Facebook's experimental NPE Team today has launched a new app called "Kit" or "Keep in Touch" for connecting with close friends over Messenger on the Apple Watch.
To get started, users scan a QR code on the Apple Watch, or enter an access code at fb.com/devices. Then, users select a Messenger contact and can quickly send that person a message, voice recording, emoji, or their location with a single tap.
While the main Facebook Messenger app already supports the Apple Watch, TechCrunch notes that Kit is focused on keeping in touch with close contacts, such as a significant other, best friend, or family member. Kit is essentially a simplified version of the Messenger app on Apple Watch for keeping in touch with only a few people.
This is the second app released by Facebook's NPE Team in the last week after "Tuned," a messaging app designed to provide a "private space" for couples to connect. "NPE" stands for "New Product Experimentation."
Kit is free on the App Store for Apple Watch only. It appears to be limited to Canada for now.
Satechi today announced the launch of a new USB-C wireless charging dock for the AirPods and AirPods Pro, which is designed to attach to a Mac or iPad that's equipped with a USB-C port.
The USB-C Wireless Charging Dock for Apple AirPods is a small, portable dock that plugs into the Mac and then allows the AirPods to rest on top while charging. An included LED light lets you know the AirPods are charging, and a lip around the edge keeps the AirPods in place.
As with most Satechi accessories, the AirPods Charging Dock is made from aluminum and it matches well with Apple's Macs.
Satechi is offering pre-orders for the USB-C Wireless Charging Dock for Apple AirPods on its website, and orders placed today will begin shipping in May.
The Charging Dock is priced at $29.99, but pre-order customers who purchase before April 20 and use the promo code AIRPODS at checkout can get a $5 discount, dropping the price to $24.99.
Apple TV channels today gained a new streaming service called "Eros Now Select," which includes films and TV shows from India. Now that it's part of channels in the Apple TV app, customers in the United States can subscribe via iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, and other platforms.
Eros Now Select includes a catalog of Bollywood movies, original shows, short-format content, and more. Subscribers through Apple TV channels can watch shows online and take advantage of offline downloads. If there are multiple users in the house, family sharing supports up to six family members on one account.
Commenting on the announcement, Ali Hussein, CEO, Eros Now said, “The launch of Eros Now Select on Apple TV channels reaffirms our global presence and deepens our connection with audiences in the US by bringing them the best of Indian and international content.”
Currently, Apple TV channels include Cinemax, CBS All Access, Britbox, BET+, HBO, Shudder, and many more. When you subscribe to one of these platforms through the Apple TV app, you can pay for your subscriptions with your Apple ID account and watch all of the content in one place, without needing to download other apps.
If you want to learn how to sign up for Apple TV channels, you can find more information in our guide. The Eros Now website also has additional details on its available films and shows.
Google has made significant progress toward developing its own custom-made main processor in recent weeks, reports Axios.
According to the report, Google's Pixel phones could be powered by the processors as soon as next year – a potential blow to Qualcomm, which currently supplies Google with the main processor in its flagship phones.
The chip, code-named Whitechapel, was designed in cooperation with Samsung, whose state-of-the-art 5-nanometer technology would be used to manufacture the chips, according to a source familiar with Google's effort.
Google recently received its first working versions of the 8-core ARM processor, according to the report's sources. The chip is said to feature hardware optimized for machine learning, and will complement Google's existing custom Pixel chips dedicated to machine learning and image processing tasks.
Some of its silicon will also be given over to improving the performance and "always-on" capabilities of Google Assistant, according to the report.
The tech giant is said to be hoping that future versions of the processor will be suitable for its Chromebooks, but the Pixel is its first priority.
Apple was one of the first mobile device makers to design its own mobile processors, which have delivered increasingly impressive performance over recent years and allowed the company to save on costs.
Honing its chips over many iterations has enabled it to improve on already blistering speeds and add unique capabilities to its smartphones and tablets. Google has hired a number of chip experts from its rivals, including Apple, and will undoubtedly be hoping to mirror those achievements in the years to come.
Hundreds of thousands of Zoom accounts are being sold or given away for free on the dark web and hacker forums, according to a new report by BleepingComputer.
Zoom has surged in popularity in recent weeks as the number of people working from home has increased, but concerns about the videoconferencing app's security have also made the headlines. However, the availability of Zoom accounts on the dark web does not appear to be a direct consequence of the app's failings.
Rather, the sale of the login details are said to be the result of "credential stuffing attacks," where hackers attempt to log in to Zoom using accounts leaked in older data breaches.
Successful logins are then collated into lists and sold on or offered for free to other hackers, with the intention of using them in zoom-bombing pranks or for malicious reasons.
The accounts are reportedly being shared via text sharing sites as lists of email addresses and password combinations. The accounts can include a victim's email address, password, personal meeting URL, and their HostKey.
Zoom accounts sold on hacker forums
Cybersecurity firm Cyble, which was able to purchase 530,000 Zoom credentials for less than a penny each at $0.0020 per account, said the Zoom accounts began appearing in the hacker community at the beginning of April, with hackers offering the accounts to build reputation.
The finding underscores the importance of using unique passwords for each website where an account is registered. Concerned users are encouraged to check if their email address has been leaked in data breaches using the Have I Been Pwned website or Cyble's AmIBreached data breach notification service, and change their Zoom password if used elsewhere.
Apple shipped around 2.5 million iPhones in China last month, rebounding slightly after one of its worst months in the country on record (via Reuters).
Apple sold fewer than 500,000 iPhones in February amid curbs on travel and transport, amounting to an almost 60 percent slump in iPhone sales.
Mobile phone companies in general are hoping to see demand recover in China, where restrictions on movement have recently eased. Many are looking to increase sales in the country as a way to cushion declines in overseas markets in the coming months.
Meanwhile, multiple third-party resellers in China have been offering discounts on Apple's iPhone 11 lineup in an attempt to bolster demand during a time when consumer confidence and spending is lower.
Chinese resellers offered similar discounts on iPhone XS and iPhone XR models in early 2019, shortly after Apple lowered its revenue guidance for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year due to fewer iPhone upgrades than it had anticipated.
The 2020 iPad Pro models are equipped with an A12Z processor that is the same as the A12X processor in the 2018 iPad Pro models but with an extra GPU core enabled, TechInsightsconfirmed today.
Speculation that Apple was using the same chip began shortly after the new iPad Pros launched and benchmarks found little in the way of performance improvements.
Apple didn't highlight changes to CPU performance, but there is one difference - the A12Z features an 8-core GPU, while the A12X has a 7-core GPU.
Information provided in March by TechInsights suggested that the A12X was simply an 8-core GPU chip with one GPU core disabled, indicating the A12Z is a re-binned A12X with that latent GPU core enabled.
At the time, TechInsights said that it planned to conduct a floorplan analysis to determine whether there are any differences between the A12X and the A12Z, which has now been completed, and the GPU chips are the same. A full report on TechInsights findings will be available on its website to those with a subscription.
It is not unusual for chip manufacturers to disable one core of a processor when a chip isn't meeting yield levels, and that's perhaps what happened with the A12X. The manufacturing of the chip has now improved enough that yields have gotten better and all 8 cores are functional, resulting in the A12Z chip.
Apple today in a press briefing indicated that its upcoming COVID-19 contact tracing system with Google will have a verification flow, meaning that users will be required to submit proof in order to report that they have tested positive for the disease.
As an example, Apple said that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 could receive a QR code with their test results and then scan that QR code within the contact tracing system for confirmation purposes, but the exact implementation remains to be seen. Apple said verification will be handled by an external entity and could vary by region.
Verification will be a very important step in Apple's and Google's contact tracing system, preventing users from falsely reporting that they have tested positive for COVID-19 and inflicting unnecessary worry on others.
Apple also ensured that the contact tracing system will not be enforced by governments and will instead function on an opt-in basis.
Apple and Google revealed plans for their contact tracing system earlier this week. The joint effort will use Bluetooth to alert users when they have potentially come in close contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19, while respecting user privacy.
Apple in March released new 13.4 software designed for the HomePod, alongside of the release of iOS 13.4 and tvOS 13.4. 9to5Mac recently looked at the HomePod code and says that Apple made a curious change with the new software -- the HomePod operating system is now based on tvOS instead of iOS.
watchOS, tvOS, and the software that run on the HomePod are all variants of iOS, but each one is differentiated by tweaks made for the device the software is intended to run on, featuring unique interfaces, APIs, and more.
Unlike prior versions of the HomePod software, which were based on the operating system found on the iPhone and iPad, the HomePod's software is now derived from tvOS. Because the operating systems are the same at the core, this hasn't resulted in any fundamental changes to the way that the HomePod works.
9to5Mac believes that shifting the HomePod software to a tvOS base has the potential to save Apple some work, as both the Apple TV and the HomePod are always-on devices that are plugged in to power and won't need the same optimizations as versions of iOS. Both devices also operate as a Home hub for HomeKit, which may also be a key reason why the two now share code.
It's also possible that iOS 14 will end support for devices with the A8 chip, such as the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 4, and the HomePod is equipped with an A8 chip. Due to the possible end of support in iOS 14, swapping over to a tvOS base will allow Apple to keep pushing HomePod updates for the foreseeable future.
Rumors have suggested that Apple is developing a new smaller version of the HomePod that's more affordable, which is set to launch in 2020, and that's another possible reason for the code shift. 9to5Mac says that there are two new models of the HomePod referenced in iOS 13.4, though there is no additional information about them.
Just this morning, a Bloomberg report said that Apple is working on a new HomePod speaker that will be about half the size of the original, while maintaining the same design. Though it has faced delays, Apple is planning to launch the new HomePod in the second half of the year. It will feature a lower price the current HomePod, helping Apple compete with cheaper speaker options from companies like Amazon and Google.
On a separate but related note, 9to5Mac says that a "trusted source" has said that the next-generation Apple TV that's been rumored for months now could be equipped with the same A14 chip that Apple is planning to use in the iPhone 12, which suggests a fall launch for the device. Both a new Apple TV and an updated HomePod could perhaps see similar launch dates this September or October, but there's no concrete word on launch timing for either product.
Apple last week sent a letter to a group of U.S. senators who had questioned the privacy and security of the COVID-19 app and website that Apple designed in partnership with the CDC, the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and FEMA.
In the letter [PDF], published on Friday and highlighted today by Bloomberg, Apple provided specific answers to each of the questions the senators had asked, and clarified that the app and website were built with privacy as a priority.
Consistent with Apple's strong dedication to user privacy, the COVID-19 app and website were built to protect the privacy and security of users' data. As you note, use of the tools do not require a sign-in or association with a user's Apple ID, and users' individual responses are not sent to Apple or any government organization. Access to important information and guidance regarding individual health or the health of a loved one should not require individuals to compromise their privacy rights. Rather, it is in times like these, that our commitment to protecting those rights is most important. Our COVID-19 app and website were designed with that in mind.
The senators asked for specific details on Apple's agreements with the federal government and/or state governments, with Apple clarifying that Apple entered into an agreement with HHS through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health and the CDC for the development of the website.
Strong privacy terms were included, such as express consent required for any data transfer, the aggregation and de-identification of any information received by the CDC, and an agreement that any information obtained by the app is strictly to be used for improving the COVID-19 Triage Tools that are included.
The letter clarifies that the app and the screening site are not covered or subject to HIPAA laws in the United States as no health insurance companies or health care providers are privy to the information.
Apple says it does not collect any information entered into the website or the app, and applies the same data minimization principles to the COVID-19 tool as it does to other products. The only data that is stored is data necessary to support the operation of the app, which includes non-personally identifiable analytics information regarding the use of the website and app, such as total number of visits, whether crashes have occurred, and whether the screener tool has been started, canceled, or completed.
Apple confirmed that it commits to refrain from using data collected on the website and app for commercial purposes, and will never sell information to third-parties. Apple's full letter to the U.S. senators can be read on the web for those interested.
The COVID-19 app and website have been available since late March, and Apple recently improved both tools with links to state guidelines and self-care information. Apple late last week also announced a new partnership with Google that will see the two tech companies developing a privacy-focused opt-in contact tracing tool that will be added to iPhone and Android smartphones.
Anker recently announced pricing and availability for two new HomeKit-compatible indoor security cameras under its Eufy brand.
Both cameras feature 24/7 live video recording with up to 128GB of local storage, 2K resolution, two-way audio, motion tracking with customized activity zones, instant alerts, and multi-user access. A stationary version will be available for $39.99, while a pan-and-tilt version with 360° horizontal panning, 100° vertical tilting, and 8X zooming will retail for $49.99.
Anker says both cameras will be available on Amazon in mid-May.
Woot is back this week with a big sale on a wide variety of refurbished Apple products, ranging from the iMac to the iPad mini. Sale prices start at $79.99 for the first generation iPad mini, and you can also find a few other iPad mini models, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This includes the 16GB iPad mini 4 at $199.99, or the 16GB iPad mini 2 at $109.99. Both iPads are estimated to arrive between April 21 and 27, with free shipping for Amazon Prime members.
There are a good number of MacBooks on sale as well, dating back to models from around 2012 and some more recent. You can get the 2012 13-inch MacBook Air with 128GB for $359.99, or opt for more storage at 256GB for $389.99. You'll find the same shipping estimates and free shipping for Prime members on MacBooks as well.
For the iMac, Woot is pricing the 2013 27-inch iMac with a 1TB hard drive and 16GB RAM at $799.99. Woot has numerous other iMacs, iPads, and MacBooks on sale, and a few of them have already sold out at the time of writing, so be sure to visit the sale soon.
All of the items in Woot's Apple sale today are previously-used devices that have been refurbished to working condition. Woot says that many of its refurbished products relate to "buyer's remorse" returns and discontinued items, and customers can expect a 90 day warranty to come with many of the products sold on Woot.
The UK's NHS has confirmed plans to use Apple's contact tracing technology in an upcoming app that will warn users if they've recently been in contact with someone suspected to be infected with coronavirus (via BBC News).
Britain's health secretary Matt Hancock, who announced the move at the government's daily pandemic press briefing, said the NHS was "working closely with the world's leading tech companies" on the initiative.
Apple and Google are working together on Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus around the world. Apple says that user privacy and security will be central to the design of the project.
The BBC reports that the British health service's digital innovation unit, NHSX, wasn't aware of the project before it was announced on Friday, but now plans to integrate the technology into its app.
Doing so should mean the NHS app won't have to use workarounds to keep monitoring the signals even when the app is not being used.
The basic idea behind the app is that people who have self-diagnosed as having coronavirus will be able to declare their status in the app, which will then send an alert to anyone who has recently been close to them for an extended period of time.
"If you become unwell with the symptoms of coronavirus, you can securely tell this new NHS app," Hancock explained.
"And the app will then send an alert anonymously to other app users that you've been in significant contact with over the past few days, even before you had symptoms, so that they know and can act accordingly.
"All data will be handled according to the highest ethical and security standards, and would only be used for NHS care and research.
"And we won't hold it any longer than is needed."
According to the report, a pre-release version of the software will be tested with families at a secure location in the North of England next week.
Apple's refreshed iPhone lineup will add 5G to as many as four new models, at least two of which will have flat stainless steel edges and a flat screen, similar in design to its latest iPads, reports Bloomberg this morning.
This year’s successors to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will be joined by two lower-end models to replace the iPhone 11. At least the two high-end devices will have flat stainless steel edges instead of the current curved design as well as more sharply rounded corners like the iPad Pro introduced in 2018. Reminiscent of the iPhone 5 design, the new handsets will have flat screens rather than the sloping edges on current models, said the people asking not to be identified because the plans aren’t public.
The report adds further weight to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's expectation that some of Apple's 2020 iPhones will include a square-edged stainless steel frame. Notably, Apple adopted a similar design for the 2018 iPad Pro, which features a more industrial band around the sides compared to previous models.
Today's report also corroborates rumors that Apple will add a 3D camera to the iPhone and is aiming to reduce the size of the notch at the top of the screen that houses the TrueDepth camera. Recently leaked images said to depict the iPhone 12 picture a notch that is approximately 1/3 smaller than the current notch, in addition to a redesigned rear camera array.
Rumors suggest some of the new iPhone models coming in 2020 will feature the LiDAR Scanner feature that Apple added in the 2020 iPad Pro models, which will serve to enhance future augmented reality experiences.
At least some of the new iPhones could be released several weeks later than normal, though still within the typical fall window, according to Bloomberg's sources. Apple reportedly hasn't informed suppliers of any significant delays, and the company's engineers are expected to travel to China and finalize product designs in May.
Bloomberg's report also reiterates rumors that Apple is developing a smaller, less expensive version of its HomePod smart speaker for release as early as this year, as well as Tile-like so-called "Apple Tags" that will let users track real-life objects. Based on assets found in iOS 13.2 and trademarking details dug up by MacRumors, Apple seems to be planning to call its tracking accessory the "AirTag."
Apple is additionally working on a new version of the MacBook Pro, Apple TV, refreshed budget iPads and a new iMac, people familiar with its product roadmap informed the media outlet.
Apple has recently registered the domain name AppleCoronavirus.com, according to a WHOIS record discovered by MacRumors. The new record indicates that Apple took possession of the domain name on Friday.
The record's domain information lists Apple Inc. as the registrant organization. The registrar is CSC Corporate Domains, a firm that protects domain names for large corporations, and is used by Apple for its domain name registrations.
While the domain does not currently point to an active website, the registration of the domain occurred on the same day Apple and Google announced a joint effort of creating COVID-19 contact tracing technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus around the world.
Apple's Mac shipments are estimated to have been down over 20 percent in the first quarter of 2020, according to new data shared by Canalys this week. The shuttering of businesses and factories around the world has caused "severe delay in production and logistical issues", leading to a worldwide PC shipment fall of eight percent year on year.
Top vendor rankings remained stable, with Lenovo continuing to lead the PC market with 12.8 million units shipped. HP came second with 11.7 million units, followed by Dell with 10.5 million units.
Apple shipped an estimated four million Macs in the first quarter of 2019, dropping to 3.2 million in the first quarter of 2020, a decline of 21 percent. This is a greater year-over-year decline than seen by any of the other top five vendors, including Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Acer.
In spite of falling shipments, demand has soared in the first quarter of 2020, driven by remote working and learning requirements from strict lockdown measures across the world. Canalys predicts that vendors will report healthy profits over the coming weeks, with operating margin percentages reaching all-time highs.
Canalys also notes that "many other home technologies" have seen major growth amid the shift to working and learning from home. This includes headphones, webcams, printers, and monitors, as well as home-working software solutions for collaboration, virtual desktops, remote access, and security. Apple, however, does not produce products for many of these categories.
According to Canalys analyst Ishan Dutt, PC industry demand is unlikely to remain as strong as it was in the first quarter.
As we move into Q2, the production constraints in China have eased. But the spike in PC demand seen in Q1 is not likely to be sustained and the rest of the year looks less positive. Few businesses will be spending on technology for their offices, while many homes will have been freshly equipped. A global recession has begun – businesses will go bankrupt, with millions newly unemployed. Even governments and large corporations will have to prioritize spending elsewhere.
Canalys data is based on supply chain analysis and consumer surveys. Apple no longer discloses iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales, which means that analyst estimates cannot be confirmed by specific sales data.
Apple Maps will soon directly display COVID-19 testing locations alongside information specific to the site.
Apple today launched an online portal for healthcare providers, labs, or other businesses, to register as COVID-19 testing locations. The Apple Maps team will then review the application, and upon approval the location will appear in Apple Maps. Although the process is similar to the Apple Maps Connect portal normally used by businesses to add information to Apple Maps, this new service includes information specific to COVID-19 testing sites.
Testing locations will appear with a red medical glyph icon and a unique "COVID-19 Testing Site" card. Apple Maps will display the place name, associated healthcare provider, contact number and website, as well as information about the type of testing location. Apple is also asking applicants to state whether the testing location will require a doctor's referral or a scheduled appointment.
Apple does not say exactly how long it will be before testing locations will begin to appear in Maps, but assures that it is working quickly to verify and add as many testing locations as possible. The feature appears to be international.
Apple and Google yesterday announced a partnership on opt-in COVID-19 contact tracing technology for iPhone and Android smartphones.
While we're still patiently waiting for the new low-cost iPhone SE drop, the rumor mill has continued to churn with new iOS 14 leaks and additional rumors about upcoming products.
Among other news this week was an ongoing issue with Apple sending replacement AirPods earbuds with an unreleased firmware version that prevents pairing with the user's existing earbud, and some new content options to help keep you busy and entertained during quarantine.
Check out our roundup below and the video above for details on these stories and more!
iOS 14 Could Offer Home Screen Widgets, Wallpaper Customizations
A leaked build of iOS 14 has revealed that Apple may be planning to introduce home screen widgets on the iPhone and iPad. While a form of widgets already exists in the Today View, accessible by swiping right on the first page of the home screen, this new feature would allow widgets to be moved around freely like app icons.
Prosser says there is a strong possibility that a larger 14-inch display could be one of the new features, following in the footsteps of the 16-inch MacBook Pro replacing the 15-inch model last year.
The refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro is also expected to feature Apple's more reliable scissor-switch Magic Keyboard.
Analyst Expects Apple to Launch New iPhone SE in Mid-April, 6.7-Inch iPhone 12 in October
Apple's development schedule for iPhone 12 models will likely be pushed out slightly due to current travel restrictions and cargo flight delays, which could result in delayed availability of the highest-end 6.7-inch model, according to analyst Jeff Pu.
Pu expects the iPhone SE to drop around the middle of this month, but the main fall lineup could once again see some split release dates as we've seen a few times in recent years. He believes that the expected 5.4-inch and two 6.1-inch models will be available in September, but that the highest-end 6.7-inch model might not be ready to launch until October.
Apple Sending Replacement AirPods With Unreleased Firmware, Rendering Them Unusable
Over the last few weeks, customers who require a replacement AirPod from Apple have in some cases been receiving an AirPod running firmware version 2D3, which is not a version of the AirPods firmware that has been publicly released.
Due to this issue, affected customers are unable to pair the new AirPod with the existing AirPod, leaving the pair of AirPods unable to be used together.
Six iPad and iPhone Apps and Games to Keep You Entertained at Home
We're highlighting podcast apps, a few games, and a couple of other options that will hopefully help keep you or your family members entertained this week. Some of these are for iPhone and iPad, while some are iPad only.
2020 iPad Pro Confirmed to Lack a U1 Ultra Wideband Chip
Last week, we laid out evidence suggesting that 2020 iPad Pro models do not contain a U1 Ultra Wideband chip, including the lack of any mention of the chip in tech specs or Apple's press materials, the absence of software support for U1 features, and more.
Daring Fireball's John Gruber has since followed up on the situation, and he has "confirmed with a little birdie who would certainly know the answer" that the new iPad Pro models indeed do not have a U1 chip.
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.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
