Apple has been working with Burberry on a new chat service called "R Message" that integrates with the luxury fashion retailer's internal iOS app and allows store associates to directly communicate with customers.


Vogue Business reports that the service, now being piloted, will be invitation-only and is designed to enable staff to chat with "high-value" clients via Burberry's internal app, known as "R World."

The idea is that R Message will essentially integrate Burberry's internal system with its customer-facing app, allowing shoppers to book in-store appointments, receive personalized item recommendations, and buy products more directly.

The benefits for sales associates are said to include tight integration with the company's back-end inventory system, which will let staff check stock and drive sales. In addition, a Newsfeed-style feature will keep them up-to-date with company updates, advertising campaign images, and press mentions to encourage regular usage and foster client relationships.

"You've got highly skilled associates who know how to serve in a luxury way, but even for a great associate, there might be 10 per cent extra that you can give them by giving them the right information at the right time," says Mark Morris, Burberry's vice president of digital commerce. "[Customers] now know much more about what they want… and to be at that service level where you can give credible advice, you need the basics."

The service is broadly reminiscent of Apple Business Chat, which Burberry already uses, but rather than go through iMessage, in this case the business-client communications obviously take place within the retailer's own app.

The Apple-Burberry partnership doesn't come as too much of a surprise, as the two brands have maintained close ties over the years. The British luxury retailer used Apple's iPhone 5s to capture its 2014 runway show, which Apple promoted in kind. Burberry was also the first clothing company to debut an Apple Music channel. And Apple's former retail chief, Angela Ahrendts, was of course CEO of Burberry prior to her stint with the tech giant.

According to Vogue Business, the R Message service will support Apple Pay and is set to be piloted at Burberry's Manchester flagship store before being rolled out to all 431 global locations and 6,000 associates.

Last week we reported on Google's discovery of an old iPhone vulnerability – now fixed by Apple – that enabled malicious websites to steal data from thousands of users over a two-year period.


Google described these attacks in its original blog post as "indiscriminate," however a report over the weekend by TechCrunch suggests the websites were part of a state-backed attack that specifically targeted Uyghur Muslims.

The websites were part of a campaign to target the religious group by infecting an iPhone with malicious code simply by visiting a booby-trapped web page. In gaining unfettered access to the iPhone's software, an attacker could read a victim's messages, passwords, and track their location in near-real time.

According to TechCrunch's sources, the Chinese government was allegedly behind the malicious websites, which also infected non-Uygurs who unintentionally accessed these domains because they were indexed in Google search. The FBI is said to have alerted Google to ask for the sites to be removed from its index to prevent infections.

Beijing has long sought to suppress the ethnic minority Uyghur community in the country's Xinjiang state, with brutal crackdowns in the 1980s and 90s leading to significant numbers of Uyghurs fleeing China to seek asylum.

In the past year, at least one million Uighurs have been detained in internment camps, according to the United Nations human rights committee. Beijing claims the centers across Xinjiang are for "vocational training," but a US Congressional hearing on the camps characterized them as "political re-education" centers.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.

It's finally official: Apple's iPhone media event will be held on September 10 at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park!

That was the biggest news of the week, but there was much more including a surprise release of the first iOS 13.1 beta even as iOS 13.0 has yet to be released, exclusive details on Apple's Tile competitor for tagging and locating physical items from your iPhone, privacy-related changes to Apple's quality control program for Siri, and more, so check out all of this week's most important stories below.

Save the Date: Apple's Next Event is September 10th

Apple on Thursday invited the media to a special event on Tuesday, September 10 at Steve Jobs Theater on its Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. At the keynote, scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific Time, the company is widely expected to introduce new iPhone and Apple Watch models.


We may also hear more details and pricing for Apple's two new services launching in the fall, Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. There are also rumors about a 16-inch MacBook Pro, an iPad Pro refresh, and a 10.2-inch iPad, but these products could be held for an October event.

MacRumors will have live coverage of the keynote as it unfolds on our website and @MacRumorsLive on Twitter.

Apple Releases First Beta of iOS 13.1

Surprise! Apple this week seeded the first beta of iOS 13.1 to developers and public beta testers before iOS 13 has even been officially released.


This has allowed Apple to push back some iOS 13 features until iOS 13.1, like ETA sharing in Apple Maps, a new Audio Sharing feature, and Shortcuts automations. iOS 13 will still be released first in mid September, while iOS 13.1 should be available to all users by October.

Apple has also released iOS 12.4.1 with a jailbreak fix and seeded the latest betas of macOS Catalina, watchOS 6, and tvOS 13. And if you're still running macOS Mojave, there is a new Supplemental Update this week.

Exclusive: Apple's Tile Competitor Will Include 'Items' Tab in iOS 13's Find My App and Much More

Apple has been rumored to be planning to compete with Tile and announce a small Bluetooth beacon device. This beacon could be attached to personal items such as keys, purses, or wallets so that the owner could find them even when out of range of the items.


MacRumors has discovered an ARKit "star" image in the Find My app bundle that hints at the possibility of Apple's beacon incorporating augmented reality to find lost devices or items, similar to the Pixie Tracker. Apple may also allow these beacon devices to be "leashed" to an iOS or watchOS device so that the user would be notified when a beacon device is out of range of an iOS or watchOS device.

Taking things further, MacRumors was able to learn more about the beacon and how it will integrate with the new Find My app, discovering a number of images and other tidbits of information within an internal build of iOS 13.

Apple Apologizes Over Siri Privacy Concerns, Will Resume Grading Program in Fall With Several Changes

Apple has apologized over privacy concerns that arose after it was reported that contractors hired by the company frequently heard confidential information while listening to anonymized Siri audio recordings for quality evaluation purposes — aka grading.


After swiftly suspending its grading program and conducting a review of its policies, Apple says it will resume the evaluation process in the fall on an opt-in basis only and with improved privacy measures, including no longer retaining audio recordings.

Apple employees will still review anonymized, computer-generated transcripts of Siri interactions regardless of a customer's opt-in status, with the only way to avoid this being to disable Siri entirely.

Apple to Allow Independent Repair Shops to Service Out-of-Warranty iPhones With Genuine Parts

Apple is launching a new program that will provide independent repair businesses with the same Apple genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals, and diagnostics as Apple Authorized Service Providers, starting in the United States.


The program will allow independent repair shops to offer out-of-warranty service for iPhones, such as display and battery replacements, but there is no mention of in-warranty repairs or any other devices at this time. Apple has set up a new page on its website where repair businesses can learn more and apply.

macOS Catalina Tips and Tricks Worth Knowing

macOS Catalina should be released by the end of September, and ahead of time, we have highlighted some lesser-known features, tips, and tricks for the update over on our YouTube channel.


As a refresher, be sure to watch our macOS Catalina hands-on video from June, which provides a detailed overview of major new features.

Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for new Apple videos every week!

Apple Shelves 'Walkie-Talkie' Feature for iPhone-to-iPhone Messaging Without Wi-Fi or Cellular

A recent report claimed that Apple has shelved plans for a "walkie-talkie" feature that would have allowed iPhone users to communicate with each other in areas without cellular coverage, such as while hiking.


The feature would have allowed messaging without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity, instead relying on the 900 MHz radio spectrum. The technology apparently relied on Intel modems, though, and Apple is widely expected to switch back to Qualcomm modems in iPhones starting in 2020.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Plex today announced a new partnership with Warner Bros that will allow Plex to offer additional third-party content.

Plex will be able to provide users with free ad-supported movies and TV shows through the Plex app on Apple TV, iPhone, and other devices.


For those unfamiliar with Plex, it's an all-in-one media hub that organizes your entire library of content, from TV shows and movies to music, photos, and more. Plex also offers free access to news, web shows, podcasts, and live television access when paired with an antenna.

Rumors earlier this year suggested Plex was pursuing partnerships with rights holders and networks to bring ad-supported content to the Plex platform, and the Warner Bros deal appears to be the first content partnership to come out of those talks.

Plex says that it plans to begin offering feature film titles from Warner Bros later this year, adding to the live TV, podcast, and news content that it already offers. There's no word yet on what titles will be included nor specifically when the service will be launching.

Apple today reminded developers to optimize their apps for Dark Mode in iOS 13 and iPadOS. All apps built with the iOS 13 SDK will support Dark Mode, which can be tested with the beta versions of iOS 13 and iPadOS.


Apple's notice to developers:

Dark Mode introduces a dramatic new look for iPhone and iPad that is seamlessly integrated throughout the system and simple to turn on from Control Center or Siri. With a dark appearance for all user interface elements, your app’s content becomes the focus.

When a user has Dark Mode turned on, all apps built with the iOS 13 SDK will run in Dark Mode. Learn how to optimize for Dark Mode, then test your apps on a device running the latest beta version of iOS 13 or iPadOS. If you need more time to make your apps look fantastic in Dark Mode, or if Dark Mode is not suited for your app, you can learn how to opt-out.

Also see Apple's developer documentation for Dark Mode and related WWDC 2019 videos.

Micro Center is having a notable doorbuster-style deal on the second-generation AirPods with a wireless charging case, offering them for $149.99, down from Apple's regular price of $199. This is the lowest price we've ever seen.


The catch is that the deal is only available at Micro Center retail stores, likely to draw in foot traffic, although orders can be reserved online for in-store pickup. The Apple Authorized Reseller has only 25 locations across the United States, so be sure to check if there is a location in your area.

Micro Center is also offering the wireless charging case by itself for $49.99, down from Apple's regular price of $79, and the second-generation AirPods with a standard charging case for $129.99, down from $159.

The deals are limited to one per household, and supplies are likely extremely limited, so we recommend calling ahead if you are planning on visiting a Micro Center store. There's no indication when the sales end, so act fast.

Japanese developer DeNA's latest free-to-play Pokémon game, Pokémon Masters, has just been released a day early on iOS and Android.


Announced in June, the game is a collaboration between Pokémon Company and DeNA, the mobile game company also responsible for Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes.

Pokémon Masters switches up the dynamic that Pokémon fans will be used to. The title has players form a team of Pokémon Trainers to engage in 3-on-3 real-time battles with other AI Trainers.

But it takes place on the island of Pasio, where the typical rules of Pokémon battles are different than other regions.

In this game world region, turn-based battles are a thing of the past. Instead, Pokémon Masters features "sync pairs," which lets players team up with well-known Trainers from previous Pokémon games, and their partner Pokémon.

There are 65 total sync pairs to recruit in the game, with additional sync pairs expected to be released at a later date.

Pokémon Masters is available on the App Store for both iPhone and iPad and requires iOS 11 or later to play. [Direct Link]

Hulu's updated and redesigned Live Guide is rolling out today on Apple TV, Roku devices, and the web, Hulu announced today.

The upcoming changes to the Live Guide were first announced in January, but took several months to launch.


Hulu live TV users can now see what's airing over the course of the next two weeks and can schedule recordings for upcoming tv shows, movies, and games in advance.

There's an option to add content to a "My Channels" list to make it easier to keep track of favorite channels and programs, with the My Channels option available from the Home interface and the Live Guide itself.

Hulu says it's easier to find recommended TV shows and movies from the Home interface, and it's easier to browse through content collections using categories like sports, news, movies, and kids.

Hulu earlier this week also began rolling out an updated version of its mobile app that's designed to make it easier to find content, but the mobile app update does not include the new Live Guide.

T-Mobile today announced expanded support for the eSIM, which is a feature in the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.

The carrier previously introduced eSIM support for prepaid plans, but starting today, the eSIM can also be used to activate one of T-Mobile's postpaid plans.


With the new eSIM support, customers who already have a phone plan with one carrier, like AT&T or Verizon, can sign up for a standard postpaid plan with T-Mobile and use services from both carriers simultaneously on a single device.

Combined with the physical nano-SIM slot, the extra eSIM option is useful for iPhone owners who need to access both work and personal numbers on one device, or set up a device with an international number while traveling.

The eSIM can also be used to activate an iPhone with T-Mobile without the need for a physical SIM card.

T-Mobile says that customers interested in activating their iPhones with a postpaid plan via eSIM can visit a T-Mobile store as of today.

Along with T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T offer eSIM support in the United States, but Sprint does not.

Apple is set to start online sales of Apple products in India "within months," according to a new report from Bloomberg. Apple has not previously been able to sell its devices in India due to foreign investment rules and regulations.

India on Wednesday eased previous rules that forced foreign companies to source 30 percent of production locally, which has long blocked Apple from opening stores and selling devices directly to consumers in India. Instead, Apple has had to rely on third-party retailers to sell its devices.


Apple is now planning to begin iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales online "in the coming months," though no specific target launch date for sales was specified by Bloomberg.

Now that the rules have changed, Apple is also set to begin opening up retail stores in India in the future and already has retail locations in the works. A new store in Mumbai is in development and is likely set to open next year.

Even prior to the rule change, Apple was working with the Indian government to get permission to open up stores in India. Over the course of the last few years, Apple started manufacturing some lower-cost iPhone models in India to meet local investment requirements.

India is an important market for Apple, as it is a country where Apple devices have low penetration due to high costs from import tariffs. The changes will make Apple devices more affordable to Indian consumers and could grow Apple's footprint in the country.

Microsoft today announced plans to bring a new Dark Mode option to its Office apps for iOS devices, expanding on the darker user interface theme that has been available in some of its desktop apps.

Starting today, Microsoft is rolling out Dark Mode to Outlook for iOS, Android, and Office.com. In the future, when iOS 13 launches, Microsoft plans to extend the Dark Mode option to additional Office apps for iOS.

The Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneDrive, Planner, and To-Do Microsoft apps for iPhones and iPads will be updated with a Dark Mode option that will go well with the Dark Mode that Apple is introducing in iOS 13.

The new Dark Mode options will be able to be set to activate automatically when iOS 13's Dark Mode is turned on, so the darker theme won't need to be manually enabled within the Microsoft app.


Microsoft said that when designing its Dark Mode option, it thought of people who are viewing email, calendars, files, and more in places like darkened airplanes, movie theaters, or in bed at night.

Our design research specifically focused on these contexts where folks would want to use Dark Mode, and the response was very positive. While some Dark Mode experiences can be neon or overly bright, people felt that Outlook mobile kept the kind of relaxed feeling you might want in a dimly lit living room or bedroom.

Testers who used Microsoft's Dark Mode apparently found it to be "comfortable, crisp, clear, and aesthetically pleasing," plus easier on the eyes because it cuts down on eye strain.

Dark Mode will be available starting today in the Outlook app for iOS devices, and it will come to additional apps when iOS 13 and iPadOS launch.

Insta360, known for its ONE and ONE X 360-degree cameras, today launched its newest product, the Insta360 GO. The GO is described as the "world's smallest stabilized camera" that can be mounted anywhere.

The GO weighs in at 18.3 grams and measures in at just about two inches long. Insta360 says the low weight and small size of the GO allow it to be used in places where other cameras can't be used and let it capture unique angles not possible with other cameras.


The GO can be clipped, tagged, or hung on "just about anything" with its magnetic body and series of accessories that go with it.

Recording a video with the camera requires a button press, which captures up to 30 seconds of video at a time (though it can also take photos). Pressing the button a second time stops the recording. The GO comes with a charge case that allows for 200 clips per day.


There's a built-in hyperlapse feature for capturing up to 30 minutes of footage at 6x speed, and a Barrel Roll mode for twisting your shots "like a turntable, as many times as you like." The GO is also capable of shooting at up to 100 frames per second for slo-mo video.


Insta360 says that the GO uses its FlowState stabilization, which does work well in its 360-degree cameras. The GO is designed to remain stable regardless of where it is mounted.


The GO camera includes a FlashCut audio editing feature that uses AI to find the best video shots and combine them into a stylized edit. The camera can sort content based on theme (like food or cities) and the feature is designed to let users capture, edit, and share their day in a few taps.

There's also a full-featured editing tool for tweaking all aspects of the video, and the app lets footage from the GO and the iPhone be combined together. It supports Bluetooth, so your GO footage can be offloaded to the iPhone app for editing purposes.


Design wise, the Insta360 GO is IPX4 water resistant, which means it's able to hold up to splashes, rain, and submersion in shallow water for up to 10 seconds.

The GO can be purchased from the Insta360 website for $199.99 starting today. It comes with a Charge Case, Magnet Pendant, Pivot Stand, Easy Clip, and Sticky Base, providing a variety of mounting options.