Articles on MacRumors by Mitchel Broussard
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Mitchel Broussard

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Mitchel is the Deals Editor at MacRumors and has been writing for the site since 2014. Starting as a contributing writer, and then editor, he now oversees the day-to-day deals coverage for MR, which includes writing dedicated articles, updating deals guides and roundups, managing affiliate partnerships, and more.

Mitchel Broussard's Articles

HomePod Setup

Details on HomePod's Setup Process Surface in Newest iOS 11 Developer Beta [Updated]

Tuesday August 22, 2017 9:12 am PDT by
Almost one month after the HomePod's firmware first began revealing tidbits about Apple's upcoming smart speaker, the iPhone 8, and even the Apple Watch Series 3, today iHelp BR has a few more pieces of information on the setup process for the HomePod. Interestingly, the site noted that the data doesn't come from HomePod firmware, but was discovered within the seventh iOS 11 beta, seeded to...
content DJI Spark Family Bike Ride

DJI Announces Battery Optimizing Update for Spark and Back-to-School Promotions on Drones

Tuesday August 22, 2017 7:52 am PDT by
DJI this week announced an incoming update for its newest drone, the DJI Spark, which will further enhance the drone's battery management system to "optimize power supply during flight." DJI was unclear by how much this might extend the Spark's flight time beyond its original ~16 minutes of in-air time. Additionally, the firmware update offers better stability for the Spark's Palm Launch...
imac bioshock

'BioShock Remastered' Launches for macOS Computers on Steam, Mac App Store Coming Soon

Tuesday August 22, 2017 6:27 am PDT by
Earlier in August, it was announced that a remastered version of the popular first-person shooter BioShock would be arriving on macOS platforms sometime this year. Today, BioShock Remastered has launched for compatible Mac computers on Steam and the online Feral store, and an official version of the remastered game for the Mac App Store is set to debut in the near future. Users who download...
iphone8dummy2

Face ID Described as iPhone 8's 'Crown Jewel', Unlocking Device in 'A Few Hundred Milliseconds'

Tuesday August 22, 2017 5:57 am PDT by
The front-facing 3D sensor on Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 will be the device's "crown jewel," able to unlock the iPhone 8 in a "few hundred milliseconds" to give users quick access to their smartphone and quickly authenticate Apple Pay purchases. The statement comes in a new report by Bloomberg, and follows on the heels of a recent article by The Korea Herald which used similar language to...
vudu player apple tv

VUDU App Officially Launches on Apple TV

Tuesday August 22, 2017 4:35 am PDT by
Streaming movie and TV service VUDU has officially launched as an app on the fourth-generation Apple TV, allowing users to stream their collection of UltraViolet movies, as well as over 4,000 free "Movies on Us" titles, natively on Apple TV. As expected, the VUDU Player app on Apple TV is limited in one respect -- users can't rent or buy any movie or TV show directly from Apple TV, so they'll...
drag city apple music

Indie Rock Label 'Drag City' Releases Nearly Entire Back Catalog on Apple Music

Monday August 21, 2017 8:03 am PDT by
Chicago-based independent record label Drag City has released nearly all of its back catalog of music -- which began with the label's inception in 1990 -- onto Apple Music this past weekend. To celebrate the addition, Apple has created a new banner for the record label, allowing subscribers to listen to Drag City playlists categorized by various genres and artists. In its description of the...
wisconsin foxconn

Foxconn Plans Trio of 'Ancillary Facilities' to Surround Main Wisconsin LCD Plant

Monday August 21, 2017 6:24 am PDT by
After an announcement in July that Foxconn will build a $10 billion LCD panel manufacturing plant in southeast Wisconsin, a new report out today states that the Apple supplier is now planning to build three "ancillary facilities" in Wisconsin as well (via Reuters). The three buildings are planned to be opened for operation as early as 2018, two years ahead of when the main LCD facility is...
nasa eclipse

NASA Shares Ways to Stream the 2017 Solar Eclipse on iOS and Apple TV

Saturday August 19, 2017 10:00 am PDT by
On Monday, August 21, all of the continental United States will have the chance to view a solar eclipse, and depending on where you're located you might even be able to see a total solar eclipse. The eclipse's "path of totality" -- or the shadow of the moon as it moves in front of the sun -- will begin in Oregon and end in South Carolina, and anyone sitting outside the path will be witness to a...
iphone 7 battery fix kit

iFixit Launches New iPhone 7/7Plus Fix Kits for At-Home Battery Replacements and Screen Repairs

Wednesday August 16, 2017 8:53 am PDT by
iFixit today released a collection of all-new Fix Kits for iPhone 7 devices that guide users through replacing batteries, cracked screens, and even the front and rear camera modules and sensors on an iPhone. The new battery Fix Kits for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus join previous kits already available for iPhones as far back as the iPhone 4s. iFixit said that these battery replacement kits...
facebook birthdays

Facebook Will Now Let You Raise Money for Nonprofits on Your Birthday

Wednesday August 16, 2017 7:48 am PDT by
Facebook today announced an update coming to its iOS and Android mobile apps, as well as its main website, that is aimed to make birthdays more "meaningful" for users based in the United States. Two weeks ahead of your birthday, Facebook said it will now send you a message in your News Feed with the option of creating a fundraiser. If you opt-in, you can choose from any of the 750,000 U.S....
twitter popular in

Twitter Rolling Out Tweets Organized by 'Popular' Topics, Based on Your Interests

Wednesday August 16, 2017 6:08 am PDT by
Twitter this week began expanding a new section of the Explore tab on iOS and Android, where it will populate tweets aimed at each unique user based on their own interests. Twitter confirmed the update's appearance to BuzzFeed, and it follows a few months after Twitter debuted a notable redesign for its mobile apps and website. The new categories in Explore include topics such as "Popular in...
apple store logo 1

Apple and Other Companies File Brief Arguing Against 'Rigid Analog-Era' Fourth Amendment Rules

Tuesday August 15, 2017 8:48 am PDT by
Apple, Twitter, Snap, Facebook, Microsoft, and a collection of other technology companies have filed a legal brief this week, aimed at the Fourth Amendment and its "rigid analog-era" protections that lag behind protecting users in the modern age (via Reuters). The brief was filed in regards to the case Carpenter v. United States, which is a Supreme Court case focusing on the warrantless search ...
amazon instant pickup

Amazon Debuts 'Instant Pickup' for Ordering and Picking Up Items in Under Two Minutes

Tuesday August 15, 2017 7:26 am PDT by
In its ongoing push into retail, Amazon today announced the opening of five "Instant Pickup" locations in the United States, allowing Prime subscribers to choose from a selection of "daily essentials" that are made available for pick up in two minutes or less (via Reuters). The essential items include snacks, drinks, electronics, and Amazon's own devices. The Instant Pickup process begins...
content DJI Spark Ocean

DJI Announces 'Local Data Mode' to Fly Drones Without Internet Connection

Tuesday August 15, 2017 5:45 am PDT by
Drone company DJI this week announced a new "local data mode" that breaks any internet connection between the DJI drone and a user's smartphone, which the company said will greatly enhance security and data privacy when users enable the mode (via Reuters). The announcement comes a few weeks after the United States Army ordered its members to stop using DJI drones due to "cyber...
HomePod on shelf

HomePod Supplies Limited at Launch, but Foxconn Coming on Board in 2018 to Increase Production

Monday August 14, 2017 9:43 am PDT by
Inventec Appliances has been a rumored supplier for Apple's HomePod smart speaker since before the device was announced at WWDC in June, and now the manufacturer has indicated that supplies for HomePod might be limited at launch, in line with most Apple product launches (via Nikkei). The news came from Inventec Appliances president David Ho during a press conference today. Although his...
canary talk 4

Canary Announces Two-Way Audio Calling Between Security Camera and iOS App

Monday August 14, 2017 7:26 am PDT by
Security camera company Canary recently announced a trio of new features coming to its smart home security system and mobile apps, including two-way audio calls between a Canary camera and smartphone, a live security feed with reduced latency, and an all-new web app with live streaming. Rolling out over the course of this week is a refreshed version of Canary's "Watch Live" feature, which...
iphone8dummy4

Multiple Apple Suppliers Share Revenue Reports Ahead of 'Peak' iPhone and Apple Watch Season

Monday August 14, 2017 6:24 am PDT by
A collection of Apple suppliers have shared revenue reports today, which also provide a glimpse into the upcoming "peak" iPhone and Apple Watch manufacturing season. Starting off, Foxconn looked back at its profits in July and reported consolidated revenues of NT$315.06 billion (US$10.62 billion) for the month, which marks an increase of 7.53 percent year-on-year. For the first seven months of...
a a a a very good itunes song

A Ten-Minute Silent Song Is Soaring Up the iTunes Charts

Friday August 11, 2017 7:53 am PDT by
For some vehicles, when an iPhone is plugged into the car's USB port music playback begins automatically, and it always starts in alphabetical order at the top of the user's iTunes library. Because of this, many users will hear the same song, usually beginning with an "A," over and over again each time they plug their iPhone into their car. This week, a potential solution to that problem has been ...
nest eclipse time

Nest Will Automatically Pre-Cool Homes Participating in New 'Solar Eclipse Rush Hour' Program

Friday August 11, 2017 5:35 am PDT by
Smart thermostat company Nest this week announced a new energy saving initiative coming on the day of the total solar eclipse, August 21, 2017. During the eclipse, clean solar energy will be reduced and in some areas of the United States traditional power plants will have to fire up in order to cover the energy shortfall for a brief period of time. Nest's solution is a "Solar Eclipse Rush...
apple passwords id login

Apple ID Website Receives 4/5 'Good' Score in Dashlane's 2017 Password Power Rankings

Thursday August 10, 2017 10:08 am PDT by
Password management app Dashlane has enlisted a group of researchers to assess and rank the password policy and security of 37 consumer and 11 enterprise websites. The study examined five password security criteria to result in a point-based ranking system, with points awarded for the following categories: requiring 8+ characters, needing alphanumeric passwords, including a password strength...