MacRumors

After posting a brief teaser last week, Apple today shared the first official trailer for "The Morning Show" starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell.

The trailer provides the first glimpse at each character on the show, which centers around a struggle for power behind the scenes of a network news show.


Aniston plays one of the anchors of The Morning Show, while Carell plays a former anchor who was fired following accusations made against him on the show. The trailer also reveals that Witherspoon will play a reporter who begins rising up the ranks, potentially threatening Aniston's job.

"The Morning Show" will launch this fall on Apple TV+, but Apple hasn't yet provided a release date for its new streaming service. There are quite a few other shows that will be coming out on the platform, all of which we've rounded up here.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)

After offering a look at its upcoming streaming service Disney+, and announcing a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu, Disney today confirmed the devices that will support Disney+ at launch. For Apple device owners, this means that you'll be able to stream Disney+ video on Apple TV (tvOS-supported models), iPad, and iPhone on launch day (via The Verge).

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The rest of the full launch lineup for supported devices includes: Android mobile devices, Android TV, Chromecast, web browsers, PlayStation 4, Roku streaming players, Roku TV, and Xbox One. Disney made no mention of supporting Amazon's Fire TV platform at launch.

The company also confirmed that customers will be able to subscribe to Disney+ on iOS devices, and several other platforms. For ‌Apple TV‌, Disney said that it will integrate its content with the ‌Apple TV‌ app and allow users to keep all of their movies and shows organized in the Up Next list. For now, Disney said that it has nothing to announce regarding an integration with ‌Apple TV‌ Channels.

Today's news comes out ahead of Disney's annual D23 Expo in Anaheim, which will start this Friday, August 23. It's likely more information about Disney+ will be revealed at the event. For now, Disney has created a new Twitter page dedicated to Disney+ and shared a new introduction video about the streaming service.

Disney+ launches in the United States on November 12 at $6.99/month. Customers in Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand will all gain access to Disney+ in November as well.

Apple today revealed job creation figures in South Korea for the first time since entering the country two decades ago, as noted by The Korea Herald.

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In a new page on its website, Apple says it has created and supports 325,000 jobs in South Korea, including 500 direct employees, 125,000 jobs through partners in the country like component manufacturers and product distributors, and 200,000 jobs through the App Store ecosystem.

Apple's direct employees in the country include designers, customer service representatives, marketing specialists, hardware and software engineers, and retail staff at its Garosugil store in Seoul.

Apple adds that Korean developers have earned 4.7 trillion won in worldwide revenue through the ‌App Store‌ since 2008.

Last week, Apple claimed that it now supports 2.4 million jobs in the United States.

Spotify is launching a new content filter feature for its Family Plan to give parents and guardians better control over what their children listen to.

Spotify New Family Mix
The owner of the family plan master account will be able to set an Explicit Content Filter on individual sub-accounts, which will prevent the user from playing anything in the Spotify library marked as explicit.

The filter is accessed from a new Family Hub, where the master account holder can add and remove family members and update the family address. The ability to set the content filter will be password protected to add an extra layer of security.

Apart from the new content filter, Spotify is also introducing a new Family Mix feature, which gives the whole family access to personalized playlists. The changes are rolling out today in Ireland and coming soon to other regions and territories where the family plan is offered.

Spotify's $14.99 Family Plan allows up to six people to jump on board the same subscription to the streaming service, although Spotify does expect all members to live under the same roof.

Apple Music also offers a family subscription for $14.99 for up to six people to use via Family Sharing. Parents can also use Apple's Screen Time feature to set content restrictions remotely for their kids' devices.

Tag: Spotify

More details have emerged about the unreleased portable Bluetooth speaker from Sonos, thanks to new images shared by WinFuture (via The Verge).

Sonos Move
The German site has published several marketing images of what's apparently going to be called the Sonos Move, the first speaker of its kind by the audio electronics company.

As the pictures reveal, the speaker comes with a stationary base station, while an integrated handle allows the Sonos Move to be easily undocked and used as a Bluetooth portable speaker.

A Bluetooth/Wi-Fi toggle switch is located on the rear of the speaker in a recessed space, along with a power button and a pairing button. Below that is a USB Type-C port for charging the device and two pins for docking the speaker in the base station.

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The existence of the device was confirmed last week in an FCC filing. Shortly afterwards, The Verge learned that it's both taller and slightly wider than the Sonos One, and that it supports AirPlay 2 as well as hands-free voice commands from Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

We still haven't heard any details about the battery life or possible waterproofing, but Sonos has sent out media invites for a press event on August 26, when we expect the Sonos Move will be officially unveiled.

Tag: Sonos

Version 17 of Ulysses was released today, bringing some much-requested features to the popular Mac and iOS app for writers.

First up, the developers have brought keyword management to the iOS app, following the introduction of the feature on Mac in spring.

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You can now edit or delete keywords, customize colors, and merge several keywords into one, whichever device you're working on.

You can also mark your most-used keywords as favorites for easy access within the app, with full keyword sync across Mac and iOS.

Regular Ulysses users will be familiar with the app's ability to export their texts as a formatted PDF or DOCX document. In this latest release, four new export styles are included.

Business is for laying out reports and strategy papers. Academica is for lecture notes. Review is suited for on-paper editing (the style reproduces comments and text deletions and comes with a large margin for hand-written notes).

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Finally, Manuscript is geared to the U.S. layout standards used for submitting literary works to publishers.

In addition to the above, this version shows image captions in image previews, and for iPad users, there's a completely overhauled fullscreen mode that puts your text front and center.

There are no onscreen toolbars, and sidebars slide into view for quick interactions before sliding out again to keep you focused. With an external keyboard attached, the same Mac shortcut Command-Control-F opens and closes fullscreen mode, and the shortcut bar is hidden.

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Elsewhere in this update, there's added support for previewing image captions in the editor and exporting them to PDF and DOCX documents, and a handful of bug fixes have been implemented.

Ulysses can be downloaded for free on the App Store and the Mac App Store, with version 17 rolling out to existing users today.

After a 14-day trial period, a subscription is required to unlock the app on all devices. A monthly subscription costs $4.99, while a yearly subscription is $39.99. Students can use Ulysses at a discounted price of $11.99 per six months. The discount is granted from within the app.

Tag: Ulysses

Apple CEO Tim Cook and U.S. President Donald Trump met for dinner on Friday evening, and Trump has since told reporters that the two discussed the impact of U.S. tariffs on Apple products imported from China.

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Melania Trump, Donald Trump, and ‌Tim Cook‌ in August 2018

Trump said Cook "made a good case" that tariffs could put Apple at a disadvantage given that rival Samsung's products would be less impacted by the tariffs, according to Reuters. "I thought he made a very compelling argument, so I'm thinking about it," Trump said, speaking at an airport in Morristown, New Jersey.

The U.S. plans to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on approximately $300 billion of Chinese imports on September 1, but last week it delayed the tariff to December 15 for products including the iPhone, iPad, and MacBooks. Other products like the Apple Watch, AirPods, and HomePod are still set to be impacted September 1.

In a letter to the Trump administration in June, Apple urged against the tariffs, claiming that they would reduce the company's contribution to the U.S. economy and weigh on its global competitiveness.

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.

Apple today sent out emails to customers about its latest Apple Pay promo, which will see the company donating $10 to the National Park Foundation for ‌Apple Pay‌ purchases made from the Apple Store.

From August 17 to August 25, Apple will make a $10 donation with every ‌Apple Pay‌ purchase made at any Apple retail store, the Apple.com website, or the ‌Apple Store‌ app.

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The National Park Foundation is the charitable partner of the National Park Service, and it aims to "enhance everyone's ability to enjoy the natural, cultural, and historic treasures within America's national parks."

Apple's new ‌Apple Pay‌ promotion comes ahead of a National Park Fee-Free day, which takes place on August 25. On this day, admission is free for all national parks that normally have a fee for entry.


August 25 is the date of Apple's next Apple Watch challenge, which will ask participants to record a walk, run, or hike of at least three miles to win a Grand Canyon-themed award, and it is also the National Park Service's birthday.

Apple Arcade, Apple's upcoming subscription-based gaming service, was first introduced in March and is set to launch this fall.

Ahead of the upcoming launch, Apple has debuted an early access program for its employees, with screenshots and details shared by 9to5Mac this morning. Apple employees are able to access ‌Apple Arcade‌ for $0.49 per month, with a one month free trial available.

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‌Apple Arcade‌ games will be available on the Mac, iOS App Store, and Apple TV, with the screenshots shared today sourced from the Mac App Store. The ‌Apple Arcade‌ tab in Apple's App Stores will feature a selection of highlighted games and different game categories.

Many of the games in development for ‌Apple Arcade‌ have been previously announced, but here are a few Apple is highlighting, along with their descriptions:

Way of the Turtle: "Play as two curious turtles lost on a cursed island in the middle of nowhere. Obtain shells containing special powers such as dash and attack to defeat enemies and overcome different challenges."

Down in Bermuda: "Adventurous aviator Milton left his loving wife and daughter to voyage across the Atlantic on the journey of a lifetime."

Hot Lava: "Hot Lava transports you back to your childhood imagination. Relive those moments of excitement, joy and chaos. Run, jump, climb and surf in first person across nostalgia-packed environments flooded with hot molten lava."

According to 9to5Mac, most of the games right now are still in-development builds, and other titles available to employees include "Sneaky Sasquatch", "Kings of the Castle", "Frogger in Toy Town" and "Lame Game 2."

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Apple hasn't shared details on what ‌Apple Arcade‌ will be priced at when it debuts, but it looks like there may be a one-month free trial available for those who would like to try it out.

Apple has said there will be somewhere around 100 games at launch, with no ads and no additional in-app purchases. A single subscription will also allow for up to six family members to access games.

There's no word on when ‌Apple Arcade‌ will launch, but the internal employee test is set to end when iOS 13 launches, so that could potentially be when ‌Apple Arcade‌ will be made available.

For more on ‌Apple Arcade‌, make sure to check out our Apple Arcade guide.

New leaked assets from the watchOS 6 beta suggest Apple plans to launch new ceramic and titanium Apple Watch models as early as next month.

Apple Watch 2019 Titanium Ceramic
Discovered by iHelpBR, the assets belong to the initial Apple Watch setup screen animation, which resembles the rear design of the watch including the model type and the words "Designed by Apple in California."

The firmware assets clearly reference a 44mm titanium case and a 44mm ceramic case. iHelpBR has also found analogous assets for the 40mm size Apple Watch model.

Back in February, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted Apple would introduce a "new ceramic casing design" to its Apple Watch line-up, and these assets do appear to back up that claim.

Apple introduced "Edition" models with the Apple Watch Series 2 that were made from ceramic. Prices started at $1,299, which it continued offering when the Series 3 Apple Watches came out, but Apple discontinued the Edition models when the Series 4 launched last year.

Current Apple Watch models do have a ceramic back, but the assets indicate Apple will revisit a new high end ceramic model in 2019. And it looks like we can also expect an entirely new titanium model – a material perhaps currently in favor at Apple following work on its just-released titanium Apple Card.

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‌Apple Watch Series 2‌ ceramic model in white

It's not clear if the titanium casing will replace stainless steel or become an additional option. Another unanswered question is whether these materials will be exclusive to a new Apple Watch Series 5, or also be offered as extra case material options for existing models.

According to the latest prediction from Kuo, Japan Display will supply the OLED displays for new Apple Watch Series 5 models slated to launch in the second half of 2019. Beyond that, we know very little about what to expect about the Series 5.

Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone lineup on September 10, so it's likely these Apple Watch models will be unveiled during the same event.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

We're just a few weeks away from the unveiling of this year's iPhone lineup as well as the official release of iOS 13 and Apple's other new operating system versions, and we're continuing to hear hardware rumors as Apple tidies up its software.

Apple Card continues to roll out to more users in the U.S., while there's a new controversy over Apple preventing users of its latest iPhones with batteries replaced outside of authorized sales channels from seeing battery health information. As always, read on for a full recap of the biggest stories from this week.

'iPhone 11 Pro' Rumored to Be Name of High-End 2019 iPhone

Apple is widely expected to unveil a trio of new iPhones next month, and ahead of time, an anonymous Twitter account with a proven track record has suggested that at least one of the models will have "Pro" within its name, such as "iPhone Pro" or "iPhone 11 Pro."

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This year's iPhone lineup is expected to include two higher-end 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED models and one lower-end 6.1-inch LCD model. Rumored features include triple-lens rear cameras on the higher-end models, larger batteries, two-way charging of AirPods, and more.

Read our 2019 iPhones roundup for a recap of all rumors to date.

Apple Releases iOS 13 Beta 7

Apple has seeded the seventh betas of iOS 13 and iPadOS to developers for testing. As usual, we are highlighting any new features and changes that we discover in the latest betas.

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Apple has also seeded the seventh developer betas of watchOS 6 and tvOS 13. Corresponding public betas, excluding watchOS, have also been released.

Hands-On With Apple Card

In a YouTube video this week, we highlighted the Apple Card sign up process, how it works, what it looks like, and how the titanium card feels in person for those who haven't yet had a chance to sign up.

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Apple Card began rolling out earlier this month to a limited number of users who signed up to be notified, with a wider launch to follow later this month. Apple has shared details on how Apple Card applications are evaluated.

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

2019 iPhones Might Not Have 'iPhone' Branding on the Back

This year's iPhones won't have "iPhone" branding on the back of the devices, according to a long list of leaks from an alleged Foxconn employee.

iphone branding
On a Chinese Q&A website, the person also claimed that at least one of the new iPhones will be available in an all-new dark green color with a matte appearance, in line with a few previous rumors.

This information has not been confirmed and could certainly be faked, so this falls into the "sketchy rumor" category for now.

Triple-Lens Rear Cameras Rumored for Next iPad Pro Range, Dual-Lens for New Entry-Level iPad

In addition to the iPhone, a report this week claimed that Apple plans to add a triple-lens rear camera to the next 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models.

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Meanwhile, the rumored 10.2-inch iPad is said to feature a dual-lens rear camera array like the iPhone XS series. This model is expected to succeed the low-cost 9.7-inch iPad in Apple's tablet lineup.

Reports are conflicting about whether the next iPad Pro models will be released in the fall, like last year, or in spring 2020.

Apple on iPhone Battery Locking Issue: We Want to Make Sure Battery Replacement is Done Properly

Apple has confirmed that it introduced a feature last year on the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR that notifies customers if iOS is unable to verify that a new, genuine battery was installed by a certified technician following repair.

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While repair website iFixit described the feature as a "dormant software lock," Apple has responded by saying "we take the safety of our customers very seriously and want to make sure any battery replacement is done properly." Apple also says the notification does not impact the ability to use an iPhone after an unauthorized repair.

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!

Apple in iOS 13 made changes to the way location tracking permissions work, and there's no longer an option for apps to ask to "Always Allow" location tracking.

Instead, Apple allows users to select "Allow While Using the App," "Allow Once," or "Don't Allow," which some app creators have taken offense to. The leaders of seven companies that make apps for iOS devices banded together to write an email to Apple CEO Tim Cook to speak out about the changes, with the details shared by The Information.

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There's no longer an "Always Allow" option on privacy popups in iOS 13 for enabling permanent location access

The companies that wrote to Cook are upset that there's no longer a readily available "Always Allow" option. Users can still turn on "Always Allow" in the Privacy section of the Settings app, but it's not available by default and requires additional steps.

As an example, Zenly, a location tracking app owned by Snap, needs to have location tracking on permanently to function. Since there's no option to turn on "Always Allow," Zenly has to have a clunky secondary display screen that instructs users to open up the Privacy settings on their iPhones to change the location setting. This makes consumers more aware of apps that are tracking them continually, but it is an extra step that app developers must contend with.

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Apps that want continual location data must instruct customers to enable it in the Settings app

According to the companies who wrote to Cook, the changes could potentially lead users to think their apps are broken unless they're "savvy enough" tweak Privacy settings. These are the companies whose leaders wrote to Cook about the privacy changes:

  • Tile - Makes tracking devices for wallets, keys, and other objects.
  • Arity - A company owned by Allstate that developers technology for measuring driver risk.
  • Life360 - An app for sharing location with family and friends.
  • Zenly - A location sharing app owned by Snap.
  • Zendrive - A company that makes driver assessment apps.
  • Twenty - A social networking app for finding friends nearby.
  • Happn - A dating app.

The app creators suggested Apple create a two-step process that would let users grant apps access to locations as a solution, but it's not clear if Apple has plans to implement changes.

The companies were also concerned about changes Apple is making to a VoIP feature designed to let apps run in the background to listen for calls, but that was being abused for other tracking purposes. Apple doesn't plan to let developers use Apple's PushKit API for anything beyond voice calls in iOS 13.

While the companies admit that apps used this feature for tracking user location and for gathering data, they claim the change will hurt important app features. As an example, Life360 reportedly uses the feature to access a user's location to dispatch emergency services when a customer is involved in a car accident.

The email ends by pointing out that Apple's own apps do not need to get user permission to access user location, such as for Find My, which is built into the iPhone as a way to keep track of iOS and macOS devices.

"Like you, we are committed to ensuring that privacy is a top priority, but are concerned that the current implementation will create user confusion that actually undermines this goal," the e-mail to Cook reads. "The changes also have the added effect of removing critical geolocation functionality while simultaneously not applying to Apple's own apps, some of which compete with the products we develop."

In response to questions about the email, an Apple spokesperson told The Information that Apple's goal is to make the App Store a safe, trusted source for apps and to give its users the best products and ecosystem in the world.

We take responsibility for ensuring that apps are held to a high standard for privacy, security and content because nothing is more important than maintaining the trust of our users. Users trust Apple--and that trust is critical to how we operate a fair, competitive store for developer app distribution. Any changes we make to hardware, software or system level apps is in service to the user, their privacy and providing them the best products and ecosystem in the world.

In addition, Apple said that it is working with some of the companies that signed the email to find alternative methods for features that are being obsoleted, such as background tracking for purposes other than voice calls.

Apple also says that while system apps like ‌Find My‌ don't need to make location tracking requests from users, some Apple apps distributed through the ‌App Store‌ will abide by Apple's processes for requesting user permission to access location information. The full report with additional details can be read over at The Information.

Along with many new features for the iPhone and the iPad, iOS 13 brings updates to CarPlay, overhauling the interface for the first time in years and adding useful new functionality.

In our latest YouTube video, we went hands-on with ‌CarPlay‌ in iOS 13 to give MacRumors readers an idea of what's new with Apple's in-car platform.


‌CarPlay‌ in iOS 13 has a redesigned and revamped Home screen with new table views, rounded corners, and an updated Home button that swaps between a dashboard icon and an app row icon depending on what app you're using.

The new tile-like user interface displays the Maps app, Shortcuts, Siri suggestions, Music Now Playing interface, and upcoming Calendar events all at a glance, which is convenient. Tapping on any of the tiles opens up the relevant app. You can, of course, still access the standard icon list from previous versions of ‌CarPlay‌ with a swipe.

In the new Calendar app, you can see all of your upcoming events for the day, which is useful for when you get in the car in the morning. If a calendar event has a location associated with it, you can tap on the event and get directions to where you need to go.

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Maps has an updated look and feel, and it takes advantage of all of the features in iOS 13. In supported areas, there's better detail for roads, buildings, parks, and more, and you can use the Favorites and Collections features to route to saved locations. It's also easier to find points of interest along your current route in Maps.

‌Siri‌ in Maps uses more natural language, which is a great update. As an example, instead of hearing "Turn right in 1,000 feet," ‌Siri‌ might instead say "turn right at the next traffic light."

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Updates to the Music app make it easier to navigate through your music library, playlists, radio stations, and more, so you can find just what you want to hear with little effort. The Now Playing UI has also been updated with album art throughout the entire ‌CarPlay‌ interface, which is an improvement over ‌CarPlay‌ in iOS 12.

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There's ‌Siri‌ support for third-party navigation apps, so you can ask ‌Siri‌ to do something like route you home using the Waze app instead of Apple Maps. In the future, ‌Siri‌ support could also come to music apps like Spotify in ‌CarPlay‌ thanks to new SiriKit APIs. You're also now able to use "Hey ‌Siri‌" across all vehicles for easier ‌Siri‌ activation.

For those with HomeKit products like garage door openers, there's a handy ‌Siri‌ suggestions feature that does things like bring up an icon to open up your garage when you approach home. There are multiple ‌Siri‌ suggestions like this that are going to vary based on your ‌CarPlay‌ usage, but it's definitely a neat and useful addition.

‌CarPlay‌ has a Settings app in iOS 13, so you can adjust Do Not Disturb While Driving, turn ‌Siri‌ on and off, turn off album art, and switch the appearance between the default dark mode and a new lighter user interface.

Also new to ‌CarPlay‌ is support for using ‌CarPlay‌ and your ‌iPhone‌ at the same time. In earlier versions of ‌CarPlay‌, if you had Maps up but wanted to do something like change the music on your phone, it would kick you out of Maps on ‌CarPlay‌. That's not the case anymore, so now you can have Maps up while doing other things on your ‌iPhone‌.

All in all, iOS 13 brings some much needed changes to the ‌CarPlay‌ experience, and it should be a welcome update for ‌CarPlay‌ users. Know of an iOS 13 ‌CarPlay‌ feature that we left out? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with RAVPower to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a 61W USB-C Power Adapter and a USB-C to Lightning cable, which can be used to fast charge an iPhone or an iPad.

You can also use the USB-C Power Adapter for charging a Mac or an iPad Pro when combined with a USB-C to USB-C cable.

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RAVPower's latest 61W PD USB-C charger uses gallium nitrate (GaN) technology, which allows it to be smaller than your average 61W power adapter. It's a good deal more compact than Apple's own 61W charger for the 13-inch MacBook Pro at 1.1 inch by 1.9 inches, making RAVPower's version more portable.

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According to RAVPower, the charger, which is priced at $45 from Amazon right now, is the smallest 61W PD GaN charger on the market, coming in at 50 percent smaller than the comparable MacBook Pro charger.

You can get the power adapter in either black or white, and RAVPower says it comes equipped with safeguards to protect against overheating, overcharging, and short circuiting.

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Paired with the 61W PD 3.0 GaN Wall Charger, RAVPower is giving away its new USB-C to Lightning cable, which can be used for fast charging an ‌iPhone‌. A few months back, Apple made the only USB-C to Lightning cables on the market, but recently opened up the specification to allow for MFi-certified third-party cables.

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RAVPower's cable measures in at three feet long and it has reinforcing at the top to prevent it from fraying or breaking with repeated bending. RAVPower says it will hold up to more than 30,000 bends over its lifetime, and it is indeed Made for ‌iPhone‌ certified.

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Using the RAVPower USB-C to Lightning cable and the 61W power adapter, you can fast charge an ‌iPhone‌ up to 50 percent power in just 30 minutes.

We have 10 of the cable and power adapter combo sets to give away. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (August 16) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 23. The winners will be chosen randomly on August 23 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

For those who don't win, RAVPower is offering a free USB-C to Lightning cable with the purchase of a GaN 61W USB-C charger. Just enter the promo code DTQQV38K when checking out on Amazon, but make sure both items are in your cart.

Satechi this summer launched its first HomeKit-compatible product, the Dual Smart Outlet, a HomeKit plug that turns dumb appliances and electronics into smart electronics that can work alongside other ‌HomeKit‌ products.

There are quite a few HomeKit-enabled smart plugs on the market, but Satechi's version is relatively compact and offers some bells and whistles that not all ‌HomeKit‌ plugs provide.

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Design wise, the Dual Smart Outlet is made from an unobtrusive white plastic, and it offers two separate ‌HomeKit‌ plugs. It plugs into a standard socket horizontally, leaving the other socket of your standard dual socket outlet free to use. Satechi's Smart Outlet is one of the better space saving plugs on the market, even though it's not exactly small.

Other options from companies like iHome or Wemo take up similar amounts of space, but offer just one smart outlet. There are some smaller single plug options on the market that are better picks if you only need a single smart outlet, but Satechi's is a good way to connect two devices.

➜ Click here to read more...

Japan Display will supply OLED displays for new Apple Watch Series 5 models slated to launch in the second half of 2019, according to the latest prediction from well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

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In a research note with TF International Securities shared with Chinese media outlets today, Kuo forecasted that Japan Display will gradually increase its proportion of OLED display orders for the Apple Watch, starting with 15-20 percent of orders in 2019 and reaching 70-80 percent in 2021.

Kuo believes that Apple will also gradually increase the proportion of LG's supply of OLED displays for iPhones, and tap Chinese manufacturer BOE as an additional supplier, in a bid to diversify its supply chain.

Apple Watch Series 5 models will likely be unveiled next month alongside a trio of new iPhones. This would hardly be a surprise, as Series 1 through Series 4 models all launched in September, but specific rumors about Series 5 models have actually been relatively quiet, so this is nice reassurance.

For example, Kuo previously said a "new ceramic casing design" would be "added" to the Apple Watch lineup, but he did not explicitly mention Series 5 models. Reuters also reported that Japan Display would begin supplying OLED displays for the Apple Watch, but likewise did not specify Series 5 models.

Looking farther ahead, rumors suggest that Apple Watch Series 6 models will adopt MicroLED displays in 2020.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

As we head into the weekend, there are a few notable deals going on today that include an all-new MacRumors exclusive offer from Eve, Best Buy's anniversary sale with lowest-ever iPad prices, and more.

Eve Flare

MacRumors readers have the chance to save 20 percent on the Eve Flare lamp this month, which will bring the accessory down to $79.96, from an original price of $99.95. To see the discount, head to Eve's website, add the Eve Flare to your cart, and enter the promo code MacRumors20 on the shopping cart screen.

eve flare 2Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The Eve Flare is a HomeKit-compatible lamp that provides six hours of portable illumination, and can be used outdoors (with IP65 water resistance) or indoors. You can use the connected Eve app to change the color of the lamp, or speak to Siri to alter the hue, dim the light, or turn it on/off completely.

This promotion will last through August 29, so be sure to head to Eve's website soon to check out the Eve Flare if you're interested.

Best Buy Anniversary Sale

Best Buy today kicked off a three-day-long anniversary sale, and it includes some new low prices on a few models of Apple's iPad. You can also save on the MacBook, Apple Watch Series 4, and much more.

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9.7-inch iPad (2018)

  • Wi-Fi, 128GB - $299.99, down from $429.00 ($130 off, lowest ever)
  • Cellular, 128GB - $429.99, down from $559.00 ($130 off, lowest ever)

11-inch iPad Pro

  • Wi-Fi, 256 GB - $674.99, down from $949.00 ($275 off, lowest ever)
  • Wi-Fi, 512 GB - $849.99, down from $1,149.00 ($300 off, lowest ever)
  • Wi-Fi, 1 TB - $1,149.99, down from $1,549.00 ($400 off, lowest ever)

12.9-inch iPad Pro

  • Wi-Fi, 64 GB - $799.99, down from $999.00 ($200 off, lowest ever)
  • Wi-Fi, 512 GB - $949.99, down from $1,349.00 ($400 off, lowest ever)
  • Wi-Fi, 1 TB - $1,349.99, down from $1,749.00 ($400 off, lowest ever)

iTunes $5 Outrageous Comedies Sale

Apple is kicking off the weekend with a new sale on iTunes Movies, this one centered around comedy films. We've listed every movie in the sale below, including comedies like Superbad, Austin Powers, Rush Hour, American Pie, and more, all of which are $4.99.

itunes movies 816 sale

For even more information on the latest sales, be sure to check out our full Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Version 7 of Heart Analyzer was released today, and the popular third-party heart-rate app for iPhone and Apple Watch has gained some additional features for users looking for even deeper insight into their HR data.

heart analyzer app screens
In addition to the wealth of graphs, metrics and reports already available, Heart Analyzer can now also produce monthly PDF reports on a user's heart rate. This exportable metric is inspired by the Apple Watch ECG reports that can be exported in Apple's Health app.

The app has also got a new Heart Home tab where users can get more personalized metrics. Details such as maximum and minimum heart rates, cardiac exercise levels and VO2Max offer greater detail on HR readings and fitness based on age and biological sex.

In addition, the user interface has been simplified by the introduction of new card interfaces and natural gestures, improving ease of navigation within the app without removing the level of detail (and in some cases adding even more).

The app never transmits any data from the users ‌iPhone‌, and there are no third party analytics and no ads. Heart Analyzer is a free download for ‌iPhone‌ on the App Store, and users who wish to support development can unlock small options via in-app purchases. [Direct Link]