During a Nintendo Direct event this morning, Nintendo announced plans to release a new "Nintendo Switch Online" app on July 21, the release date for Splatoon 2. According to Nintendo, the Nintendo Switch Online app, available for iOS and Android, is designed to "enhance your online experience for compatible games on the Nintendo Switch console."
At launch, the only game compatible with the Nintendo Switch Online app will be Splatoon 2. The app will let users voice chat with friends, invite people to online matches, create teams, and access SplatNet 2. SplatNet2 offers up online play statistics and info on upcoming game features.
The debut of the app means Splatoon 2 and other games are unlikely to have built-in voice chat capabilities, instead requiring the separate app, but Nintendo has been promoting an upcoming headset accessory from Hori that will combine audio from the iPhone and the Nintendo Switch for a more seamless play experience.
Nintendo Switch Online for iOS will let you invite friends with Splatoon 2 to Private Battles, League Battles, and Splatfest Battles across social media and "other services," and it will support push notifications for instant alerts when an invite is received.
Though the app will launch with limited functionality, it will expand to encompass other games as Nintendo builds out its Nintendo Switch Online service.
The app's functionality and the Splatoon 2 online play will be available for free until the full Nintendo Switch Online service launches in 2018. Following the launch of Nintendo Switch Online, most games with online gameplay will require an ongoing subscription. Nintendo Switch Online will cost $19.99 per year or $3.99 per month with a monthly subscription.
Instagram today announced that it has added an option to reply to Instagram stories with a photo or a video, allowing Instagram users to do more than simply comment on a friend's stories.
When watching a story, you'll see a new camera button that can be used to snap a photo/video or choose an image that was taken within the last 24 hours from your camera roll. There are options to use Boomerang or Rewind with videos, and there are stickers and filters to apply to both photos and videos.
Photos and videos that friends send as story replies will show up in the Direct inbox, where they can be viewed with a tap. A photo or video sticker will also be added to the story itself, but it is only viewable by the user who shared the story. When you view a story reply, friends will be notified of screenshots or replays.
Instagram users who have the latest version of the iOS app installed will see the new video reply options. Instagram can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Hulu today announced that subscribers will now be able to add HBO's programming into their Hulu subscription for $14.99 per month, as well as Cinemax for $9.99 per month (via TechCrunch). Hulu currently offers Showtime for $8.99 per month as an add-on package to the basic streaming service.
HBO will be available as an add-on package for both Hulu's new live TV service (beginning at $39.99 per month) as well as its on-demand streaming tiers ($7.99 per month for limited commercials, $11.99 per month for no commercials). HBO's East Coast and West Coast live feeds will be available, as well as every show and movie in the network's back catalog.
Those interested will be able to access HBO on Hulu's new app for Apple TV, iOS, Xbox One, and Android. Coming soon, additional HBO and Cinemax channels will be added, like HBO 2, HBO Family, HBO Latino, HBO Comedy, HBO Signature HD, HBO Zone, MoreMAX HD, ActionMAX HD, ThrillerMAX HD, MovieMAX HD, 5StarMAX HD and OuterMAX HD.
iFixit today launched six new battery repair kits for Apple's MacBook Pro with a Retina display, allowing users to replace the battery in an older-model MacBook Pro, restoring it to hold a full-day charge and extending its life for 2-3 years, according to iFixit. Each kit "offers all the tools needed" for users to perform the repair at home with a step-by-step guide taking them through the entire process.
The six kits cover battery replacements for the following Retina MacBook Pro models: 13-inch MacBook Pro (late 2012/early 2013), 15-inch MacBook Pro (mid 2012, early 2013), 13-inch MacBook Pro (late 2013/mid 2014), 15-inch MacBook Pro (late 2013/mid 2014), 13-inch MacBook Pro (early 2015), and 15-inch MacBook Pro (mid 2015).
Tools and contents of each kit include: a replacement battery, installation adhesive, kit bit driver, iFixit 4mm screwdriver bit torx T5, iFixit 4mm screwdriver bit torx security TR6, iFixit 4mm screwdriver bit pentalobe P5, tweezers, iFixit Opening Tool, iFixit Card (2), safety glasses, opening pick, adhesive remover dispensing syringe, adhesive remover solution, cleaning wipes, and gloves.
If you're experiencing bad battery life, we've got everything you need to replace it! These batteries are well adhered to the upper case of the computer so removing them isn't as straightforward as we'd like it to be. Fear not! Our kit offers all the tools needed to perform the repair and our guide shows you how to use the kit. The battery is an original OEM battery.
The fix kits range in price from $89.95 to $119.95, and include battery replacements measuring between 6010 mAh and 8230 mAh. Out-of-warranty Retina MacBook Pro battery replacements directly from Apple cost $199, so users who take advantage of iFixit's new battery replacement kits have the chance to save some money.
In Italy, Apple Pay is now available at Banca Mediolanum for Mediolanum Card debit cards, which are based on Mastercard's Maestro network.
In Spain, Apple Pay is now supported by Boon, a mobile wallet solution based on a prepaid account with a digital Mastercard. Boon users top-up their accounts with a debit or credit card, or via wire transfer. Boon also supports Apple Pay in the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Ireland, and Italy.
In Spain, Apple Pay will also be available through mobile-only bank N26 later this year. The service has a partnership with Mastercard.
One year ago this week, Pokémon Go began appearing on the App Store in the United States and around the world. Following the announcement of various in-game and real life events celebrating the anniversary, Niantic CEO John Hanke recently sat down with The Verge to talk about the game's first year, including for-profit cheaters, a six-month development delay due to the huge success of the game, and more.
Concerning the current state of certain fan-requested updates (player-versus-player battles and Pokémon trading), Hanke said that those features have been delayed because of Pokémon Go's unpredictably huge launch. In total, Niantic lost as much as six months on its production schedule due to the team needing to shift to "rebuilding and rewiring infrastructure" to keep the game running, taking precedence over substantial new updates.
Pokémon Go when it launched July 2016
We lost probably six months on our schedule because of the success of the game. Really all the way through November and December, from launch onward we were rebuilding and rewiring infrastructure just to keep the game running at the scale that we were running at.
We were fortunate to have a massive launch, a massive success, and many, many more users than we had planned for. But we had to redirect a substantial portion of the engineering team to [work on] infrastructure versus new features. That switched off things like extending gyms, it pushed out things we still want to have, like player-versus-player and trading. I’d say we’re about six months behind where we thought we would be.
Hanke admitted that if the team had known it would face such huge delays on its schedule, "maybe we wouldn't have talked so much about" PvP and trading updates so early on. The CEO went on to explain that Niantic's communication with fans has "become much more open over time," following an initial lack of consensus with the developer's partners (The Pokémon Company and Nintendo) over how to handle vocal communities on Reddit, Twitter, and other social media sites.
In terms of cheating, Hanke talked about how there are now "actual commercial entities" that advertise ways to level up players' profiles and advance in the game, which received enough interest and revenue from Pokémon Go players to become "real businesses." Hanke said that Niantic faced similar experiences, albeit on a smaller scale, with its previous game Ingress.
To keep the game fair for everyone, there are now dedicated resources inside Niantic cracking down on these cheating businesses.
Because of the scale [of Pokémon Go], there are actual commercial entities that sprung up that were offering services to level up your account or do various other things, and were real businesses. Therefore they’re able to invest significant resources in these things. We didn’t really anticipate that scale of commercial-funded cheating, which is a challenge to keep the game fair for everyone.
We dedicate resources to it for sure. There are people working on that that could be working on features, but they’re not. It’s a fraction of the team. It’s not as if half of the team is working on that. It’s significantly less than that. But there is a chunk of resources that we devote to that.
Hanke still doesn't make it clear when exactly PvP and Pokémon trading will be making it to Pokémon Go. Recently, Niantic updated the game with a revamped Gym system and announced co-op raid battles, while Hanke talked about his excitement for Apple's ARKit developer platform and what it will do for Pokémon Go, stating, "I don’t think anyone should bet against Apple."
Check out The Verge's full interview with John Hanke here.
Earlier this year, a supply chain report said that Apple plans to make all of its iPhones with an OLED screen by 2019. Apple was believed to be preparing to adopt OLED panels for 60 million units of the "iPhone 8" in 2017, and then the company would double the adoption of OLED panels in 2018 before wholly transitioning to OLED-only iPhones in 2019.
In a report by Nikkei today, that timeline has been bumped up slightly based on two industry sources, who said that Apple is planning to use OLED displays "in all new iPhone models launched from the second half of 2018."
Not only that, but one source said that Apple is "tentatively" looking to debut three iPhone models next year, and all would use an OLED display. That would be in contrast to the trio of iPhones coming in 2017, two of which are expected to still use LCD screens and one of which will be the first iPhone to transition to OLED, the so-called iPhone 8.
Apple is planning to use advanced organic light-emitting diode displays in all new iPhone models launched from the second half of 2018, according to two industry sources.
One said that Apple is tentatively looking at releasing three new models next year. Apple did not respond to an email seeking comments.
Rumors about the "iPhone 9" started in May of this year, when a report predicted Apple would debut the 2018 iPhone in two OLED screen sizes: 5.28-inch and 6.46-inch. The supply chain is also believed to be starting to eye production of the iPhone 9, with LG Innotek planning to begin production of flexible printed circuit boards in 2018 in hopes of becoming a main FPCB manufacturer of Apple's 2018 iPhone.
In today's report, Apple is said to have already begun designing the new iPhones coming in 2018, "but its plans are subject to change," as usual depending on various market factors and component quality discovered through the production process.
The sources also cited concern over Apple's shifting to OLED-only models as soon as 2018, considering that only one company -- Samsung -- is a reliable source of manufacturing for the technology. Apple is already said to be looking into diversifying its OLED display orders, however, including potentially investing in a major LG Display OLED plant with production estimated to begin in early 2019.
Samsung will be the sole supplier of OLED displays for the premium iPhone 8 in 2017, but Nikkei's sources didn't know how much that might change in 2018. With suppliers like LG Display still not predicted to gear up on OLED production until 2019, Samsung is likely to remain at least a major OLED source for Apple in 2018.
Samsung Display declined to comment. It is unclear whether Samsung will remain the exclusive OLED supplier in 2018 even though other rivals are still struggling to churn out OLED panels for smartphones. Apple usually prefers more than one supplier for a single component. The two companies are also locked in fierce competition in the global smartphone market.
Suppliers JDI and Sharp will continue to supply LCD screens for iPhones like this year's "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus," which are expected to be sold well into 2019, "although demand could fall with the arrival of OLED iPhones." One Sharp executive speaking to Nikkei contrasted the site's first two sources, saying it's "not likely" that Apple will switch to OLED screens for every new iPhone launching next year.
A 5.8-inch OLED display has long been a rumor for the 2017 iPhone 8, and it's also expected to be a screen with an edge-to-edge design thanks to drastically reduced bezels. Recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted Apple will omit Touch ID from the iPhone 8, and then a report by Bloomberg said Apple is working on an "improved" facial recognition system to replace Touch ID in the tenth-anniversary iPhone.
AT&T sells AirPods for $159, the same price as Apple charges, but the carrier only ships to addresses within the United States, excluding P.O. boxes.
AirPods occasionally appear in stock through Apple resellers like AT&T, but typically not for very long due to a combination of limited supplies and strong demand. For that reason, prospective buyers should order as quickly as possible.
AirPods, driven by Apple's custom W1 chip for one-tap setup, instantly connect to a nearby iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac when taken out of their charging case. The cord-free earphones use optical sensors and a motion accelerometer to detect when they are in your ears and automatically turn on.
Double tapping an AirPod invokes Siri by default, which can be used to adjust the volume, change the song, make a call, or get directions.
AirPods deliver up to five hours of listening time on one charge, and a 15-minute fast charge provides up to three hours of listening time. The charging case holds multiple additional charges for more than 24 hours of listening time.
Apple's upcoming range of new iPhones could be hit by a 30 percent shortage in the supply of storage capacity chips, according to a new report by DigiTimes on Thursday.
The article claims that both SK Hynix and Toshiba have suffered from lower-than-expected yield rates for their 3D NAND flash chips, resulting in fewer supplies available for Apple's 2017 series of iPhones. Apple is said to have called on Samsung in an effort to secure more.
Apple has turned to Samsung for more NAND chip supplies for its upcoming phones, since Samsung has relatively stable yield rates for 3D NAND technology and has scaled up its output of 3D NAND chips, the sources indicated.
Apple began using non-volatile 3D NAND chips in its mobile devices last year because of the technology's ability to pack more storage space into equivalent dimensions compared to previous flash memory. However production of the chips is a more delicate process, and it looks as if Apple's priority suppliers haven't been able to increase their yield sufficiently to provide for the devices the company is planning to launch in 2017.
Apple's reliance on Samsung to shore up the supply isn't exactly out of the blue. Back in April of last year it was reported that Samsung would again become an Apple supplier of NAND flash chips, ending a five-year hiatus dating back to the iPhone 5 in 2012.
Apple is expected to announce a "tenth anniversary" OLED iPhone in September alongside more typical "S" cycle updates to its iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. One rumor has suggested the so-called "iPhone 8" will include increased storage space, while two additional rumors say it will be available in 64 and 256GB capacities.
Chapter one of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! fantasy role-playing game is currently available for free for a limited time on the App Store.
Usually $4.99, the critically acclaimed interactive adventure by Inkle is the first in a four-part series loosely based on the mechanic so successfully employed in the popular Fighting Fantasy role-playing gamebooks of the 1980s.
The fully interactive story allows players to make thousands of possible choices as they plot their journey across a hand-drawn 3D world map, with the narrative being rewritten in real-time based on what decisions gamers make.
Sorcery! also includes touch-based sword dueling battles and 48 magic spells to master. MacRumors' sister site TouchArcade had this to say in their original review of the game:
The journey through those hills is still a gamebook trip, no doubt about it. There are stats, interactive combat scenes and plenty of big decisions to be made. It's just that nothing feels restrained; nothing feels all that formulaic. Sorcery! goes big where needed, and the app shines for it.
The game features original illustrations by John Blanche, character art by Eddie Sharam (DC Comics), an interactive map by Mike Schley (Wizards of the Coast) and music by David Wise (Donkey Kong Country).
"The Shamutanti Hills" is Part 1 of 4. Part 2, "Kharé: Cityport of Traps" loads all of players' completed Part 1 games to continue their adventure. Sorcery! is available for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link] Part 2, 3 and 4 are also available on the App Store.
Spotify has quietly added the ability for users to adjust the playback position of the currently playing track directly from the iOS lock screen.
The option to adjust the progress of a playing track – also known as audio scrubbing – from the lock screen has been a feature of Apple's native Music app for some time, but the ability has been missing from Spotify until very recently, as noted by Reddit user kermitch.
The API that enabled third-party app developers to add audio scrubbing to the lock screen was introduced in iOS 9.1+, but it looks as if Spotify only got around to including it with the most recent update to the app on July 4.
It's worth noting that only Spotify Premium subscribers can scrub tracks, so users on the Free ad-supported tier won't see any change to their lock screen when playing tracks via the app.
Google Maps received an update on Wednesday that makes it easier to contribute reviews to points of interest and adds the option to get reminders to make a transfer on a transit journey.
The user contribution aspect comes in the form of a new "Local Guides" widget that allows users to propose new places to visit, to comment on existing points of interest, and upload location photos.
The new widget becomes available when people register to become a Local Guide through the Contributions pane in the app. By signing up, users earn points by adding information to Maps like reviews and photos of venues.
The level-based points system is gamified and users can earn rewards, so guides who get to level four receive three months of free access to Google Play Music and 75 percent off rentals in the Google Play Movie store, for example. More information on Local Guides is available here.
Elsewhere in the new update, Google has added an option for users to receive a reminder when it's time to make a change when following transit directions. The new toggle appears at the bottom of the directions screen, beneath the toggle for a reminder to leave on time.
Lastly, for owners of iPhones that support 3D Touch, Google has added a Peek and Pop gesture to preview list items, such as search results.
Three Apple developers yesterday joined an open community initiative that aims to make virtual reality content viewable regardless of device or browser. As reported by UploadVR, the staff added their names to the WebVR Community Group members list on Wednesday, in what looks like a continuation of the company's recent major push into VR.
Apple's senior front-end developer Brandel Zachernuk, multimedia and software standards representative David Singer, and WebGL spec editor Dean Jackson now appear alongside the names of developers from various other major internet companies like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.
WebVR's mission is to enable web users to enjoy online VR experiences whatever hardware or software platform they use, suggesting Apple's involvement will be focused on Safari compatibility. Working on that assumption, Apple's participation means every major web browser now has representation in WebVR development, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
Google's Brandon Jones, who is chair of the WebVR Community Group, was first to notice Apple's appearance in the member list, which includes 147 participants at the time of writing. However, Jones offered the caveat that "group participation does not necessarily imply a commitment to implement".
Last month at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple revealed its first big push into the augmented reality and virtual reality spaces, with a new ARKit developer framework and high-performance iMacs with native support for VR content creation. 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.
Apple today updated its investor relations page to announce that the company will share its earnings for the third fiscal quarter (second calendar quarter) of 2017 on Tuesday, August 1.
The earnings release will provide a look at ongoing iPhone 7 and 7 Plus sales ahead of the iPhone 8, as well as early sales of the new iPad Pro and Mac models that were introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
Apple's guidance for the third quarter of fiscal 2017 includes expected revenue of $43.5 to $45.5 billion and gross margin between 37.5 and 38.5 percent. At that range, Apple's Q3 2017 revenue will exceed Q3 2016 revenue, which was $42.4 billion, but gross margin may fall slightly.
The quarterly earnings statement will be released at 1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern, with a conference call to discuss the report taking place at 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern. MacRumors will provide coverage of both the earnings release and conference call on August 1.
Apple this week announced that two of its retail stores, located at CambridgeSide Galleria in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Connecticut, will reopen Saturday, July 8 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Both locations have been closed for renovations for the past several months.
Apple Store with next-generation design in Brussels, Belgium
Each store has received a makeover based on Apple's next-generation retail design, which typically includes wide, open spaces with some combination of large glass doors, sequoia wood tables and shelves, large video screens for Today at Apple sessions, and light boxes spanning the length of the ceiling.
In February, we reported that the Apple Store at Danbury Fair Mall would also expand into a few neighboring units to accommodate more customers.
All new Apple Stores opened since mid 2015 have been based on the new design language, including flagship-tier locations such as Apple Union Square in San Francisco and Apple World Trade Center in New York City. Apple has also renovated over 30 other stores to reflect the newer aesthetic.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming iOS 10.3.3 update to developers and public beta testers, one week after seeding the fifth beta and over a month after the release of iOS 10.3.2, which was a minor bug fix update.
Registered developers can download iOS 10.3.3 beta 6 from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile installed. Public beta testers can also download the beta over-the-air after installing the configuration profile.
There were no significant features or notable bug fixes found in the first five iOS 10.3.3 betas, suggesting iOS 10.3.3 is an update that's minor in scale, focusing primarily on security updates, bug fixes, and other small improvements.
iOS 10.3.3 is likely to be one of the last updates to the iOS 10 operating system, as Apple has shifted development to iOS 11. The first beta of iOS 11 was released to developers on June 5 following Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, and two betas have been seeded so far.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.6 update to developers and public beta testers, one week after seeding the fifth beta and more than a month after releasing macOS Sierra 10.12.5, a minor bug fix update.
The sixth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.6 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.
We didn't find any significant feature changes, design tweaks, or notable bug fixes in the first five macOS Sierra betas, and because Apple does not provide beta release notes, we may not know what's included in the update until it sees a public release.
macOS Sierra 10.12.6 is likely to be one of the final updates to the Sierra operating system as Apple transitions to macOS High Sierra, which was introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Apple News attracts millions of monthly readers on iPhone and iPad, but some publishers have been reluctant to adopt the platform due to limited revenue and hassles placing ads alongside content. Fortunately for publishers, that could soon change.
Ad Age reports that Apple eventually plans to allow publishers to use the ad tech they already employ on their sites, such as Google's DoubleClick for Publishers, to deliver third-party ads in the Apple News app.
The report, citing multiple unnamed publishers, claims Apple also plans to enable micropayment options so people can access articles "for cents at a time," but no specific details were provided.
The changes, which reportedly remain at least a few months away from being implemented, could lead to increased revenue for publishers, who in turn may find participating in Apple News to be more worthwhile.
"The bigger thing is they've now seen the light," said the top publishing exec, who was familiar with the plans but spoke on condition of anonymity. "Apple is acknowledging it can't force its ad technology into the marketplace and it makes more sense to allow standard ad serving."
Apple recently updated its Advertising Guide for Apple News to indicate that third-party ad tags can be used to serve third-party Standard, Double, Large, MREC, Interstitial, IAB 300x250, and IAB 728x90 ads on iOS 10.3 and above.
Apple News, which aggregates stories from multiple publishers, is currently available in the United States, Australia, and United Kingdom.
During a Nintendo Direct event this morning, Nintendo announced plans to release a new "Nintendo Switch Online" app on July 21, the release date for Splatoon 2. According to Nintendo, the Nintendo Switch Online app, available for iOS and Android, is designed to "enhance your online experience for compatible games on the Nintendo Switch console."
Spotify has quietly added the ability for users to adjust the playback position of the currently playing track directly from the iOS lock screen.
