As noted by IT professional and writer Tom Bridge on Twitter, public transit information for Los Angeles has started to go live in Apple Maps on both iOS and El Capitan. The rollout adds another major city to a feature that launched as part of iOS 9.
Transit information may still be rolling out to users. Support will include train, light rail and bus services in addition to transit directions. In October, Apple added transit directions for both Sydney and Boston. Apple has not yet added Los Angeles to the transit section of its iOS 9 feature page.
Two years after being purchased by Apple for $200 million, social analytics firm Topsy today announced the end of its service. On Twitter, the company tweeted that it has "searched [its] last tweet." Additionally, its website redirects to an Apple support page on using Search on iPhone.
Topsy partnered with Twitter to maintain an index of tweets going back to 2006. However, the company also made products to search and analyze social networks. It's likely Apple has used Topsy's talent and technology to imbue its products with enhanced search features. iOS 9, for example, debuted a new Proactive feature that uses data from Siri, Calendar, third-party apps and more to deliver more relevant search results to users.
Apple is working on next-generation pressure-sensing display technology that will work on screen sizes as large as the iPad Pro, reports AppleInsider citing a source with knowledge of Apple's plans. The new display technology is said to be in development, but it won't be finished in time for inclusion in the third-generation iPad Air or the next-generation iPhone.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Apple is unable to scale existing 3D Touch technology to accommodate larger displays like the 9.7-inch panels used in the iPad Air line. The source, who has in the past provided accurate information about Apple's future plans, said the company is working on a comparable technology for integration in both iPhones and iPads, potentially offering support for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple's largest iOS device.
AppleInsider's information comes following a similar report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said the next iPad Air, set to be released in the first half of 2016, will not include 3D Touch because of production issues. Kuo also said the upcoming iPhone 7, coming in the fall of 2016, will continue to use 3D Touch technology that's similar in structure to the 3D Touch in the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus.
Positioned as one of the flagship features of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, 3D Touch adds new pressure-based gestures to iOS devices. Apple has called 3D Touch "the future of multi-touch," so it's a logical assumption that the company is working on expanding pressure sensitive touch gestures to its entire iOS lineup.
Taken in tandem, Kuo's statements along with AppleInsider's rumor suggest 3D Touch or a comparable technology will not be available on iPhones and iPads until after the fall of 2016, perhaps pointing towards a 2017 debut for the feature.
Now that HomeKit's been available for several months, more and more HomeKit-enabled products are popping up. When HomeKit first launched in June, there was only one smart plug available (the Elgato Eve), but now there are a handful to choose from. ConnectSense is the latest company to develop a HomeKit-enabled plug, debuting its Smart Outlet in October.
I went hands-on with the new ConnectSense Smart Outlet to see how it measures up to similar HomeKit products that are available for purchase.
Design
Unlike the other intelligent HomeKit-compatible plugs on the market, the Smart Outlet from ConnectSense combines two outlets in one simple device, with an additional USB charging port for charging an iPhone or iPad. To connect to the iPhone and other HomeKit devices, the Smart Outlet uses Wi-Fi and connects to a home Wi-Fi network.
The Smart Outlet plugs into any traditional outlet in the home, fitting into either the bottom or the top socket. Plugged into the top socket, it fits neatly over an in-the-wall outlet, and while it sticks out about an inch, it's largely unobtrusive thanks to a simple design. It can also be plugged into the bottom socket of a standard wall socket, but its shape does not allow it to leave the top socket free for use, so there's no real reason to use it that way.
Made of a smooth white plastic with curved edges, the Smart Outlet has an attractive no-frills design and a decent build quality, but I'm not entirely sure it feels like an $80 product.
Each socket in the Smart Outlet is treated as an individual HomeKit product, so devices plugged into the Outlet can be controlled separately. On the left side, there's also a USB port for charging iPads and iPhones, but this port can't be controlled via Siri or through the app.
Pebble today announced new software updates for its line of Pebble smart watches, bringing the timeline feature to Pebble Classic and Steel and introducing a new Pebble Health feature for the Pebble Time lineup.
According to Pebble, Pebble Health was created through a collaboration with researchers at Stanford University. Pebble Health is able to track daily activity and automatically detect sleep phases, displaying stats and insights right on the wrist. Pebble Health brings the Pebble Time in line with the Apple Watch and other activity trackers with a first-party solution that eliminates the need for third-party fitness tracking apps on the device.
Since you are your best motivator, Pebble Health focuses on personal success. Instead of striving for an arbitrary step count, your daily progress is measured against your own personal average. At night, Pebble Health tracks how long and well you sleep, helping you make better sleep decisions. Weekly graphs of both step and sleep stats make it easy to see trends over time.
Pebble Health is compatible with Apple HealthKit and in the future, Pebble plans to launch a Pebble Health API that will allow developers to build apps and watchfaces around the new feature.
Pebble Time, Time Steel, and Time Round owners will get access to Pebble Health after updating the Pebble smartphone app and the watch to the latest version of the software. Pebble Health is not available on earlier Pebble watches.
OtterBox today announced the debut of new protective cases designed for the iPad Pro, the iPad mini 4, and the iPad Air 2. The Defender Series is being updated with cases for the iPad Pro, the Profile Series is being updated with cases for the iPad Air 2, and a new Symmetry Series Folio is available for the iPad mini 4.
The Defender Series for iPad Pro, priced at $129.95, includes a built-in screen protector to keep the tablet's display free from scratches, and like other cases in the Defender Series, its three-layer design protects the iPad from drops and dust. It also includes a shield stand for use when watching videos. Unique to the iPad Pro is a slot that holds the Apple Pencil.
OtterBox's Symmetry Series Folio for the iPad mini 4 is priced at $59.95 and offers full coverage with a protective back shell and a wrap-around faux leather or fabric cover. The Folio cover converts into a multi-position stand with 360-degree rotation for use in both landscape and portrait mode.
The Profile Series for the iPad Air 2 is an inexpensive, simple folio case that's priced at $49.95. It includes a protective rear shell that keeps the iPad Air 2 safe from drops and scratches, plus a wrap-around folio-style cover that doubles as a single-position stand.
OtterBox's new cases for Apple's iPad lineup are available from the OtterBox website and are currently discounted by 25 percent. Cases for the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 4 will ship by Christmas with free express shipping, but the iPad Pro Defender Series Case won't be in stock until January.
For the past week MacRumors editors and writers have been sharing gift guides featuring hand-picked items for the holidays. Thus far, we've seen gift guides from Juli, Joe, Mitchel, Marianne, Eric, Matt and one featuring your holiday suggestions. Today, I end our series of gift guides with my own.
This gift guide was written by me, Husain Sumra, and it's filled with items that I either really love and use frequently or items that I'm lusting for in the hope that they make my day easier.
While there are a lot of small external batteries, there are none that I enjoy using more than the Anker PowerCore+ mini. It comes in a small, lipstick-sized package that has plenty of power for my iPhone 6.
It's small enough to slip into your pocket or purse, but it also has a premium metal finish that's oddly fun to hold. It feels sturdy and solid rather than a cheap toy, which makes it a nice companion to the iPhone if you care about the feel of your products.
The best feature of the PowerCore+ mini though is its price, which gives it a huge advantage over similar external batteries on the market.
With Star Wars: The Force Awakens opening on December 18, there's no better time to revisit the complete Star Wars collection. Yes, even the prequels.
While The Digital Movie Collection doesn't include the unedited original trilogy, it is the most convenient way to watch these movies. Not only can you watch them on your Apple TV or Mac, but you can watch them on your iPad Pro or iPhone, too. Furthermore, you can use Disney Movies Anywhere to watch five of the six movies on non-Apple devices. The only exception to this is A New Hope due to rights issues with 20th Century Fox. They also come with brand new behind-the-scenes bonus features giving even the biggest Star Wars fan new insight into the creation of some of the most loved movies of all time.
If you, or someone you know, likes to watch their media on multiple devices there's no better way to watch the incredible highs and lows of the complete Star Wars saga.
I use my iPhone for recording interviews and quick podcasts a lot, but my iPhone 6's microphone is fairly basic and tends to produce a more hollow sound. So I've been lusting for a small, easy-to-use mic that I can use on the go and the one I've centered on is the Shure MOTIV MV88.
It's the one mic I've found that seems to fall into the perfect mixture of size, audio quality and price. It also comes with a simple app that allows you to adjust your mic's settings, letting you see exactly how it'll affect the sound. Those settings transfer over to any recordings you do with GarageBand or other third-party audio and video-recording apps.
There is no content provider I turn to more often than HBO. Whether it be hit shows like Game of Thrones, smaller dramas like The Leftovers, documentary series like The Jinx or weekly shows like Last Week Tonight, there is no one I trust more to provide me with great content.
With HBO Now, you don't have to subscribe to an expensive cable or satellite subscription either. You can get all of their content on your own terms for $14.99, making cutting the cord easier than ever if you don't care about live sports.
Whenever I purchase a new device, whether it be an iPhone, iPad or Macbook, I usually opt to not purchase any kind of case or protection. I find the vast majority of cases aesthetically unpleasant compared to the device's natural look, and most cases hamper the feel of the product in my hand.
However, I make an exception for the Smart Cover line by Apple. Not only does it allow my iPad Air's aesthetic and feel to shine, but it's actually got some versatility outside of protecting the display when it's not in use. It can fold itself up, allowing the iPad to stand. Additionally, the soft material on the inside of the cover is a good way to quickly wipe off any dust or fingerprints on the display.
The AirPort Extreme isn't the most fully featured or complex router available on the market, but it is the one I'd recommend to the vast majority of people.
I've owned Apple's previous AirPort Extreme in addition to the newest one, and I've never had a problem with either. In fact, the last time I even looked at my AirPort Extreme is when I went through the very simple setup process. The AirPort Extreme has provided a reliable and strong Wi-Fi signal in my home with absolutely no problems, and there's no better option for people who want a no-hassle solution for their networking needs.
The new version of the AirPort Extreme provides 3 times the speed of the previous model and transmits at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies at the same time, allowing your device to connect to the fastest connection it can at most times. It can also transmit further than the previous model, as I found I've been able to hold a viable connection from around 30 yards away from my home.
As a huge movie buff, I tend to visit movie theaters a lot to check out the latest new releases. However, watching at least one movie in theaters a week quickly becomes a very expensive hobby, so I was very pleased to subscribe to MoviePass, a subscription service for watching movies in theaters.
The subscription starts at $30 a month, though it can rise to $49 a month depending on your area (you can check how much a subscription costs in your area at MoviePass' website). You're allowed to see a new release, non-3D movie in theaters every 24 hours. Since I see at least a film a week, and sometimes two or three a week during the summer and fall, I've found that MoviePass actually saves me money and has been a good value overall.
To use the service, you must download the MoviePass app and check-in to a movie at the theater of your choice. Once you've checked in, you take your MoviePass card to the box office and request the movie you've checked into. The cashier then slides the card and you receive your movie ticket.
Correction: An earlier version of this gift guide indicated that the Anker PowerCore+ mini could provide two full charges for an iPhone 6. As pointed out by readers, it cannot.
Twelve South today expanded its HiRise lineup, launching a new stand designed to match the rose gold iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. Twelve South's HiRise Deluxe stands for iPhone and iPad are some of its most popular products, and with the addition of the rose gold color, there's a finish to match every iOS device.
"There is something special about the new Rose Gold iPhone. It has captured the imagination of millions of people who want anything but basic black or standard silver when it comes to the iPhone they use everyday." said Andrew Green of Twelve South. "HiRise Deluxe is already the most functional and flexible stand available, but with a version that now perfectly matches the hue of our customers' Rose Gold iPhones, their experience will be complete."
For those unfamiliar with the HiRise Deluxe, it's an angled aluminum pedestal that's designed to function as a stand for FaceTime sessions, video watching, and more, all while keeping an iPhone charged with a Lightning cable. The HiRise Deluxe ships with Lightning and micro-USB cables, and it's adjustable, so it's able to accommodate most iPhone cases.
According to Twelve South, when not in use charging an iPhone, the HiRise can also be used to charge the Siri Remote for the Apple TV, the Apple Pencil, the Magic Mouse, the SteelSeries Nimbus controller, and other Apple accessories that charge via Lightning.
The new HiRise Deluxe in Rose Gold is available from the Twelve South website for $59.99 starting today. It's also available in Silver, Black, and Gold.
Enjoy today announced the introduction of the Apple TV, iPad, and AirPort to its free delivery and installation product lineup. The online marketplace and delivery service sends an Enjoy Expert to each customer's house to deliver their ordered product in under four hours and even provide easy setup.
Founded by former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson, the company seeks to make the purchasing of new technology easy and hassle-free for those maybe not as familiar with certain functionalities of products like the new Apple TV.
Hand delivery and unboxing: We’ll will plug it in and connect to your wifi. We’ll even bring an extra HDMI cable (just in case).
Connect all your devices: We’ll get all of your accounts and Apple devices talking to each other. You can now think of the TV as the hub for all of your family entertainment.
Meet the new Siri remote: We’ll introduce you to the new Touch Surface remote and walk you through all of the gestures and voice commands. We know that you and Siri will get along just fine.
Explore the App Store: Apps are the future of TV. We’ll set you up with the ones you love, and introduce you to some great new ones.
Once a user orders something off of Enjoy's online store, they can receive the delivery in "as fast as four hours," with up to an hour of personalized installation and instruction on how the product works courtesy of an Enjoy Expert. Shipping and home support are all free, but the Enjoy service is currently only available in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Enjoy also allows customers to purchase a hand-delivered iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus to their home in a partnership with AT&T. Other than the newly-introduced Apple products, the company offers at-home delivery and tutorials on products like the DJI Phantom 3 drone, Xbox One, and even fitness devices like the Specialized Turbo bicycle.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a research note obtained by MacRumors that predicts the iPad Air 3 will be released in the first half of 2016 and is unlikely to adopt 3D Touch because of production issues within Apple's supply chain.
Kuo also believes the iPhone 7's pressure-sensitive 3D Touch display will have "similar technology and structure" as the iPhone 6s. The report confirms the iPhone 7 will be released in 2016, likely around Apple's usual September timeframe.
Apple often releases new iPads in the fall, but it did not announce the iPad Air 3 at its eventful September 2015 keynote, instead focusing its efforts on introducing the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, iPad mini 4, Apple TV 4 and Apple Watch Hermès. Apple announced the iPad Air 2 in October 2014.
Apple introduced the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in September with 3D Touch as a headline new feature. The pressure-sensing technology enables iPhone users to perform additional "Peek" and "Pop" gestures to access Quick Action shortcut menus or preview content within apps.
3D Touch also enables iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users to press the left side of the Home screen to switch to multitasking view, press lightly for finer lines or more deeply for thicker ones in Notes, swipe left or right to delete or mark as unread in Mail while using "Peek," and much more.
A new update to the Philips Hue operating software within the popular iOS app has brought about a few changes to the way the lighting system functions with third-party accessories. Specifically, the app will no longer support third-party bulbs that function with the ZigBee wireless protocol, including the GE Link LED and Cree Connected LED bulbs (via CNET).
Introduced on both the first generation and HomeKit-enabled second generation of Hue bridges, the 1.11 software update was enacted by the company due to an overwhelming number of "interoperability issues" with some third-party products. Philips points to numerous customer complaints of confusion and frustration when setting up these bulbs, in turn tarnishing the Philips Hue brand, as the major deciding factor for ending their support.
We are seeing an increasing number of interoperability issues with these untested third party products, which are causing increasing confusion for our installed base. They are also hampering our ongoing development and damaging the consistency of experience for the Philips Hue ecosystem.
The current plan moving forward is the "Friends of Hue" program that the company also began around the time of the 1.11 update last week. With the new initiative, Philips will send third-party bulbs through rigorous testing and certification before giving it the official Philips Hue bridge-compatible stamp of approval.
The company also noted that those affected by the removal of these select third-party bulbs represent a "minimal fraction" of the total lights working with the Hue bridge out there today. Affected lights already linked to a bridge will continue to work, but "new untested" will not be able to be added to existing Hue networks. Philips also pointed out that the blocked bulbs already working with a Hue bridge won't be able to properly receive updates after the 1.11 software update, so they could run into bug issues with no possible fix in the future.
Update: Philips on Wednesday announced a change of plans from its original announcement, confirming that it no longer intends to shut down the function of a select handful of third-party bulbs due to the unforeseen amount of customers it would affect.
We recently upgraded the software for Philips Hue to ensure the best seamless connected lighting experience for our customers. This change was made in good faith. However, we under estimated the impact this would have on a small number of customers who use lights from other brands which could not be controlled by the Philips Hue software. In view of the sentiment expressed by our customers, we have decided to reverse the software upgrade so that lights from other brands continue to work as they did before with the Philips Hue system.
The company did confirm that the "Friends of Hue" certified partnership program will continue as originally planned.
A public beta of Apple Music on Sonos is now available, allowing those who own Sonos wireless speakers to use them with Apple's streaming music service for the first time since it launched in June.
The companion Sonos Controller app for iPhone and iPad was updated today with beta support for Apple Music, providing you with access to your streaming music library and playlists for playback in multiple rooms.
Sonos has posted step-by-step instructions on how to join the Apple Music beta program on its website:
How to join the beta program: 1. Open the Sonos app 2. Tap “Settings” then “Advanced Settings” 3. Tap “Beta Program” 4. Tap “Join the Beta Program” 5. Update your Sonos system* 6. Add Apple Music from the “Add Music Services” menu
*“Update Now” prompt may take up to 15 minutes to appear. Tap “Online Updates” in the Settings menu to update immediately.
Sonos users can stream songs from For You, New, Radio and My Music through Sonos apps on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Windows PC. The beta will be limited in some areas compared to the final version slated for release in early 2016.
Apple Pay is now accepted at over 850 participating issuers nationwide, and several more plan to support the NFC-based mobile payment service in the future. The newly added Apple Pay participating issuers are reflected below, but some issuers may have rolled out support earlier than today and only being reflected on Apple's website now.
The full list of new Apple Pay participating issuers:
American Community Bank of Indiana
American United Federal Credit Union
Anheuser-Busch Employees’ Credit Union
Aspire Federal Credit Union
Bank of Colorado
Bank of Montgomery
Catholic Federal Credit Union
Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust
CFCU Community Credit Union
ChoiceOne Bank
Community Bank of Mississippi
Community Bank, Coast
Community Bank, Ellisville
Community Bank, North MS
Credit One Bank
D.L. Evans Bank
Dane County Credit Union
Diamond Credit Union
East Wisconsin Savings Bank
Educational Community Credit Union
Farmers Bank
First Alliance Credit Union
First Bank & Trust Company
First Federal Savings Bank of Twin Falls
First National Bank & Trust Company of Weatherford
First State Bank of Middlebury
Fox Valley Savings Bank
Greater Kinston Credit Union
Hanscom Federal Credit Union
Home City Federal Savings Bank
Hondo National Bank
Indiana Members Credit Union
INTRUST Bank
Kemba Financial Credit Union
Land of Lincoln Credit Union
Laramie Plains Federal Credit Union
LCNB National Bank
Liberty Savings Bank, FSB
Local Government Federal Credit Union
Mississippi Federal Credit Union
Montgomery Country Employees Federal Credit Union
MVB Bank Inc
Neighbors Credit Union
New Horizon Federal Credit Union
NorState Federal Credit Union
North State Bank
NW Preferred Federal Credit Union
OMNI Community Credit Union
Pinnacle Bank Sioux City
Pinnacle Bank Texas
Pinnacle Bank Wyoming
Quad City Bank and Trust
Republic Bank & Trust Company
San Antonio Federal Credit Union
SCE Federal Credit Union
Sharon Credit Union
South Shore Bank
State Employees Credit Union
Sun East Federal Credit Union
Sunrise Banks
Texas Capital Bank
The Bank of Missouri
TruWest Credit Union
Vantage West Credit Union
Wayne Bank
Wilson Bank & Trust
Apple is committed to an international expansion of Apple Pay, having launched the mobile payments service in Australia and Canada last month in partnership with American Express. Apple Pay is also coming to Hong Kong, Singapore and Spain in 2016, and is rumored to launch in China by February 2016.
Apple opened a secret laboratory in northern Taiwan earlier this year to develop thinner, lighter and brighter displays for future Apple devices, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Apple has also been recruiting talent from local display maker AU Optronics Corp. and Qualcomm to work at the new factory.
Apple began operating the lab this year as it aims to make products thinner, lighter, brighter and more energy-efficient. Engineers are developing more-advanced versions of the liquid-crystal displays currently used in iPhones, iPads and Mac personal computers, the people said. Apple also is keen to move to organic light-emitting diodes, which are even thinner and don’t require a backlight, they said.
The facility, which was owned by Qualcomm, is still being staffed and currently has 50 employees. Apple has listed twojob postings for the new Taiwan factory on its careers page. Both jobs require experience working with display technologies.
Bloomberg was able to confirm that the factory is operated by Apple, noting that there was an Apple logo in the receptionist's area and that employees wore Apple ID badges. However, neither Apple nor any of the employees commented on what was being worked on inside the facility.
Last week it was reported that Japan Display was planning to begin mass production of OLED displays for future iPhones in Spring 2018. The joint venture by Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba is reportedly in negotiations with Apple to secure OLED orders for future iPhones.
Last month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple would not switch to OLED displays for the next three years while Nikkei reported that the Cupertino company planned to make the switch in Spring 2018. Apple supplier Foxconn is preparing to invest in advanced TFT-LCD production lines in China for mass production in 2018. Apple currently uses TFT-LCD displays in its iPhones.
The move would allow Apple to reduce its reliance on suppliers like Sharp, LG, Samsung and Japan Display. Apple has a long history of researching and designing its own components in-house and then outsourcing the manufacturing to suppliers like Foxconn.
Apple has purchased additional real estate in North San Jose, this time snapping up a 70,000 square foot building at 3725 N. First Street, reports the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Apple paid $18.2 million for the building, which formerly served as a manufacturing facility for Maxim Integrated Products, a semiconductor company.
It is not known what Apple will do with the building, but a description of the real estate listing suggests it could be used for manufacturing or research and development. Analysts the Silicon Valley Business Journal spoke with believe it's likely to be used as research space for prototyping given its small size, and Apple said in a statement it is expanding into San Jose with office space and research and development facilities.
Asked for comment, Apple provided an emailed statement that reads: "As we continue to grow, we're planning to build R&D facilities and some additional office space in San Jose. The property isn't far from the future home of our new campus and we're looking forward to expanding our presence in the Bay Area."
In recent months, Apple has been purchasing large swathes of land around the Bay Area, primarily in North San Jose. Apple purchased a 296,000 square foot research and development building in May, it leased a 43-acre development site in August, and it leased a 202,000 square-foot office building in October. Much of the property may be turned into a massive 4.15 million square foot campus, according to talks Apple has had with San Jose city officials.
Apple has also purchased a 770,000 square foot campus in Sunnyvale and it has leased 76,000 square feet of office space in the popular South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood in San Francisco.
CarPlay made its wider debut in a range of 2016 vehicles from over a dozen U.S. carmakers this month, including General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and others, and Apple's in-dash software appears to be paying early dividends for at least one of those major auto manufacturers.
General Motors said it has "anecdotal evidence" that CarPlay, available in over two dozen 2016 Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC models, is helping sell new vehicles to customers, according to The Wall Street Journal. A pair of GM dealers confirmed CarPlay is "helping to close the deal" on purchases.
GM officials say they have anecdotal evidence of an impact, and agree the offering has been well-received. Phil Abram, executive director of connectivity an infotainment at GM, said customers have been asking for the feature for years and the company plans to expand it to as many more models as soon as possible. […]
"We've had people coming in because they've heard about it, and once they see it, they really do like it because it mirrors the look and feel of the devices they use," said Chris Hemmersmeier, chief executive of a chain of Jerry Seiner Dealerships in Salt Lake City, Utah. "It's helping to close the deal once they see it."
GM experienced sales growth during October and November, but the spurt cannot decisively be attributed to CarPlay. At the very least, GM's early adoption of CarPlay is helping draw some customers away from automakers that have yet to commit to the software platform, including the world's best-selling automaker Toyota.
Gavin McGrath, the general manager of Pat McGrath Chevyland in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been advertising CarPlay availability and it has drawn in customers.
"It certainly has helped us," he said. "The biggest thing that it has brought to the retail front is…navigation is going to cost $900 [to] $1,000 [as an option]. Here you have Apple CarPlay, and boom your nav is there. That has already helped us close deals."
Chevrolet supports CarPlay on all vehicles with 7-inch or 8-inch MyLink screens, including the 2016 Camaro, Colorado, Corvette Z06, Corvette Stingray, Cruze, Impala, Malibu, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500HD, Silverado 3500HD, Suburban, Tahoe and Volt. Our list of 2016 U.S. CarPlay vehicles covers Buick, Cadillac and GMC models.
Anti-virus company MacKeeper is making headlines today for its lax security on a customer database that contained 13 million customer records complete with names, email addresses, usernames, password hashes, phone numbers, IP address, and system information.
As shared in a reddit post, Chris Vickery (via Forbes) was able to download the records simply by entering an IP address, with no username or password required to access the data, a major security oversight on MacKeeper's part.
MacKeeper was also using MD5 hashes for passwords, a weak algorithm that's easily bypassed using an MD5 cracking tool. As Vickery says, MacKeeper (and parent company Kromtech) "appears to have no respect for the privacy of its users' data or the integrity of their information."
Vickery did not share details on the exploit and immediately contacted Kromtech about the oversight. Using Vickery's information, Kromtech secured the database after several hours, and nobody with malicious intent was reportedly able to get ahold of customer details. With the exploit fixed, Vickery explained how he accessed the data.
Here are some details (now that it's secured): The search engine at Shodan.io had indexed their IPs as running publicly accessible MongoDB instances (as some have already guessed). I had never even heard of MacKeeper or Kromtech until last night. I just happened upon it after being bored and doing a random "port:27017" search on Shodan.
For those unfamiliar with MacKeeper, it is Mac software that purports to optimize a Mac and keep it secure from viruses and malware, tricking people into a purchase with unrealistic claims. Earlier this month, a class action lawsuit led to a $2 million settlement that will see MacKeeper providing refunds to customers who purchased the software and would like their money back.
Though MacKeeper says Vickery was the only person to access the information, MacKeeper customers should still change their passwords and passwords on sites that used the same password as the MacKeeper password.
Apple last week provided all of its employees with urBeats earphones from the Beats by Dr. Dre product lineup as part of an annual holiday gift, and today iTunes chief Eddy Cue told Apple employees they would also receive a free nine-month subscription to Apple Music.
Cue shared the news in a video message that went out to employees this morning. Employees will receive an Apple Music promo code later this month, which will allow them to activate their free subscriptions.
Valued at $90, the Apple Music subscription paired with the urBeats headphones makes Apple's 2015 gift to its employees one of the most generous the company has offered in recent years. Apple's holiday gifts go out to all of its employees around the world, encompassing Cupertino, satellite offices, and each of its retail locations.
In addition to being a nice perk for employees, offering an Apple Music subscription to all of its employees will have benefits for Apple, as it will allow retail workers to familiarize themselves with the service so they can better explain and recommend it to customers.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Two years after being 
While there are a lot of small external batteries, there are none that I enjoy using more than the Anker PowerCore+ mini. It comes in a small, lipstick-sized package that has plenty of power for my iPhone 6. 
I use my iPhone for recording interviews and quick podcasts a lot, but my iPhone 6's microphone is fairly basic and tends to produce a more hollow sound. So I've been lusting for a small, easy-to-use mic that I can use on the go and the one I've centered on is the Shure MOTIV MV88.
Whenever I purchase a new device, whether it be an iPhone, iPad or Macbook, I usually opt to not purchase any kind of case or protection. I find the vast majority of cases aesthetically unpleasant compared to the device's natural look, and most cases hamper the feel of the product in my hand.
The AirPort Extreme isn't the most fully featured or complex router available on the market, but it is the one I'd recommend to the vast majority of people.
As a huge movie buff, I tend to visit movie theaters a lot to check out the latest new releases. However, watching at least one movie in theaters a week quickly becomes a very expensive hobby, so I was very pleased to subscribe to MoviePass, a subscription service for watching movies in theaters.
Apple updated its 
Anti-virus company MacKeeper is making headlines today for its lax security on a customer database that contained 13 million customer records complete with names, email addresses, usernames, password hashes, phone numbers, IP address, and system information.
