Apple has announced that its newest retail store will be opening on Saturday, September 16 within the shopping district known as Tianyi Square, located in Ningbo, in the Zhejiang province of China. As with all Apple retail grand openings, Apple Tianyi Square will open at 10:00 am local time.
Under the leadership of Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts, the company began aggressively expanding its retail footprint in China over the last few years. In January 2015, Ahrendts said that Apple's goal was to open 40 stores in the Greater China region within two years, which it eventually accomplished ahead of schedule in June 2016.
Earlier this year, Apple Stores worldwide debuted a new "Today at Apple" program that introduced various classes and activities for visitors to take part in, each one focusing on a particular Apple software or hardware product. The company's new stores also feature a next-generation design, putting an emphasis on community and the new Today at Apple programs with areas for these sessions separated from the retail portion of the stores.
The team behind the popular Pixelmator photo editing app for iOS and Mac today announced plans to unveil an all new pro-level app, Pixelmator Pro.
According to the Pixelmator Pro teaser site, the new software features a reimagined editing workflow, simplified editing tools, and intelligent image editing features powered by machine learning.
Pixelmator Pro is a powerful, beautiful, and easy to use image editor. Featuring an elegant and streamlined single-window interface, it puts all the focus on the images you edit, rather than what's around them. And with a design that is totally and completely Mac, it feels instantly familiar from the moment you first open the app. So image editing becomes simpler and more enjoyable than ever.
Pixelmator Pro takes advantage of the new Core ML framework built into macOS High Sierra to provide features like automatic layer naming based on layer content, automatic horizon detection, an improved repair tool for removing objects from photos effortlessly, and a quick selection tool that's better than ever.
The interface includes tools designed to make it easy to resize and rearrange layers, with a nondestructive Arrange Tool, smart spacing guides, and advanced alignment tools for aligning several objects with a click, plus there's a new painting engine powered by Metal 2 and dynamic paint blending technology.
Nondestructive color adjustment tools let you edit the colors in photos, there are a selection of effects that can be added to each layer and combined in Recipes, and there are shape tools, drawing tools, layer styles, and more. All in all, Pixelmator Pro includes more than 40 tools to work with.
Pixelmator Pro will be available sometime this fall. Prospective customers can sign up to get an email when the software launches on the Pixelmator Pro website.
New photos of an alleged iPhone part leak appeared online this morning offering another possible indication that Apple's upcoming 2017 range of iPhones will be available in just three colors. The images were shared by Benjamin Geskin and depict two iPhone SIM card trays in gold and silver, purportedly destined for Apple's so-called "iPhone 8".
Geskin's tweet refers to previous rumors suggesting Apple will offer the "iPhone 8" – as well its companion devices, the iPhone 7s and the iPhone 7s Plus – in silver, gold, and black (not shown).
The three colors were first mentioned in early August by notable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and appeared to line up with dummy model images that were circulating at the time, albeit with a question mark remaining over the copper-tinged appearance of the gold model, described by the dummy leaker as "champagne gold".
A couple of weeks later, Geskin claimed the internal name for the unusual-looking color was "Blush Gold" and offered his own OLED iPhone render to give an idea of its appearance.
Following today's emergence of sim tray photos, Geskin later shared another comped image offering a comparison of the copper-like tint compared to previous gold iPhone options.
The new color has divided observers, with some calling it the "Zune option", referring to Microsoft's much-maligned brown music player. Still, it's hard to know for sure how the so-called "Blush Gold" color will appear in natural light, if indeed Apple plans to offer it instead of its traditional Rose Gold or Gold colors.
Apple reportedly has booked production capacity for "above 12-megapixel" camera lens modules at a new factory being built by smartphone lens maker Largan Precision in Taichung, Taiwan, according to DigiTimes.
The report, citing "market rumors," claims Largan is the only supplier that can meet Apple's minimum yield rate. The new factory is reportedly designed to accommodate monthly production of 600 million lens modules.
Largan will allegedly start production in October 2017, suggesting the camera lens modules could be destined for future iPhone models released in 2018 or later, rather than the so-called iPhone 8 this fall.
It is widely rumored that the iPhone 8 will have a vertically-aligned dual-lens rear camera, with optical image stabilization for both the wide-angle and telephoto lenses, but no credible rumors have surfaced about its quality.
Apple improves its iPhone cameras each year, so an increased megapixel count of some kind is certainly still possible this year.
Apple's latest iPhone and iPad models, including the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, are all equipped with 12-megapixel rear-facing cameras and 7-megapixel front-facing cameras.
Keep in mind that megapixels don't always matter, as even a TV or monitor with 4K Ultra HD resolution of 3,840×2,160 pixels only has roughly 8.3 megapixels, which isn't enough to display a 12-megapixel photo at full resolution.
Nevertheless, if this rumor is accurate, then perhaps we'll see an iPhone with a 16- or 18-megapixel rear camera or higher in the future.
Apple Music Festival, known as iTunes Festival prior to 2015, was a free annual concert series that saw big name artists and bands like Elton John, Coldplay, Justin Timberlake, Ozzy Osbourne, Florence + The Machine, Pharrell Williams, and Usher performing at the Roundhouse in London, England.
Other notable performers over the festival's ten-year history included Amy Winehouse, John Legend, Snow Patrol, David Guetta, Paul Simon, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Jack Johnson, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Linkin Park, Arctic Monkeys, Paramore, Alicia Keys, Adele, Bruno Mars, Kings of Leon, and Ed Sheeran.
Roundhouse appears to have been sending out emails already that confirm Apple Music Festival will not be hosted in 2017.
Apple Music Festival performances were broadcast live and on-demand through Apple Music since 2015. U.K. residents could apply to win tickets to the Apple Music Festival on Apple Music and through various media partners.
Apple didn't provide a reason for ending the annual music festival, and it didn't comment on the possibility of it returning in 2018 and beyond.
Beats Studio3 Wireless deliver up to 22 hours of battery life with Pure ANC on, and up to 40 hours with Pure ANC off. Fast Fuel quick charging technology via Micro-USB provides three hours of music playback with a 10-minute charge.
Here's how Beats describes Pure ANC:
This groundbreaking new technology uses advanced algorithms to continuously monitor your listening environment, so that it can best block out ambient noise—not only on an airplane, but also in a noisy café or a busy office. Pure ANC also evaluates fit and adjusts for leakage caused by hair, glasses, different ear shapes and movement of your head as you go about the day. Additionally, Pure ANC simultaneously checks what you’re hearing while noise canceling is applied against the original music content to adjust and ensure optimal audio fidelity. What’s remarkable is that Pure ANC’s real-time audio calibration operates up to 50,000 times a second.
Like AirPods, Apple's W1 chip enables the Studio3 Wireless to instantly pair with an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or other Apple device, with seamless switching between iCloud-connected devices.
Apple's W1 chip has Class 1 Bluetooth, so the Studio3 Wireless can be used with non-Apple devices as well.
Studio3 Wireless wearers can answer phone calls, control music, and activate Siri with multifunction on-ear controls, while a 3.5mm RemoteTalk cable with in-line controls is also included in the carrying case.
Beats Studio3 Wireless can be ordered on Apple's website starting today for $349.95 in the United States, $399.95 in Canada, and £299.95 in the UK. Prices vary elsewhere. Shipments are estimated to begin in mid October.
The headphones look virtually the same as the original Beats Studio Wireless, including soft over-ear cushions. There are six colors to choose from: Red, Matte Black, White, Porcelain Rose, Blue, and Shadow Gray.
Apple's AirPods have dominated the "truly wireless" earphones market in the U.S. since launching in December, according to new market research conducted by NPD Group. The industry analyst's Retail Tracking Service found that AirPods accounted for 85 percent of over 900,000 wireless earbuds sold since the start of the year.
Apple's success in the emerging market was put down to brand resonance, disruptive pricing, and excitement over the AirPods' W1 chip, which significantly improves the Bluetooth connection and facilitates transfers between different devices. "With a use case centering on frictionless access to Siri and other tasks initiated by voice, AirPods really act as an extension of the iPhone," said NPD executive director Ben Arnold, calling Apple's wireless earbuds "a computing device for the ear".
Apple's early domination of the category will continue to challenge competing brands entering the totally wireless market. New entrants will have to provide some differentiation in features, sound quality, or associated services and applications in order to stand out. Consumer reception of wireless earbuds is still forming, even as their use case continues to evolve. As Alexa skills and other voice-first content diversifies, headphones, including totally wireless earbuds, are the leading candidate to be the next piece of hardware to drive digital assistant adoption.
Standout competing brands cited by NPD Group included Samsung’s "headphones-slash-fitness tracker", IconX, which features an optical heart rate tracker and 4GB of memory for music storage, and The Dash from Bragi, featuring an ARM Cortex M4 CPU, as well as 27 sensors designed to detect movement and voice input.
"For these products, audio quality remains important, but takes a backseat to new capabilities added on top of the sound experience," said Arnold. "With this in mind, it's not hard to imagine a collection of mobile apps optimized for a voice interface similar to the growing ecosystem of Alexa skills."
Apple's Siri is set to gain enhancements with the launch of iOS 11, which could make the company's AirPods an even more attractive proposition going into the holiday season. For the first time, the virtual assistant will sync what it learns about a user across their devices, and will also be able to perform translations from English to five languages, including Chinese and French.
Apple recently improved its shipping estimates from six weeks down to two to three weeks in many countries, after months of struggling to cater to demand. During Apple's third quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said AirPods capacity had been bumped up and that the company was "working very hard" to get AirPods to customers as quickly as possible.
Hugely popular third-party YouTube app "ProTube" was quietly removed from the App Store by Apple last week. Apple's decision to pull the app followed several takedown requests from Google that were received by the app's developer.
ProTube was hailed by users during its three-year reign for several features either not available in the official YouTube app or not offered by other third-party apps, such as the ability to play videos in 4K at 60 frames per second, background playback, and an audio-only mode. Over its lifetime, the $5 app reached number 1 in the paid app charts in 11 different countries and the top 10 in 57 countries.
In a statement on his website, developer Jonas Gessner said he was "very sad to announce that ProTube was removed from the App Store by Apple on September 1, 2017". The action reportedly came "after multiple requests and threats by YouTube which ultimately led Apple to suddenly pulling the app from the App Store", said Gessner.
YouTube first requested Apple to remove my app well over a year ago, initially just stating that my app violates their Terms of Service. This was a generic takedown request they sent to many YouTube apps at once. They later started going into more detail, even stating that I could not sell the app as that alone violates their ToS. They basically wanted me to remove every feature that made ProTube what it is – that includes the player itself that allows you to play 60fps videos, background playback, audio only mode and more.
Without those features ProTube would not be any better than YouTube's own app, and that is exactly what they want to achieve. YouTube wants to sell its $10/month [YouTube Red] subscription service which offers many features that ProTube also offered for a lower one time price, so they started hunting down 3rd party YouTube apps on the App Store.
Gessner said he initially considered several options to end the dispute with YouTube, including removing all the contested features and making the app free, but ultimately he decided against this because "everyone who paid for ProTube's standout features would suddenly get an app update that removes all those features, resulting in a useless app".
The developer also tried to negotiate with YouTube to come to some sort of agreement, but found the process "very difficult" and claimed he was unable to get a direct response to his questions. After threats of legal action, "I knew that getting sued could cost me more than I ever made with ProTube," he said.
"While it is absolutely awful seeing ProTube getting pulled from the App Store, it was the best solution when it comes to the users that already purchased the app," admitted Gessner. "I was getting screwed either way but I at least didn't want to screw my users."
Many other third-party YouTube apps on the App Store have been targeted by YouTube with takedown requests, according to the developer, who signed off by thanking ProTube's "big and passionate fanbase" and warning people not to be taken in by the fake ProTube apps that have appeared on the App Store since it was first released.
Encrypted chat platform Telegram pushed out a new iOS app update on Sunday, with a new reply/mentions alert system among several other tweaks and improvements.
Since 2015 when Telegram first introduced the reply feature, the maximum group chat size has increased from a maximum 200 members to 10,000. As a result, new user mentions and replies in group chats can happen several times a day.
To help users stay on top of these messages, Telegram 4.3 has introduced a new in-app notification badge. Now, whenever someone replies to a user or mentions them in a group, an "@" symbol appears in the chats list. A tap on the new "@" button takes the user to the new replies/mentions and disappears once all the relevant messages have been read.
Elsewhere, the "Invite Friends" section in Contacts has been completely redesigned. Going forward, contacts that are not on Telegram yet but have many friends using it are now listed at the top, making it easier to invite them to the chat platform.
Twitch videos are now supported in the Telegram in-app player, so it's now possible to watch Twitch streams in Picture-in-Picture mode while chatting with friends. And when on a Telegram voice call, users can check the signal strength using the new indicator. It's also now possible to edit any photo pasted directly to a chat from clipboard before sending.
For those who use stickers in Telegram, anyone with five or more sticker sets installed can now mark individual stickers as "favorites" and have them always accessible at the top of the sticker panel in the "star" section. And large groups with 100 members and more can now choose an official sticker set for all the members of the group to see and use while they're chatting in the group, without having to add it to their panels.
Lastly, users can now switch between "This Chat" and "All Chats" when conducting a hashtag search, and when viewing Instant View pages in the app, it's now possible to open the original articles in Safari.
Telegram is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Surtees Studios recently announced it has released a public beta of Bartender 3 for testing on macOS High Sierra and macOS Sierra. It's a free update available within Bartender 2, which costs $15 after a free four-week trial.
The popular tool for rearranging or hiding Mac menu bar items has been completely rewritten in Swift, according to the release notes.
Bartender 3 also no longer requires the Bartender Helper to be installed in menu bar apps in order to control them. As a result, Bartender is no longer able to display the Bartender Bar beneath the menu bar—only within it.
The change was necessary since, in macOS High Sierra, Apple has apparently tightened its System Integrity Protection security feature, preventing system items like Spotlight search from being controlled by Bartender 2.
iStat Menus 5 was also recently updated with improved support for macOS High Sierra and MacBook Pro, MacBook, and iMac models released in 2017.
The popular Mac system monitor also gained improved per-process network monitoring, improved per-process memory monitoring in OS X El Capitan and macOS Sierra, improved Bluetooth battery monitoring, and improved disk monitoring performance, plus a fix for an issue with the sun position in light map.
iStat Menus is built into the macOS menu bar, providing power users with convenient access to system information, such as CPU and GPU usage, memory stats, fan speeds, temperatures, disk usage, and battery life.
iStat Menus 5 is $18 on developer Bjango's website, with a free 14-day trial available. The latest update is version 5.32.
Apple CEO Tim Cook on Sunday tweeted that Apple employs 250 so-called "dreamers," or individuals who were brought to the United States at a young age when their parents or guardians illegally immigrated to the country.
"I stand with them," said Cook. "They deserve our respect as equals and a solution rooted in American values."
250 of my Apple coworkers are #Dreamers. I stand with them. They deserve our respect as equals and a solution rooted in American values.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 3, 2017
Cook's tweet comes shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce whether he will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program as he promised.
Last week, Cook and around 300 other business leaders signed an open letter urging Trump to preserve the program, and to pass the bipartisan DREAM Act or similar legislation as a permanent solution.
DACA allows many illegal immigrants who entered the United States at age 16 or under to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation, and eligibility for a work permit in the country. The program was created by way of an executive order signed by former President Barack Obama in 2012.
Trump vowed to end DACA during his presidential campaign, but he later admitted it would be a tough decision. Trump said young individuals enrolled in the program will be treated with "great heart."
If the program is ended, nearly 800,000 undocumented young individuals that fall under its protections would have the right to work legally until their two-year work permits expire, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
"Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), also known as work permits, are generally valid until they expire or the government demands they be returned," it said in an advisory posted to its website last week.
It's unclear if U.S. immigration authorities would then target those individuals for deportation, but it's certainly the feared outcome among those protected. Trump's decision is expected to be announced by Tuesday.
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.
The sixth-generation iPod nano is officially obsolete, meaning Apple will no longer repair or service the portable media player.
Apple added the sixth-generation iPod nano to its internal vintage and obsolete products list on August 30, according to a memo distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers seen by MacRumors.
Apple repairs and services products for up to five years after they are no longer manufactured. The sixth-generation iPod nano was released in September 2010 and discontinued in September 2012.
As required by statute, sixth-generation iPod nano owners in California may still obtain service from Apple Stores or by contacting AppleCare at 1-800-APL-CARE. The extended coverage period will likely end in September 2019.
The sixth-generation iPod nano was notable for its square-shaped design. A number of third-party straps and accessories were released that essentially turned the device into a very early version of the Apple Watch.
Unlike the fifth-generation iPod nano, the sixth-generation model lacked a click wheel, video camera, and speaker. Instead, it had a touchscreen and adopted the iPod shuffle's clip to make it wearable on the go.
On Saturday, Chinese mobile maker Huawei unveiled its first artificial intelligence smartphone chipset, which it hopes will lure customers away from Apple's upcoming range of new iPhones and towards the Asian company's "most powerful handset yet", the Mate 10, which is set to debut next month (via Nikkei Asian Review).
Huawei touted the Kirin 970 AI mobile chipset's built-in "neural processing unit" at the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin, claiming that the technology is "20 times faster" than a traditional processor.
"The Kirin 970 is faster, better and more secure than anything else available [in the market]. This is the latest technology and it is the first chip to have a neural processing unit inside, which is 20 times faster than a central processing unit," said Richard Yu, chief of Huawei's consumer business group.
"It is a major breakthrough for Huawei. We will enable the first use of AI technology in mobile apps, and provide consumers with a never-before-seen AI experience right in the palm of their hands," he added.
The world's third largest smartphone maker claimed that mobile devices powered by the Kirin 970 will be able to "truly know and understand their users", by supporting real-time image recognition, voice interaction, and intelligent photography with ease.
"Compared with Samsung and Apple, we have advantages," Yu said in an interview with Reuters. "Users are in for much faster (feature) performance, longer battery life and more compact design."
According to Nikkei, the Kirin 970 integrates 5.5 billion transistors in a single square centimeter about the size of a thumbnail, which includes an octa-core central processing unit, a 12-core graphics processing unit, a dual-image signal processor, a high-speed 1.2Gbps Cat.18 modem, and AI mobile computing architecture.
The Kirin 970 is said to be based on the same 10-nanometer technology as Apple's existing A10X Fusion processor and the A11 processor that will power its new iPhone range, set to debut this month. The A10X powers Apple's latest 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets, making them the first consumer devices to feature a chip built on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's advanced 10-nanometer FinFET technology.
Mark Li, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, claimed that the new chip powering Huawei's Mate 10 may be better than the chips for the new iPhone range. "The new Huawei chip can be 10 times as powerful as an average smartphone chip, and also more energy efficient, when it comes to handling AI-related functions such as image and voice recognition," Li said. But he added that the popularity of the chip would depend on whether Huawei is able exploit its power in a killer AI app.
The Mate 10 is said to be a bezel-less all-screen handset with a 6-inch, 2:1 display and a 2,160 x 1,080 resolution. Like Apple's so-called "iPhone 8", the Mate 10 is also expected to feature some form of facial recognition and improved cameras.
Huawei aims to become the world's largest smartphone maker by 2021, ahead of both Apple and Samsung, and the latest market share data suggests it is making headway towards that goal.
The company shipped an estimated 38.4 million smartphones in the June quarter, a 20 percent increase over a year ago, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. By comparison, Apple reported it sold 41 million iPhones in the same period, up nearly 2 percent from 40.4 million iPhones in the year-ago quarter.
In the absence of a physical Home button, Apple's so-called "iPhone 8" may allow users to activate Siri by holding down the Sleep/Wake button if they prefer not to do so using the voice command "Hey Siri". That's according to iOS developer Guilherme Rambo, based on a discovery he has made in source code that points to the possibility.
In a tweet posted on Saturday, Rambo said he wondered if Apple had moved any of the original Home button's functionality to the "lock" button (or Sleep/Wake, as Apple calls it) located on the upper right side of the handset. When asked by a follower if he had found something in Apple's code to suggest this, Rambo revealed that he had indeed discovered a gesture to invoke Siri by holding the lock button.
It's unclear what type of code Rambo refers to, but the Brazilian developer has previously unearthed details of upcoming Apple products in the company's beta software, including references to a 4K Apple TV in tvOS 11 as well as references in early HomePod firmware to some features widely expected in the company's upcoming OLED iPhone.
I did find a gesture to invoke Siri by holding the lock button.
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) September 2, 2017
Apple's radically redesigned iPhone does away with the Home button entirely, relying instead on a new gestural interface that includes a "software bar" along the bottom of the screen and an app dock similar to the one found in iOS 11 on iPad.
While next-generation facial recognition technology is said to replace Touch ID fingerprint authentication, details are murky as to how Apple plans to remap other functions that traditionally involve pressing the Home button. For instance, any method of invoking Siri using the Sleep/Wake button would need to be sufficiently distinct from the current long press that activates the slide-to-power-off screen, unless Apple has also relocated the latter function. Another possibility is that the power button on the OLED iPhone houses two separate contact switches, which could explain why it appears elongated in some alleged design leaks.
All should be revealed at the company's September 12 media event, where Apple is expected to unveil its "premium" OLED iPhone alongside new upgraded versions of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, a fifth-generation Apple TV, and an Apple Watch Series 3 range with LTE capability. Apple will stream the event live on its website and on the Apple TV, but for those who are unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage, both on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Update: A reader has pointed out that last month Brazilian blog iHelp BR discovered a line of code in the HomePod firmware that suggests the Sleep/Wake button could in fact change functions on the OLED iPhone depending on the app currently in use. The line of code "lockButtonAppropriateForShutter" likely relates to the native camera app and may indicate the presence of dual switches.
Google added a couple of new features to its flagship iOS app on Friday, one of which shows searches that are trending in a user's geographical location before they begin typing into the search field.
Following yesterday's update, whenever a user taps on a search box to start a search, a dropdown menu shows "Trending Searches" indicated by a blue jagged arrow icon next to them, contrasting them from gray icons that mark out the user's search history. In our testing, trending searches didn't show up in some locations, so it's possible Google is still rolling out support on its servers.
Trending Searches appeared last year on Android, but the change prompted a number of user complaints that led Google to make the feature optional. Fortunately, iOS users can find the same opt-out toggle on the Settings screen by tapping their account profile in the upper left of the Search interface.
Apart from that, Google says the search box has gotten smarter, in that now users can often get the answer they're looking for before they've even finished typing in the question, with possible answers appearing in the suggestions below. For example, typing in "how fast is a chee" immediately displays a cheetah's land speed (110-120 km/h, for those interested).
The feature additions come on the back of Google's recent introduction of a personalized news feed for the app, offering a stream of content based on user search history and topics they choose to follow. The feed replaced Google Now, the company's predictive search feature that displays traffic updates, weather, and other information, all of which has been moved to a new tab called Updates.
The Google app is a free download for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]
YoYo Games launched GameMaker Studio 2 on macOS this week, bringing the popular multiplatform 2D game development engine to the Mac for the first time. To date, the GameMaker Studio family of products has been downloaded more than 10 million times since 2012 and currently has 200,000 monthly active users, according to the developers.
The Scotland-based outfit originally launched GameMaker Studio 2 on the PC in March and has since been working hard to bring the game creation suite to a wider subset of developers, ensuring every major upgrade and feature addition is preserved in the macOS version.
"We worked tirelessly to ensure GameMaker Studio 2's Mac debut would coincide with the needs of game developers that prefer to use platforms outside of Windows and home consoles," said James Cox, general manager, YoYo Games. "After months carefully considering the feedback we received from beta testing and direct community outreach, we're confident that developers who prefer Mac can now feasibly create games on the often-ignored platform. We're always looking for ways to expand game creation to as many developers as possible, and we know Mac users will make some stand-out games with these resources."
The new, fully customizable Mac Integrated Development Environment (IDE) includes an object editor for structuring workflow, a tabbed script editor, drag and drop features to enable game creation without going near code, an extensive library of events and actions, and code preview tools for those who want to take their games to the next level using the GameMaker programming language (based on C).
The suite also features a room editor where layers and tile brushes are on hand to control objects and sprites, and a new brush-based image editor with animation support for creating new assets for games.
Elsewhere, there's built-in support for the industry recognized Box2D physics engine or Google's LiquidFun particle physics engine, support for Esoteric Software's 2D animation software that bring games to life through integrated animation, and integrated cross-platform shader support.
Timed with the macOS launch, GameMaker Studio 2 is also receiving a comprehensive update with new features and quality-of-life improvements. The 2.1 version update introduces code-folding features that allow users to hide and expand sections of code for easier editing, a new integrated debugger, customizable workspace layouts, and multi-touch support for coding on the go on Mac laptops.
While GameMaker 2 has a very high skill ceiling, Cox claimed the product is for all levels of developer, being used in schools and purchased by children as young as eight who use the drag and drop features to turn their ideas into playable games.
GameMaker Studio is a 2D game design platform, but what makes it different is its breadth of application. The drag and drop design features provide beginners with a way into game design without having to become coders first, so the passion that got them into game design isn't extinguished under a mountain of programming learning; that can come later. The drag and drop approach, creates real code that gives granular control, in our C based GameMaker Language (GML), to more experienced developers. For more established Indies and Studios, our workflow is what sets up apart. It's really quick to get results with GameMaker, as we remove the repetition, and they can turn their games into amazing audio-visual experiences with our advanced graphic design and sound-mixing functionality.
GameMaker Studio 2 can be purchased for Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu for $100 on the YoYo Games website.
A leaked Apple "Visual/Mechanical Inspection Guide" shared this afternoon by Business Insider provides some insight into how Apple's repair policies work, highlighting how Apple determines when to offer an in-warranty repair, an out-of-warranty repair, or a denial of service.
Dated March 3, 2017, the document is known internally as the "VMI" and covers the iPhone 6, 6s, and 7, along with Plus models. An Apple technician told Business Insider that there's a similar document for all of its products, and that it's generally used for training.
The guide is divided into three sections. The green section denotes problems where Apple will provide a warranty service, the yellow covers issues where Apple will offer out-of-warranty repairs, and the red section contains examples of issues Apple will refuse to fix.
Click to enlarge
Debris under the display glass, a pixel anomaly, FaceTime camera foam misalignment, and a single hairline crack to the front glass are all problems that Apple will fix under warranty, even if there's additional accidental or liquid damage to the device. These are the only issues that can be fixed automatically even with additional damage to a device.
Apple will provide out-of-warranty replacements for liquid damage confirmed by the user, evidence of corrosion, LCD fractures, camera damage from lasers, cracks at a point of impact, damaged Lightning/audio/microphone components, extreme abrasion or puncture holes, and a bent or split enclosure.
Devices that have user-replaced parts, intentional tampering or damage, non-Apple batteries, or catastrophic damage are not eligible for service at all. Enclosure damage, like scratches and scuffs, is not covered and cosmetic problems do not warrant a replacement or repair if there are no other issues.
Apple also has a special set of rules for water damage. Employees are instructed to look for signs of water damage both internally and externally when diagnosing issues, and if there is evidence of contact with water, employees are told to deny some in-warranty repairs and instead offer an out-of-warranty repair.
Click to enlarge
According to Apple employees, the VMI isn't often used unless there's an "oddball issue," and it's also more of a guide than a hard and fast rule when it comes to replacement, as there are many issues that arise that aren't covered here. "There are always those one-off issues that the phone is technically not covered under warranty but we swap the phone anyways under warranty," an Apple technician told Business Insider.
These rules don't apply to devices covered by AppleCare+, as that warranty entitles users to two device replacements or repairs, even for accidental damage, so long as the fee is covered. For out-of-warranty repairs, Apple charges $130 to $150 for screen repairs and $300 to $350 for other damage. With AppleCare+, a screen repair costs $29 and other damage costs $99 to fix.
We are at PAX West this weekend, scoping out the coolest mobile games in Seattle for coverage on TouchArcade. If you're also here and want to show us your game, be sure to hit up either @hodapp or @jaredta and we'll make sure that we make it happen. For everyone else, like any other week in the calendar year, this one has been packed with all sorts of interesting things happening in the world of iOS gaming.
First off, one cool thing that we do around TouchArcade is called the RPG Reload play along. The basic gist of the whole thing is we select an RPG, which typically is an older or other retro game, and we all play it together over the course of a month and share out experiences in this forum thread. It's a really awesome way to revisit older games that you have (or haven't) played before. This month we're focusing on the action RPG Bastion. It's a fully narrated game experience, which is... unbelievably cool if you've never tried it before. Check out the trailer, or the forum thread, and hop in. These play alongs are a ton of fun.
While it's the first time we've mentioned it in these MacRumors roundups, Suzy Cube is a game we've been following over on TouchArcade for years now. It's basically a modern, touch-based, reinterpretation of the 3DS game Super Mario 3D Land. The amount of time the developer, Louis-Nicolas Dozois, has put into refining every aspect of the game is really just sort of incredible. His latest developer blog posted over on Gamasutra details all the challenges that went into designing the controls of a 3D platformer. In fact, the entirety of his development blog is a really fascinating read if you're at all into following the passion project of a developer who is making a game that isn't typically done so well on mobile with touch screen controls.
On the sales front, Street Fighter IV Champion Edition has slammed down to two bucks. It's a full-featured mobile iteration of Street Fighter which we really loved in our review. It has a couple caveats: The framerate isn't as good as its console counterparts, and if you're not a fan of touch controls you're probably not going to be that into the controls of this particular game.
Additionally, all the Simogo games are also on sale for a buck. Simogo is responsible for some of the most innovative (and strangest) games on the App Store. Device 6 is a fascinating spin on interactive fiction, SPL-T is a brain-twisting puzzle game, Year Walk is an incredible atmospheric avdenture, and the list just goes on. Simogo consistently releases amazing titles, so if you're missing anything from their catalog, now is a great time to stock up.
If your mind is still blown from the Game of Thrones season finale, you've got a brief reprieve before the launch of Game of Thrones Conquest. You can pre-register for the game here, which awards $50 worth of in-game goodies once the game goes live. So far it sounds like it's one of those free to play MMO battle games, which could be pretty cool with a Game of Thrones skin on top. Interestingly enough, it's developed by Turbine who were the original developers of Asheron's Call, making Game of Thrones Conquest potentially far more interesting than your typical free to play game.
In the world of App Store approval drama, Apple kicked CheapCharts off the App Store. If CheapCharts is new to you, it's basically an app with functionality sort of similar to the original AppShopper app. Apparently, when they added Mac apps to their price tracker, that was the final straw for Apple who "suddenly claimed that our business model would not be in compliance with Apple's guidelines and that the look and feel of CheapCharts would be identical to that of the App Store." For folks in our situations, this is unbelievably frustrating as all CheapCharts, AppShopper, and the TouchArcade app really do is encourage people to buy more things from the App Store.
Last, but by no stretch of the imagination least, the original Infinity Blade has been updated to 64-bit. Aside from evading the 32-bit purge of iOS 11, this also provides a fantastic opportunity for anyone who didn't play Infinity Blade when it was new and exciting to download the game knowing it's going to work on their phone for the foreseeable future. It's ancient by today's standards, but out original review of Infinity Blade still stands as one of the best games ever released on the App Store. Since then, two other games have been released, which are both just as good.
For all this and more, be sure to check out TouchArcade, we post this sort of news around the clock and it's really the best place you can go to follow the beat of the mobile gaming world!
Google added a couple of new features to its flagship iOS app on Friday, one of which shows searches that are trending in a user's geographical location before they begin typing into the search field.
