcement last year that it had committed to building an iOS App Development Center in the country.

Such an R&D investment apparently fulfills the government's "local content" requirement and will help Apple make significant inroads in the Indonesian market, which is home to 250 million people and a young, tech-savvy demographic that Apple has yet to crack. In 2011, Apple was forced to shut down its online store in Indonesia because of shipping issues, and had to re-apply for permission to launch it again as part of its application to open its first retail store in the country.

According to research firm IDC, Samsung commanded a 26 percent share of Indonesia's smartphone market by sales volume in the second quarter of 2016, trailing Oppo with 19 percent. Both own factories in the country.

Evernote tonight announced that it no longer plans to implement a controversial new privacy policy that caused some Evernote users to threaten to stop using the service. The policy was scheduled to go into effect on January 23, 2017 and allowed Evernote employees to read users' notes.

After receiving a lot of customer feedback expressing concerns about our upcoming Privacy Policy changes over the past few days, Evernote is reaffirming its commitment to keep privacy at the center of what we do. As a result, we will not implement the previously announced Privacy Policy changes that were scheduled to go into effect January 23, 2017.

Evernote explained that the new privacy policy was intended to let employees read notes to make sure machine learning algorithms were working as intended. The privacy policy itself only states that employees could look at notes "for troubleshooting purposes or to maintain and improve the Service," wording that was criticized as too vague.

The company attempted to clarify its statements earlier today with a note from CEO Chris O'Neill, promising that the company is still committed to user privacy and the "Three Laws of Data Protection."

Instead of instituting the new policy, Evernote says it will revise its existing privacy policy to address concerns and "reinforce that [users'] data remains private by default." In regards to its machine learning algorithms, Evernote says employees will not read notes unless users opt-in to help the company "build a better product."

Evernote CEO Chris O'Neill also issued a statement, saying the company must ask for permission from its users rather than assume it already has it.

“We announced a change to our privacy policy that made it seem like we didn’t care about the privacy of our customers or their notes. This was not our intent, and our customers let us know that we messed up, in no uncertain terms. We heard them, and we’re taking immediate action to fix it,” said O’Neill. “We are excited about what we can offer Evernote customers thanks to the use of machine learning, but we must ask for permission, not assume we have it. We’re sorry we disappointed our customers, and we are reviewing our entire privacy policy because of this.”

The full statement can be read at Evernote's website.

According to Apple's System Status website, the App Store, the Apple TV, Apple Music, and the Mac App Store are currently experiencing service issues.

Many Apple customers have also been complaining of App Store issues on Twitter, Reddit, and other social networks. Affected customers are unable to download apps and in some cases, can't load the App Store at all.

Service interruptions have been ongoing since approximately 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time and there's no word on when service will be fully restored.

The issues could potentially be related to the release of Super Mario Run and the strain that it is causing on the App Store due to its popularity.

Popular game Goat Simulator has been named Apple's App of the Week, and as a result, it's available for free for the next seven days. This is the first time Goat Simulator has been available at no cost since it was introduced in September of 2014.

In Goat Simulator, you take control of a goat, and the idea is to lay waste to the environment around you, doing as much damage and causing as much chaos as you can.

Goat Simulator is the latest in goat simulation technology, bringing next-gen goat simulation to YOU. You no longer have to fantasize about being a goat, your mobile dreams have finally come true!

It has been compared to an old-school skating game, except instead of being a skater, you're a goat, and instead of doing tricks, you wreck stuff. more! When it comes to goats, not even the sky is the limit, as you can probably just bug through it and crash the game.

Coffee Stain Studios, the developers behind Goat Simulator, have released several other games in the Goat Simulator series, including Goat Simulator GoatZ, Goat Simulator Waste of Space, and Goat Simulator MMO Simulator.

Goat Simulator requires an iPhone 4s or later, iPad 2 or later, or 5th generation iPod touch or later.

Goat Simulator is available for both the iPhone and the iPad and can be downloaded for free from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple recently updated its online refurbished store in the United States to include the sixth-generation iPod touch, offering discounts of $30 to $60 depending on model, which equates to savings of up to 16 percent.

Refurbished entry-level 16GB models can be purchased for as little as $169, a discount of $30 off of the retail price. 16, 32, 64, and 128GB capacities in a range of colors are available.

First introduced in July of 2015, the sixth-generation iPod touch features a 6.1mm thick body with a 4-inch display, an A8 chip, and an 8-megapixel iSight camera.

Though the sixth-generation iPod touch has been available for more than a year, it appears to be a new addition to Apple's online refurbished store in the U.S. All refurbished Apple iPods include a new battery and outer shell plus all accessories and a full one-year warranty.

A federal jury for the U.S. District Court for Northern California today found Apple to be infringing upon a pair of wireless patents owned by Core Wireless, a patent holding firm with a large portfolio of more than 1,200 patents and applications, originally filed and later acquired from phone maker Nokia.

Core Wireless was awarded $7.3 million in damages as part of the ruling, which Apple is likely to appeal. In its complaint, Core Wireless argued iPhones and cellular-enabled iPads infringe upon its patented wireless technologies, according to court documents filed electronically.

Core Wireless, in a statement following the verdict, said the patents-in-suit — U.S. Patent No. 6,633,536 and U.S. Patent No. 6,477,151 — "provide innovations that improve battery life and signal quality in mobile phones."

"We are very pleased with the verdict," said John Lindgren, Conversant's CEO. "We appreciate the efforts of the court and the jury. This confirms the strength of the Core Wireless portfolio, especially following our success against LG earlier this year in two cases in the Eastern District of Texas."

Meanwhile, Apple lost another lawsuit this week when a San Diego Superior Court jury reached a verdict in favor of a group of former Apple Store retail employees, who accused the company of failing to provide timely meal and rest breaks, wages due upon ending employment within the required time, and accurate wage statements.

California Labor Code dictates that employees must be provided with at least a 30-minute meal break when the work period is more than five hours, and at least a 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked. The defendants claimed Apple failed to always provide these breaks for at least four years prior to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2011 and elevated to class action status in 2014, involves Apple retail and corporate employees who worked for Apple between 2007 and 2012. The trial was to continue this week for corporate employees, as the jury verdict only applies to retail employees, according to a tipster.

Apple is ordered to pay $2 million in the lawsuit. Apple can now appeal the case before a higher court.

Twelve South today launched the latest in its line of BookBook cases, this one for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Like previous editions, the new BookBook includes wallet slots for credit cards and a driver's license, all housed in a vintage leather-bound case that looks like an old novel. A removable shell protects the iPhone 7 both inside of and out of BookBook, and the case can fold into a stand for the smartphone when viewing videos.

• Upgraded card slot and wallet design to prevent stretching and pilling
  

• Dark interior finish to better resist dirt and dust
  

• All-new Book spine design to add variety to your library

Additionally, Twelve South is launching "Journal for iPhone," a new leather-bound wallet case that's made exclusively for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Journal is a more basic leather case that doesn't have BookBook's novel aesthetic, but matches that case's design with credit card slots, a detachable composite shell, and built-in viewing stand.

Since 2010, Twelve South has curated a library of cases called BookBook. We are pleased to announce today that not only do we have your favorite vintage BookBook available for the iPhone 7, but we are also introducing an all-new edition called Journal. Modernizing the story, Journal is our newest and most luxurious case. Crafted in full-grain leather covering both inside and out, this handsome folio presents a more refined, clean design. Like BookBook, Journal features slots for cards, cash and ID, streamlining your everyday carry in style.

BookBook for iPhone 7 is available for $59.99 in black and brown, while Journal for iPhone is available for $69.99 in black and cognac.

Home automation manufacturer Fibaro today announced a new set of HomeKit-enabled products that offer basic motion detection and home security, as well as a Flood Sensor, which the company calls "the first water sensing and leak detection device in the Apple HomeKit ecosystem." Each of the three new products -- Fibaro Flood Sensor, Fibaro Motion Sensor and Fibaro Door/Window Sensor -- include Bluetooth low energy and are all compatible with Apple HomeKit.

The Flood Sensor detects water as soon as it appears, and warns users of potential impending water damage with an acoustic alarm system. Fibaro says the device can also "trigger a smart home scene," so users can connect the Flood Sensor to other HomeKit products to serve as a back-up warning system. Temperature detection is included as well so users can check the levels of rooms in their home, which the company says can be useful in the winter to "stay ahead of burst pipes and potential problems."

The other two products Fibaro announced focus on motion detection around a home and near its entryways. The Fibaro Motion Sensor measures movement, ambient temperature, and light intensity to accumulate information about a user's home and warn them about intrusions and other anomalies. Similarly, the Door/Window Sensor can be placed on any door or window to add another layer of security onto a home and alert users about security breaches for each potential entry point.

All three devices can be connected to the Fibaro iOS app [Direct Link], which includes features like device status checks and notifications. Thanks to the introduction of the new Home app in iOS 10 users can also access the Fibaro products directly through Apple's first-party app, as well as in Control Center, and use Siri to control their features. With Apple TV, users can check in on the Fibaro devices when they aren't home.

"Expanding our product line to include support for Apple HomeKit was a natural choice for Fibaro. The HomeKit platform offers a simple and secure solution for expanding the many benefits of smart home to a new category of consumers that up to this point, may not have had the means or knowledge to participate. Working with companies like Apple to expand the mainstream consumer smart home market is very exciting for us," said Rich Bira, Managing Director of Fibaro in the U.S.

The Poland-based company sells its products through authorized resellers -- like The Home Depot -- and has priced the Fibaro Flood Sensor at $59.99, Motion Sensor at $69.99, and Door/Window Sensor at $59.99.

Weight Watchers today introduced a variation of its OnlinePlus subscription plan that includes a new 38mm model Apple Watch Series 2 with an annual membership.

The subscription plan has an initial installment fee of $99.95 in the first month, followed by a monthly fee of $34.95 for the next 12 months, for a total price of nearly $520.

Apple Watch Series 2 models start at $369, while a standalone OnlinePlus membership currently costs $242 for 13 months, so the combo would cost $611 if purchased separately.

In other words, if you were already planning to join Weight Watchers and purchase a new Apple Watch Series 2, this promotion will save you around $109.

"Weight Watchers and Apple share the belief that moving more each day has a powerful impact on people's lives," said Jeff Williams, Apple's Chief Operating Officer. "We are thrilled that Weight Watchers will be helping their members live a healthier day with the addition of Apple Watch to their OnlinePlus program."

At the end of the 13-month period, the plan automatically renews for a standard monthly fee of $19.95 until you cancel.

Weight Watchers told us customers do not have to return the Apple Watch at the end of the membership period, but there is a $304 early cancellation fee to pay for the device if you cancel in the first month. The cancellation fee will be reduced by $25.33 per month thereafter until the 13-month installment plan expires.

With an OnlinePlus subscription, the official Weight Watchers app [Direct Link] for iOS and Apple Watch enables members to track their food intake and physical activity with a personalized dashboard. Users can set tailored and adaptive activity goals, access a community exclusive to Weight Watchers, and more.

Instagram announced today that it now has more than 600 million users, with the last 100 million of those users joining the photo and video sharing service in the past six months, a period in which it has added several new Snapchat-like features. Instagram has doubled the 300 million users it had in December 2014.

A lot has changed this year, but the Instagram community and the diversity of expression it provides has remained consistent. And you now have more ways to share than ever before with Instagram Stories, live video and disappearing photos and videos in Direct. Additionally, with updated safety tools that give you more control over comments and other parts of your experience, we’re working to make Instagram safer than ever for connection and self-expression.

Instagram, owned by Facebook, has morphed into a Snapchat competitor this year with the addition of "Stories" that disappear after 24 hours, a new "Events" channel, and photos and videos that disappear in direct messages. Facebook has also wittingly added Snapchat-like features to Messenger.

Update: In related news, Facebook Messenger has been updated today with another new Snapchat-like feature enabling users to customize their photos and videos with text art, filters, stickers, and more, as reported by TechCrunch.