Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.1.1 update to developers for testing purposes, almost four weeks after seeding the first tvOS 10.1.1 beta and nearly a month after releasing tvOS 10.1, the first major update to the tvOS 10 operating system.
Designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV, tvOS 10.1.1 beta can be obtained by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, downloading and installing the software from a registered developer account via iTunes or Apple Configurator.
Once a beta profile has been installed on the device through iTunes, new beta updates will be available over the air.
We don't yet know what features or changes are included in tvOS 10.1.1, but as a minor update, it's likely to focus on bug fixes and other performance enhancements. No immediately visible changes or bug fixes were found in the first beta.
tvOS 10.1.1 follows tvOS 10.1, a significant update that introduced the new "TV" app, which serves as an Apple-designed television guide and TV watching hub.
Registered developers can download the third iOS 10.2.1 beta from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile installed.
It isn't yet known what features are included in iOS 10.2.1, but as a minor 10.2.x update, it appears to focus on bug fixes and performance improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. No new features were discovered in the first two iOS 10.2.1 betas, but we'll update this post if any changes are found in the third beta.
iOS 10.2.1 follows the release of iOS 10.2, a significant update that brought Unicode 9 emoji, a new TV app, Messages Screen Effects, Music improvements, and a whole slew of bug fixes.
Popular Chinese mobile app company WeChat [Direct Link] congratulated Apple on ten years of the iPhone earlier this morning, with founder Allan Zhang posting photos online from the iPhone's unveiling in January 2007.
Simultaneously, WeChat parent company Tencent Holdings launched a suite of cloud-based smartphone apps that analysts believe suggests WeChat intends to "play a leading role in the next decade" of the smartphone software business (via The Wall Street Journal).
The new platform is called "Mini Program" and is made up of a collection of apps, all stored in the cloud, that users can access without downloading or requiring storage space on their smartphone. Although seemingly a direct counterpart to the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, a Tencent spokeswoman speaking with The Wall Street Journal said that the company "maintained regular dialogue with Apple" throughout the development of Mini Program. WeChat also deliberately avoids calling it an "app store."
The company has taken care not to describe Mini Program as an app store, saying it doesn’t have a central location to distribute applications. Apple doesn’t allow third-party app stores in its iOS App Store. Tencent also dropped plans to include the word “app” in its name, calling the features “programs” instead.
“Apple won’t let us call it App Accounts, which might turn out to be a good thing,” Tencent Chairman Pony Ma wrote on his WeChat account in September, as Mini Program began beta testing.
Although Mini Program provides experiences and programs similar to iOS apps, none are located in a "central location," akin to the actual App Store app on iPhone and iPad. Programs are instead discoverable through third-party means, like scanning a QR code or finding a new program in a search result. The programs are said to provide small but useful functionalities, similar to the simplified apps on the iMessage App Store.
WeChat itself began as a chat app in China and has slowly evolved into "a digital Swiss Army Knife," including extra features that let users stay up-to-date on the news, pay bills, check their bank accounts, buy tickets to the movies, and more. Mini Program is yet another feature addition to the popular app, but analysts believe it will take a while for both developers and users to get the full use of the programs.
Industry experts say the first mini-programs are less sophisticated than most conventional apps, with fewer features and functions. “For heavy users, the experience on apps is still better so I don’t think this would threaten the status of app stores,” said Zhu Xiaohua, product supervisor of online question-and-answer platform Fenda.
“Mini Program is not a simple substitute,” said Hong Bo, a Beijing-based tech analyst. “It will take a fairly long term for developers and users to get used to it.”
For Apple, the iOS App Store continues to account for a large portion of the company's revenue, with $240 million in sales on New Year's Day 2017 -- the "busiest day ever" for the App Store. In total for 2016, App Store developers made $20 billion, which the company said was up 40 percent from 2015. The iMessage App Store is also growing, with 21,000 apps now available for users to download, up from 1,600 last September.
The report first reflects upon the iPhone's lack of support for third-party apps in its first year. The argument inside Apple was split between whether the iPhone should be a closed device like the iPod, or an open platform like the Mac, a discussion that Schiller said was ultimately "shut down" by then-CEO Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs shut down the discussion, Schiller recalls. “He said ‘We don’t have to keep debating this because we can’t have [an open system] right now. Maybe we’ll change our mind afterwards, or maybe we won’t, but for now there isn’t one so let’s envision this world where we solve the problem with great built-in apps and a way for developers to make web apps.”
Levy suggested that the iPhone's great moment was when the App Store launched a year later, creating a world where for "every imaginable activity" there was "an app for that." Schiller, perhaps unsurprisingly as Apple's marketing chief, said that belief undermines how truly "earth-shattering" the iPhone was at the time.
“That undervalues how earth-shattering the iPhone was when it first came to market, and we all first got them and fell in love with them,” he says. “iPhone made the idea of a smartphone real. It really was a computer in your pocket. The idea of real internet, real web browser, Multi-Touch. There were so many things that are core to what is the smartphone today, that created a product that customers fell in love with, that then also demanded more stuff on them, more apps.”
Nowadays, some critics are wondering whether Apple is playing it safe as of late, arguing that recent iPhone models have only incremental improvements rather than revolutionary new features. But, again, Schiller downplayed this notion and said the changes in more recent iPhones are "sometimes even bigger now."
“I actually think the leaps in the later versions are as big and sometimes even bigger now,” he says. “I think our expectations are changing more, not the leaps in the products. If you look through every version—from the original iPhone to the iPhone 3G to the 4 to the 4S, you see great changes all throughout. You see screen size change from three and a half inch to four inch to four point seven and five point five. You see cameras going through incredible change, from the first camera that couldn’t shoot video, to then having both a front and a backside camera, to now three cameras with the stuff we’re doing, and with live photos and 4K video.”
Schiller positioned the iPhone as a top smartphone. "The quality is unmatched. The ease of use is still unmatched. The integration of hardware software is unmatched. We’re not about the cheapest, we’re not about the most, we’re about the best."
In a press release yesterday, Schiller said Apple is "just getting started" with the iPhone, while CEO Tim Cook promised "the best is yet to come." Building upon those comments, Schiller told Levy that he hopes in 50 years, people will indeed look back and realize how much was yet to come.
Schiller hopes that 50 years people will look back at this point and say, “Wow, they didn’t realize how much was to come — in fact, others missed it because they were busy running around looking for other things. Everyone has their opinions at this point, but it could be that we’re only in the first minutes of the first quarter of the game,” he says. “I believe this product is so great that it has many years of innovation ahead.”
Levy, however, went on to question "whether a pocket-sized device like the iPhone will still be as relevant decades hence," particularly as "a lot of observers have been saying we are at the start of the era of the conversational interface."
At CES last week, for example, a numberofreputablepublications said Amazon's Alexa platform "stole the show" or offered similar accolades, after companies showed off everything from new cars and robots to fridges and laundry machines integrated with the voice-controlled assistant, which launched in late 2014.
Apple itself had an early lead in this artificial intelligence space when it debuted Siri on the iPhone 4s in 2011.
Schiller opined that "the best intelligent assistant is the one that's with you all the time," such as the iPhone. Schiller added that "people are forgetting the value and importance of the display," which he said is "not going to go away."
“I'm so glad the team years ago set out to create Siri — I think we do more with that conversational interface that anyone else. Personally, I still think the best intelligent assistant is the one that’s with you all the time. Having my iPhone with me as the thing I speak to is better than something stuck in my kitchen or on a wall somewhere.”
“People are forgetting the value and importance of the display,” he says. “Some of the greatest innovations on iPhone over the last ten years have been in display. Displays are not going to go away. We still like to take pictures and we need to look at them, and a disembodied voice is not going to show me what the picture is.”
Sharp is gearing up to help create OLED displays for the iPhone inside of Foxconn's "iPhone City" plant in Zhengzhou, China, according to a new report by Nikkei (via DigiTimes). Foxconn acquired Sharp in 2016, and soon after reports emerged that Foxconn would use its newly acquired investment in Sharp to become a major OLED supplier for Apple.
Today's report points toward the OLED displays being manufactured for iPhone models further down the line than the upcoming 2017 model. Production on the Sharp line in the Foxconn plant is believed to begin "sometime in 2019," with around $864 million being spent on OLED production specifically for upcoming iPhones.
Sharp plans to invest JPY100 billion (US$864 million) to set up an OLED production line at Foxconn Electronics' factory in Zhengzhou City, northern China, with production to begin in 2019, according to Japan-based Nikkei.
As Foxconn produces iPhones at the factory, the OLED capacity is believed to be specifically for supplying OLED panels for upcoming iPhone models.
According to recent rumors, Apple will launch at least one iPhone model with an OLED screen in 2017. From there, the actual design of the OLED screen has been conflicting, including reports that the screen will wrap around the edges of the device, or potentially a more traditional screen that still eliminates the bezels but includes a stainless steel frame.
Because OLED displays are more difficult to produce in mass quantities, in comparison to LCD displays, Apple's suppliers will be unable to meet the company's production capacity for the 2017 iPhone. The strain on production is believed to be the major reason why Apple is considering an OLED display for only one 2017 iPhone model, likely to be the higher-cost version.
Apple executives will attend a high-profile meeting with Indian officials later this month in order to discuss the company's plans to set up a manufacturing plant in the country.
Apple is said to be seeking a number of tax and other incentives at the meeting, set to take place on January 25, and could potentially ask for long-term duty exemptions. According to PTI, Indian representatives from a number of government departments will attend, including officials from commerce, industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), revenue, environment and forest, electronics, and IT.
Last month it emerged that Apple was in talks with India to explore the possibility of making products locally, as well as set up a distribution center, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered his government to exempt foreign retailers for three years from a requirement to locally source 30 percent of goods solid in their stores.
Apple sent a letter to India's federal government in December, outlining its manufacturing plans and asking for financial incentives, and this month's meeting would appear to be the next step in the negotiations.
In September 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Prime Minister Modi to discuss various matters and Cook reportedly responded positively to Modi's invitation to open a manufacturing base in India. Foxconn was previously reported to be looking at the possibility of an expansion into India to produce iPhones and iPads, but Cook's outspoken interest in the possibility was Apple's first public interest in the expansion.
Apple products are currently manufactured in six countries, including China, Korea, Japan, and the United States.
Popular cross-platform email client Airmail received an update to its iOS component today, bringing a couple of notable extra features to the app.
New with version 1.5 is support for third-party automation tool Workflow, enabling users to incorporate email and inbox actions into their custom Workflow creations.
The update also brings integration with cross-platform note-taking app Bear, allowing users to create a note in the writing app that contains a shortcut to a mail in Airmail, for example.
In addition to fixing some minor bugs, a handful of new Custom Actions have been included too, along with an OpenURL action, a new Default Inbox, and support for Gmail authentication.
Airmail 1.5 costs $4.99 and is available for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]
Google spin-off Waymo unveiled its fleet of 100 self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans in a preview event ahead of the North American International Auto Show on Sunday (via USA Today).
John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo, told attendees at the Detroit event that the fleet packs an array of new sensors that were all developed in-house, including an enhanced vision system, improved radar and laser-based lidar.
"We're serious about creating fully self-driving cars that can help millions of people, and to do that we have to oversee both the self-driving software and the self-driving hardware," said Krafcik.
The autonomous vehicles are the result of a partnership between Google and Fiat Chrysler that was agreed last spring, and represent the first time Google has chosen to build self-driving technology itself, rather than turn to third-party manufacturers. As a result, Waymo said the company had been able to cut costs by 90 percent.
But apart from cutting costs, Krafcik told attendees that building the hardware in-house had allowed the company to develop better technology, such as an improved rooftop radar system, or Lidar, that allows the cars to read more information off the environment.
"The detail we capture is so high that not only can we detect pedestrians all around us, but we can tell which direction they’re facing," said Krafcik. "This is incredibly important, as it helps us more accurately predict where someone will walk next."
The hybrid vehicles will join the company's Lexus SUVs and Firefly vehicles on public roads in California and Arizona later this month to speed up testing. Waymo has yet to reveal when the self-driving system employed in the minivans will be ready to install in production vehicles, but the companies are thought to be planning an autonomous ride-sharing service to compete with the likes of Uber and Lyft.
Apple's self-driving technology plans remain tightly under wraps, but Cupertino is thought to be developing its own autonomous driving system for use in third-party vehicles. The company is said to have given its car team until 2017 to prove the feasibility of a self-driving vehicle system.
Apple revealed its interest in the emerging self-driving market in November 2016 when it sent a letter to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, suggesting that new entrants to the auto industry should get the same rights as established companies.
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the day Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone at Macworld in San Francisco. In what has become one of the most iconic moments in Apple's storied history, Jobs teased the device as if it were three separate products: a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device.
Apple began selling the iPhone six months later, and nearly a decade later, the company has now sold well over 1 billion of them to customers around the world. iPhone sales continued to rise on an annual basis until 2016, when the smartphone experienced its first-ever year-over-year sales decline amid a down year for Apple. Nevertheless, the iPhone remains Apple's most successful product ever, accounting for 60% of the company's overall revenue last quarter.
"iPhone is an essential part of our customers' lives, and today more than ever it is redefining the way we communicate, entertain, work and live," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "iPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come."
Apple upended the mobile phone industry that was then dominated by earlier entrants such as Nokia and BlackBerry, two companies that are effectively out of the market today. Jobs poked fun at "smartphones" of the era, quipping they were "not so smart" and "not so easy to use," while criticizing outdated hardware features such as physical keyboards and styli. In turn, he introduced revolutionary new features such as Multi-Touch and scrolling to big rounds of applause.
Since then, Apple has improved the iPhone each year by adding several new features:
• 2008: App Store and 3G network support • 2009: Video recording and Personal Hotspot • 2010: Retina display • 2011: Siri and iCloud • 2012: Taller 4-inch screen, Lightning connector, and LTE • 2013: Touch ID • 2014: Larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens • 2015: 3D Touch, Live Photos, and 4K video recording • 2016: Waterproofing and dual-lens camera on iPhone 7 Plus
"It is amazing that from the very first iPhone through to today's newest iPhone 7 Plus, it has remained the gold standard by which all other smartphones are judged. For many of us, iPhone has become the most essential device in our lives and we love it," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of marketing.
Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new research report underlining his expectations for the future of Apple's iPad line-up, with slightly revised predictions for a new "high-end" middle-size tablet to be released later this year.
According to Kuo, Apple is planning to introduce three iPads in 2017: a 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2 and a "low-cost" 9.7-inch iPad, along with a new bezel-free, mid-size model in the range of between 10 and 10.5 inches.
We note the 12.9" model will be the second generation of the existing 12.9" iPad Pro, the 10-10.5" model will be the high-end model equipped with a narrow bezel design, and the 9.7" model will be the low-priced option. The former two models will have an A10X chip manufactured by TSMC (2330 TT, NT$183.5, N), while the latter comes with an A9 chip made by Samsung LSI. Although we estimate iPad shipments in 2017 will drop again YoY to 35-37mn units, we except the decline to narrow to 10% from 2016's roughly 20%, given that the 10-10.5" model may see more demand from commercial/enterprises and tender markets, while the low-priced 9.7" model may have a greater shipment contribution and likely account for 50-60% of total shipments of new iPads.
Last August, Kuo's expectation for Apple's mid-size model was a more definite 10.5 inches. His latest revised prediction of 10-10.5 inches suggests Apple is still testing multiple tablets and has yet to settle on a final size. Interestingly, Japanese site Mac Otakara released two separate reports last year stating that the tablet will be 10.1 inches and 10.9 inches, so while the former size falls into the lower end of Kuo's revised range, the exact dimensions remain unclear.
Market-wise, Kuo believes "the worst has passed" for Apple's iPad as he predicts a narrower year-on-year shipment decline in 2017. The analyst puts this down to an improved product mix, decreasing exposure to the iPad mini, and an improved cost structure due to an increasing number of suppliers of touch-module lamination and display panels, with Samsung being "the biggest winner" in joining previous monopoly-holder Silicon Works to supply the latter.
Mac Otakara and Barclays Research have both predicted an early 2017 launch for the new iPads, perhaps in March or April. However, if a radical bezel-free redesign is planned, it is unlikely that Apple will upstage the 2017 iPhone 8 that's expected in September with an edge-to-edge iPad launching earlier in the year.
Lock manufacturer Yale at CES 2017 this week announced that its lineup of Real Living Assure smart locks will be compatible with HomeKit by the end of March. By then, new Assure locks will be sold with a HomeKit module, which will also be available to purchase separately to add to existing Assure locks.
HomeKit support will enable users to lock and unlock their homes by using Apple's new Home app on iOS 10 or the free Yale Assure companion app (U.S. and Canada only) for iPhone and iPad. Homeowners can also use Siri voice commands such as "Hey Siri, lock the front door" and "Hey Siri, is my front door locked?"
Users are also able to check a lock's battery and current lock status, create up to 12 unique pin codes, customize lock and notification settings, name a lock, and add a new lock through the Yale Assure app. Users with a third-generation Apple TV or later can control HomeKit accessories in the Home app while away from home.
The deadbolt locks feature a backlit capacitive touchscreen keypad for keyless entry. If a smartphone is unavailable, users can enter a unique 4-8 digit pin code to enter the home. The Bluetooth-enabled lock is powered by four AA batteries included, or users can touch a 9V battery to the battery terminals at the bottom as a backup option.
Yale said the HomeKit module will also be compatible with its recently launched nexTouch Wireless smart lock targeted at small business owners. The new HomeKit-enabled smart locks and standalone HomeKit module are expected to be available for purchase on Yale's website at some point in March. Pricing was not disclosed.
The non-HomeKit Real Living Assure locks retail for $199.99 on Yale's website in polished brass, satin nickel, and dark gray colors. ZigBee and Z-Wave modules are also available for $50 each. Here's an installation video.
Samsung today announced the first iOS apps for its popular Gear family of smartwatches, which were previously only compatible with Android phones.
The Samsung Gear S app brings iPhone connectivity to the company's Gear 2 and Gear 3 wearables, while the Gear Fit app offers similar compatibility for Gear Fit2 watches. The apps allow device owners to monitor features and manage applications installed through the Gear appstore.
While features and functions will vary by device, iOS users will be able to enjoy the Samsung Gear S3's timeless and stylish design, IP68 water and dust resistance, as well as the built-in GPS, Alti/barometer and Speedometer apps.
It is available in two bold models – the Gear S3 frontier, which takes inspiration from the active explorer with a rugged design, as well as the Gear S3 classic, featuring an elegant style with the balance found on luxury timepieces. Users will also be able to track their fitness by monitoring distance and route traveled, running pace, calories burned and heart rate.
Apart from being able to manage apps on their Samsung Gear devices, users can also adjust individual app settings, control update notifications and enable/disable automatic updates, as well as use the Find my Gear feature for lost watches. Syncing health and fitness data with S Health is also supported, as are iPhone notifications on the wearables.
Samsung Gear S and Gear Fit apps are available as free downloads for iPhone and iPad on the App Store.
Apple today shared a new iPhone 7 Plus ad on its YouTube channel, highlighting the Portrait Mode feature exclusive to Apple's larger handset.
In the ad, entitled "Take Mine", a young lady arrives at a Greek village to visit her grandmother. After greeting each other with open arms, the two women are seen sitting in a café, where the granddaughter uses a Rose Gold iPhone 7 Plus to take a picture of the elderly woman using the Depth Effect.
After previewing the shot, her grandma stands up in awe, taken aback by its quality. This catches the attention of others in the café, and a woman asks if she can get a picture, too. The young lady happily obliges.
Thus begins a spree of depth-of-field photography as locals in the village queue up to have their pictures taken, including fishermen, a musician, children, a barber, and even a local shepherd, all framed in sharp focus with the familiar blurred background effect. The ad ends with the tagline, "Portrait mode on iPhone 7 Plus – practically magic".
Today's iPhone 7 Plus ad is the latest in a series that have showcased the features of Apple's latest handsets, like waterproofing, improved battery life, the camera, and the iOS 10 operating system.
Apple has also previously shared tips to "Shoot like a Pro" with the depth-of-field effect in the iPhone 7 Plus, highlighting a range of suggestions collected from professional photographers on its news site.
Russian authorities have required Apple and Google to remove the LinkedIn app from the App Store and Google Play in Russia, reportsThe New York Times. The move comes a couple weeks after Russia blocked LinkedIn's website.
The demand by Russian authorities to remove LinkedIn in Apple and Google app stores comes weeks after a court blocked the professional networking service for flouting local laws that require internet firms to store data on Russian citizens within the nation’s borders.
Apple confirmed to The New York Times that it was asked to remove the app from the App Store about a month ago. The app, however, had already stopped functioning once LinkedIn's website was blocked in the country. LinkedIn, which has several million users in Russia, said it was "disappointed" by the news.
The service was blocked in Russia because a court ruled in November that the company broke local laws that require Internet firms to store servers holding information on Russian accounts within the country. The New York Times notes that most American companies operate in Russia while violating the law, making the blocking of LinkedIn a rare occurrence.
In late December, China required Apple to remove all apps from The New York Times for being in "violation of local regulations." The New York Times' website has been blocked in China since 2012. Countries like China, Russia and Turkey have blocked direct access to websites for years, but pressuring tech companies like Apple to also remove apps is a more recent trend, according to The New York Times.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple may not take part in the annual Consumer Electronics Show, but the event is still filled with all kinds of Apple-related accessories from third-party vendors. Some aren't so great or are the same old thing, but others are novel, fun, and bring something new to the table.
For this video, we spent a couple of days exploring the show floor to find some of the best Apple accessories of CES 2017.
Incipio showed off a new iPhone 7 case that brings back the headphone jack. The case itself is rather thin, but there is a large chin at the bottom to accommodate both the headphone jack and and a Lightning charging port.
Griffin displayed its BreakSafe cables for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The cables, including a new 100W model for the 2016 MacBook Pro, are designed to replace Apple's MagSafe connector, offering the same breakaway functionality over USB Type-C.
Henge Docks debuted a number of products to complement the new MacBook Pro. The original Vertical Dock allows you to dock your computer off to the side of a monitor, while the new Horizontal Dock allows you to securely dock the MacBook Pro without compromising usability. The Horizontal Dock features pressure sensors to know when the computer is present, and it then automatically connects itself with the computer. This dock has 13 ports available including HDMI, USB Type-A, and Ethernet. Henge Docks also announced the Tethered Dock, which gives you a station to connect multiple cables and charge your MacBook.
CMRA showed off a prototype Apple Watch band that features a front and rear-facing camera, but it didn't have a functional model on hand. We only saw a dummy unit, so we'll have to wait to see the band in action. The CMRA is already available for pre-order, but won't ship out until later this year.
Finally, NanoLeaf displayed its colorful array of Aurora lights. These HomeKit-enabled lights can be displayed on a wall and each individual light can be controlled through the Aurora app. NanoLeaf also demoed the new Aurora Rhythm sound sensor that allows the lights to react to music and sound.
If you missed them, make sure to check out the videos we did at CES Unveiled and Pepcom, two events that had tons of cool Apple products. You'll also want to check out our full CES coverage, which has dozens more accessories worth looking at.
Focalcrest, a Chinese company focusing on intelligent hardware solutions, today debuted a new HomeKit hub that promises to bring HomeKit connectivity to various connected home products that would not otherwise be able to interface with Apple's smart home platform.
The Mixtile Hub, which is MFi certified by Apple, is designed to connect to ZigBee and Z-Wave products and interface with HomeKit, allowing them to be controlled in via Siri and with Apple's Home app.
The hub plugs into a television set, which is used as a display to allow users to discover smart devices located in the home. From the television, the devices can be connected to the hub, and an accompanying smart phone app allows users to designate what a product does so that it can be used appropriately through HomeKit.
According to Focalcrest, it can interface with Z-Wave and ZigBee products, as well as connect to various smart home devices through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Focalcrest did not provide specific examples of the kinds of hardware the hub can work with, so there are some unknowns with the product at this point in time.
The Mixtile Hub supports wireless communication protocols such as ZigBee, Z-Wave (optional), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It can also communicate with various other sensors (temperature and humidity sensors, optical sensors, door sensors) surveillance devices (monitors, alarms, intelligent locks) and smart home products (intelligent lamps, outlets and air conditioners), through ZigBee and Z-Wave.
Several existing hub-based HomeKit products work the same way as the Mixtile Hub, such as the Philips Hue. The Philips Hue base station is HomeKit enabled, while all bulbs connect to and receive commands from the base station using the ZigBee protocol.
ZigBee and Z-Wave are popular options for smart home products that don't support HomeKit. Many home security companies use Z-Wave, as do some major brands like Honeywell, GE, Schlage, D-Link, and First Alert. A wide range of connected home products use ZigBee, like the Logitech Harmony Remote, Cree lightbulbs, GE lightbulbs, and more.
Hardware wise, the hub is equipped with a quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB of storage space. It has a built in 2,500mAh battery, dual microphones, an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a micro-USB port, and a USB 2.0 port.
Focalcrest says the Mixtile Hub will be priced at approximately $150, and it will tentatively see a release sometime around March of 2017.
Apple will shift to indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) material for MacBook Pro displays as soon as later this year, according to IHS. The research firm told DigiTimes that Apple may continue to procure MacBook Pro displays based on current amorphous silicon (a-Si) material until the end of the first quarter.
IGZO is a semiconducting material that has forty times more electron mobility than the standard a-Si used as the active layer of an LCD screen, allowing for less power consumption, improved touch sensitivity, and increased pixel density, which could pave the way for higher resolution displays.
DisplayMate president Raymond Soneira told us IGZO can also result in "significantly higher brightness," but the material costs "considerably more" to manufacture. Production and yield issues have slowed the adoption of IGZO, but the material is now showing up in more products such as LG's new OLED TVs.
"Sometimes IGZO is simply referred to as Metal Oxide," he added. "The higher the PPI and the wider the Color Gamut (like DCI-P3 for the new MacBook Pro) the greater the benefits of IGZO over a-Si, particularly for LCDs."
The glass edge and backplane circuitry of IGZO displays can also be made smaller, possibly leading to a thinner MacBook Pro. However, such a design change is less likely this year given Apple just redesigned the notebook in 2016 for the first time in four years. Apple's interest likely lies in the power savings.
The original iPad Air's overall size and battery were reduced by around 25% compared to the previous model, and analysis suggested the tablet's new IGZO display made that possible. However, a smaller MacBook Pro battery would likely be perceived negatively following battery life complaints on 2016 models.
Given the timeline, Apple's switch to IGZO displays may be planned for the next-generation MacBook Pro. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said new MacBook Pro models will launch in the second half of 2017, possibly with slightly fasterKaby Lake processors unveiled this week.
IHS estimates Apple will order 9.7 million MacBook Pro display panels in 2017, an increase from 8.8 million units in 2016.
In celebration of the 2017 Chinese New Year, designated Year of the Rooster, Apple has launched a new section on its website in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore highlighting five young Chinese artists that have created contemporary versions of traditional "Nianhua" folk art. The first day of the Chinese New Year is January 28, 2017.
The artists include Victo Ngai, Eszter Chen, Zhou Fan, Ye Hongxing, and Jiang Shan. Apple has given some background information on each piece of art created for the Chinese New Year celebrations, which were all created using a range of its products, including the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and iMac.
Software programs used to make the art include Procreate for iPad, and Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator for Mac. On its website, Apple has wallpaper download links for each piece of art, as well as the date and location where each artist's work will be showcased at an Apple retail store in China.
Earlier this week, accessory maker Mophie also announced a product of its own that has a theme surrounding the Year of the Rooster. Available on Apple.com, users can purchase a version of Mophie's Powerstation Plus XL mobile battery with all-new artwork designed by Chinese street artist Hua Tunan. The XL universal battery offers 12,000 mAh of charge to both iOS and micro USB devices.
Apple has offered exclusive wallpapers to users in the past, last March encouraging fans to use its Renew program with a set of pro-environment backgrounds. For the Chinese New Year images, users can choose to download each piece of art in sizes for the Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Earlier this week, Apple announced a Chinese New Year sale where users had the chance to get a free pair of red Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones when they purchased a select Mac or iPhone. The sale is now over, but began at 8:00 AM local time on January 6 in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. The company also launched a New Year's gift guide with products themed around the celebrations.
Popular Chinese mobile app company 
Russian authorities have required Apple and Google to remove the LinkedIn app from the App Store and Google Play in Russia, 
