Apple Music TV offers a constant live stream of currently popular music videos, live shows, and events that run for 24 hours every day. Every Friday, Apple Music TV debuts new videos and there are appearances from Apple Music 1 radio hosts with interviews and more.
The feature was initially only available in the United States, but Apple is now beginning to roll the service out internationally, starting with the UK and Canada.
Apple appears to be celebrating the launch of Apple Music TV in the UK by featuring songs from British artists such as Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, and Little Mix.
Users can watch Apple Music TV in the Apple Music app as well as in the Apple TV app. In the TV app, users scroll down to find Apple Music TV highlighted on its own dedicated row, and it is also at the top of the Browse tab in Apple Music. There is as yet no other way to bookmark or access the channel.
As many as 68 percent of iPhone users are expected to deny advertisers permission to track them thanks to Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature, in what is beginning to look like a significant blow to the advertising industry (via AdWeek).
With the launch of iOS 14.5, apps will have to receive explicit user permission before accessing an iPhone's advertising identifier or IDFA, which is used to track usage across apps and websites for ad targeting purposes.
Chief analytics officer at marketing company Epsilon, Loch Rose, said "nobody really knows for sure" what will happen once Apple's tracking prompts become widespread, but the cost per mille of in-app ads, which is the cost an advertiser pays for one thousand views or impressions, is expected to drop by as much as 50 percent.
The initial outlook for the number of users giving consent to track looks bleak, with a median opt-in rate of just 32 percent, according to an analysis of 300 apps across 2,000 devices from AppsFlyer, a mobile marketing and attribution company.
The analysis found that apps with higher consumer affinity saw higher opt-in rates, hovering around 40 percent, but some companies such as dating app Bumble are expecting as few as 20 percent of users to opt-in at most, with its lowest opt-in forecast being for less than one percent of users.
Major digital ad company Trade Desk said that 10 percent of the 12 million ad opportunities per second on its platform are tied directly to IDFA metrics.
There is concern in the advertising industry that widespread opt-outs would lead to the complete deprecation of IDFAs, making ad targeting and performance information almost impossible on Apple platforms, since a key piece of data for advertising would essentially be removed and a certain number of users will no longer be targetable at all.
If opt-out rates are high and IDFAs become scarce, app developers and publishers are expecting revenues to be hit in the short term. Advertisers are also aware that opt-in rates may not be consistent when the feature is widely adopted, which may exacerbate the level of uncertainty and lead to inconsistent data.
Approximately 58 percent of advertisers are reportedly planning to move their businesses out of Apple's ecosystem and invest in other areas like Android devices or connected TV as a result of the change.
According to market data compiled by Counterpoint Research, Apple's smallest iPhone since the 2016 iPhone SE, the iPhone 12 mini, struggled to obtain a spot in the top five list of best-selling smartphones in January of this year.
According to the market data, the iPhone 12 mini came in eighth place for the best-selling smartphone worldwide in the first month of the year. However, the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro, and last year’s iPhone 11 enjoyed dominance at the top of the list.
The 5.4-inch iPhone has widely been reported to to have suffered from disappointing sales, with Apple even reportedly cutting production due to "far lower" than expected demand. The smaller handset includes the same features as the larger 6.1-inch iPhone 12, including the same camera system, chip, and overall design. The mini, however, includes a significantly smaller battery, and obviously, a less immersive display.
Despite its struggles, Apple is still reportedly planning to keep the 5.4-inch form factor alive in the 2021 iPhone 13 lineup. The newer handset, alongside the rest of the lineup, will likely benefit from improved battery life thanks to the power efficiency of the A15, which should address concerns from iPhone 12 mini customers about short battery life.
Apple is expected to launch the third iteration of AirPods in the third quarter of this year. Rumors and reports suggest the new AirPods will feature an updated design more in line with the AirPods Pro, but lacking in "Pro" features such as active noise cancellation.
Despite AirPods 3 not yet being officially announced by Apple, counterfeit products of the unreleased earbuds have already hit the market. Videos from TikTok shared on Twittershow fake AirPods, that are precisely in line with previously leaked images claiming to be the real deal.
Apple products are very often faked and sold online on unauthorized Apple marketplaces, so much so that Apple has a team whose sole focus is to crackdown on counterfeit products and prevent them from being sold. Fake Apple products not only present a challenge to the tech giant, but also pose a danger to customers. Buying fake products not only means you're missing out on the latest technology, but they could also present safety hazards and can even be illegal in some countries.
It's no secret that Apple sees iMessage as a big enough selling point to keep the service exclusive to Apple devices, however new court filings submitted by Epic Games in its ongoing lawsuit with the company reveal just how Apple executives have rationalized their decision not to develop a version of iMessage for Android.
Apple clearly recognizes the power that iMessage has to keep users loyal to its platforms, particularly in the U.S., and Epic is using emails as well as extracts from depositions with Apple executives Eddie Cue, Craig Federighi, and Phil Schiller to bolster its narrative that Apple seeks to lock customers into its ecosystem.
For example, the document cites an 2016 email in which an unnamed former Apple employee complained that iMessage "amounts to serious lock-in," which prompted Schiller to respond: "Moving iMessage to Android will hurt us more than help us, this email illustrates why."
a. As early as 2013, Apple decided not to develop a version of iMessage for the Android OS. (Cue Dep. 92:22-93:1.)
b. Mr. Cue testified that Apple "could have made a version on Android that worked with iOS" such that there would "have been cross-compatibility with the iOS platform so that users of both platforms would have been able to exchange messages with one another seamlessly". (Cue Dep. 92:5-9; 92:11-16.)
c. However, Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering and the executive in charge of iOS, feared that "iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove [an] obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones". (PX407, at '122.)
d. Phil Schiller, an Apple executive in charge of the App Store, agreed that Apple should not offer iMessage on Android devices. (Cue Dep. 92:18-93:1.)
e. In 2016, when a former Apple employee commented that "the #1 most difficult [reason] to leave the Apple universe app is iMessage . . . iMessage amounts to serious lock-in" to the Apple ecosystem, Mr. Schiller commented that "moving iMessage to Android will hurt us more than help us, this email illustrates why". (PX416, at '610; Cue Dep. 114:14-115:2.)
As Cue's comments show, Apple was capable of developing an Android version of iMessage as early as 2013, but chose not to, since it would remove one obstacle that prevents families from giving their children Android phones.
In 2016, rumors began swirling around the possibility Apple might launch a version of iMessage for Android smartphones due to the company's increased focus on services, however senior Apple executives shot down those rumors by admitting that having a superior messaging platform that only worked on Apple devices would help sales of those devices, which has been the company's classic (and successful) rationale for years.
Apple does distribute some apps on the Google Play store for Android, such as Apple Music, Move to iOS (for users who are transitioning from an Android smartphone to an iPhone), and Beats, an app used to pair with Beats products with Android devices.
Apple is expected to substantially increase shipments of mmWave enabled iPhone models in 2021 thanks to the increased demand and improved global support for the newer technology, according to DigiTimes.
Apple currently only offers mmWave-enabled iPhone 12 models in the United States and is likely to hold off on offering the option to more countries until the technology is more widely available. According to DigiTimes, that wider availability will take place this year, and as a result, Apple is set to increase shipments of mmWave iPhones.
Apple is expected to boost its 5G mmWave smartphone shipment goal for 2021 as the global economy is on track for stable recovery, and its demand for AiP modules supporting mmWave iPhones will grow remarkably this year, the sources said.
In 2020, Apple lowered its 5G mmWave iPhone shipment projections as construction of the corresponding infrastructure in the US and Europe was severely dragged down by the pandemic.
The iPhone 12 was the first iPhone to feature 5G connectivity. 5G connection includes two types of networks, mmWave, which is considered to be the next widely adopted standard that offers super-fast speeds, and a 6GHz connection that is currently the conventional option worldwide. mmWave networks work through higher frequency radio bands that can range from 24Ghz to as high as 40Ghz.
Due to their increased frequency, mmWave is extremely limited in range and requires more advanced and expensive infrastructure compared to 6GHz. Cities and countries around the world are still very much in the early stages of adopting mmWave technology. Even in cities where mmWave technology is present, real-world 5G speeds can differ greatly depending on your proximity to the mmWave tower and the device you're using.
When we tested Verizon's mmWave network with a Samsung Galaxy S10 5G smartphone in Chicago in mid-2019, we reached speeds as high as almost 2GBs. Still, we found that speeds vary drastically depending on your location and other factors. You can checkout our full mmWave vs. sub-6GHz guide for more information and insight.
The two premium "Pro" models of the upcoming iPhone 13 lineup will be equipped with a low-power LTPO display, enabling the iPhones to have a 120Hz refresh rate, according to industry sources cited by Taiwanese publication DigiTimes.
According to today's paywalled report, Apple suppliers Samsung and LG Display are in the process of converting parts of their production capacity to produce LTPO OLED panels for Apple's upcoming iPhone. The complete conversion of production from LTPS displays to LTPO will likely be completed in the first half of 2021.
Even with the handover to LTPO production completed in the first half of the year, capacity will be lower than previously due to added steps in the development process.
Samsung Display and LG Display, now offering LTPS OLED displays for iPhones, are proceeding with capacity conversion to LTPO ones at their Apple-dedicated 6G OLED lines, with the conversion likely to be completed in the first half of 2021, the sources said, adding that production capacity will drop due to the added oxide step when LTPS is converted to LTPO.
Alongside Samsung and LG Displays, Apple is looking to add Chinese display maker BOE to its list of suppliers for LTPO displays for the iPhone 13, despite having repeatedly failed quality control tests. BOE is reportedly testing LTPO panels at a new "Apple-dedicated" section at one of its plants in China. The report notes that BOE "got the go-ahead from Apple to supply OLED panels in December 2020."
Last year, Apple was widely expected to adopt LTPO displays in its 2020 iPhones, giving them the 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. Despite an avalanche of reports, display analyst Ross Young accurately predicted in July of last year that it would not debut in the iPhone 12 lineup, but instead predicts 120Hz on the 2021 iPhones.
A plausible hurdle Apple may be facing is the increased power consumption that a higher refresh rate presents. On that front, DigiTimes reports that the iPhone 13 Pro models will feature 15-20% reduced power consumption even with the newer displays. While not mentioned in the report, the improved power efficiency is likely thanks to the upcoming A15 chip that will power the new handsets.
Apple first debuted ProMotion in its 2017 iPad Pro, but it has not yet come to the iPhone. The higher 120Hz refresh rate compared to the current 60Hz offers a smoother experience when scrolling and gaming.
Verizon is recalling 2.5 million hotspot devices that it sold because of a faulty lithium ion battery that can overheat, resulting in a fire and burn hazard.
Affected devices include Ellipsis Jetpack Mobile Hotspots with model numbers MHS900L, MHS900LS, and MHS900LPP.
Verizon said on Thursday that it is working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on the recall. Verizon also said that it is working to find the cause of the issues and will provide replacement Orbic Speed devices to customers free of charge.
All Ellipsis Jetpacks have received two over-the-air software updates related to the issue. The first displays the device's identifying number on the scrolling screen to make an exchange easier, and the second prevents the device from charging when it is plugged in and powered on to cut down on the risk of overheating.
According to the CPSC, Verizon has received 15 reports of devices overheating, including six cases that led to fire damage to bedding or flooring. There were two reports of minor burn injuries.
Customers who have an affected Ellipsis Jetpack should get in touch with Verizon through the recall website to arrange a replacement.
Each year, the Zero Day Initiative hosts a "Pwn2Own" hacking contest where security researchers can earn money for finding serious vulnerabilities in major platforms like Windows and macOS.
This 2021 Pwn2Own virtual event kicked off earlier this week and featured 23 separate hacking attempts across 10 different products including web browsers, virtualization, servers, and more. A three-day affair that spans multiple hours a day, this year's Pwn2Own event was livestreamed on YouTube.
Apple products were not heavily targeted in Pwn2Own 2021, but on day one, Jack Dates from RET2 Systems executed a Safari to kernel zero-day exploit and earned himself $100,000. He used an integer overflow in Safari and an OOB write to get kernel-level code execution, as demoed in the tweet below.
Other hacking attempts during the Pwn2Own event targeted Microsoft Exchange, Parallels, Windows 10, Microsoft Teams, Ubuntu, Oracle VirtualBox, Zoom, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge.
A serious Zoom flaw was demonstrated by Dutch researchers Daan Keuper and Thijs Alkemade, for example. The duo exploited a trio of flaws to get total control of a target PC using the Zoom app with no user interaction.
Pwn2Own participants received more than $1.2 million in rewards for the bugs they discovered. Pwn2Own gives vendors like Apple 90 days to produce a fix for the vulnerabilities that are uncovered, so we can expect the bug to be addressed in an update in the not too distant future.
Apple will pay $3.4 million in Chile to settle a lawsuit that accused the Cupertino company of programming a limited lifespan into some of its products to force consumers to upgrade.
150,000 iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and SE owners sued Apple over the same "iPhone Slowdown" issue that Apple has been battling since 2017. Registered participants in Chile can get a maximum of $50.
Apple in 2017 released iOS 10.2.1 with a feature that throttled the performance of older iPhones with degrading batteries to prevent device shutdowns at peak usage times. Apple did not make it clear that mitigating these shutdowns would require device performance to be scaled back, which led to significant consumer upset and a series of lawsuits that Apple is still dealing with today.
The iOS 10.2.1 update and subsequent updates that have introduced measures to preserve battery life are aimed at making iPhones last as long as possible even when battery health declines, but Apple has had a tough time convincing the world that it's not crippling iPhones to make people spend more money.
Apple offered a worldwide battery replacement program with affordable battery upgrades for devices with degraded batteries and it also introduced new battery health features in iOS.
Samsung has launched "iTest," an interactive website experience that's designed to allow iPhone users to test out Android on a Galaxy device, or "sample the other side," as Samsung puts it.
The iTest website is being advertised in New Zealand, according to a MacRumors reader who came across the feature. Visiting the iTest website on an iPhone prompts users to install a web app to the Home screen.
From there, tapping the app launches into a simulated Galaxy smartphone home screen complete with a range of apps and settings options. You can open the Galaxy Store, apply Themes, and even access the messages and phone apps.
You'll get simulated phone calls to tell you about Galaxy features, as well as a series of messages, plus there's a camera tutorial from plumber and photographer Logan Dodds that walks through all of the available photography options.
There are a number of tips that pop up as you navigate through the interface to tell you about all of the features that are inaccessible, plus you can browse through the Galaxy Wearable app with all of Samsung's accessories.
The Gallery app shows off photos, there are tutorials for the Samsung Kids and Samsung Health apps, and the settings app lets you know about some of the customization features available.
Samsung's interactive experience is neat, and there are even a few jokes added in. When you go to the Settings app, for example, tapping on a setting says that the experience was simplified "so our developer could have a lunch break."
Though Samsung seems to be advertising this experience in New Zealand at the current time, anyone can try it out. It's a useful way to get a look at the features that are available on Galaxy devices if you don't own one, and it's definitely Samsung's most ambitious effort yet to attract iPhone users.
Procter & Gamble Co. was one of the companies that worked with the China Advertising Association to test a new data collection tool designed to get around Apple's App Tracking Transparency rules, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The state-backed China Advertising Agency developed a new method of tracking users called CAID to replace access to the IDFA or advertising identifier of an iPhone or iPad. Starting with iOS 14.5, Apple will not let apps access the IDFA of a device without express user permission, which will have an impact on cross-app and cross-website tracking used for ad targeting.
CAID has been in testing in China with major companies like Baidu, ByteDance (TikTok), and Tencent, as well as Proctor and Gamble. Apple in mid-March began warning developers not to circumvent App Tracking Transparency rules with methods like CAID. Apple has told developers that attempting to get around the new ad tracking restrictions will result in removal from the App Store.
"The App Store terms and guidelines apply equally to all developers around the world, including Apple," an Apple spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. "We believe strongly that users should be asked for their permission before being tracked. Apps that are found to disregard the user's choice will be rejected."
As a major worldwide advertiser, P&G has a vested interest in tracking users, and is the biggest Western company involved in the efforts to create an App Tracking Transparency alternative. P&G owns many major brands that include Gillette, Charmin, Pampers, Tide, Bounty, Pantene, Crest, Febreeze, and tons more.
In a statement, P&G told The Wall Street Journal that it is providing input to the China Advertising Agency in an effort to "deliver useful content consumers want in a way that prioritizes data privacy, transparency and consent." Delivering useful content to consumers "means partnering with platforms and publishers--both directly and through our advertising associations across the globe."
P&G maintains its own consumer database that does not rely on Facebook, Google, and other ad platforms. According to The Wall Street Journal, P&G has built a database of 1.5 million customers worldwide using a combination of anonymous consumer IDs and personal information that customers share. P&G largely uses this database in China, where it spends 80 percent of its digital ad buying on targeted ads.
P&G declined to offer additional details on the CAID tool and did not say whether it will use the technology. It is not yet clear how Apple will respond to CAID if some of the biggest companies in the world adopt the ad tracking alternative. When news about the warnings to Chinese developers came out, a Chinese marketing industry veteran said that Apple's actions could "put a stop" to CAID testing.
Other U.S. companies that include Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Nielsen are also working with the China Advertising Agency on CAID.
Update: Proctor & Gamble shared additional information on its discussions with the China Advertising Association. The discussions centered around developing additional ways to reach Chinese consumers with digital ads.
Here are the facts: P&G - along with 30 others - participated in discussions about developing additional ways to reach Chinese consumers with digital ads. Like all our work in this area, our input prioritized data privacy, transparency and consent for consumers - priorities we have long advocated for as the entire industry modernizes the way it reaches consumers with digital advertising. The principles and standards of this effort were also publicly available, clearly stating that the proposed industry effort - called CAID - can be turned on and off by consumers, protect user data, and not be linked to personal information.
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.
NFL star quarterback Tom Brady is teaming up with entrepreneur Richard Rosenblatt to launch a new NFT company called Autograph this spring, and Apple executive Eddy Cue will serve as an advisor to the company, according to CNN.
As a Senior Vice President at Apple, Cue oversees many of the company's services, such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Maps, and iCloud. Once a fixture at Apple Events, Cue has maintained a relatively low profile over the last few years, at least in the public eye. One of Cue's last appearances was in September 2020, when he praised British carrier EE's launch of smartphone plans bundled with multiple Apple services.
It is not uncommon for Apple executives to serve as board members or advisors to other companies, with Cue also sitting on Ferrari's board.
NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are the latest cryptocurrency phenomenon. A non-fungible token is essentially a digital commodity like an image that has been authenticated with the same blockchain technology behind Ethereum. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's first-ever tweet sold as an NFT for $2.9 million last month amid the NFT craze.
The TV app available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV has an issue with inaccurate price listings for some titles, a MacRumors reader discovered this morning.
The "Movies" section of the TV app has a "Browse by Price" section that lists movies for $4.99, $6.99, $7.99, and $9.99, but many of the movies available in those sections are more expensive.
In the $4.99 section, for example, there are movies that include "10 Things I Hate About You," "Mean Girls," "Napoleon Dynamite," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Crazy Stupid Love," "The Witch," and many more that are far more expensive than $4.99.
Most of the titles, in fact, are $14.99, with the exception of "10 Things I Hate About You," which is $17.99. There are fewer errors in the $6.99 and up sections, but there are still some issues. "Now You See Me," for example, is listed in the $12.99 section, but is priced at $4.99.
Apple also has pricing errors in other parts of the TV app. In the section "Family Movie Night" that's advertising movies under $10 for a limited time, "Mulan" is listed, but when you click on it, it's priced at $19.99. The same is true of "Onward," "The New Mutants," and several other movies that are shown in the section.
Clicking on the "Family Movie Night" section sometimes displays a different set of movies than are shown on the main page and sometimes it displays the movies with inaccurate pricing, so it's not quite clear what's going on with the TV app, but Apple definitely has some serious errors to address.
These errors are persistent across the TV app on multiple platforms, including Mac, iPhone, and Apple TV.
Update: Apple has now removed the browse by pricing options from the TV app, as well as the Family Movie Night section that was listing inaccurate pricing for movies.
Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming one week after the launch of the sixth beta and more than a month after the release of macOS Big Sur 11.2, a bug fix update.
Developers can download the macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.
macOS Big Sur 11.3 introduces more customization options for Safari, adding a way to rearrange the different sections on the Start Page like Favorites, Reading List, Siri Suggestions, Privacy Report, and more. Developers also have access to a new integration to develop features for the Start Page.
The update also includes optimizations for using iOS apps on M1 Macs. When running iPhone and iPad apps on M1 Macs, there's a Touch Alternatives preference pane that allows users to set keyboard commands for touch input alternatives, plus iPadOS apps launch with a larger window if the Mac's display allows it. Touch Alternatives can be enabled for iPhone or iPad apps by clicking on the app's name in the menu bar and then selecting the Preferences option. Touch Alternatives let you customize taps, swipes, and drags.
Apple has also added a "Controller Emulation" feature that can be enabled for iPhone and iPad apps to map game controller buttons to keyboard keys and mouse buttons. Controller Emulation will allow iPhone and iPad games that have controller support built in to be accurately controlled with a keyboard and/or mouse when those games are played on an M1 Mac.
In the Reminders app, reminder lists can be sorted by Due Date, Creation Date, Priority, or Title, and there is an option to print lists by going to File > Print. Reminders can also be moved manually across lists with drag and drop, something that wasn't possible before.
Apple is adding a new "Made For You" library shortcut in Apple Music for finding personal mixes and Replay playlists, and the Listen Now section has been updated with support for highlighting live events.
The Apple Music app also features a new autoplay option that allows the streaming service to continue to play music after a playlist or music queue ends. Apple Music sources music similar to what's in a person's Apple Music library, similar to the autoplay feature added in iOS 14.
With this feature enabled, Apple Music audio will not end even after a playlist or album is over. To check that it's on, play a playlist or album and then click on the three dot/line menu button in the upper right hand corner. From there, make sure the infinity symbol is toggled on.
In the Apple News app, there's a redesigned Apple News+ tab with a dedicated "For You" section and a new Browse tab that makes it easier to browse through available content. The new For You section is designed to help Apple News+ users find favorite magazines and newspapers much faster, plus it adds new tools for managing downloaded issues.
macOS Big Sur 11.3 also adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X/S controllers for use with macOS games.
There's also an updated "Support" interface when accessing "About This Mac." The new design includes details on your warranty and it allows for starting a repair right from the Mac interface.
The tab works similarly to the AppleCare coverage menu in the iOS Settings app, which lets users request repairs, buy an AppleCare plan, and check their coverage.
For HomePod users, macOS Big Sur 11.3 brings support for HomePod Stereo pairs, allowing a set of paired HomePods to be set as the default sound output option, with the two HomePods showing up as a single selectable speaker rather than separate as in prior versions of macOS.
Code in macOS Big Sur 11.3 suggests that the Optimized Battery Charging feature will now make sure the Mac's battery is fully charged before a scheduled calendar event. The Mac will charge to 100 percent three hours before a calendar event's start time.
Optimized Battery Charging is designed to preserve the lifespan of the Mac's battery by limiting the amount of time that a Mac sits at 100 percent battery.
In Safari, there's support for WebM video playback, allowing users to play WebM videos using Apple's browser. WebM is a niche video format designed to be a royalty-free alternative to the H.264 codec used in the MP4 format. WebM allows video files to remain small without sacrificing quality and can be played with little processing power, making it ideal for webpages and browsers.
Code in macOS Big Sur 11.3 suggests that Rosetta could be removed from some M1 Macs in some select regions after the software is released. There's a mention that "Rosetta is no longer available in this region. Applications requiring Rosetta will no longer run," but no additional information is available at this time.
There are also appear to be new assets that suggest a feature for mapping game controller buttons to keyboard layouts, and there's a Game Center toggle to enable or disable connections with friends, which lets games set you up with your friends or prevents apps from accessing that info.
Apple has ordered "The Crowded Room," a seasonal anthology series that's set to star Tom Holland, Apple announced today. A seasonal anthology series is a show where the characters and the storyline change from season to season, similar to "American Horror Story."
"The Crowded Room" will explore the true and inspirational stories of people who have struggled and learned to live with mental illness. The first season, which has 10 episodes, is described as a "captivating thriller" inspired by "The Minds of Billy Milligan."
The biography tells the story of Billy Milligan, who was the first person ever acquitted of a crime because of multiple personality disorder. Holland will play Milligan in season one, and will serve as an executive producer on the series.
Holland already has a relationship with Apple TV+, having starred in hit film "Cherry," which was released in March.
Apple TV+ is available for $4.99 per month, though many people continue to have free access through a promotion that gives a year subscription with a device purchase. For those not eligible, Apple offers a seven-day free trial.
With the App Store now home to nearly two million apps, Apple appears to be testing a new feature to make search results more contextual.
As noted in the MacRumors forums and on Twitter, some iPhone users in recent weeks have started to see tags in the App Store after searching for a popular term like "photos" or "wallpaper." After searching for "photos," for example, some of the tags that can be selected include "collage" or "editor" or "storage."
After tapping on a tag, the search results are curated accordingly. If a user searches for "photos" and then taps "collage," for example, the search results will be narrowed down to apps that can be used to make photo collages. In some cases, a second tag can be selected to narrow down the search results even further, as shown above.
As of now, it appears that the tags are only visible to a small number of users. Many users that see the tags are running the iOS 14.5 beta, but a few have claimed to see them on iOS 14.4.2, so it is possible that the tags could be a server-side change that will eventually be expanded to more users on multiple iOS versions.
Apple's website says 70% of App Store visitors use search to find apps, so the search tags should benefit many users. In 2016, Apple introduced Search Ads, allowing developers to pay Apple to have their app listing shown at the top of the search results based on the app's relevance to the user's search query, among other factors.
iOS 14.5 has been in beta testing since February 1, with the seventh beta seeded this week. Apple said the software update will be released in "early spring," and in a recent interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the update will be released in "just a few weeks."
Samsung will release the Galaxy SmartTag Plus on April 16 for $39.99, becoming the first mainstream item tracker with support for ultra-wideband technology, The Vergereports.
In January, Samsung announced the "Galaxy SmartTag," a small squircle-shaped device that can be used to track and locate items such as keys, bags, and more. Samsung announced two versions of the SmartTag, one that uses Bluetooth LE 5.0 technology and the SmartTag Plus variant that utilizes UWB technology.
UWB, or ultra-wideband technology, offers more precise, short-range location tracking compared to typical Bluetooth. The technology has grown in adoption in recent years as the market for supported UWB accessories is expected to grow.
Yesterday, Apple opened up its Find My network for accessories makers to take advantage of UWB in Apple devices. Under the network, accessory makers will tap into the Find My ecosystem, allowing customers to track their items on their iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Even though the Find My network is tailored for UWB accessories, the Galaxy SmartTag Plus uses Samsung's own "Galaxy Find Network" and will not be compatible with Apple devices.
Notably, while the Find My network is open to third-party accessory makers who manufacture UWB trackers, Apple has yet to release its own. For the past nearly two years, rumors have swirled about the launch of AirTags, circular devices that would offer UWB item-tracking. Apple has yet to announce the tracker, but it is committed to opening up the Find My networks to others.
One aspect of the AirTags experience is rumored to be the ability for users to use AR inside the Find My app to get directions to their item. Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag Plus now offers that same experience, allowing customers to use a viewfinder in their UWB-enabled Galaxy smartphones to get led to the location of their SmartTag, and hence, whatever item it is attached to.
