Each week, Apple chooses an "App of the Week" to highlight, which means it can be downloaded for free. This week's pick is an iMessage app called Checkmate, able to be played with friends using Messages.
Checkmate is one of the first iMessage apps to be named App of the Week, and it is normally priced at $0.99. With Checkmate, you can play a game of chess with a friend entirely over iMessages. Apple's notes on the game:
We use iMessage for everything from keeping up with family news to sending stickers to our significant others. Sometimes, though, we just want to duke it out with knights and kings on the chessboard. What makes Checkmate so great -- aside from its super-intuitive interface -- is the way we can chat with (and smack-talk) as we play... or take as much time as we need to contemplate our next move.
Starting up a game with Checkmate requires you to go to the App Drawer and select the Checkmate icon. From there, updates on moves in the game are sent using iMessages. Checkmate can only be played within iMessage and it needs to be installed through the Messages App Store.
Checkmate supports multiple matches, so you can play with multiple people at one time, across all of your devices. Checkmate has no in-app purchases and regularly adds new themes for free.
Checkmate can be downloaded for free for the next seven days. [Direct Link]
We've learned a lot about the upcoming iPhone 8 thanks to HomePod firmware that Apple accidentally released to the public, and the latest detail highlights what we can expect from the front and rear cameras in the device.
Uncovered by Brazilian site iHelp BR, code within the firmware seems to hint at front and rear cameras capable of recording video in 4K at 60 frames per second.
Currently, the rear camera in the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus is able to capture 4K video at 30 frames per second, while the front-facing camera is limited to 1080p recording. Though these specifications are mentioned, it's not yet entirely clear if this is functionality that we can expect to see in the iPhone 8, but the improved frame rate could be useful for the augmented reality applications coming in iOS 11.
From leaks earlier this week, we've also learned that the front and rear facing cameras may also gain "SmartCamera" features able to detect different types of scenes, photo conditions, and photography subjects.
The HomePod firmware has provided a wealth of information about the iPhone, and in addition to these camera changes, it's also confirmed infrared facial recognition, the general shape of the iPhone 8, and features like a split sensor bar and tap to wake.
Apple today shared yet another trailer for its upcoming original television show "Carpool Karaoke: The Series," This time featuring Will Smith and James Corden singing a variety of songs, including the theme song to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
"Carpool Karaoke: The Series" is set to premiere next Tuesday, on August 8. Following the premiere, Apple plans to release new episodes of the show on a weekly basis. There are 16 half-hour episodes in total, all of which will be exclusive to Apple Music subscribers. Each episode features a different host and celebrity pairing.
Along with today's video, two other "Carpool Karaoke" videos have been released this week, highlighting the range of celebrities viewers can expect to see participate on the show.
Participants will include Will Smith and James Corden; Miley, Noah, Billy Ray and the entire Cyrus family; Shakira and Trevor Noah; Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams; Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith; John Legend, Alicia Keys and Taraji P. Henson; LeBron James and James Corden; and more.
When "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" debuts next Tuesday, it will be available to watch in more than 100 countries.
We're a little over one month out from the expected September unveiling of the ten year anniversary iPhone, which has come to be known as the "iPhone 8" ahead of release. While recent HomePod firmware discoveries have essentially confirmed the iPhone 8's edge-to-edge design and front-facing sensor bar notch, it's still unclear how iOS 11 will be incorporated into all of these drastically redesigned hardware upgrades.
New mockups shared by Allen Pike and Max Rudberg this week have taken a look at how these changes might be realized in an iPhone 8 running iOS 11. Particularly, the mockups address one of the more curious additions in the iOS 11 beta: large, banner pieces of text that sit atop apps like Messages, Mail, and the App Store. Pike pointed out that these "Large Title" banners sit below navigation buttons in many of the apps, with plenty of "weirdly empty" white space on current model iPhones.
Pike's theory, further polished in enhanced mockups by Rudberg, is that iOS 11 will shift the topmost navigation buttons within these apps to a bottom bar -- perhaps a "function area" -- where users will easily be able to tap UI inputs to jump around within the apps.
In total, Rudberg realized three possible outcomes that Apple could create with regards to the sensor bar notch and bottom navigation inputs. In the first mockup, the entirety of the iPhone 8's 5.8-inch display is used by the status bar and navigation buttons at the bottom near the virtual home button.
The next two designs include a variety of combinations: the sensor bar using an all-black UI to hide the hardware notch, and the same effect "blending" the bottom navigation bar. As for Rudberg himself, at first he was more favorable of the UI blending the notch into the software of the iPhone, but due to what would result in a visually smaller display, he's now hoping that Apple will "embrace the notch."
Beforehand I was fond of the idea of blending the statusbar with the hardware, but seeing the mockups like this, I’m not so sure. Blending the statusbar with the hardware makes the screen seem smaller than it is and the result is less striking. I’m now leaning towards that Apple will embrace the notch.
This week, HomePod firmware data also revealed that the notch will sit between a "split" status bar, where iOS 11 will showcase data like connection, battery, Bluetooth, and more on each side of the notch. One question mark that remains in Rudberg's mockups is where the time will be located in iOS 11 on an iPhone 8, although there appears to be some room on the left or right side of the front-facing hardware for it to be located.
A new report by research firm Strategy Analytics, however, argues that isn't entirely the case. Apple's average selling price for iPads remained steady at $435 in the June quarter, down only one dollar from the March quarter.
That doesn't mean the new 9.7-inch iPad, introduced in late March, isn't popular. With a faster A9 chip and brighter Retina display than the iPad Air 2 it replaced, and for less money than even an iPad mini 4, the tablet provides good value with few compromises for customers at the low end.
What it does mean is that more expensive iPad Pro models likely sold well enough to offset the addition of a lower-priced iPad in Apple's tablet lineup. Apple launched new 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models at its Worldwide Developers Conference, a few weeks before the end of its June quarter.
"It's undeniable that lower pricing on the new iPad helped drive sales throughout the June quarter, but the ASPs tell a slightly different story," said Eric Smith, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, speaking with MacRumors.
"ASPs were steady from last quarter, showing that higher priced iPad Pro models also sold well, even though the new 12.9-inch and 10.5-inch models were out for less than a month in the June quarter," he added.
For historical perspective, the average selling price of iPads has typically been between roughly $415 and $450 since 2015, although it briefly rose to $490 in the year-ago quarter following the launch of the original 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
Wall Street Beat
Apple's sales of 11.4 million iPads far exceeded analyst expectations. The average Wall Street prediction was approximately 9 million iPads sold, according to Wells Fargo, with some analysts predicting as low as 7 million.
Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple took a 26 percent share of the global tablet market in the June quarter, up from 21 percent in the year-ago quarter. iPad remained the world's best selling tablet, ahead of Samsung tablets, which maintained an estimated 13 percent market share in the quarter.
Chinese company Huawei also saw explosive 42 percent growth in the quarter, with an estimated 3.2 million tablet shipments, according to Strategy Analytics. Apple, Huawei, and Amazon were the only tablet makers to experience growth in the quarter, with Samsung, Lenovo, and all other vendors facing declines.
It's worth noting that Apple doesn't disclose iPad sales on a model-by-model basis in its quarterly earnings results.
Given the new 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models were released towards the end of the June quarter, the tablets should have even more of an impact on Apple's tablet sales in the fourth quarter. Apple's 15 percent increase in iPad sales marked the product category's first unit growth in nearly four years. Also See: IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker for June Quarter
In a new 45 page report by Mark Schaffer of Repair.org, Apple, Sony, and other tech industry companies have been targeted as the reason behind lagging green electronics standards in the United States, which are meant to establish an overall set of environmental leadership specifications for the design, usage, and end-of-life phases of electronic devices.
According to Repair.org, Apple and companies like it consistently output products with extremely lowrepairability scores, and often fail to meet quality green electronics standards.
The report said that this is mostly because these tech companies "hold so many positions" on the boards of green electronics standards that they can vote and resist changes they see as potentially unfavorable for their product development. This has caused the standards to become "increasingly ineffectual," making them hard to update and unable to keep up with the fast-paced advancements in the technology that they are written for.
“Green standards in the US play an important role. They are supposed to shape the electronics industry for the better and encourage manufacturers to make more sustainable products. As consumers, we should be able to trust them to identify only the most sustainable products,” says Gay Gordon-Byrne, Executive Director of Repair.org. “Instead, members of the IT industry have co-opted standards for their own benefit, warping them into a tool that drives sales at the expense of the environment. This is patently unacceptable, and it needs to change.”
Manufacturers including Apple, Blackberry, and Sony have consistently blocked meaningful criteria that would influence their product design, including strong incentives to encourage design for repair or recycling.
In the report, Repair.org looks at the repair/reuse criteria included in the UL 110 standard for cell phones, which was approved in early 2017 and "contains some repair criteria and optional requirements for battery removability without tools." Apple and Samsung were able to claim the highest "gold" ratings for the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S8 right off the bat when the standard went live in July, which the report called "troubling." Repair.org explained that a "properly developed" standard should see newly claimed devices barely able to achieve a lower "bronze" rating, and have to work their way up the standard.
Under a section called "manufacturers oppose leadership standards," the report delves more into Apple's refusal to comply with the support of standardized tools that could be used to disassemble their products. Despite Apple's voting against such a rule, it's said that enough companies decided to vote in favor of this section of UL 110.
The only effective, repair-focused language in UL 110 is an optional criterion that awards manufacturers extra points for batteries that can be removed without the use of tools. It is the only repair-related criterion in the UL 110 standard that incentivizes a different design. Still, one manufacturer steadfastly opposed this proposal and refused to vote for its inclusion in the standard: Apple. Ultimately, this was one of the few instances in which manufacturers broke ranks. Enough device-makers voted to have the optional criterion included in the recently published version of the standard.
Still, the UL 110 standard's various sections -- including end-of-life, reuse, and recycle -- are described as "watered down" and "neutered" to the point that device makers don't have to alter the course of EOL practices that they've been following in previous years. The report then lists a few common arguments manufacturers have given for their actions, including public safety concerns if at-home repair was widely supported, easily accessible authorized repair centers, and more, all of which Repair.org refutes.
Apple has long been a proponent of environmental protection and action in its position as one of the biggest device makers on the planet. This past April, the company released its 2017 Environmental Responsibility Report and announced its goal to set up a "closed-loop supply chain," which would drastically reduce global electronics waste by building new Apple products using only recycled materials, including old Apple products.
Apple shipped an estimated 2.8 million Apple Watch units in the June quarter, an increase of 56 percent from an estimated 1.8 million shipments in the year-ago quarter, according to a new report by research firm Strategy Analytics.
Strategy Analytics previously estimated Apple Watch shipments totaled 13.6 million in 2015, 11.6 million in 2016, and 3.5 million last quarter, suggesting Apple shipped its 30 millionth Apple Watch at some point in the past three to four months.
Specifically, Apple Watch shipments have now reached an estimated 31.5 million units over the product's lifetime.
Despite the milestone, Strategy Analytics claims Apple trails Fitbit and Chinese company Xiaomi, estimated to be the world's largest wearables vendor, but both sell less expensive fitness trackers.
Xiaomi shipped an estimated 3.7 million wearables in the June quarter, according to Strategy Analytics, while Fitbit on Wednesday reported sales of 3.4 million devices in the same period, down from 5.7 million a year ago.
"Apple has for now lost its wearables leadership to Xiaomi, due to a lack of presence in the sizeable fitness band subcategory," said Cliff Raskind, Director at Strategy Analytics. "However, the rumored upcoming Watch Series 3 launch with enhanced health tracking could prove to be a popular smartwatch model and enable Apple to reclaim the top wearables spot later this year."
It's important to acknowledge these are estimated figures, and that shipments do not necessarily reflect sales. And, as mentioned, Xiaomi doesn't participate in the high-end smartwatch market, and Apple doesn't compete in the low-end fitness tracker market. It's essentially an apples to oranges comparison.
Apple doesn't break out Apple Watch sales like it does with iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Instead, it groups the wearable under its "Other Products" category, alongside Apple TV, AirPods, Beats, iPods, and other accessories.
Apple reported "Other Products" revenue of $2.7 billion in the June quarter, up 23 percent on year.
In its post-earnings conference call, Apple CEO Tim Cook once again talked up how well Apple Watch is supposedly selling.
"Sales of Apple Watch were up over 50 percent in the June quarter," said Cook. "It's the number one selling smartwatch in the world by a very wide margin."
"Apple Watch is having a positive impact on peoples' health and daily lives, and motivating them to sit less and move more," he added. "With features like built-in GPS and waterproofing, Apple Watch Series 2 is the perfect companion for hiking, running, and swimming."
Cook has made similar statements in the past. In the March quarter, he noted that sales of Apple Watch nearly doubled year over year. In the December quarter, he announced that Apple Watch had its best quarter ever.
Strategy Analytics doesn't disclose its exact methodology of calculating Apple Watch shipments for competitive reasons, but executive director Neil Mawston has told MacRumors the research firm uses "a blend of channel checks, financial analysis, and other sources" when asked in the past.
"It is the same methodology we have used for phones since the 1990s and for wearables since the modern market first emerged circa 2013," he added.
The focus now turns to the fall, when Apple is rumored to debut Apple Watch Series 3 models, potentially alongside its new lineup of iPhones.
Late last month Apple revealed it had partnered with hearing aid company Cochlear to launch the first Made For iPhone Cochlear implant, which can stream audio from an iOS device directly to a surgically embedded sound processor.
Now, in a new Wired article titled "How Apple is Putting Voices in Users' Heads – Literally", the company has offered up a few more details on how it was able to achieve the technical feat of transmitting high bandwidth data to such a low-powered device.
To solve the problem of streaming high-quality audio without draining the tiny zinc batteries in hearing aids, Apple's accessibility team essentially had to create a more advanced version of the existing Bluetooth Low Energy profile.
Bluetooth LE is only meant to be used to send low-bandwidth data signals, like getting heart rate monitor readings from wearables, so Apple developed a more advanced version called Bluetooth Low Energy Audio (BLEA), which can stream high quality audio whilst preserving the LE profile's battery-extending properties.
Apple has had BLEA in the works for some time, and the profile appeared in patents dating back to 2014, but this is the first time Apple has spoken about using the profile in an actual consumer product.
Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's director of global accessibility policy, summarized the company's efforts with the following comments:
While our devices have been built to support hearing aids for years, we found that the experience of people trying to make a phone call was not always a good one. So we brought together a lot of people in different areas around the company to start investigating ways to make the process easier.
Our goal was to get rid of all those extra things that need batteries and can get in the way, so when a phone call comes in you just hit the button to answer it and that sound is streaming into your hearing aid.
The technical detail about the Bluetooth profile is revealed in the context of the story of implant wearer Mathias Bahnmueller, a 49-year-old who suffers from hearing loss and uses the system developed by Apple and Cochlear. Called the Nucleus 7 sound processor, the device won FDA approval in June and is the first of its kind in the hearing aid industry.
The extended article is certainly worth a read, and Tim Cook has already shared the piece on Twitter, saying he is proud of the work Apple is doing in this area.
Apple today uploaded three short 15 second ads in its "The Rock x Siri" series, with content that's primarily been pulled from the main three minute "The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day" video, which was originally released on July 23.
Each video features The Rock interacting with Siri to set a reminder, take a selfie, and set a timer. The reminder video is new, while the selfie and timer videos feature scenes from the original spot.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson originally teased his partnership with Apple and Siri as a movie, complete with a movie poster, but it turned out that instead of a short film, his feature with Apple was simply an ad spot.
"I partnered with #Apple to make the BIGGEST, COOLEST, CRAZIEST, DOPEST, MOST OVER THE TOP, FUNNEST (is that even a word?) movie ever," The Rock wrote on Facebook ahead of the ad's launch.
Apple is using The Rock to show off the range of tasks that can be completed using the Siri personal assistant built in to the iPhone and the iPad. "You should never, ever, under any circumstances underestimate how much Dwayne Johnson can get done in a day with Siri," reads the description for the first video.
iDevices was one of the first companies to announce plans for producing HomeKit-compatible products, focusing primarily on switches and outlets but also branching out a bit with a thermostat. Earlier this year, iDevices was acquired by major electrical equipment manufacturer Hubbell, but the iDevices brand and product lineup lives on.
I've been using a number of iDevices products, including the recently launched Wall Switch and Wall Outlet, as well as the Switch and Outdoor Switch that launched some time ago, and I've gotten a pretty good idea of how well these accessories fit into my home and integrate with other HomeKit devices through HomeKit. All of the devices are also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but for my purposes I focused on HomeKit.
Wall Switch and Wall Outlet
iDevices' Wall Switch and Wall Outlet are the latest additions to the company's HomeKit family, and they're the most complicated to install since they require in-wall installation. It's a little bit of a hassle and some users such as renters may not be able take advantage of them, but installation is a pretty straightforward project and they provide a much cleaner and more integrated look to your HomeKit system.
As with any other time you're performing electrical work, you should turn off power at the circuit breaker and make sure electricity isn't flowing to the circuits where you're working. iDevices includes step-by-step instructions to walk you through the entire installation process and also includes some helpful videos on its YouTube channel.
Recent iPhone 8 rumors have suggested Apple may be planning to replace Touch ID with a new facial recognition system, but there's been a lot of question about how Apple Pay will work and whether Apple will indeed be able to eliminate Touch ID entirely.
We've already seen confirmation that Apple is working on facial recognition in the iPhone 8 through a recent HomePod firmware release, and now additional information found in the code confirms Apple has a mechanism for authenticating Touch ID payments with a face scan instead of through a fingerprint.
A com.apple.passbook.payment string found in the HomePod firmware by iOS developer @r_idn features two references to "pearl.field-detect" and "pearl.pre-arm" among other payment verification data. As we learned from earlier leaks, "pearl" refers to Pearl ID, the codename for Apple's facial recognition system. Apple's current implementation appears to be incomplete, as pearl is only mentioned under presentation and not authentication.
While many are skeptical that Touch ID can be replaced by a facial recognition system that's equally secure, rumors have suggested Apple's facial recognition technique captures more data points than a fingerprint scan, making it more secure than Touch ID.
It's not yet clear how Apple Pay will work without a Home button and without a fingerprint, but it will presumably be able to authenticate by scanning a user's face, with a payment completed via a finger on the screen as is the case in current iPhones.
Previous HomePod firmware leaks related to the iPhone 8 have suggested Apple has not implemented an under-display Touch ID solution as was initially rumored for the device, and it's looking more and more like there's no other physical Touch ID solution built into the upcoming smartphone.
The HomePod firmware Apple released early continues to offer up insight into future software and hardware capabilities for the HomePod, iPhone 8, and other devices, with the newest discovery coming today developer from Guilherme Rambo.
He's unearthed a new "SmartCamera" feature, which appears to be something that will be built into future iPhones and/or iOS 11, perhaps taking advantage of the new facial recognition software that we expect to see in the iPhone 8.
The firmware suggests the camera app will be able to detect different types of scenes, photo conditions, and photography subjects like pets and children. Several scenes are referenced, including Fireworks, Foliage, Pet, BrightStage, Sport, Sky, Snow, and Sunset/Sunrise, indicating the iPhone's camera may be able to detect a scene and then set the ideal exposure, shutter speed, and other factors to take the best photograph.
Many cameras, from point and shoot models to DSLRs, have a range of scene presets that can be selected, and it looks like Apple's planning to implement something similar.
There are also specific references to a "freezeMotion" feature that mentions face scenes, pets, and babies, perhaps pointing towards new scene detection functionality that can recognize a fast moving target and automatically capture a photo at an ideal moment.
A third screenshot covers several "Confidence" metrics and hints at the camera's ability to recognize not just pets and babies, but documents and QR codes. Both document scanning and QR code scanning with the camera are built into iOS 11, so at least some of these features will be available for all iPhone models. It's not entirely clear, however, what will require the facial recognition hardware rumored for the iPhone 8 and what will be available for other devices.
Existing iPhones running the current version of iOS already include object recognition functionality, but it's limited to the Photos app right now. The Photos app uses AI to detect objects and people in photos for smart search and organization, and it seems some of that technology could be making its way to the Camera app going forward.
The HomePod firmware contains hints about future iOS 11 functionality and the iPhone 8 because the HomePod runs a full version of iOS. The current version of iOS 11 in testing has been stripped of references to unreleased features, but Apple neglected to make the same edits to the HomePod firmware, allowing enterprising developers to dig up the company's secrets.
Apple has accidentally leaked the general design of the iPhone 8, confirmed that it has an infrared facial tracking mechanism, and given us hints of several upcoming features like a split status bar at the top and a tap to wake feature. It also seemingly confirms both a virtual Home button and function area along with the absence of an under-display Touch ID solution.
In May, Lyft launched a "Round Up and Donate" program where riders can opt in to have the app round up their fare to the nearest dollar, and automatically donate the difference to one of a few participating organizations like the Human Rights Campaign and the ACLU.
This week, Lyft announced that it's going to match donations made by riders when they pay for their trips using Apple Pay throughout the month of August. The Apple Pay news comes alongside the announcement of three new donation partners: Girls Who Code, Habitat for Humanity and the World Wildlife Fund (via TechCrunch).
Thousands of passengers have opted in to our Round Up & Donate program, and this month, participants can double their impact when they use Apple Pay.
Every time you ride, we’ll round up your fare to the nearest dollar, and all month long your donation will be matched to the cause you choose.
Users can opt in to Round Up and Donate within the Settings of the Lyft app, and afterwards all of their trips will be automatically rounded up with the difference going to their charity of choice. Since the program launched in May, Lyft said that over 100,000 of its riders have joined in Round Up and Donate, totaling $315,000 donations raised for existing partners.
On its website, Lyft has shared a few steps on how to join the donation program, as well as how to pick Apple Pay as the main payment option for the ride hailing app.
Microsoft appears to be working on a Touch Cover smart keyboard for at least one iPad model, according to battery information for products containing lithium-ion batteries shared on its website earlier this year.
Microsoft's Surface RT with Touch Cover
The documents were published in April, but they were only discovered now by German blog WinFuture, which tipped its information to The Verge. The product is clearly listed: iPad Touch Cover (Model 1719).
Those covers magnetically click into place and provide protection for the Surface's touchscreen. They have a standard keyboard layout, shortcut keys, and a two-button touchpad that supports gestures.
It's unknown if the iPad version would be similar. All that's known is that it presumably has a lithium-ion battery, suggesting it could connect over Bluetooth. It could also work with an iPad Pro's Smart Connector, but that seems less likely.
Of course, Microsoft could have scrapped plans to release an iPad keyboard between April and now, or perhaps even earlier. For now, the single document is all we have to go on. We'll provide an update if that changes.
MixBin Electronics has recalled about 263,000 iPhone cases that were filled with liquid glitter, following "at least" 24 reports of users facing skin irritations, being burned, and even getting permanently scarred after the cases broke and the liquids seeped out. The cases were sold by Amazon, Henri Bendel, Tory Burch, Nordstrom Rack, Victoria's Secret, and MixBin itself, and were for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 7 (via Consumerist).
In the recall notice, MixBin said that customers "should immediately stop using" the cases in question and contact the company for a full refund. The glitter-filled cases focused on in the recall were sold both in physical retail locations and online from October 2015 through June 2017, ranging in price from $15 to $65. On the list of recalled cases, 16 of the units came from Victoria's Secret.
This recall involves all liquid glitter mobile phone cases for iPhone 6, 6s and 7. The cases contain liquid and glitter that are floating in the plastic case. They were sold in various styles and colors and measure about 5.5 inches by 2.75 inches.
There are 24 reports worldwide discovered so far, 19 of which were in the United States, and they reference "skin irritation" and "chemical burns" suffered by the users. MixBin mentioned that one user reported "permanent scarring from a chemical burn," while another said she suffered "chemical burns and swelling to her leg, face, neck, chest, upper body and hands."
Among the 263,000 worldwide units that are being recalled, 11,400 were sold in Canada and 400 were sold in Mexico. To see the full list of the recalled MixBin Electronics cases, including model numbers, UPC codes, and descriptions, check out the notice on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website.
Following its June quarter earnings results, which beat Wall Street expectations for both revenue and iPhone sales, Apple's stock opened at an all-time high of $159.52 today. Apple also opened with a market cap of nearly $830 billion, moving it closer to becoming a trillion dollar company.
Investors and analysts alike remain optimistic about the so-called iPhone 8 expected later this year. Drexel Hamilton analyst Brian White today said his Wall Street firm continues to believe Apple remains among the most underappreciated stocks in the world, and maintained his lofty $202 price target.
MacRumors obtained the latest research notes from several Apple analysts with updated AAPL price targets and ratings. MacRumors has also published a complete transcript of Apple's post-earnings conference call with CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri.
AAPL is currently trading in the $156 to $157 range after falling back a few dollars since the opening bell, but it's still up over 4 percent.
Google Earth for iOS today received a major update that brings a collection of new features to the interactive mapping app, as well as introducing 64-bit app support so it can run on iOS 11 devices. Apple reminded developers over the summer that once iOS 11 launches to the public, it will cease support of 32-bit apps altogether and only allow 64-bit apps and app updates to be submitted to the App Store.
In its announcement, Google positioned the updated app as a way for users to discover new travel destinations. With the new add-ons, users will now be able to explore locations around the world with a 3D button that refocuses Google Maps and begins circling around a city chosen by the user, similar to Flyover in Apple Maps. All of the updates coming to iOS previously debuted on Android in April.
Summer is one of my favorite seasons. It's a time to travel with my family, for discovering new places and creating new memories. Google Earth is where I turn to for travel ideas. Just last month I was exploring Canada's National Parks. Inspired by the beautiful outdoor imagery, I'm planning to hit the road with my wife and kids in a couple weeks, up the coast to Hoh Rain Forest in Washington, and then onward to beautiful Victoria, Canada, home of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
And starting today, if you’re an iOS user, you can download Google Earth and discover your next travel destination, too.
There's also a new feature called "Voyager" that brings up interactive stories from places around the world with information like the best museums, parks, and landmarks broken down in categories including editor's picks, travel, nature, culture, history, and education.
To discover a random new destination on the planet, there's a new dice rolling button that surfaces a new location for users to read up on each time it's pressed. Google also added an in-app screenshot, or "Postcard," feature that lets users take pictures of the locations they explore with the new 3D mode.
Two months after rolling out Plex Live TV to iOS and Android TV devices, Plex today announced that its live streaming TV feature is now available for users on Apple TV.
In addition, on any app where Plex Live TV is available, Plex Pass users will be able to use a new "Time Shift" feature, meaning they can scrub back and forth through any live broadcast, as well as pause it.
We’re thrilled to bring Live TV to Apple TV and Live TV and DVR support to Android mobile, joining iOS, Android TV, and our lovely Plex Web app (DVR only).
We can’t quite include a TARDIS with your Plex Pass yet, but we can do the next best thing, which is allowing you to time shift Live TV! That’s right, with our latest enhancements, you can now time-travel (well, pause or skip around) when watching Live TV. No longer will you be forced to choose between getting more Cheetos and seeing who gets voted off the island. Life is hard enough.
To gain access to Plex Live TV, users must be a Plex Pass subscriber (beginning at $4.99/month), and then install a digital antenna, connect a digital tuner, and sync everything to their Plex Pass subscription account.
Plex Pass subscribers can watch live HD content on channels available over-the-air, including major US networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and CW, as well as local programming, news, and sports. For apps that support DVR, Plex also said that the feature is officially out of beta.
For a list of compatible tuners and antennas that enable Plex's live broadcasting and DVR features, check out the company's list here. The Plex app is available to download from the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]
