MacRumors

Owners of AirPods will soon be able to skip forwards and backwards between tracks with a simple double tap of either earpiece, thanks to an additional setting Apple is providing in iOS 11.

Currently, AirPods users can only change tracks from the buds by invoking Siri with a double tap and vocally commanding the virtual assistant to do so, an action some people find cumbersome or simply embarrassing to have to perform in public.

Unfortunately the only available alternative to iOS 10 users is to take out their iPhone and perform the track change manually by tapping the lock screen.

However, as demonstrated by YouTuber Appsolutely Tech, in iOS 11 it's possible to customize the Bluetooth settings on the AirPods so that a double tap on one earpiece skips to the next track, with the same action on the other earpiece returning to the previous track.

The Next/Previous track options join the existing settings found on the iOS Bluetooth 'info' screen that let users double tap to activate Siri, play/pause the track, or turn off the AirPods.

(Thanks, Jonathan!)

Users of iOS 11 will be able to restrict the gathering of location data by any third-party app so that it can only access the device's location status when the app is in use.

Previously the security setting only applied to certain apps that chose to offer it – as well as to developers wanting to test their own app's use of location data – but it appears Apple is extending the setting for any installed app in iOS 11, potentially handing an additional element of privacy back to the end user.

The new setting in iOS 11 should come as a welcome change for many, given that the use of device location data by some apps has been a point of controversy. For example, Uber has been criticized for forcing users to grant its app full access to location services whether it is open or not, which has been construed by some as creepy or invasive location gathering.

The new setting should also improve the battery life of devices that update to iOS 11, since it puts a limit on the amount of time GPS is activated by apps in the background.

(Via TechCrunch.)

Developers coding for iOS 11 will be able to create apps that can read NFC tags, opening the door for the wireless exchange of information between an iPhone and various connected devices in a user's environment.

The NFC chip in the iPhone is currently only used to handle contactless Apple Pay transactions and Passbook check-ins, but a new framework detailed in a developer resource published shortly after Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday lays the foundation for multiple use cases by third-party apps.

Called "Core NFC", the framework will allow apps to read Near Field Communication tags that are compatible with the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF), which is supported by iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets. The developer support document overview describes the possibilities afforded by the new framework like so:

"Your app can read tags to give users more information about their physical environment and the real-world objects in it. For example, your app might give users information about products they find in a store or exhibits they visit in a museum."

Apple has limited third-party access to NFC hardware since it first appeared in the iPhone 6, and has closely guarded the technology, as evidenced in the company's ongoing spat with Australian banks eager to use Apple's Wallet NFC implementation in their own apps.

However, the possibilities for NFC outside of banking look set to expand with Apple's next-generation mobile operating systems. Indeed, Apple also demonstrated a new use case for NFC in Watch OS 4, which will allow the Apple Watch to interface with gym equipment and transfer fitness data like heart rate and calorie burn between devices in real time.

How privacy concerns surrounding NFC interfacing will be overcome remains to be seen, but it should be interesting to see the various use cases developers can come up with once iOS 11 launches in the fall.

(Via Engadget.)

Apple is already putting an end to 32-bit apps on iOS devices with iOS 11, and soon the company will make the same changes on its macOS operating system.

During its Platform State of the Union keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple told developers that macOS High Sierra will be the "last macOS release to support 32-bit apps without compromises."

Starting in January of 2018, all new apps submitted to the Mac App Store must be 64-bit, and all apps and app updates submitted must be 64-bit by June 2018. With the next version of macOS after High Sierra, Apple will begin "aggressively" warning users about 32-bit apps before eventually phasing them out all together.

In iOS 11, 32-bit apps cannot be installed or launched. Attempting to open a non-supported 32-bit app gives a message notifying users that the app needs to be updated before it can run on iOS 11.

Prior to phasing out 32-bit apps on iOS 11, Apple gave both end users and developers several warnings, and the company says it will follow the same path for the macOS operating system.

(Thanks, Cameron!)

Apple's first original television series, Planet of the Apps, will premiere tonight, according to Reuters. The show, which was screened earlier today at the Worldwide Developers Conference, is set to premiere at 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Apple Music. Apple will also make the first episode free on iTunes and the Planet of the Apps website.

Produced by Ben Silverman, Howard Owens, and will.i.am, Planet of the Apps is an unscripted television show about apps and the developers who make them. The show is similar to other television shows like The Voice and Shark Tank, in that it features developers pitching their app ideas for a chance to be mentored by influencers and entrepreneurs like Gary Vaynerchuk, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jessica Alba.

The advisors help chosen contestants build their apps and prepare them to ask for funding from participating VC company Lightspeed Venture Partners. In an interview with Reuters, iTunes chief Eddy Cue says Planet of the Apps answers the question of how to take an idea to a finished product.

"The question when you have ideas is how to take those to fruition," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, said in an interview. "Sometimes you may not know how, you might be afraid of what's involved. This really shows how that's possible."

Filming for Planet of the Apps show began towards the end of 2016 and wrapped up in February. Most of the filming took place on an Apple-built set near Hollywood.

According to Reuters, the first two episodes feature developers presenting apps for online shopping, campus safety, and a school backpack, which will be featured in the App Store following the conclusion of each episode. Developers who are able to make it to the final round of the show will receive up to $10 million in funding.

Apple plans to heavily promote Planet of the Apps, with Cue saying "All of our customers are going to be exposed to this in one way or another." The show will be followed by Carpool Karaoke: The Series, another Apple-owned original series that is set to launch on August 8.

Apple on Monday introduced iOS 11, the next major version of its mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The software update, available this fall, includes a completely redesigned Control Center that fits on one page and is much more customizable thanks to 3D Touch.

When you deep press on the Music pane, for example, a larger pane with volume, playback, and other controls pops open. Likewise, when you deep press on the pane with Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Cellular Data toggles, a larger pane pops open with AirDrop and Personal Hotspot toggles.

On iOS 11, users can add and organize additional controls and toggles to appear in Control Center through the Settings app. However, the following controls are default and cannot be hidden: the system toggles pane, music, orientation lock, brightness, volume, Do Not Disturb, and AirPlay Mirroring.

The following controls can be added and organized in Settings:

Control Center still lacks a truly customizable drag-and-drop layout, but the return to a single-page design and some customizability are welcomed improvements. The ability to add additional controls such as Low Power Mode and Accessibility Shortcuts will also be appreciated by many users.

The first iOS 11 beta was released to registered Apple developers on Monday. A public beta will be available in late June through the Apple Beta Software Program. The software update should be officially released in September.

Following an unveiling at WWDC yesterday, Apple let members of the press get a close-up look at its new Siri-enabled speaker, HomePod, but due to the loudness of the area it was impossible for WWDC attendees to really determine HomePod's sound quality. Now, a few websites have gotten the chance to hear how HomePod sounds in a normal environment, and shared their opinions of the device online.

According to Mashable, Apple played listeners five songs across four genres and the device had "very good audio." The HomePod starts up by playing 360-degree audio to itself so it can learn the space it's in, and then adjusts any subsequent music that's played with the knowledge of the size of the room.

Mashable said this worked, and "no matter where I walked in the small listening room, the sound was consistent."

The audio wasn't just loud — filling a room with sound, good or bad, is easy — it was rich. The highs were sharp, but not broken. The lows were deep, sonorous, but not chest-thumping.

A classic song with a far less complex mix sounded warm and true and one of Kendrick Lamar’s beat-heavy tunes showed off the HomePod’s bass prowess, I also listened to a live recording of the Eagles' Hotel California on a pair of HomePods. I noticed that the audience cheers primarily came from one speaker, along with some ambient music sounds and the mains came from the HomePod almost directly in front of me. I did not feel like I was at the live concert, but I was still impressed with the audio quality.

Mashable noted that Apple had in-room comparisons with its competitors, including Sonos Play:3 and Amazon Echo, and that the HomePod easily beat the two other speakers in pure music playback quality. The site noted the disadvantages users face if they don't use Apple Music, and was unsure how any of the smart home controls would work as press was only allowed access to non-functional demo units, but was ultimately left impressed with HomePod, calling it a "very good speaker" and looking forward to testing it more as December grows nearer.

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Apple announced a new version of its Metal graphics technology during Monday's keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference. As part of macOS High Sierra, Metal 2 will officially support external GPUs, allowing any Mac with a Thunderbolt 3 port to benefit from graphics hardware powerful enough to run demanding virtual reality applications and games.

The native VR support in macOS High Sierra also opens up the possibility for Mac owners to hook up VR headsets to their computer for the first time. And in a concurrent related announcement, Steam game platform creator Valve also revealed in a blog post on Monday that it is making a beta version of its SteamVR software development kit available on Mac, offering players the same 360-degree, room-scale tracking as the Windows and Linux variants.

On the development side, we have worked closely with Epic and Unity to make Mac extensions of content built on those engine technologies as simple as possible. Extension tools for those engines, and others, are available as part of this beta.

We've also worked with Mozilla to help enable WebVR support on Firefox, so macOS-based web developers can start trying out VR.

In addition to the Valve partnership, Apple announced it is also selling its own external graphics enclosure to developers who want to work on graphically intensive VR and 3D applications and games, although Apple noted that external GPU support likely won't arrive for consumers until spring 2018.

Apps that use Metal, OpenCL, and OpenGL can now take advantage of the increased performance that external graphics processors can bring. The External Graphics Development Kit includes everything you need to start optimizing advanced VR and 3D apps on external graphics processors with macOS High Sierra.

Apple's External Graphics Development Kit comes with a Sonnet external GPU chassis with Thunderbolt 3 and 350W power supply, an AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB graphics card, a Belkin USB-C to 4-port USB-A hub, and a promo code for $100 towards the purchase of a HTC Vive VR headset.

The External Graphics Development Kit costs $599 and requires a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 running the latest beta version of macOS High Sierra. The other caveat is that customers have to be a member of the Apple Developer Program to be eligible to purchase the kit.

The kit can be bought directly from Apple's website, although Apple cautions that the HTC Vive promo codes have limited availability and are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ahead of the launch of iOS 11, there were several signs suggesting 32-bit apps would no longer be supported in the new operating system, which has been confirmed with the release of the first iOS 11 beta.

When attempting to open a 32-bit app when running iOS 11, the app refuses to launch, offering up a message that says the app needs to be updated to work with iOS 11.

32-bit apps are also not available when searching in the new version of the App Store, and previously downloaded 32-bit apps can't be installed through the Purchased tab.

Over the course of the last several months, warnings about 32-bit apps have gotten increasingly dire. With the launch of iOS 10.1 in October of 2016, Apple started warning customers that older apps "may slow down your iPhone."

In January of 2017, the first iOS 10.3 beta featured an even more serious message when launching a 32-bit app, which specifically read "This app will not work with future versions of iOS."

Given the warnings, it should come as no surprise that Apple has eliminated support for 32-bit apps, but it does render many older apps that have worked for years without updates unusable. There are likely many users who continue to use 32-bit apps regularly who will be surprised to find that those apps no longer work when iOS 11 rolls out to the public.

Apple started supporting 64-bit apps when the iPhone 5s launched in September of 2013. As of June 2015, all apps and app updates must use the 64-bit architecture, so apps that are still 32-bit have not been updated in at least two years.

Current iOS 10 users can check to see if there are any 32-bit apps on their iOS devices in the Settings app. Go to General --> About --> Applications to get to the "App Compatibility" section that lists any outdated apps.

iOS 11 is only compatible with devices that feature a 64-bit chip, meaning it works with everything that has an A7 or newer chip. Specifically, iOS 11 is compatible with iPhone 5s, SE, 6 Plus, 6, 6s Plus, 6s, 7 Plus, and 7, along with the new fifth-generation iPad, the iPad Air, the iPad Air 2, all iPad Pro models, the iPad mini 2 and later, and the 6th generation iPod touch.

Following today's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote that saw the debut of new software and hardware products, Apple has updated and simplified its iCloud storage pricing tiers.

The 1TB storage option has been eliminated, while the 2TB storage option has dropped in price to $9.99 per month, which is what 1TB of storage was previously priced at. Essentially, at the highest data tiers, customers are getting more storage space for less money. Pricing for Apple's 50GB and 200GB iCloud storage plans remains unchanged.

The new pricing tiers in the United States:

- 50GB: $0.99
- 200GB: $2.99
- 2TB: $9.99

While U.S. prices are listed above, the same changes have been made in all countries where iCloud storage is available. 1TB storage options have been eliminated across the board, while 2TBs of storage is now available at the lower 1TB cost.

Many users have been hoping Apple will increase the free iCloud storage option, but following today's update, free iCloud space continues to cap out at 5GB. In iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, Apple is offering an option to share a 200GB or 2TB iCloud storage plan with family members, which is perhaps the reason behind the price drop.

The new storage plans are available immediately on all iOS devices.

(Thanks, Michael!)