Apple is today celebrating 40 years in France and announced the launch of a new Apple Music studio in Paris.
In a post on its French newsroom site, Apple highlighted its achievements in France over the past 40 years, aiding artists, designers, and developers in particular. Apple CEO Tim Cook said:
France occupies a special place in my heart. Every time I go there, I am inspired by this welcoming, dynamic and deeply creative community of artists and developers. I am delighted to celebrate Apple's 40th anniversary in France with our local teams and the customers and communities they serve.
Apple began its business in France with a small sales team in 1981, and now has 2,700 employees, 20 Apple Stores, and almost 500 suppliers in the country. The company added that iOS now supports almost 250,000 jobs across France.
Starting from 2019, Apple has partnered with Simplon to offer the Apple Foundation Program in France. The program is designed to help job seekers learn technology skills and app development to boost their employability. Initially launched in Montreuil, the Apple Foundation Program has since expanded to Lille, Lyon, and Marseille. Earlier this year, Apple announced that the program will be extended until 2023 and the launch of a new site in Toulouse.
The new Apple Music studio in Paris is the first of its kind in continental Europe and located on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and will create original local content like Apple Music's other studios in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and London. The Apple Music studio in Paris will be overseen by Mehdi Maïzi and T-Miss, and is set to host French artists and champion French-language music with new long-format shows and interviews.
Apple is also currently producing French original content for Apple TV+, starting with "Liaison," a six-episode thriller.
Verizon today has brought back its "Buy more, save more" sale, which offers up to 40 percent off five or more regularly priced accessories. This includes iPhone cases, Qi wireless chargers, screen protectors, AirPods cases, Apple Watch bands, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Verizon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
To see the savings, you'll need to add accessories to your bundle on this page worth $19.99 or more. Three or more eligible items will get you 30 percent off the order; four or more will get you 35 percent off; and five or more will get you 40 percent off. There's a max of ten items per customer in a single transaction.
For iPhone cases, you'll find accessories from Incipio, Nomad, Speck, Kate Spade, OtterBox, and Case-Mate. Charging products include wireless mats from Belkin, Samsung, Mophie, and Nimble. There are also portable batteries, Lightning cables, Apple Watch chargers, and more.
All of the eligible items in this sale can be found on this landing page on Verizon, so anything not seen there will count as exclusions. This includes Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro, HomePod mini, fitness trackers, drones, gaming controllers, and a few other items.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
While it may feel rather hard to believe, today marks one year since the first Macs with Apple silicon were unveiled to the world.
At a virtual event on November 10, 2020, Apple introduced its custom-designed M1 chip, followed by three new Macs powered by the chip, including the MacBook Air, the lower-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the lower-end Mac mini.
With the M1 chip, Apple delivered on its promise of industry-leading performance per watt and faster integrated graphics than Intel processors.
"When it comes to low-power silicon, M1 has the world's fastest CPU core, the world's fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer, and the amazing machine learning performance of the Apple Neural Engine," said Johny Srouji, head of Apple's chip design team, in a press release. "With its unique combination of remarkable performance, powerful features, and incredible efficiency, M1 is by far the best chip we've ever created."
Apple expanded the M1 chip to a new 24-inch iMac in April, and last month it unveiled even faster M1 Pro and M1 Max chips for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
"No one has ever applied a system-on-a-chip design to a pro system until today with M1 Pro and M1 Max," said Srouji. "With massive gains in CPU and GPU performance, up to six times the memory bandwidth [compared to the M1 chip], a new media engine with ProRes accelerators, and other advanced technologies, M1 Pro and M1 Max take Apple silicon even further, and are unlike anything else in a pro notebook."
At this moment, the 27-inch iMac, the high-end Mac mini, and the Mac Pro tower are the only remaining Intel-based Macs that Apple still sells, but even those models are expected to transition to Apple silicon within the next year or so.
The Information's Wayne Ma recently claimed that the next Mac Pro will use a variant of the M1 Max chip with at least two dies for even faster performance, adding that a future high-end Apple silicon chip could offer up to a 40-core CPU.
Satechi today announced the launch of the Pro Hub Mini, a new USB-C hub that's designed for Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro models. The hub is meant to add ports that are unavailable on the new MacBook Pro models, including USB-A ports and an Ethernet port.
Available in either silver or space gray to match the finish of the MacBook Pros, the Pro Hub Mini has one USB-4 port that supports up to 96W charging, data transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s, or a 6K 60Hz display, one USB-C data port that supports transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s, two USB-A 3.0 data ports that support transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s, one Gigabit Ethernet port, and one audio jack port.
The hub is designed to attach to the left side of a 14 or 16-inch MacBook Pro model, and it takes up two USB-C ports and covers the headphone jack, hence the addition of a secondary headphone jack.
Pre-orders for the Pro Hub Mini are available from the Satechi website starting today, and it is set to ship in January. The Pro Hub Mini is priced at $70, but customers who use the promo code PROHUB to pre-order can get a 25 percent discount.
The United Kingdom's Supreme Court today sided with Google in restoring its appeal against a lawsuit that accused it of wrongly tracking users within the iPhone's Safari browser without their consent.
According to the ruling, the judge believed that the lawsuit, which sought to ask for compensation from Google for millions of users allegedly affected by its tracking practices, is "officious" and is acting on behalf of individuals who have not authorized such legal action.
The judge took the view that, even if the legal foundation for the claim made in this action were sound, he should exercise the discretion conferred by CPR rule 19.6(2) by refusing to allow the claim to be continued as a representative action. He characterised the claim as "officious litigation, embarked upon on behalf of individuals who have not authorised it" and in which the main beneficiaries of any award of damages would be the funders and the lawyers.
The case, Lloyd vs. Google, has been a landmark case in the world of privacy cases against larger tech companies. Richard Lloyd claims that between 2011 and 2012, Google tracked users using embedded cookies within its ads network on the iOS Safari browser, despite telling users that no such tracking was taking place.
Lloyd's case against Google was settled in the United States in August 2012, where Google was ruled to pay a $22.5 million penalty. As the FTC wrote at the time, explaining Google's wrongdoing:
In its complaint, the FTC charged that for several months in 2011 and 2012, Google placed a certain advertising tracking cookie on the computers of Safari users who visited sites within Google's DoubleClick advertising network, although Google had previously told these users they would automatically be opted out of such tracking, as a result of the default settings of the Safari browser used in Macs, iPhones and iPads.
According to the FTC's complaint, Google specifically told Safari users that because the Safari browser is set by default to block third-party cookies, as long as users do not change their browser settings, this setting "effectively accomplishes the same thing as [opting out of this particular Google advertising tracking cookie]."
London's High Court initially blocked attempts to bring the case against Google, but the Court of Appeal upheld it. Google subsequently appealed that decision, escalating the case to the UK's Supreme Court. The high court today has decided to keep in place the appeal.
A rare fully functional Apple-1 computer has sold for $500,000 at auction this week, according to John Moran Auctioneers in California (via BBC News).
The rare Hawaiian koa wood-cased Apple-1 has had only two owners, a college professor and his student to whom he sold the machine for $650. The sale included user manuals and Apple software on two cassette tapes.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is believed to have built 200 of the Apple-1 computers and sold 175 of them, making it a rare collector's item.
The computer was originally offered as a bare circuit board to be sold as a kit and completed by electronics hobbyists. However, Steve Jobs later sold 50 fully assembled units of the computer to California-based The Byte Shop, and the koa wood case was added by the pioneering early computer retailer, but only six cases were finished.
"This is kind of the holy grail for vintage electronics and computer tech collectors," Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen told the Los Angeles Times ahead of Tuesday's auction. "That really makes it exciting for a lot of people."
Another fully functional Apple-1 computer sold for $458,711 last year.
Update: The article was updated to reflect the auctioneers' official recorded auction price of $500,000, rather than the earlier reported price of $400,000. The $500,000 total price includes the buyer's premium.
Following a virtual hearing earlier today, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has denied Apple's request to delay the implementation of a permanent injunction that will require Apple to make significant App Store changes.
As part of the judgement in the Apple v. Epic lawsuit, Judge Gonzalez Rogers is requiring Apple to allow developers to add in-app links to outside websites, paving the way for alternate payment options that do not require developers to use the in-app purchase system.
In the original ruling, Apple was given 90 days to implement the changes. Apple in October filed a request asking for more time, and the Cupertino company ultimately wanted to wait to implement any new App Store features until all appeals in the Epic v. Apple lawsuit have concluded.
Apple's request was denied and judge is not providing Apple with any additional time to add the requested App Store functionality, so the changes will need to be made by December 9. Based on the wording of the initial ruling, Apple will be prohibited from restricting developers from including "in their apps and their metadata buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms."
Judge Gonzalez Rogers' said that Apple wanted "an open-ended stay with no requirement that it make an effort to comply," and that there are "multiple avenues" for Apple to comply with the injunction while protecting users.
The Court can envision numerous avenues for Apple to comply with the injunction and yet take steps to protect users, to the extent that Apple genuinely believes that external links would create issues. The Court is not convinced, but nor is it here to micromanage. Consumers are quite used to linking from an app to a web browser. Other than, perhaps, needing time to establish Guidelines, Apple has provided no credible reason for the Court to believe that the injunction would cause the professed devastation. Links can be tested by App Review. Users can open browsers and retype links to the same effect; it is merely inconvenient, which then, only works to the advantage of Apple.
Gonzalez Rogers also said that app developers should be able to choose to use the in-app purchase system or another system. "Consumer information, transparency, and consumer choice is in the interest of the public," she wrote.
Apple attempted to argue that making changes to the App Store rules could "upset the careful balance between developers and customers provided by the App Store," resulting in irreparable harm to Apple and consumers, but that argument was not successful. Apple was also not successful in its argument that it needed more time to work through "the complex and rapidly evolving legal, technological, and economic issues" that the required change would cause.
Apple told The Verge that it will appeal to the Ninth Circuit for a stay after being denied by Judge Gonzalez Rogers. "Apple believes no additional business changes should be required to take effect until all appeals in this case are resolved. We intend to ask the Ninth Circuit for a stay based on these circumstances," the spokesperson said.
Along with the request to stay the injunction, Apple in October filed an appeal against the ruling that is requiring it to change the App Store rules, but that appeal may not be able to play out before the December 9 deadline.
Apple today released the second beta of an upcoming iOS 15.2 update to developers for testing purposes, and the software update adds quite a few new features. This guide highlights everything new that we've found in the second iOS 15.2 beta.
Legacy Contacts
With Legacy Contacts, you can set a trusted person to be able to access your Apple ID and your data (or "Digital Legacy") after you die. The person that you designate as your contact can access your photos, messages, notes, files, contacts, calendar events, apps, device backups, and more. iCloud Keychain passwords remain inaccessible, as does licensed media.
The Legacy Contact option can be accessed by opening up the Settings app, selecting "Password & Security," and choosing "Legacy Contact" from the list. From there, you can select a trusted person to access your account after you pass away.
Find My Lost Item Scanning
In the Find My app, Apple has added a new option for "Items That Can Track Me." Tapping on this allows users to search for nearby items that might be used to track their location.
When activated, the Unknown Items feature scans for anything that's nearby, and will let users know either way if there's a device that belongs to someone else nearby. If an item is detected, Apple offers instructions on how to disable the device so that it can no longer be used for tracking purposes.
There's also a "Help Return Lost Items" option that also scans for nearby devices that might be lost, and it works similarly to the tracking scan. If a lost device is found, Apple provides instructions on how to find who it belongs to.
iPadOS TV app
In iPadOS 15, Apple has introduced a new design for the TV app. The TV app features a sidebar, which makes navigation between the various sections of the TV app simpler.
In iOS 15.2, there's a dedicated "Store" tab in the TV app for accessing movies and TV shows that can be purchased. The new design and the addition of a Store tab may help separate Apple TV+ content from paid content, as the existing design has been confusing for some users.
Always-On Dark Mode for CarPlay Maps App
Code in iOS 15.2 suggests that there's a new option to turn Dark Mode on permanently for the CarPlay Maps app.
Hide My Email in the Mail App
You can use Hide My Email directly from the Mail app after installing the iOS 15.2 beta. When composing an email, just tap on the "From" field and select the "Hide My Email" option to generate a random email address.
Hide My Email is available to everyone who has an iCloud+ plan, and it's a useful feature for protecting your email address.
All the emails sent to the random Apple-created email address are forwarded to you so you can respond if needed, but the person on the receiving end does not see your real email address. And if you start getting spam emails from someone, you can just delete the email address and put a stop to it.
Display Repair Restriction Changes
Apple today told The Verge that it is introducing a software update that will change an iPhone 13 policy that caused Face ID to be non-functional when repairs were made to a broken display. Apple has a microcontroller that pairs the iPhone 13 to its display, and when performing a display repair, the microcontroller must be paired to the display using Apple's tools.
Independent repair shops do not have access to those tools, and they were upset about being unable to easily perform display repairs. Apple is removing the microcontroller pairing requirement that disabled Face ID for iPhone 13 models with swapped displays, and code suggests that the change is in the iOS 15.2 beta.
Communication Safety
With the second beta of iOS 15.2, Apple is enabling Communication Safety in Messages for children. The feature is designed to scan incoming messages on children's devices for nudity, and it is opt-in and must be enabled by parents. It is limited to the accounts of children and is not the same as the CSAM functionality that Apple still has in development.
Bugs
Apple says there are a few remaining bugs in the beta. Streaming in the Music app can cause higher CPU usage and faster battery drain, and users who import a verifiable vaccination record are not able to add it to the Wallet app at this time.
Macro Mode Toggle
iOS 15.2 adds a manual toggle for Macro mode, in the form of a flower icon that can be tapped to toggle Macro mode off when the camera is close to an object.
To get the option of the new toggle, users need to go to Settings, navigate to Camera, and turn off Auto Macro. Then, when close enough to an object, the toggle will appear automatically. Apple has also added new Preserve Settings for Auto Macro.
Guide Feedback
See a new feature in iOS 15.2 that's not listed here? Let us know in the comments.
Apple today announced that Alex Gorsky, the chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, has joined its board of directors.
In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook called Gorsky a "visionary in healthcare," and said that Apple will benefit from his expertise.
"Alex has long been a visionary in healthcare, applying his tremendous insight, experience, and passion for technology to the cause of improving lives and building healthier communities," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "We're excited to welcome him to Apple's board of directors, and I know that all of us will benefit from his leadership and expertise."
Gorksy said that it is an honor to join the board of directors and that he believes in technology's potential to improve lives.
"I've long shared Apple's belief that technology has the potential to improve lives and create healthier communities," said Alex Gorsky. "It's an honor to join Apple's board of directors, and to be part of a values-led company that's constantly innovating to both enable and enhance the way we live."
Gorsky has been at Johnson & Johnson since 1988, working in sales, management, and marketing before he was named CEO in 2012. He is set to step down as CEO of the company on January 3, 2022, but will continue to serve as executive chairman.
Gorsky joins other Apple board members that include Arthur D. Levinson, James A. Bell, Albert Gore, Andrea Jung, Monica Lozano, Ronald D. Sugar, and Susan L. Wagner.
Former Apple design chief Jony Ive is still working with Apple, he confirmed today in an interview with Vogue's Anna Wintour at the RE:WIRED event. Ive participated in a panel called "Designing for the Future We Want to Inhabit," where he spoke on topics like Steve Jobs, wearables, and LoveFrom.
Ive confirmed that his LoveFrom design company is working with Apple, but he did not provide details on what specific projects he has done for the Cupertino company, nor did he outline if he has been involved with the development of new devices.
In addition to working with Apple, Ive's company has done work for Airbnb, Emerson Collective, Moncler, and Ferrari, among others.
Ive also spoke on the future of wearables, and he said that he expects wearable technology to continue to advance to the point where some devices are embedded in the body. "There's no doubt... that some of these products will disappear beneath our skin," he said. "I can't think of anything more personal, more specific, more individual, and more intimate than things being inside us."
Ive said that the iPod was, essentially, Apple's first piece of wearable technology, in a discussion about the recent 20th anniversary of the device. "I think what the iPod really marked was the beginning of creating far more specific products and devices," he said.
Steve Jobs often comes up in Ive's interviews, and today's panel was no exception. Ive said that he remembers Jobs for his drive and his values. "There was this relish, this celebration of being surprised," said Ive. "Even if the surprise actually meant that he was wrong. He was far more interested in the learning than in being right."
According to Ive, some of his memories of his most productive times with Jobs were when the two were just walking together and thinking close to one another. "Almost always, in my experience, the most powerful ideas occur quietly, and they are fragile," he said.
Apple today updated its iPhone trade-in site, dropping the maximum trade-in prices of almost all of its trade-in options. Trading in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, for example, will now net you $700, $90 less than it was worth yesterday.
With Apple's trade-in program, customers can send in their old devices and receive an Apple gift card that can be put toward the purchase of a new device. Apple regularly adjusts trade-in pricing, and the new amounts for iPhones are listed below.
iPhone 12 Pro Max - Up to $700, down from $790
iPhone 12 Pro - Up to $600, down from $640
iPhone 12 - Up to $450, down from $530
iPhone 12 mini - Up to $350, down from $400
iPhone SE (2nd generation) - Up to $160, down from $170
iPhone 11 Pro Max - Up to $450, down from $500
iPhone 11 Pro - Up to $400, down from $450
iPhone 11 - Up to $300, down from $340
iPhone XS Max - Up to $280, down from $320
iPhone XS - Up to $220, down from $240
iPhone XR - Up to $200, down from $230
iPhone X - Up to $200 (no change)
iPhone 8 Plus - Up to $160, down from $180
iPhone 8 - Up to $100, down from $110
iPhone 7 Plus - Up to $100, down from $110
iPhone 7 - Up to $40, down from $50
iPhone 6s Plus - Up to $50, down from $60
iPhone 6s - Up to $30 (no change)
Apple has also dropped trade-in prices for tablets and computers. For tablets, customers can now receive up to $550, down from a previous $580 maximum. For computers, Apple is offering up to $2720, down from $3240. Maximum trade-in prices have not changed from the Apple Watch and users can still receive up to $270.
The trade-in prices listed in this article are Apple's maximums for each product and represent the amount you'll receive for a device in perfect condition. Trade-in prices drop based on device condition.
Apple offers trade-ins for both Apple devices and devices from other companies such as Samsung, and prices vary based on the original cost of the device, the device's age, the device's condition, and other factors. It's worth noting that most people will be able to find better trade-in deals elsewhere, with the best prices available from selling devices directly to another person using a site like eBay or Swappa.
With the iOS 15.2 beta that was released today, Apple has added enhancements to the Find My app. There's a new feature that's designed to let users scan for AirTags or Find My-enabled items that might be tracking them.
When opening the Find My app after installing the beta and going to the "Items" tab, there's an option for "Items That Can Track Me." Tapping on this allows users to search for nearby items that might be used to track their location.
When activated, the Unknown Items feature scans for anything that's nearby, and will let users know either way if there's a device that belongs to someone else nearby. If an item is detected, Apple offers instructions on how to disable the device so that it can no longer be used for tracking purposes.
Apple also has a "Help Return Lost Items" option, which is the same as the prior "Identify Found Item." The Help Return Lost Items feature launches a scan that locates nearby devices and provides instructions on how to contact the device's owner, with instructions personalized based on the device in question.
AirTags and items with Find My integration are meant to allow users to track their lost devices, but there have been concerns that AirTags can be planted on people for stalking purposes. To prevent stalking with AirTags and other devices, Apple has implemented several safety measures.
AirTags are designed to start playing a sound between eight and 24 hours after being separated from their owner, and iPhone users are alerted if an AirTag is traveling with them. Apple is working on an Android app that will let Android users detect an unknown AirTag or Find My network-enabled item to prevent AirTags from being used to stalk Android users.
Belkin today began a new sale for "Singles Day," which is an international shopping holiday similar in spirit to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, held annually on November 11. Belkin's sale takes 20 percent off sitewide with code SINGLE21 through the 11th.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Belkin. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Belkin is known for its wide range of charging accessories that are compatible with Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. The coupon code works on products like cables, MagSafe-compatible accessories, charging bricks, docks, speakers, adapters, and more.
Following the launch of the iPhone 13 models, iFixit and other independent repair outlets found that replacing the iPhone's display renders Face ID non-functional, limiting repairs to Apple itself, Apple Authorized Service Providers, and Apple-associated repair shops. The change made it much more difficult for smaller, independent repair shops to perform iPhone 13 display repairs on broken devices.
Image via iFixit
Given the blowback from repair providers unhappy with the restriction, Apple has decided to change its policy. Apple told The Verge that it plans to introduce a software update that will allow for standard display repairs that do not disable Face ID.
With the iPhone 13 models, Apple added a small microcontroller that pairs the iPhone 13 to its display. When performing a display repair, this microcontroller must be paired to the new display using Apple's tools, which independent repair shops do not have access to. Without this pairing process, swapping an iPhone 13 display with a new display results in an error message that says "Unable to activate Face ID on this iPhone."
Repair shops without access to Apple's pairing tools could take the microcontroller from the original display and add it to a new display, but it's a finicky process that requires soldering and a microscope to perform.
The software update that Apple plans to implement will remove the restriction that requires the microcontroller to be transferred to a new display when a repair is made, so independent shops will once again be able to repair screens without impacting the functionality of Face ID.
There is no word yet on when Apple will add the software update to simplify iPhone display repairs for independent repair providers, but iOS 15.2 is in beta testing at the current time and the feature could be introduced in that update.
When iOS 15 was first introduced in June, Apple outlined a new Digital Legacy feature that's designed to let you set a person as your Legacy Contact, giving the person access to your Apple ID account and personal information in the event of your death.
Apple did not include Legacy Contact in the iOS 15 launch as the feature was not ready, but it is available in the iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 betas that were released today.
The Legacy Contact option can be accessed by opening up the Settings app, tap on your profile picture and then select "Password & Security." From there, choose "Legacy Contact" from the list and you can select a trusted person to access your account after you pass away.
The person will have access to your data, and the contact will need to provide an access key and a copy of a death certificate to use your Apple ID account. The feature is designed to give your loved ones access to your photos, videos, notes, documents, and other personal information.
iCloud+ subscribers who use Hide My Email can do so directly from the Mail app after installing the iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, and macOS Monterey 12.1 betas that came out today.
The feature update is outlined in Apple's release notes for the beta, and it should make Hide My Email much more convenient to use on Apple devices. For those unfamiliar with Hide My Email, it is an iOS 15 and macOS Monterey feature available to anyone with a paid iCloud+ plan (priced starting at $0.99 per month).
Hide My Email allows users to create unique, random email addresses that forward to a personal inbox. It's similar to a password manager for email addresses, with users able to generate random email addresses for each website or login.
All the emails sent to the random Apple-created email address are forwarded to you so you can respond if needed, but the person on the receiving end does not see your real email address. And if you start getting spam emails from someone, you can just delete the email address and put a stop to it.
Hide My Email was previously available from the iCloud Settings on Apple devices, but now it can also be accessed directly in the Mail app. In the Mail app when composing an email, click on the "From" field to see the option to generate a "Hide My Email" email address. Selecting this feature will generate a random email address, effectively concealing your true email address.
Netflix today announced the launch of Netflix Games for iOS, one week after rolling out the feature on Android devices. Netflix Games, included with a Netflix subscription, allows users to play a handful of games on their mobile devices.
Available gaming titles include "Stranger Things: 1984," "Stranger Things 3: The Game," "Shooting Hoops," "Card Blast," and "Teeter Up."
Accessing games on Netflix requires a Netflix subscription, and there are no ads, additional fees, or in-app purchases, which is how Apple's gaming service, Apple Arcade, operates. Netflix is releasing each game as an individual app on the App Store while allowing users to see the full catalog of games in the Netflix app, which is well within Apple's App Store rules for gaming subscription services.
Netflix Games is coming to iOS! Starting tomorrow, you can access Netflix Games through the Netflix app on any mobile device, anywhere in the world. pic.twitter.com/LoHYFi4xBX
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) November 9, 2021
With this method, Apple is able to individually approve each of the games that Netflix submits to the App Store. Games will appear on the Home screen of an iOS device and within the Netflix mobile app, and will require authentication with Netflix to play.
As noted by Bloomberg, the games that Netflix have introduced include an option to subscribe to Netflix using an in-app purchase. With this method, Apple receives a 30 percent cut of the money that Netflix collects from subscribers (after a year, Apple's cut drops to 15 percent).
The main Netflix app has not offered an in-app purchase subscription option for several years now to allow Netflix to avoid paying Apple's fees. With each game, Netflix asks users to sign in with an existing account or sign up for a new account, and the sign-up process uses the in-app purchase system. A standard plan is priced at $13.99 per month through the game apps, which is the same price as the plan when signing up on the web.
Netflix Games are available individually on the iOS App Store at this time, and starting tomorrow, the games will be listed in the Netflix app. As with the Android rollout, iPhone and iPad users will see a dedicated games row where they can select games to access.
Apple over the summer announced new Child Safety features that are aimed at keeping children safer online. Apple has confirmed that one of those features, Communication Safety in Messages, has been enabled in the second beta of iOS 15.2 that was released today, after hints of it appeared in the first beta. Note that Communication Safety is not the same as the controversial anti-CSAM feature that Apple plans to implement in the future after revisions.
Communication Safety is a Family Sharing feature that can be enabled by parents, and it is opt-in rather than activated by default. When turned on, the Messages app is able to detect nudity in images that are sent or received by children. If a child receives or attempts to send a photo with nudity, the image will be blurred and the child will be warned about the content, told it's okay not to view the photo, and offered resources to contact someone they trust for help.
When Communication Safety was first announced, Apple said that parents of children under the age of 13 had the option to receive a notification if the child viewed a nude image in Messages, but after receiving feedback, Apple has removed this feature. Apple now says that no notifications are sent to parents.
Apple removed the notification option because it was suggested that parental notification could pose a risk for a child in a situation where there is parental violence or abuse. For all children, including those under the age of 13, Apple will instead offer guidance on getting help from a trusted adult in a situation where nude photos are involved.
Checking for nudity in photos is done on-device, with Messages analyzing image attachments. The feature does not impact the end-to-end encryption of messages, and no indication of the detection of nudity leaves the device. Apple has no access to the Messages.
In addition to introducing Communication Safety, Apple later this year plans to expand Siri and Search with resources that will help children and parents avoid unsafe situations online. Users who ask Siri how to report child exploitation, for example, will receive information on how to file a report.
If an Apple device user performs a search related to child exploitation, Siri and Search will explain that interest in the topic is harmful, providing resources for users to get help with the issue.
Apple in September promised to overhaul Communication Safety after hearing feedback from customers, advocacy groups, and researchers before implementing the feature, which is where the changes introduced today stem from.
Communication Safety is available in a beta capacity at the current time, and there's no word yet on when iOS 15.2 will see an official release. We're only at the second beta, so it still may be some time before launch.
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