MacRumors

As rumors about Apple's AirTags ramp up, AirTag competitor Tile is planning to launch a new "Premium Protect" service that will provide up to $1,000 to reimburse customers who subscribe for their lost items.

Tile already has a premium plan that provides Smart Alerts when an item is left behind, free replacement batteries each year, and 30-day location history, but the $30 subscription service (per year) does not include item reimbursement.

As highlighted by Engadget, the Premium Protect service will cost $100 a year and will offer all of the same features as the premium service, but with the promise of up to $1,000 if Tile can't help users locate a lost item within seven days.

Premium Protect will cover Tile trackers as well as items that have built-in Tile tracking features like SkullCandy earbuds and the HP Elite Dragonfly laptop, with the warranty provided in partnership with warranty company Cover Genius.

Using the feature will require users to sign up, register the associated tile, and take a photo of the item that it is attached to. Tile says that Premium Protect is considered a service warranty on the Tile network rather than an insurance policy on the item.

If the Tile network is able to locate the item but it's unable to be safely retrieved, Tile will not provide reimbursement for the item. If the Tile network can't find the item at all, then it is eligible for replacement. According to Tile, the Tile network is able to find around 90 percent of items that are marked as lost.

Tile CEO CJ Prober told Engadget that Tile is system agnostic, which is a benefit that it offers over Apple's rumored AirTags. "Our customers aren't forced to choose a single platform and are advantaged by Tile being system-agnostic. We work with Android, Apple and other platforms people are already using and want to use to help find their lost stuff," he said.

Tile's Premium Protect service is going to launch in the fall, with current rumors also suggesting that Apple's AirTags could launch before the end of 2020, perhaps alongside the new iPhone 12 models.

Apple today seeded the eighth betas of upcoming iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 updates to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the seventh betas and over two months after unveiling the new software at the WWDC keynote.

Registered developers can download the betas over the air after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.

iOS 14 introduces a redesigned Home Screen that supports widgets on iPhone for the first time, plus widgets have been redesigned and can now be customized in three sizes through the new widgets gallery.

An App Library shows all of the apps installed on an ‌iPhone‌ in one place, both in an icon view and in an alphabetical list. With all of the apps in the App Library, app icons and ‌Home Screen‌ pages can be hidden for a cleaner look.

Incoming phone calls and FaceTime calls no longer take up the entire ‌iPhone‌/iPad display, and Siri requests have also been minimized so summoning ‌Siri‌ doesn't monopolize the screen. ‌Siri‌ is smarter in iOS 14 and can send audio messages, and dictation can now run on device. A Picture in Picture mode allows users to watch videos or use ‌FaceTime‌ while using other apps.

App Clips lets users take advantage of some app features without needing to download a full app, useful for quick actions like purchasing a coffee, making a restaurant reservation, or renting a scooter, where downloading an entire app would be a hassle. App Clips can be scanned from QR codes, NFC tags, or Apple-designed App Clip Codes, plus they can be shared in Messages or accessed from Safari.

In the Messages app you can now pin important conversations, use @mentions in group chats, and take advantage of inline replies to keep multi-person conversations better organized. There are new Memoji options and group chats can be assigned icons with photos, emoji, or Memoji.

The Health app supports the Apple Watch's new Sleep Tracking feature and there's a Health Checklist for managing health settings, and in the Weather app, there's more info on precipitation and severe weather events.

Cycling directions are available in the Maps app with directions incorporating elevation, how busy a street is, and stairs, plus for those who own electric vehicles, there are options for routes with EV charging stops.

Digital Car Keys let an ‌iPhone‌ be used in lieu of a physical key, a feature that's coming soon to BMWs, and CarPlay now lets users set wallpapers.

A new translate app provides text and voice translations to and from 11 languages, and there are tons of new privacy protections. Developers need to get user permission before accessing devices on a local network, limiting access to photos, and providing apps with approximate locations instead of exact locations.

Safari has a Privacy Report that lets you know which websites have trackers, and there are new icons on the Home screen that let you know when an app is using a camera or microphone. Third-party browser and mail apps can be set as default for the first time, and Apple added new AirPods capabilities.

As for the ‌iPad‌, the Apple Pencil can now be used in any text field, with handwritten text converted automatically to typed text thanks to the new Scribble feature.

There are tons more features in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, so make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup and our iPadOS 14 roundup for a full list of everything new. We also highlight all of the new feature tweaks and changes introduced with each beta iteration, and you can see the changes from beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 in our beta 2, beta 3, beta 4, beta 5, beta 6, and beta 7 tidbits articles.

Beta 3 brought a new red Music icon, changes to the design of the Music Library in the Music app, a Clock widget, an updated Screen Time widget, while beta 4 added an Apple TV widget and improvements to search. Beta 5 introduced a larger Apple News widget option, a scrolling clock wheel for apps like Alarm Clock, an option to turn on Exposure Notifications, and a feature to better hide photo albums, while beta 6 added spatial audio settings and beta 7 added Dark Mode options for the rainbow wallpapers.

iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 are available to registered developers and public beta testers at this time. Beta testing for ‌iOS 14‌ will last for a couple of months, with the update set to be released in the fall alongside new iPhones.

Now that Epic Games' developer account has been terminated, Apple is also ending access to other services, such as Sign in with Apple. According to ‌Epic Games‌, Apple will no longer let users sign in to ‌Epic Games‌ using Sign in with Apple as of September 11, which is in two days.

Epic says that customers who use Sign in with Apple to access their ‌Epic Games‌ accounts should make sure their email and password are up to date, and the company is offering an FAQ on how to update an account email address and password so ‌Epic Games‌ users don't lose access to their accounts.

Customers who do not update to a standard email address and password will not be able to log in to their accounts, but after September 11, those who did not transition from Sign in with Apple may be able to contact ‌Epic Games‌ to have their accounts recovered manually.

Sign in with Apple is a feature that allows Apple device users to sign in to accounts and services using their Apple ID, with that info obscured from the website or service for privacy purposes. It's similar to Google and Facebook account sign in options, but with Apple promising greater privacy through options like Hide My Email.

The feature was introduced as part of iOS 13 and apps and services have been adopting it since then. Apple requires any app that uses Google and Facebook login options to also offer Sign in with Apple.

Update: According to ‌Epic Games‌, Apple is providing an "indefinite extension" and will not be ending access to Sign in With Apple.

Satechi today announced the launch of its Quatro Wireless Power Bank, which offers wireless and portable charging options for the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch.

There's a small wireless charging pad to accommodate the ‌iPhone‌, AirPods, or AirPods Pro, along with a built-in Apple Watch charging puck for charging the Apple Watch. The charging pad offers up to 5W of charging power for Qi-based devices and 2.5W for the Apple Watch.

The Quatro also includes a 12W USB-A port and a USB-C port that can be used to fast charge an ‌iPhone‌, an iPad Pro (it supports up to 18W), or charge the Quatro itself when it's out of power.

Satechi says that its 10,000mAh Power Bank was designed with an Apple aesthetic in mind, and it's meant to be compact to fit easily into a purse or backpack. LED indicator lights let you know what the charge level is at.

The Quatro Wireless Power Bank can be purchased from the Satechi website for $100 and shipments will start in mid-October, but customers who pre-order now can get a $20 discount using the promo code QUATRO when checking out on Satechi's website.

With the launch of so-called iPhone 12 models inching closer, mobile carriers are in the process of preparing marketing materials for the devices, as evidenced by a placeholder email shared by reputable leaker Evan Blass today.

As widely rumored, the email indicates that iPhone 12 models will support faster 5G cellular networks. The email also suggests that pre-orders will end on Tuesday, October 20, and while it does look like iPhone 12 models won't be announced until next month, carriers are unlikely to be privy to any specific dates this far in advance.

Apple is expected to introduce four new smartphones, including the iPhone 12 in 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch sizes and the iPhone 12 Pro in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes. Rumors suggest that all of the devices will feature OLED displays, 5G support, and a new flat-edged design, while the Pro models are said to feature a LiDAR Scanner and a new dark blue color option.

In the meantime, Apple has announced that it will be holding a virtual event on Tuesday, September 15 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time that will reportedly be focused on new Apple Watch models and perhaps the rumored iPad Air 4 with slimmer bezels.

Yubico, a company that sells physical security keys for two-factor authentication, today announced the launch of the new YubiKey 5C NFC, pairing USB-C and NFC support in a single device.

According to Yubico, the YubiKey 5C NFC is the first multi-protocol security key that supports smart cards. With the NFC integration, the YubiKey 5C NFC features tap-and-go authentication that works with all major browsers and operating systems, plus it continues to offer a physical USB-C connector.

Like other devices in the YubiKey lineup, the YubiKey 5C NFC is a hardware-based two-factor authentication dongle that is designed to work with hundreds of services to make logins more secure. It's more convenient than software-based two-factor authentication because you don't need a security code. Just connect it to a USB-C device or tap it on an NFC-compatible iPhone to authenticate.

"The way that people work and go online is vastly different today than it was a few years ago, and especially within the last several months," said Guido Appenzeller, Chief Product Officer, Yubico. "Users are no longer tied to just one device or service, nor do they want to be. That's why the YubiKey 5C NFC is one of our most sought-after security keys -- it's compatible with a majority of modern-day computers and mobile phones and works well across a range of legacy and modern applications. At the end of the day, our customers crave security that 'just works' no matter what."

YubiKey 5C NFC is compatible with common password management apps like 1Password and LastPass, and it also works on the web. It supports multiple authentication protocols such as FIDO2 and WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, PIV (smart card), OATH-HOTP and OATH-TOTP (hash-based and time-based one-time passwords), OpenPGP, YubiOTP, and challenge-response, so a single key can work with multiple services and applications.

The YubiKey 5C NFC can be purchased for $55 from the Yubico website.

Google-owned navigation app Waze now lets users send directions from the Waze website straight to the mobile app, thanks to an update announced this week.

The change means Waze users can now plan and view their journey on a bigger screen via the Waze Live Map, which features real-time traffic information, and then send the details from the desktop to the Waze app on their iPhone.

To use the new feature, make sure you've updated to the latest version of Waze, then follow the steps below:

1. On a desktop web browser, visit the Waze Live Map.
2. Click the Log In button in the top-right corner.
3. Scan the QR code that appears with your ‌iPhone‌'s camera to log in.
4. Plan your route by setting an origin, a destination point, and when you want to travel.
   

5. Click Save to App.
6. Open the Waze app on your ‌iPhone‌ and you should see the pre-planned route ready to follow. If you planned to arrive at a particular time, the app will send you a reminder of when you need to leave, taking into account real-time traffic conditions.

Waze can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple has added Smart App Banners to the latest iOS 14 beta that prompt Safari users to open its News app when viewing the website of a publisher that is part of Apple News+.

First spotted by AppleInsider, the new in-app Safari prompts use Apple's Smart App Banner API, first introduced in iOS 13, which allows developers to prompt users to download their third-party app from the App Store or a corresponding link from Safari.

In this case, Apple is using the Smart App Banner framework to direct users to its own News app when they visit a website hosted by a publication that is also an ‌Apple News‌+ partner. It's worth noting that the banners only appear for users who subscribe to ‌Apple News‌+.

The Smart App Banner code on affected pages is reportedly unchanged, making it seem likely that it's a change to the way Safari handles publisher URLs, but it remains unclear if developers are able to control which banner appears.

The news follows a similar change Apple made in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur that directs users who tap to read a news story in Safari to the ‌‌Apple News‌‌ app instead of to the publisher's website.

Many ‌‌Apple News‌‌+ users have been asking for a way to open up web links in ‌‌Apple News‌‌+ to avoid paywalls on the web, so ‌‌Apple News‌‌+ subscribers that pay for the service are likely to be appreciative of the new feature.

However, it has not gone down well with some large publishers, three of which have said they were not informed of the change and are now evaluating whether to terminate their relationship with ‌Apple News‌+ as a result.

There have been multiple reports suggesting publishers are unimpressed with the revenue generated from ‌‌Apple News‌‌+, which has fallen below Apple's initial promises. Apple has not only struggled to entice new publishers to ‌the paid service, it has had difficulty gaining new subscribers since it launched in March 2019.

Apple's 5-nanometer-based A14X processor, which is destined for the first Apple Silicon Mac and the next-generation iPad Pro, will enter mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, reports DigiTimes.

Apple will kick off its 5nm wafer starts at TSMC for its new Apple Silicon processors starting the fourth quarter of 2020, with monthly output estimated at 5,000-6,000 wafers, according to industry sources.

Apple is gearing up for the upcoming launch of its new-generation MacBook and iPad Pro series powered by its self-designed Arm-based processors, which will be fabricated using TSMC's 5nm EUV process technology, the sources indicated.

Last year, TSMC announced a $25 billion investment in the new 5nm node technology in a bid to remain the exclusive supplier of Apple's processors, and it already appears to have paid off.

A report late last month from The China Times claimed that the first Apple Silicon Mac to use TSMC's 5nm process will launch by the end of the year in the form of a super-lightweight 12-inch MacBook with a battery life of between 15 and 20 hours.

According to the Chinese report's sources, the 12-inch MacBook will reportedly use the A14X processor, which is based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 models. Codenamed "Tonga," the A14X is also set to be used in the next-generation iPad Pro and will go into production by the end of the year, said the report.

Apple announced at its WWDC developer conference in June that its Macs will transition from Intel x86-based CPUs to its self-designed Arm-based Apple Silicon processors over the next two years. Bloomberg has said that Apple is currently developing at least three Mac processors that are based on the A14 chip.

Apple's first Mac processors will have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores, according to Bloomberg. Apple is said to be exploring Mac processors with more than 12 cores for further in the future, with the company already designing a second generation of Mac processors based on the A15 chip.

Apple is rumored to be planning to release a high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display supplied by Innolux in the first half of 2021. Apple was originally planning to launch the device in the fall of 2020, but is unable to meet that deadline with the global health crisis, and now multiple sources suggest a 2021 launch. Trial production on the new iPad Pro reportedly began in June.

As Apple and Epic Games prepare for a hearing on a preliminary injunction to decide whether Fortnite will be allowed back on the App Store as the legal battle between the two companies plays out, Apple has filed a countersuit against Epic requesting damages for breach of contract.

In a court filing today, Apple says that Epic's lawsuit is "nothing more than a basic disagreement over money," highlighting the revenue that ‌Epic Games‌ has earned through the Fortnite iOS app and Apple's developer tools.

Although Epic portrays itself as a modern corporate Robin Hood, in reality it is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that simply wants to pay nothing for the tremendous value it derives from the App Store. Epic's demands for special treatment and cries of "retaliation" cannot be reconciled with its flagrant breach of contract and its own business practices, as it rakes in billions by taking commissions on game developers' sales and charging consumers up to $99.99 for bundles of "V-Bucks."

For years, Epic took advantage of everything the App Store had to offer. It availed itself of the tools, technology, software, marketing opportunities, and customer reach that Apple provided so that it could bring games like Infinity Blade and Fortnite to Apple customers all over the world. It enjoyed the tremendous resources that Apple pours into its App Store to constantly innovate and create new opportunities for developers and experiences for customers, as well as to review and approve every app, keeping the App Store safe and secure for customers and developers alike.

Epic, says Apple, has used more than 400 of Apple's APIs and frameworks, five versions of the Apple SDK, has had its apps reviewed more than 200 times, and has pushed more than 140 updates to Apple customers. Apple says that it also provided advertising each time Epic released a new season for Fortnite, offering "free promotion and favorable tweets" to more than 500 million end users.

Apple goes on to explain the current Epic vs. Apple situation, and how Epic blindsided Apple with a "hotfix" to add the direct payment option and then the ensuing legal assault after Fortnite was pulled from the ‌App Store‌.

Apple says that Epic's "willful, brazen, and unlawful conduct" can't be left unchecked, asking the court for damages and an order that prevents Epic from furthering its unfair business practices.

Neither Mr. Sweeney's self-righteous (and self-interested) demands nor the scale of Epic's business can justify Epic's deliberate contractual breaches, its tortious conduct, or its unfair business practices. This court should hold Epic to its contractual promises, award Apple compensatory and punitive damages, and enjoin Epic from engaging in further unfair business practices.

Apple also has a point-by-point rebuttal for all of Epic's claims, denying all allegations in the complaint. The full court filing is embedded below, and for a court document, it offers an interesting and comprehensive look into Apple's perspective on the whole Epic situation.

Epic over the weekend filed its documentation for the preliminary injunction, claiming that it challenged Apple because "it was the right thing to do" and that it was "better positioned than many other companies to weather the storm."

Epic has claimed that it will "suffer irreparable harm" if Fortnite is not allowed back in the ‌App Store‌, but at the same time, ‌Epic Games‌ has refused to remove the direct payment option that's in violation of Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies. Epic wants the court to rule in its favor, allowing the app to stay in the store with the direct payment option that defies the rules, but that did not happen during the hearing for a temporary restraining order, and it's not clear if the court will rule differently after hearing new arguments from both Apple and ‌Epic Games‌.

The preliminary injunction hearing is set to take place on Monday, September 28.

Apple this morning announced an upcoming September 15 event, and shared a YouTube placeholder video for the livestream that will be available on that date.

Metadata for the YouTube video includes several keywords as noted by Guilherme Rambo, and one notable inclusion is a mention of the "Series 6," which is an Apple Watch that does not yet exist.

Bloomberg earlier today said that the September 15 event will not be focused on the iPhone as most September events are, with Apple instead planning to unveil new Apple Watch and iPad models. A separate event for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 is expected later in the fall, likely in October.

The specific mention of the Series 6 Apple Watch lends credibility to Bloomberg's claim, and seemingly confirms we can expect to see new Apple Watch models.

The metadata has a whole list of other keywords for existing products, including Apple, iOS, ‌iPhone‌, Mac, Apple Watch, Series 5, Series 6, ‌iPad‌, iPad Air, MacBook, iMac, MacBook Pro, Fitness, Wellness, Illustration, Apple TV, Digital Art, AirPods, Apple Event, Apple Keynote, WWDC, September, Apple Special Event, and Apple Launch.

Apple is clearly trying to hit important keywords to attract those searching for related terms, but aside from the Series 6 mention, these are all existing products and it's difficult to determine what else we might see at the event.

Apple today seeded a new beta of the upcoming macOS 11 Big Sur update to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to give the software a try ahead of its public release this fall. The third beta release for public testers comes two weeks after the second beta, and a few days after seeding the sixth beta to developers.

Beta testers who signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the macOS Big Sur beta through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile. Though labeled as the sixth beta, this is the third beta that Apple has provided to public beta testers.

Mac users who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate on the beta website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS betas. Potential beta testers should make a full backup before installing ‌macOS Big Sur‌, and it may not be wise to install the update on a primary machine because betas can be unstable.

macOS Big Sur introduces a refined design for the macOS operating system, which is more similar to iOS but immediately familiar to Mac users with tweaks to window design, color palette, app icons, system sounds, menu bars, and sidebars.

The update brings Control Center to the Mac for the first time, providing quicker access to system controls for things like volume, keyboard brightness, screen brightness, Wi-Fi connection, and more.

An updated Notification Center includes more interactive notifications and redesigned widgets that mirror the new widgets in iOS 14. Notifications are now grouped by app, and you can customize which widgets show up.

Safari has a new customizable start page, built-in translation, and a Privacy Report feature that lets you know which trackers each website is using to follow you across the web. There's a new Mac App Store category for extensions, and you can now control the specific sites that extensions are able to work with for more privacy.

The Messages app for Mac has been overhauled to bring it more in line with the Messages app for iOS and it supports features like pinned conversations, mentions, inline replies, Messages effects, and Memoji creation and Memoji stickers. Search is also better to make it easier to find old conversations, photos, links, and more.

A redesigned Maps app in macOS Big Sur adds support for Look Around, indoor maps, Guides, and Shared ETA updates, plus it can be used to generate cycling routes and routes with charging stops for electric vehicles, which can be sent to iPhone.

There are also smaller updates for apps like Photos, Music, and Home, with a full list of everything new in macOS Big Sur available in our roundup.

Last year, Apple, Amazon, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance, which includes Ikea, Samsung, and Philips, announced a new working group known as "Project Connected Home over IP" that set about developing an IP-based open-source connectivity standard for smart home products, with a focus on increased compatibility, security, and simplified development for manufacturers. The group has today announced a major update on the project, stating that development is ongoing, and that work is on track for a 2021 release.

The update reveals the first concrete information about how the open-source smart home standard will work. A large number of devices will be supported by the protocol, including "lighting and electrical (e.g., light bulbs, luminaires, controls, plugs, outlets), HVAC controls (e.g., thermostats, AC units), access control (e.g., door locks, garage doors), safety and security (e.g., sensors, detectors, security systems), window coverings/shades, TVs, access points, bridges and others," as well as additional "consumer electronics products."

The announcement also reveals that the group has grown significantly, now with 145 active member companies. Between these companies there are hundreds of product, engineering, and marketing experts, working across 30 cross-functional teams to deliver the new standard.

The group recently launched an open-source repository on GitHub, where it is "rapidly iterating on the global open standard, based on market-proven technologies." By sharing the repository, the group hopes to bring the benefits of the project to consumers and manufacturers as quickly as possible.

The project will likely make it easier for device manufacturers to build devices that are compatible with smart home and voice services such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and others by defining a specific set of IP-based networking technologies for device certification. The new standard will also incorporate existing smart home technologies, such as Apple's HomeKit and Google's Weave and Thread.

By the end of 2020, the group aims to provide a "draft specification," and release the completed standard next year. For consumers, this should ultimately lead to improved smart home accessories with better connectivity, multi-platform support, and easier setup.