Apple has been trying to get its $1 billion data center in County Galway, Ireland built for well over two years now, and last week the company finally won approval for construction by the Irish High Court. While it was expected that Apple would now move forward and begin planning for construction, two local residents have brought up a new legal challenge for the company.
As reported by The Galway Advertiser (via Business Insider), two Athenry residents have requested a certificate to appeal the court ruling made last week that granted Apple permission for the project. The case is said to be due back to the court on Wednesday, October 25. Previously, the same individuals challenged Apple's data center by citing multiple environmental concerns, but their challenge was rejected.
Environmental protection issues have been the source of the objector's arguments for the last few years, originally arguing that Apple's data center could have negative effects on local animal populations, and could lead to potential flooding concerns on a neighboring golf course. Then, the data center's proximity to a local nuclear power plant was used to bring up new objections to the site's construction, despite the plant having been shut down for years.
Many locals still support Apple's data center in the area, with the leader of the Apple for Athenry Facebook group telling Business Insider that "the collective hearts of Athenry sank" when the new legal challenge was brought up this week.
Apple originally wanted the data center to be up and running by early 2017, but these repeated setbacks have greatly elongated the company's timeline for the site. Once it is functional, the Derrydonnell Forest data center will see ongoing construction over 10-15 years, supporting services like the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud.
Update 11/1: Ireland’s High Court has rejected the residents' appeal against Apple’s data center, "clearing the way for the project to proceed" (via Reuters).
Apple has reportedly asked its suppliers to reduce iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus production by nearly 50 percent in November and December, according to Reuters, which cited Taiwan's Economic Daily News.
The report quotes an unnamed source who claims it is the first time in the iPhone's history that new models face a major cutback so shortly after mass production began. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus officially went on sale September 22.
Apple shares declined around 1.5 percent in pre-market trading as investors reacted to concerns about low sales of the devices.
Apple hasn't revealed iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus sales numbers. The company will report its fourth quarter earnings results on November 2, including iPhone sales, but it doesn't break out the number on a model-by-model basis.
Even if iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus sales have in fact been lower than expected, it could be a sign of pent up demand for the upcoming iPhone X.
With an OLED display, nearly 82 percent screen-to-body ratio, and a TrueDepth camera system powering 3D facial recognition features like Face ID and Animoji, the iPhone X is unlike any other smartphone Apple has ever sold.
"Apple is taking the iPhone franchise to a whole new level with the iPhone X," said Apple analyst Brian White. "We continue to believe Apple's stock will not only benefit from this iPhone cycle but also the company's capital distribution initiative, attractive valuation, and potential new innovations."
Industry observers are patiently waiting to see how many customers are holding out to purchase the flagship smartphone when pre-orders begin October 27. iPhone X officially launches November 3, starting at $999 in the United States.
The cellular capabilities of the Apple Watch Series 3 remain unavailable to new carrier plan subscribers in China, after having been "abruptly cut off...without explanation" just one week after the device's launch in September. A new report published today by The Wall Street Journal has looked into the LTE setbacks faced by the Apple Watch in the country, which is predicted to face ongoing issues over the next couple of months.
Originally, Apple Watch Series 3 models on launch were supported by the carrier China Unicom, but on September 28 -- almost one week after the September 22 launch -- Unicom cut off new LTE subscriptions for the device. Those who had signed up for a subscription prior to that date remain unaffected, but now anyone trying to sign up for LTE on their Apple Watch are unable to do so. Unicom said on its website that the feature had been available "on a trial basis" and didn't specify when it might resume.
But in China, the feature was abruptly cut off for new subscribers, without explanation, after a brief availability with one telecom company.
Industry analysts say the suspension likely stemmed from Chinese government security concerns to do with tracking users of the device, which uses different technology than standard mobile phones.
On the Apple Watch Series 3 cellular support site, all Chinese carriers -- China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom -- now say "coming later this year." Previously, Unicom specified the following: "Cellular service available only for mobile lines opened in Guangdong, Henan, Hunan, Shanghai, and Tianjin." A few days after September 28, Apple updated the page with the new reference to support later in 2017.
Industry analysts cited "security concerns" likely raised by the government in China related to tracking wearers of Apple's device. Because the Apple Watch uses different technology than standard smartphones, China's strict regulation policies can't simply be outfitted for the new LTE product.
Specifically, analysts believe the problem lies in China's user identification system. When users purchase a smartphone in the country, they register for a SIM card under their real names with a network carrier. But, the Apple Watch contains a tiny embedded SIM card (eSIM), which is placed in the device by Apple, not carriers. Analysts believe this raises questions of "how carriers and regulators can track the device user's identity," because the eSIM "isn't mature enough yet in China."
The benefit of a device carrying an eSIM is that, with software, users can choose a telecom operator and a communications plan. But in China, that new system raises the question of how carriers and regulators can track the device user’s identity.
“The eSIM (system) isn’t mature enough yet in China,” one analyst said. “The government still needs to figure out how they can control the eSIM.”
Now, officials at China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology are said to be studying how to resolve the issue before granting any broad cellular access to the Apple Watch. This process, according to analysts, "could take months."
The Apple Watch LTE roadblock is the latest problem faced by Apple in China, after last year facing the shutdown of the iBooks and iTunes stores due to the release of a controversial independent movie. Over the summer, Apple then removed the majority of VPN apps from the App Store in China, following regulations passed earlier in the year that require such apps to be authorized by the Chinese government.
Popular YouTube singer-songwriter Jonathan Mann has uploaded a humorous Apple-related tune that is currently doing the rounds on social media and tech blogs.
Mann originally rose to prominence among Apple watchers for catching the eye of Steve Jobs, who opened his iPhone 4 press conference by playing to the audience Mann's 2010 "iPhone Antenna Song", which criticized parts of the media for its "Antennagate" fixation. But it's unlikely Mann's latest song will receive a similar reception in Cupertino.
Apple introduced a revamped butterfly-mechanism keyboard on its first-generation 12-inch MacBook, and later on the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro, which featured flatter keys built using a second-generation butterfly mechanism. However, a significant number of customers have run into issues with both versions, the most common being sticking keys – the theme of Mann's latest song.
In the music video, Mann's chorus sees him persistently pressing the space bar of his 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro, frustrated that it no longer works.
He refers to the MacRumors Buyer's Guide to express how long he waited to upgrade, and that his "very expensive" MacBook Pro is only about a year old, and yet here he is, victim to an unresponsive spacebar.
Mann laments that Apple has informed him that his machine will need "extensive surgery for a speck of dust lodged beneath the butterfly" mechanism – referencing Casey Johnston’s article in The Outline about a piece of dust breaking her MacBook Pro.
If you don't fancy listening to this potential earworm, the full lyrics to the song can be found below.
I'm pressing the space bar / I'm pressing the space bar / I'm pressing the space bar / I'm pressing the space bar / And nothing is happening / This computer is about a year old / And it was very expensive / I had been waiting to upgrade / For a long time / And now you're telling me / It would need extensive / Surgery for a speck of dust / Lodged beneath the butterfly / I found your instructions / They were not helpful / I bought this can of air / I feel like an idiot
Ultimate Ears, a company known for its line of rugged, colorful speakers with high-quality audio, today announced two new additions to its product lineup: the BLAST and the MEGABLAST. BLAST and MEGABLAST are Ultimate Ears' first Wi-Fi connected speakers.
Designed as successors to the UE Boom 2 and UE Megaboom 2, the BLAST and MEGABLAST feature the same cylindrical body shape, bold design, and vivid colors as their predecessors, but Ultimate Ears has tweaked the look of the two devices, introducing less rounded edges for a sleeker form factor and a more streamlined color scheme.
With the cylindrical design, the BLAST and MEGABLAST continue to offer 360-degree sound, and with the addition of Amazon Alexa support, the two speakers can be controlled hands-free with voice commands. Through Alexa, BLAST and MEGABLAST can play music from Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn, with support for Pandora and Deezer coming in the near future.
Wi-Fi support in the two speakers means music can continue to play even when your iPhone is in use, and through Alexa, the music can be controlled by anyone, making BLAST and MEGABLAST ideal for parties.
Alexa integration is available in the United States, the UK, Germany, and Austria, and with a BLAST or MEGABLAST purchase, Amazon is offering a three-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited. Playing from Apple Music will continue to require a Bluetooth connection to an iPhone.
MEGABLAST has been engineered to be Ultimate Ears' loudest and best sounding speaker yet. It features two 25mm tweeters, two custom 35mm active drivers, and two passive radiators for a maximum output of 93 dBC, which is 40 percent louder than the Megaboom. According to Ultimate Ears, the MEGABLAST features a more powerful mid-range, deeper bass, and clearer vocals and instruments.
BLAST features two 35mm active drivers and two passive radiators with a maximum sound level of 90 dBC.
Both BLAST and MEGABLAST are IP-67 water and dust resistant, drop proof (up to 5 feet) and offer all-day battery life. BLAST will last for 12 hours before needing to be recharged, while MEGABLAST boasts a 16 hour battery life.
Along with BLAST and MEGABLAST, Ultimate Ears is introducing the POWER UP, a sleek white charging dock that's designed to inductively charge BLAST and MEGABLAST. POWER UP is a standalone accessory, but will be sold alongside the two speakers in packages from some retailers.
In the United States, BLAST and MEGABLAST will be available in Graphite (black), Blizzard (white), Merlot (red) and Blue Steel (blue). BLAST is priced at $230, while MEGABLAST is priced at $300. The POWER UP dock is priced at $40. All three products will be available for purchase from Ultimate Ears starting in late October.
Following Apple's clarification that iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models do not have FM radio chips or antennas designed to support FM signals, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has expressed some doubt about Apple's statement and has called on the company to add FM functionality to its future iPhones.
In a blog post, the NAB points to a series of iPhone 8 teardowns that indicate the iPhone 8 uses a Broadcom chip with an integrated FM radio core as evidence that Apple's devices already have some of the hardware required for FM radio support.
According to Apple, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 8 do not currently have FM radio chips or antennas to support FM signals, and it is not clear how simple it would be for the company to add these features to future devices. From a statement made to MacRumors:
Apple cares deeply about the safety of our users, especially during times of crisis and that's why we have engineered modern safety solutions into our products. Users can dial emergency services and access Medical ID card information directly from the Lock Screen, and we enable government emergency notifications, ranging from Weather Advisories to AMBER alerts. iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models do not have FM radio chips in them nor do they have antennas designed to support FM signals, so it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products.
The disagreement between Apple, the NAB, and the FCC is related somewhat to their various points of view. Apple’s claim that recent iPhones do not have the necessary hardware to support FM radio is indeed true, which means Apple can’t simply flip a software switch to activate it.
The NAB seems to be making the case that it would be relatively trivial for Apple to make hardware revisions to enable it in future devices considering the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip in the iPhone can support it and Apple has proven it can incorporate FM antenna connections in the iPod nano.
Apple has built and offered a wonderful FM app in their iPod Nano for many years. They know how to make FM work, and work well, in their mobile devices. Apple even wrote its own Nano app that allows the user to pause live radio and buffer up to 15 minutes of content.
However, Apple has specifically chosen not to offer this functionality in their iPhone. Indeed, Apple has disabled FM chips despite the capability being available on the communications module within the iPhone. This means other app developers cannot offer FM apps either.
In its blog post, the NAB appeals to Apple CEO Tim Cook, highlighting the number of hurricanes experienced in Mobile, Alabama, Cook's hometown, since 1969, and calling on the company to introduce FM support as a way for customers to get news alerts during disasters.
FM radio functionality in the iPhone first started gaining media attention last month, following a series of powerful hurricanes that struck several states. At that time, FCC chairman Ajit Pai issued a statement urging Apple to activate FM radio capabilities in its iPhones, which Apple later said was not possible.
"It's time for Apple to step up to the plate and put the safety of the American people first," Pai wrote. "Do the right thing, Mr. Cook. Flip the switch. Lives depend on it."
Facebook has been testing a new "Explore Feed" that's designed to help users discover relevant content outside of the standard News Feed, and now the feature is officially rolling out to users on both mobile devices and the desktop, reports TechCrunch. Facebook confirmed the rollout of the feature in a statement:
"We are beginning to roll out a complementary feed of popular articles, videos, and photos, automatically customized for each person based on content that might be interesting to them," the Facebook spokesperson said. "We've heard from people that they want an easy way to explore relevant content from Pages they haven't connected with yet."
On the desktop, the "Explore Feed" can be found on the left-hand sidebar under "Explore" by clicking on "See More." In the Facebook iOS app, it's also listed under "Explore" and can be accessed by tapping on the hamburger button at the bottom of the app.
In both instances, the new Explore Feed is rather buried among a long list of other options like Events, Pages, Moments, Town Hall, Buy and Sell Groups, Jobs, Recommendations, and more.
The Explore Feed houses recommended Facebook posts from companies and media sites that you might not otherwise see in your feed, with content based on topics you've previously liked or content that's popular with your friends.
Facebook is aiming to use the Explore Feed to surface fresh content to entice users to spend more time using the social network.
Some users began seeing the Explore Feed earlier this year as Facebook was testing the feature, but it is now rolling out to all users and should be available for everyone soon.
Samsung today announced the second-generation version of its Bixby voice assistant, seven months after Bixby was first unveiled ahead of the launch of the Galaxy S8.
According to Samsung, Bixby 2.0 is a "fundamental leap forward for digital assistants" and a "bold reinvention of the platform," designed with the aim of making Bixby available on "any and all devices."
Bixby 2.0 will be available on smartphones, TVs, refrigerators, home speakers, and other connected technology products. Bixby 2.0 will be "open," allowing developers to choose how users interact with Bixby in their services.
Samsung says Bixby 2.0 features enhanced natural language capabilities to support more natural commands and complex processing, so it can "really get to know and understand" who you are and who members of your family are.
Bixby, a Siri competitor, was designed to be deeply integrated within apps, differentiating it from other AI-based assistants like Siri and Cortana. Samsung ran into trouble with Bixby early on, though, and was not able to include the assistant in the English versions of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ due to performance issues.
While Bixby performed well in Korean, its English voice recognition capabilities lagged behind, and so Bixby was not added to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ models in the United States until July, three months after the devices launched.
Galaxy S8 owners have complained that Bixby can be confusing and frustrating to use, and a lack of enthusiasm for the feature has even caused Samsung to implement a feature that allows the dedicated Bixby button on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 to be disabled.
Bixby was built using technology Samsung acquired from Viv, an AI assistant that was developed by some of the creators originally responsible for Apple's Siri.
Samsung is launching a private beta program with the Bixby SDK, available for select developers.
Dutch blog One More Thing, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, claims that ING will be the first bank to offer Apple Pay in the Netherlands. Virtual bank Bunq also supposedly plans to support Apple Pay.
Rabobank, one of the largest banks in the Netherlands, reportedly hasn't yet taken any concrete steps towards Apple Pay.
The report cites one source who claims Apple Pay could launch in the Netherlands on November 2, but the blog could not confirm the date.
Apple's fourth quarter earnings results are scheduled for the same day, so it's possible that Apple will use the subsequent conference call as an opportunity to announce the next wave of Apple Pay launch countries.
MacRumors also received an anonymous tip today with an alleged screenshot of Apple Pay being tested on an iPhone in Poland.
The screenshot shows a Mastercard from PKO Bank Polski, suggesting that bank could be the first to support Apple Pay in the country. However, it could also be a placeholder card for Apple's internal testing only.
The tipster said Apple Pay should be ready to launch in Poland by the end of this year, but we're unable to confirm the authenticity of this information.
Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey has previously said Apple is "working rapidly" to expand Apple Pay to additional countries in Europe and Asia. According to Apple's services chief Eddy Cue, that could soon include India.
Apple Pay is currently available in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Russia, New Zealand, Japan, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
Customers who purchased a Kindle e-book between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012 may be receiving a credit from Amazon this morning as the retailer continues distributing funds from an antitrust lawsuit levied against Apple back in 2013 by the United States Justice Department.
Emails were sent out to eligible customers in the United States this morning, and Amazon has also set up a website that will list available credits for those who are eligible for a refund.
Apple, along with five other publishers including HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, and Penguin, was found guilty of conspiring to inflate the prices of e-books to weaken Amazon's dominant position in the market. While the five publishers settled, Apple held out and appealed several times, but was ultimately ordered to pay a total of $450 million.
Apple maintained its innocence throughout the initial trial and appeals, and has argued that its deals with publishers introduced competition to a market that was largely controlled by Amazon. The United States Justice Department did not see it that way, though, as Apple's efforts ultimately raised prices for consumers.
Several rounds of refunds have already been distributed as a result of the lawsuit. In 2014, customers received refunds funded by publishers, and in 2016, refunds totaling $400 million, or the bulk of the money paid by Apple, were sent out. This new round of refunds has also been funded by Apple's settlement and comes from $20 million that was earmarked to pay states that were involved in the lawsuit.
Credits sent out today will last for six months and will need to be spent by April 20, 2018.
Update: Customers are also receiving notices about available Apple credits that are also being distributed today. Credits are being added to Apple accounts automatically and can be used in iBooks, iTunes, and the App Store.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced more than a year ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 42 includes fixes and improvements for Files and Directory Entries API, Clipboard API, Fonts, CSS, Web API, WebDriver, JavaScript, Accessibility, Media, Rendering, WebGL, and Web Inspector. Today's update also implements Payment Request features.
With Safari 11 now available in macOS High Sierra, Apple is providing two versions of Safari Technology Preview, one for macOS Sierra users and one for those using macOS High Sierra.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Verizon today announced it is lowering its deductible for cracked screen repairs for customers signed up for its Total Mobile Protection plan. Starting on Thursday, October 19, the fee will be reduced from $49 to $29. Total Mobile Protection itself costs $11 per month for smartphones and $9 per month for tablets.
Enrolling in Total Mobile Protection is typically only allowed within 30 days of activating a new account or upgrading to a new device, but Verizon is offering an open enrollment period between tomorrow and Friday, November 17 for any existing customer with a functional device less than two years old.
Verizon said customers who need repairs have the option of bringing their device to one of its 296 carry-in locations across the United States, while technicians are also available to meet customers at home, office, school, or during travel in 152 cities. Verizon allows up to three claims per year per enrolled device.
Total Mobile Protection also includes expert technical support called Tech Coach and other perks like the potential for same- or next-day device replacements.
A new entry in Apple's Machine Learning Journal provides a closer look at how hardware, software, and internet services work together to power the hands-free "Hey Siri" feature on the latest iPhone and iPad Pro models.
Specifically, a very small speech recognizer built into the embedded motion coprocessor runs all the time and listens for "Hey Siri." When just those two words are detected, Siri parses any subsequent speech as a command or query.
The detector uses a Deep Neural Network to convert the acoustic pattern of a user's voice into a probability distribution. It then uses a temporal integration process to compute a confidence score that the phrase uttered was "Hey Siri."
If the score is high enough, Siri wakes up and proceeds to complete the command or answer the query automatically.
If the score exceeds Apple's lower threshold but not the upper threshold, however, the device enters a more sensitive state for a few seconds, so that Siri is much more likely to be invoked if the user repeats the phrase—even without more effort.
"This second-chance mechanism improves the usability of the system significantly, without increasing the false alarm rate too much because it is only in this extra-sensitive state for a short time," said Apple.
To reduce false triggers from strangers, Apple invites users to complete a short enrollment session in which they say five phrases that each begin with "Hey Siri." The examples are saved on the device.
We compare the distances to the reference patterns created during enrollment with another threshold to decide whether the sound that triggered the detector is likely to be "Hey Siri" spoken by the enrolled user.
This process not only reduces the probability that "Hey Siri" spoken by another person will trigger the iPhone, but also reduces the rate at which other, similar-sounding phrases trigger Siri.
Apple also says it created "Hey Siri" recordings both close and far in various environments, such as in the kitchen, car, bedroom, and restaurant, based on native speakers of many languages around the world.
For many more technical details about how "Hey Siri" works, be sure to read Apple's full article on its Machine Learning Journal.
Earlier in October, Sonos announced its new smart speaker device, called the Sonos One, which will launch On October 24 with support for Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. The Sonos One allows users to control the speaker entirely through voice, providing smart speaker capabilities into a music-focused device, similar to Apple's marketing for the upcoming HomePod.
Ahead of the October 24 launch, reviews for the Sonos One have been posted online, with many sites giving the new speaker a favorable review thanks to Sonos' expected high-quality playback, which becomes particularly useful with Alexa controls. Still, those voice commands are limited at launch with only a few music services supporting Alexa, making the Sonos One slightly harder to recommend for users not already in the Amazon ecosystem.
Engadget said that the Sonos One provides "significantly better" music quality than the likes of Google Home and Amazon Echo "without breaking the bank" at $199. The site elaborated that the Sonos One uses the same audio hardware as the company's Play:1 speaker, so users can expect "clear, dynamic and loud sound" when playing music, although the "low end is not as strong as what you'll get from larger (and more expensive) speakers."
Engadget wrapped up by noting that while the speaker stumbled occassionally with voice controls and lacks support for Spotify voice commands and Google Assistant at launch, it's still "the best-sounding smart speaker you can buy."
The Play:1 has been Sonos' best-selling speaker, and with good reason. It offers significantly better music quality than your average Bluetooth or smart speaker, at a reasonable price. It's also a great first step into a multi-speaker setup for your home. The Sonos One does all of that and adds voice controls without raising the price. Those voice controls may have a few bugs to work out, but aside from one frustrating afternoon, it worked well for me.
The Sonos One is a great way for most people to significantly upgrade their audio setup while also getting the convenience of voice controls. I wish that both Spotify voice commands and the Google Assistant were supported at launch, but this speaker will keep getting more features through upcoming software updates. Given that, I have no problem recommending it now. It'll work right out of the box as an Alexa-enabled device, it'll support more music services over time and it's a great way to dip your feet into the Sonos ecosystem. Just don't be surprised if you end up wanting to buy a few more.
The Verge broke down the supported music services on the Sonos One, commenting that voice commands at launch (through Alexa) are only supported with Pandora, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and SiriusXM. Spotify users will gain access "soon," but any Apple Music or Tidal subscribers will have to start playback through the Sonos app, and after that they can use Alexa to control the songs.
There are some early frustrations and missing features that prevent the Sonos One from being a perfect marriage between Sonos sound and Alexa’s voice smarts. You can’t yet play music from Spotify with Alexa, but I’ve been told that’s coming “soon.” Other services, such as Apple Music and Tidal, are absent with no ETA, and it’s quite possible that they’ll never support voice playback. They all work perfectly fine through the Sonos app, and once music is playing from any service, Alexa can always pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, or tell you what song or artist is playing. But the bottom line is that, at least for now, Alexa is unable to play anything from your Spotify library. Instead, you’ve got Pandora, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and SiriusXM to work with out of the box.
In 2018, Sonos One will also update with support for AirPlay 2, and then iOS users will be able to more easily control music playback with the speaker. While many interesting features are promised for future updates, The Verge still gave the speaker a score of 8 out of 10 and said, "Even with the Spotify situation factored in, I’ve found the Sonos One to be good enough in most other places to earn a solid recommendation if you’re looking to spend a couple hundred bucks on an in-home speaker."
Like a few reviews, Wired mentioned a convoluted setup process that requires you to switch between the Alexa and Sonos apps multiple times, further pointing out that any device trying to seamlessly connect two ecosystems is "sure to stumble occasionally." Still, the site was a fan of the new speaker, stating that the "key point" of any Sonos product remains: "the One is a great-sounding Sonos speaker," and voice controls -- while limited -- are still a bonus.
This new $199 speaker takes the current Alexa-Sonos relationship and removes the complexity. You could think of it as an Echo with much improved sound. It does all of the Alexa things, but it's foremost a Sonos speaker, so it does all the Sonos things too—it works as part of a multi-room system, it streams from scores of services, and it obeys the company's controller apps. The One has some faults. Amazon world and Sonos world are two nuanced and complex domains, and any device that attempts to bridge the two is sure to stumble occasionally. But the key point remains: The One is a great-sounding Sonos speaker, and that's reason enough to consider one. It also so happens that you can command it with your voice.
Many reviews compared the Sonos One to Google's and Apple's upcoming products, which compete in the same high-quality music playback area but have noticeable differences in price. While the Sonos One will cost $199 when it launches next week, Apple's HomePod will run for $349, and the Google Home Max will be priced even higher at $399, with both latter products debuting in December. For more of the latest HomePod news and information, be sure to check out our HomePod Roundup.
Flexibits, the company that makes popular calendar app Fantastical, today launched a new contacts management app, Cardhop. Designed to be more than just a simple contacts app, Cardhop is interactive and is designed to be your communications hub, allowing you to email, message, and interface with your contacts from one central location.
When developing Cardhop, Flexibits aimed to do the same thing for contacts that it did for the calendar - turn an app that can be dull, unintuitive, and slow into a robust, streamlined app that offers a lot more utility.
Cardhop imports all of your contacts from your Mac (which are typically also synced with iOS devices using iCloud) and it provides an interface that makes it easy to search for an existing contact or add a new one using the same natural language parsing that's available in Fantastical.
A search for "Eric" for example, will bring up the card for a contact named Eric, with information like phone number, email address, birth date, home address, Twitter handle, Facebook profile, Skype username, and more. There are dozens of fields that can be added for each contact.
Entering a phrase like "Eric 867-5309 work" will automatically add the phone number you entered to Eric's contact card under the work heading, and similar phrases can be used to quickly update or remove information for all contacts. Added information will sync to the default Apple Contacts app.
If you start typing a name that's not already in your contacts list, Cardhop will automatically add a new entry with the information. Groups of contacts are also supported, so you can create a group like "work" to automatically send an email or a message to everyone you work with.
Cardhop's most useful feature is perhaps its quick actions. Every contact card in Cardhop features four customizable quick action buttons for interacting with contacts and performing tasks like placing a call, sending a tweet, or sending an email. The following quick actions are available: Call, Copy, Directions, Email, FaceTime, FaceTime Audio, Large Type, Message, Skype, Telegram, Twitter, URL, and VoIP.
Clicking on one of the quick action buttons performs the task assigned to the button, but typing a quick action like "Skype Eric" or "Message Eric" also works. When using the call feature, there's also an option to place the call on your iPhone from your Mac using Bluetooth. Cardhop has the potential to save time in a workflow because it automates tasks that would normally take several clicks.
Cardhop also takes advantage of the underused "note" feature available in the default Contacts app, making a notes section front and center for each contact in the app. Notes can be used to add details about contacts that you want to remember, leading to richer interactions.
"Until now, contacts apps were basically boring databases," said Michael Simmons, Co-founder of Flexibits. "Cardhop is an entirely different approach and we think it's going to simplify and truly change the way people think about and interact with their contacts."
Cardhop is normally priced at $19.99, but to celebrate its launch, Flexibits is offering it for $14.99 for a limited time. Cardhop can be downloaded from the Mac App Store.
Best Buy today launched an early access sale for members of the My Best Buy program, marking the first day of a new 3-Day sale that's gearing up this week. Only one Apple product has an early access discount -- the mid-2017 refresh of the MacBook Air -- but there are a few other deals on 4K television sets and Bluetooth headphones. As the week progresses and Best Buy opens up the sale to more users and adds new products, we'll be sure to share any notable discounts.
For now, take a look at a few of the early access sales below:
For these early access deals, remember that you'll need to be logged in to your My Best Buy account in order to see the sale prices.
There are also a few discounts on items outside of the 3-Day Sale, ranging from the latest iMacs, to multiple Philips Hue lamps, and even DJI's new miniature Spark drone. Check them out below:
It's worth noting that previous sales on Apple Watch Series 2 and iPad mini 4 remain ongoing at Best Buy, so if you're interested in those products you still have a chance to purchase them at a discount. There are many more items on sale on Best Buy's Hot Deals page, including Epson all-in-one printers and select Insignia cables and chargers, so be sure to browse all of the discounts here.
For more of the latest deals on Apple products, accessories, and more, head over to our Deals Roundup.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy
Apple Maps now provides indoor maps for eight additional airports in the United States, as the new feature continues to roll out in iOS 11.
The recently added airports include O'Hare International and Midway International in Chicago, McCarran International in Las Vegas, Baltimore–Washington International, Miami International, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International, Oakland International, and Portland International.
The feature has also been available for Philadelphia International Airport and San Jose International Airport since iOS 11 was in beta.
When searching for these airports, Apple Maps users can tap "look inside" or simply zoom in to view terminals, boarding gates, security checkpoints, airline check-in desks, baggage claim carousels, information kiosks, restrooms, stores, restaurants, parking garages, and even escalators, elevators, and stairs.
It is even possible to browse by floor, or search for shops, food, drinks, or restrooms in a specific terminal. Tapping on a restaurant, for example, brings up a detailed place card with photos, hours, and additional information.
Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi previewed Apple's indoor maps at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Skip to around the 1:07:50 mark of Apple's WWDC 2017 keynote video to watch.
Apple said indoor maps will also be available at several other major airports, including Los Angeles International, JFK and LaGuardia in New York, San Diego International, Toronto Pearson International, Vancouver International, Heathrow and Gatwick in London, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Apple is also adding indoor maps to shopping malls, making it easier to find the exact location of stores, restaurants, restrooms, escalators, elevators, and stairs on each floor. Users can also filter stores by categories such as clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty, food, and drinks, with detailed place cards for each.
A few shopping malls currently supported include Westfield's Valley Fair in San Jose and the San Francisco Centre.
Adobe's annual Adobe MAX conference kicks off today, and the company is introducing a whole slew of updates to its Creative Cloud platform. Among those updates is a new version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC, which is now a full cloud-based photography service.
Lightroom CC has been available cross-platform for some time now with a dedicated Mac app and an iOS app, but with the new cloud service, Adobe is aiming to make editing and organizing photos simpler for both professionals and enthusiasts across multiple devices.
The new version of Lightroom CC continues to offer the same image editing capabilities that have been available in previous versions of Lightroom, but there's a new streamlined user interface with quick adjustment tools and presets that are quicker and easier to use.
All content is stored in the cloud, with Adobe providing users with up to 1TB of storage space that includes support for RAW images.
Full resolution photos stored in Lightroom can be edited on any device using the Lightroom CC app for Mac, the iOS app, or the web interface. Lightroom backs up all photos and keeps edits synced across devices.
Lightroom CC supports Adobe Sensei machine learning technology, which is able to recognize objects and people in photographs to make searching for and finding content simpler. Keywords are automatically applied to photos based on content.
Sharing tools make it simple to share Lightroom CC content directly to social networks, and there's an option to create Lightroom web galleries to showcase multiple photos at once. Lightroom CC also supports integration with Adobe Portfolio.
On iOS devices, the updated Lightroom CC app features the same Adobe Sensei search technology, and it offers an enhanced iPad layout, support for the iOS 11 Files app, and support for the HEIF image format introduced in iOS 11.
With the launch of the new cloud-based Lightroom CC app, Adobe is not eliminating the previous version of Lightroom. The older non-cloud version of Lightroom, which will continue to focus on a more traditional desktop-first workflow, has been renamed to Lightroom Classic CC. Lightroom Classic CC is also getting several new updates. It is gaining an enhanced Embedded Preview workflow for scrolling through large sets of photos faster than before, and new editing capabilities like a new Color Range and Luminance Masking feature.
With the launch of the Lightroom CC Cloud Photography service, Adobe is introducing new pricing plans. The Lightroom CC Cloud service with 1TB of storage plus Photoshop CC and access to Lightroom for mobile and web is priced at $19.99 per month. For existing Photography subscribers, Adobe is dropping that price to $14.99 per month for the first year.
Adobe is adding Lightroom CC to the existing Creative Cloud Photography plan and providing current subscribers with 20GB of storage space. The plan will continue to cost $9.99 per month and includes Lightroom CC, Lightroom mobile, Lightroom web, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop CC.
A standalone Lightroom CC plan is available for customers who don't need Photoshop access. It includes 1TB of storage and access to the mobile and web apps for $9.99 per month. For mobile only users, there's a Lightroom Mobile plan for iOS that offers 100GB of cloud storage for $4.99 per month.
More information about Adobe's New Lightroom CC Cloud Photography service can be found on the Adobe website.
Customers who purchased a Kindle e-book between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012 may be receiving a credit from Amazon this morning as the retailer continues distributing funds from an antitrust lawsuit levied against Apple 
Apple today 
