MacRumors

A long-time alternative to Apple's Files app has been Documents, developed by Readdle. Today, the company is launching "Documents X," intending to speed up everyday productivity tasks and offer users a refreshed design.

At the heart of Documents X is a feature Readdle is calling "Smart Actions." Smart Actions are contextual actions that are recommended to users depending on an action they just took. For example, if a user uploads a file to Dropbox or Google Drive, the app may suggest that the user shares the link. If a user downloads a music video, they may get presented with a Smart Action to extract the audio from the video.

The number of Smart Actions is rather extensive and is built directly into the app without launching external apps or services to perform them. Readdle says all the actions are "performed locally, which means that your files and activities don’t leave the device."

Documents X is also built on an updated design philosophy Readdle is calling "FOCUS." FOCUS aims to reduce complexity for the in-app experience while maintaining a high level of attention to detail and simplicity. The new design includes updated colors, icons, menus, controls, and more that have been "thoughtfully designed."

Documents X can be downloaded from the App Store for free [Direct Link].

Each Twitter Super Follow subscription is an individual in-app purchase for every account with the feature set up, it has emerged.

The unusual system, spotted by Jane Manchun Wong, means that for every Super Follow there is an individual in-app purchase for that account specifically. Some observers are speculating that each Super Follow in-app purchase will have to be set up manually by Twitter on the ‌App Store‌, making the system even more unconventional.

The ‌App Store‌ does not allow for multiple instances of the same subscription, leading other platforms such as YouTube and Twitch to get around this by effectively allowing users to buy a sub-token that can be directed toward a specific creator.

This means that there will be thousands of Twitter in-app purchases, dwarfing Twitter's own Twitter Blue subscription and Ticketed Spaces, Twitter's ‌App Store‌ page will only show 10 in-app purchases since it would be impractical to show the entire list.

Apple only allows developers to create up to 10,000 in-app purchases, so it is not clear if Twitter will limit the users eligible to sell Super Follows at 10,000 minus Ticketed Spaces and Twitter Blue.

Twitter announced Super Follows earlier this year, allowing creators with at least 10,000 Followers to charge up to $9.99 per month as a subscription for access to exclusive tweets. Twitter takes a three percent cut of Super Follow subscriptions up to a total of $50,000, making Apple's 30 percent in-app purchase fee markedly larger.

The feature finally launched yesterday, starting in the United States and Canada, but it will be rolling out globally on iOS in the next few weeks.

Apple is rumored to be in Asia visiting Toyota as it prepares to lay the supplier groundwork to mass produce a branded car by 2024, according to a new report by DigiTimes.

Apple representatives were said to have met with South Korea's SK Group and LG Electronics last month to discuss Apple Car development, and now Japan's Toyota is being touted as its next potential destination.

Apple has been working on a car-related project since at least 2014, and at one stage it looked as if the company was scaling back to focus on autonomous vehicle software. However, following several changes in management and hiring, Apple is now believed to be focused on building a car for consumers.

But to do that, the company needs to tap into a whole new supply chain. Apple is expected to rely on a manufacturing partner to build the vehicles, and though it wants to make EV batteries in the United States, it may be seeking partnerships with established vehicle makers like Toyota to do so.

Reuters has previously reported that Apple is developing a new battery design that has the potential to "radically" reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle's range.

One person who spoke to Reuters described Apple's "monocle" battery technology as "next level" and said that it's similar to "the first time you saw the iPhone."

Reuters' reporting claimed that Apple is aiming to begin production on an Apple-branded self-driving vehicle starting in 2024, so DigiTimes' focus on that date isn't necessarily a shot in the dark. However, delays caused by the ongoing global health crisis or current chip shortage could always push production to 2025 or beyond.

Eve today released an update to its latest version of the Eve Thermo that adds Thread support to the HomeKit-enabled smart radiator valve (via HomeKitNews).

The update fulfills a pledge the German company made late last year to bring Thread support to several products, and follows its inclusion in devices like the Eve Energy Smart plug (fourth generation), Eve Aqua (second generation), Eve Weather, and Eve Door & Window (third generation).

As a quick explainer, Thread is a low latency and low power mesh-like network for smart devices. Unlike Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the Thread standard doesn't depend on a router or hub. Instead, the smart device itself extends the network by talking to other Thread-enabled devices, thereby boosting the signal between them.

Apple's HomePod mini and the latest Apple TV 4K act as Thread border routers, and by adding Thread-supported devices around the home, users can typically expect improved connectivity compared to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, a wider control range, and more remote scheduling options.

In related news, version 5.3 of the Eve app adds support for its upcoming HomeKit-enabled MothionBlinds, which are expected to launch sometime this year.

Apple hopes to circumvent Samsung in the supply of components for a "folded" telephoto lens for 2023 iPhones, according to unnamed sources cited by Korean website The Elec.

The report claims Apple has approached Jahwa Electronics, which is part of Samsung's supply chain, to supply an optical image stabilization module for the camera. Jahwa co-developed the technology with Samsung, which could cause Apple patent problems down the line. However, Apple likely has its own workaround for the patents or will end up paying a licensing fee to Samsung, according to the report.

The Elec links these latest developments to iPhone models for release in 2023, but the outlet has previously claimed that Apple may use components made by Samsung for a "folded" telephoto lens on at least some ‌iPhone‌ models in 2022.

Samsung's Electro-Mechanics subsidiary will reportedly supply components such as actuators and lenses to LG, which in turn will use the components to manufacture the folded camera module to supply to Apple. This move would supposedly prevent Apple from hurting its relationship with LG, and address issues related to patents.

The possibility of a folded or "periscope" lens on 2022 iPhones was first mentioned by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in March last year, and there have been several rumors since. The technology would allow for significantly increased optical zoom on iPhones, well beyond the current 2x and 2.5x limits on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, respectively. Huawei's P40 Pro+ smartphone, for example, features a periscope lens with up to 10x optical zoom.

With folded camera optics, light absorbed by the image sensor is bent or "folded," allowing for increased optical zoom and improved image quality while maintaining a compact lens design appropriate for smartphones. For a more detailed explanation of what a periscope lens is and when Apple will adopt one in its iPhones, check out our dedicated guide.

Apple could be facing a widespread investigation into the App Store in India, and more specifically, the company's in-app purchasing system, which grants it a 15% to 30% commission for all purchases made, reports Reuters.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), which oversees cases of possible anti-competitive and antitrust behavior, is reviewing an antitrust challenge case against Apple presented by a non-profit Indian group. The group claims, in their case, that Apple's standard 30% commission for in-app purchases "hurts competition" since it raises costs for both the developer and the customer.

"The existence of the 30% commission means that some app developers will never make it to the market ... This could also result in consumer harm," said the filing, which has been seen by Reuters.

Apple has already faced countless similar cases worldwide, including in the European Union and by developer groups in the United States. In its current stage, the case is not prompting a more exhaustive investigation by the Indian government. Instead, Reuters says that it will be reviewed by the CCI in the coming weeks, possibly leading to a probe.

The group behind the case is ultimately asking for Apple to allow third-party payment methods into its app, allowing developers to bypass its 15% to 30% commission. The new case was reported just hours after Apple announced that, beginning sometime next year, it will allow "reader" apps to link users to external websites for purchases.

The new policy change is the second of just the past few weeks. Last week, Apple conceded to allow developers to email users about payment methods available outside of their apps. However, the new changes stop short of not requiring developers to use the company's proprietary in-app purchasing system and instead allows them to just add a clearly distinguished link to an external website for payment.

Spotify has announced a new partnership with Delta that will see the streaming service take over the "audio" section of Delta's in-flight seatback entertainment, making select playlists and podcasts freely available to all passengers.

You are now free to roam about the cabin—and get the music and podcasts you love at 30,000 feet. Beginning today, we're taking off in a new partnership with Delta in which Spotify will take over the "audio" section of Delta's in-flight seatback entertainment. This means passengers on Delta flights that are equipped with seatback entertainment globally can now enjoy their favorite audio content exclusively in-flight on Delta Studio.

According to the press release, the free in-flight content is licensed directly by Delta and will include specially curated versions of Spotify's most popular playlists, along with 42 select podcast series to choose from.

In other words, not all Spotify content will be available, but passengers will be able to listen to playlists such as such as Mood Booster, Are & Be, Hot Country, mint, Today's Top Hits, Relax & Unwind, RapCaviar, and Ultimate Indie.

The first podcasts available will include Crime Junkie, Science Vs, StartUp, The Dave Chang Show, The Hottest Take, The Journal, and more.

Spotify says the update to Delta's in-flight entertainment is rolling out now, with more content being updated regularly and more coming in October.

Apple today announced that the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has agreed to close its App Store investigation in exchange for changes to how "reader" apps like Netflix operate. Reader apps allow users to browse previously purchased content or content subscriptions for digital magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, and video.

Going forward, developers that create "reader" apps will be able to include an in-app link to their website for users to either set up or manage an account, and signup using a non-App Store payment method will be possible. Apple says that this change will be applied globally to all reader apps on the ‌App Store‌.

Because reader apps do not offer in-app digital goods and services for purchase, Apple has agreed to let these apps share just one link to their website for "account management" purposes.

"Trust on the App Store is everything to us. The focus of the App Store is always to create a safe and secure experience for users, while helping them find and use great apps on the devices they love," said Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow who oversees the App Store. "We have great respect for the Japan Fair Trade Commission and appreciate the work we've done together, which will help developers of reader apps make it easier for users to set up and manage their apps and services, while protecting their privacy and maintaining their trust."

Apple says that prior to when the change goes into effect in 2022, the ‌App Store‌ guidelines and the review process will be updated to "make sure users of reader apps continue to have a safe experience on the ‌App Store‌." Apple plans to help developers of reader apps "protect users when they link to an external website to make purchases."

Apple last week paid $100 million and agreed to make minor changes to its ‌App Store‌ policies to settle a class-action developer lawsuit. The money is going to a "fund" for small developers, who will receive payments from Apple.

Under the terms of that deal, Apple will let developers use communication methods like email to tell customers about payment methods available outside of iOS apps, and it will expand the price points that developers can offer for apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions. Apple also plans to release annual transparency reports on the app review process.

The "reader" app change introduced today is a much more significant victory for Apple developers because it will allow apps to provide an in-app link to a website where a purchase can be made outside of the ‌App Store‌. This will be available for apps like Spotify and Netflix, and it addresses one of the biggest issues that developers have with the ‌App Store‌. Once implemented in 2022, a huge swath of developers will have an option to offer non-App Store signups to avoid the 15 to 30 percent cut that Apple takes from each transaction.

Two of Apple's self-driving cars operating in manual mode were involved in minor collisions in August, according to the California DMV.

The first incident [PDF] occurred in San Diego, California in the Hillcrest area on August 19. The Lexus RX 450h was stopped in traffic and was hit by a Hyundai. The accident was described as minor with no injuries.

The second accident [PDF] occurred on August 23 in Cupertino, California, right near the Apple Park campus. The vehicle with Apple's self-driving equipment was in manual mode and it was stopped in traffic when it was rear ended by a Subaru Outback.

Both of these incidents were not the fault of the self-driving vehicle or the person operating the vehicle, and are largely not notable. What is interesting, though, is that Apple vehicles were involved in two collisions in the same month after no accidents since September 2019.

Earlier this year, the California DMV's disengagement and mileage reports suggested that Apple's Lexus SUVs with self-driving software traversed more than 18,000 miles in 2020, a steep increase compared to prior years. It's possible that Apple has ramped up its testing in 2021, leading to a higher number of incidents.

Apple has been testing its self-driving software since early 2017, using the aforementioned Lexus RX 450h vehicles outfitted with sensors and cameras. The work on autonomous driving is part of Apple's longtime car project, and rumors suggest Apple is planning to release a vehicle in the mid to late 2020s.

Twitter today announced the official launch of Super Follows, a new feature that allows creators to provide subscriber-only content that requires a paid fee to access.

First introduced in February, Super Follow is another method that Twitter is using to monetize tweets and provide content creators with a way to earn money on the platform.

Creators who use the Super Follow feature on Twitter can charge $2.99, $4.99, or $9.99 per month to allow their subscribers to access exclusive tweet content. According to Twitter, creators are eligible to keep up to 97 percent of revenue until a $50,000 threshold is reached, and after that, creators will earn up to 80 percent of revenue after in-app purchase fees.

Twitter says that Super Follows are designed for anyone that brings "unique perspectives and personalities" to Twitter to drive public conversation.

At the current time, Super Follows are available to a small group of U.S. content creators that applied to participate, but people can apply to join the waitlist to set up a Super Follows subscription. 10,000 or more Twitter follows are required.

Those interested in subscribing to an account that offers Super Follows can tap on the Super Follow button on an account's profile to see pricing details. Super Follow is limited to the U.S. and Canada at the current time, but it will be rolling out globally on iOS in the next few weeks.

Apple this week began asking all of its employees in the United States to provide details on their vaccination status, reports Bloomberg.

Employees have been asked to voluntarily share whether they have been vaccinated by mid-September, and this applies to both employees working in an office and those working remotely. In a memo, Apple said that its focus is keeping "team members, their friends and families, and our entire community healthy," but also mentioned creating a safe work environment.

"It is possible your vaccination status may be used in an identifiable manner, along with other information about your general work environment such as your building location, if we determine or, if it is required that, this information is necessary in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment."

Apple plans to use the responses to inform COVID-19 response efforts and protocols, and according to Bloomberg, the company had already asked for data from employees in California, Washington, and New Jersey in order to comply with local regulations. Vaccine data is being kept confidential with information aggregated and not shared with managers, but that could change in the future.

Tech companies like Google and Facebook have mandated vaccines for their employees, but Apple has not done so. Last week, after the Pfizer vaccine received FDA approval, Apple began pushing its employees to get vaccinated.

Apple has launched an internal web page to encourage vaccines, in addition to sending out memos and holding internal talks as part of a vaccination campaign. Apple is offering vouchers to get employees vaccinated through Walgreens, and it is offering on-site vaccinations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin. Paid time off is available for vaccine appointments, as is paid sick leave for those who experience side effects.

These requests come as Apple is trying to determine when employees will be able to return to in-person work. Apple originally planned to have employees come into the office three days a week starting in September, but due to the delta variant, that has been pushed back until at least January 2022.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.

Twitter today announced that it is testing a new feature called Safety Mode, which is designed to cut down on harassment and unwelcome interactions on the social network.

Users who often get unwanted, spammy, or abusive replies to their tweets can turn on Safety Mode, which will autoblock accounts that use harmful language like insults, or send repetitive, uninvited replies and mentions.

Twitter says that Safety Mode assesses the likelihood of a negative engagement by considering the Tweet's content and the relationship between the Tweet author and replier. People blocked by Safety Mode will be unable to follow your account, see your Tweets, or send Direct Messages.

With Safety Mode, the autoblock stays on for a minimum of seven days, and autoblocked accounts are listed in the Safety Mode interface. Accounts that a person follows will not be autoblocked.

To develop Safety Mode, Twitter consulted trusted partners with expertise in online safety, mental health, and human rights.

We want you to enjoy healthy conversations, so this test is one way we're limiting overwhelming and unwelcome interactions that can interrupt those conversations. Our goal is to better protect the individual on the receiving end of Tweets by reducing the prevalence and visibility of harmful remarks.

Twitter is testing Safety Mode with a small group of people at the current time and will expand the testing group as feedback is received. During the beta testing period, Twitter says it will incorporate improvements and adjustments before releasing the feature for all users.

After unveiling its latest Pixel 6 smartphones with a custom Arm-based Google Tensor chip last month, Google is also developing its own Arm-based processors for future Chromebook laptops and tablets, according to Nikkei Asia.

Google plans to roll out its own processors for Chromebooks in around 2023, according to the report. Chromebooks are laptops, tablets, and detachable devices that run Google's Chrome OS operating system, and they are available from brands such as Google, Samsung, Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer, and ASUS in several markets.

The report claims that Google was particularly inspired by Apple's success in developing its own chips for not only iPhones, but also Macs following the introduction of the Apple-designed M1 chip last year. The first Macs with Apple silicon chips were released in November 2020 and Apple previously said the transition away from Intel-based processors for its Mac lineup would take about two years to be completed.

The latest Mac to transition to Apple silicon is the base model iMac, which was updated with the M1 chip, a colorful new design, and a larger 24-inch display in April. Apple is also rumored to be planning redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a faster version of the M1 chip for release later this year, with multiple reports having stated the notebooks are likely to be released in October or November.

Apple is planning to add a raft of new health features to the Apple Watch, including blood-pressure trends, a thermometer for fertility and sleep tracking, sleep apnea detection, and diabetes detection, as well as a number of updates for existing models, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Sources who claim to be familiar with Apple's plans and have access to internal company documents told the Wall Street Journal about the company's development of a large number of new Apple Watch health features in detail. Most of these new health monitoring functions are not expected to arrive before 2022.

Apple is said to be considering adding a thermometer to the Apple Watch for health monitoring purposes as soon as next year. The thermometer's features are purportedly based around fertility planning to give women insights into their ovulation cycle and improved detection of patterns when tracking sleep. Further in the future, there are also plans for this sensor to detect when a user has a fever.

The blood-pressure monitoring feature reportedly detects when pressure is increasing and can highlight the presence of hypertension. Apple intended to release the feature next year but has experienced difficulties in perfecting the technology, according to the report.

As opposed to the common methods that measure blood pressure using an inflatable cuff wrapped around the upper arm, Apple's system measures the speed of the wave of a heartbeat through a user's arteries using sensors. The Apple Watch would then show a user how their blood pressure is trending, but would not be able to provide a baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurement, leading some Apple employees have to raise questions with managers over the usefulness of the feature.

Apple is also purportedly studying blood-pressure monitoring with an additional cuffless device that could provide a more precise reading without inflating.

Further in the future, the company apparently has plans to implement detection for sleep apnea using the existing blood-oxygen sensor, but there have been challenges with taking readings often enough without draining the Apple Watch's battery life. Apple also intends to provide medical guidance when the Apple Watch detects low blood-oxygen levels.

Plans to bring detection of diabetes to the Apple Watch are also underway, but the company is said to have faced challenges with non-invasive blood glucose measuring and struggled to make progress. Apple is apparently working with the National University of Singapore on a research project to examine lifestyle coaching for pre-diabetic people who wear blood-glucose monitoring devices made by other companies.

The report cautioned that these new Apple Watch health features are currently under study and development at Apple and could ultimately be delayed or canceled.

Separately, Apple is also reportedly putting pressure on the FDA to approve a number of updates for existing Apple Watch models. One update would allow people with atrial fibrillation to use the Apple Watch to track their condition over time. Another update would allow the Apple Watch to alert users if their blood-oxygen levels drop.

Currently, the Apple Watch can only look for signs of atrial fibrillation in people who do not have the condition and blood-oxygen monitoring can only provide a reading without alerts for changes.

Apple today announced the first U.S. states that will be rolling out the ability for residents to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch. Arizona and Georgia will be the first states to support the feature, with Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah to follow, according to Apple.

Apple said select TSA security checkpoints in participating U.S. airports will be the first locations where customers can present their mobile driver's license or state ID in the Wallet app. Participating states and the TSA will share more information at a later date in regards to when and where mobile driver's licenses and IDs will be supported.

Apple is already in discussions with many more U.S. states as part of its plan to offer the feature nationwide in the future, according to Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, but no timeframe was provided.

The ability to add a driver's license or ID to the Wallet app is a feature of iOS 15, which will be publicly released later this year. Once a participating state begins offering this capability, customers will be able to tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app to begin adding their license or ID, and then simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch on an identity reader at a TSA checkpoint, without taking out their physical card.

Apple said the feature is designed with privacy and security in mind. When adding a driver's license or state ID card to the Wallet app, customers will be required to take a photo of their face, which will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification. As an additional measure, Apple said users will be prompted to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process.

Upon tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch on an identity reader, customers will see a prompt on their device displaying the specific information being requested by the TSA. Only after authorizing with Face ID or Touch ID is the requested identity information released from their device, according to Apple. Users do not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device to a TSA security officer to present their ID, the company added.

Apple said its mobile ID implementation supports the ISO 18013-5 standard, which sets clear privacy guidelines for presenting an ID through a mobile device.

This feature will expand upon the Wallet app's existing support for student IDs at select universities and colleges in the U.S. and Canada.

Apple today announced that it's expanding its "Creative Studios" initiative, part of Today at Apple, to Washington D.C. and Chicago, offering "career-building programming and creative resources to underrepresented communities."

The new initiative will launch in collaboration with local and community partners and non-profits to enable writers, photographers, and others to have access to hands-on experiences in their fields. The initiative will launch in Chicago on September 18, and in Washington D.C. on September 20.

Launching September 18, Today at Apple Creative Studios - Chicago will work with youth in Little Village to amplify up-and-coming talents' unique stories through photography and illustration. In collaboration with community partners Yollocalli Arts Reach, Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy, and Chicago Architecture Biennial, Apple will provide free arts and cultural programming across five weeks to aspiring artists and photographers, offering the tools they need to embark on their creative journey.

The program, which officially begins September 20, aims to diversify the landscape of children's and youth literature, and is presented in collaboration with local nonprofit Shout Mouse Press — a writing workshop and publishing house with a mission to amplify marginalized voices — and students from the Latin American Youth Center. Through Shout Mouse Press's authorship program, students from the LAYC have authored a collection of four bilingual children's books. Over the six weeks of programming, the students will take these stories through illustration and audio production to reach new audiences and expand their capacity for storytelling.

Apple's senior vice president of retail and people, Deirdre O’Brien, said that Apple is so "excited to be able to connect young people from underrepresented communities with artists and mentors to guide and inspire them in Washington and Chicago."

Telegram Messenger has received a major update that expands support for live video streams, allowing streams to be watched by an unlimited number of viewers.

Version 8 of the popular messaging platform uncaps the previous live stream audience limit of 1,000 viewers for groups and channels, and includes more customization options when forwarding messages, plus a shortcut to switch between channels.

The change makes the previous update that brought group video calls all the more powerful for live broadcasts. "The power to run your own TV station is here, right in your pocket," says Telegram in a blog post, underlining the possibilities.

When forwarding messages, there's a new option to remove captions, and sender names can now be hidden. Meanwhile, at the bottom of a text channel, there's a new option to quickly swipe up and jump to the next unread channel.

This update also makes stickers easier to find, with trending stickers now shown above the "Recently Used" sticker panel, and there's now an unread messages counter in comment threads.

Telegram is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]