Apple today launched a new Apple Music web experience, which is available to all users in a beta capacity.

The Apple Music website is similar to the ‌Apple Music‌ app on Macs, offering up dedicated "For You," "Browse," and Radio" sections, along with playlists, recommendations, and more.

‌Apple Music‌ users can sign in to ‌Apple Music‌ to access their customized content, and Apple is offering free trials for those who are new to the service.

You do need to sign up for ‌Apple Music‌ through Android, iOS, or Mac, as at the current time, there is no option to sign up on the web. Apple does plan to offer web signups in the future.

Content played on ‌Apple Music‌ for web plays right in the web player, with access to the entire ‌Apple Music‌ library on the left side of the interface.

With ‌Apple Music‌ on the web, the ‌Apple Music‌ service is accessible on any device that has a web browser, including Windows 10, Linux, and ChromeOS machines. Apple is aiming to make ‌Apple Music‌ as widely available as possible, allowing the company to better compete with other services like Spotify.

According to TechCrunch, over the course of the beta testing period, Apple will be soliciting feedback from customers as it works to streamline features and take care of bugs.

Those who want to give the new ‌Apple Music‌ web experience a try can visit beta.music.apple.com.

Apple in iOS 13 introduced a change that limits data collection practices using VoIP APIs, which has consequences for messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

According to a new report from The Information, the makers of encrypted messaging apps like Signal, Wickr, Threema, and Wire are now scrambling to overhaul their software to protect key privacy features that they believe may be compromised by the changes.

In a statement to The Information, an Apple spokesperson said that Apple is working with developers to alleviate their concerns.

"We've heard feedback on the API changes introduced in iOS 13 to further protect user privacy and are working closely with iOS developers to help them implement their feature requests."

Julia Weiss, a spokesperson for Threema, said that Apple's changes may actually result "in the opposite of the privacy goals the changes were supposed to achieve."

What Apple is doing is limiting the PushKit API, which was designed to be used for VoIP calls but over time, has also been used for other purposes such as collecting data and, in the case of messaging apps, encryption. In iOS 13, the PushKit API is limited to internet calls, with Apple eliminating its other uses.

Encrypted messaging apps currently use the VoIP APIs Apple is restricting for decrypting messages on the iPhone in the background, and the change disables that functionality.

App developers will be able to work around Apple's changes, but Tom Leavy, a VP at encrypted Messaging app Wickr said that it's a "significant engineering effort" that was unexpected. Makers of encrypted messaging apps are said to be exploring "alternative tools" in iOS to work, but they're said to be "way inferior" to the existing PushKit option.

Apple is giving app developers until April 2020 to comply with the changes to the PushKit API, but developers who want to update their apps for iOS 13 and take advantage of new features must follow PushKit restrictions sooner.

Ahead of the upcoming Galaxy Fold launch, Samsung canceled pre-orders for customers who had previously signed on to purchase the device earlier this year.

Samsung this morning sent out emails to pre-order customers letting them know that their existing pre-orders, many of which were placed back in April, have been canceled. Samsung cites a rethinking of the customer experience as the reason why pre-orders were canceled.

Ensuring that you have the best possible experience with this revolutionary new technology is our top priority. We are taking the time to rethink the entire customer experience - from purchase to unboxing, to post-purchase service - so in the meantime, we have, regrettably, decided to cancel your existing pre-order. While not an easy decision to make, we believe this is the right thing to do.

Customers who had pre-orders will need to place orders once again when the Galaxy Fold launches in the United States later in September. Samsung is planning to launch the Galaxy Fold in South Korea on Friday, September 6, but the U.S. rollout is being delayed.

Part of the new ordering process will include Samsung's "Galaxy Fold Premier Service," which offers customers "direct access" to Samsung experts and an optional one-on-one onboarding session that walks users through the Galaxy Fold features.

Pre-order customers who had their orders canceled are receiving a $250 Samsung credit that's redeemable for anything on the Samsung.com website.

Samsung initially delayed the Galaxy Fold after multiple reviewers ran into issues with the device. Some experienced screen failures, while others mistakenly removed a protective screen component that wasn't meant to be removed.

Samsung reengineered the Galaxy Fold to address the problems and improve durability. The top protective layer of the display was extended beyond the bezel so that it looks integrated and not like a screen protector to be removed.

The top and bottom hinge areas were strengthened with protection caps to prevent dust from getting under the display, additional metal layers under the display were included for reinforcement, and the space between the hinge and the body was reduced.

The Galaxy Fold is Samsung's first smartphone with a foldable display, able to convert from a 4.6-inch smartphone when folded to a 7.3-inch phablet when opened up. It features a 7-nanometer processor, 12GB RAM, 512GB storage, six cameras, and an operating system designed for the folding mechanism.

The Galaxy Fold is priced starting at $1,980, and its new September launch date will put it in competition with Apple's 2019 flagship devices, which will be unveiled at a September 10 event next week.

Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey recently sat down with CNN anchor Christine Romans at a private event in San Francisco to discuss the future of payments, including ‌Apple Pay‌ and the Apple Card.

As to be expected, Bailey made some boilerplate comments about the security, privacy, and ease of use of both ‌Apple Pay‌ and the ‌Apple Card‌, but she also touched on cryptocurrency, tipping, and mobile IDs.

On cryptocurrency, Bailey said it is an "interesting" field with "long-term potential":

We're watching cryptocurrency. We think it's interesting. We think it has interesting long-term potential, but we're primarily focused on what consumers are using today… and are happy with. Most people are pretty happy with their debit card as an example. And so helping people do that in a more secure way on our platform and in a more real time way is what we're focused on.

On tipping, Bailey said it is one area where Apple still needs to "work more on that":

We get that feedback a lot from customers about when they start using mobile payments and Apple Pay, they stop carrying cash. And one of the key areas where they would like us to do more is actually in tipping. You'll see in some of the point-of-sale systems now great tipping functionality if you pay with mobile payments, but still that personal touch is one area where we still need to work more on that.

Apple Pay and the Wallet app have already provided digital alternatives to credit and debit cards, student IDs, movie tickets, boarding passes, and more. Asked what the hardest remaining item in a wallet would be to digitize, Bailey said identities, such as a driver's license or a passport:

I think the hardest thing is identity. And the reason is that identity, to be legal, has to be government issued… it has to be authenticated by the government. We see across the globe many countries starting to use mobile to add passport… you might use mobile passport when you're going through airports today. It is moving, and I think it will continue. It's not too far away… it just won't be as fast as some of the other activities we have.

Bailey also confirmed that Apple is "working on" allowing users to export their Apple Card financial data to a budgeting app like Mint.

Sonos today introduced its first portable Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Move.

The battery-powered Sonos Move features both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for listening at home or on the go, AirPlay 2 support, built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and up to ten hours of continuous music playback per charge. The speaker features an oval-shaped design with IP56-rated water and dust resistance.

‌AirPlay‌ 2 support means music playback on the Sonos Move can be controlled with Siri, and the speaker will also appear in the ‌AirPlay‌ picker on iOS devices and in the Home app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Sonos Move pre-orders begin today on Sonos.com. The speaker will be available starting September 24, priced at $399 in the United States.

Sonos also unveiled a lower-priced version of its Sonos One smart speaker without built-in microphones. Priced at $179, the Sonos One SL costs $20 less than the regular Sonos One. Like the Sonos Move, the One SL supports ‌AirPlay‌ 2.

The new One SL replaces the Sonos Play:1 and will be available globally starting September 12.

Apple is developing an in-display fingerprint scanner for future iPhones, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu.

The report claims Apple is considering including the in-display scanner in a 2020 iPhone if testing is successful, but adds there is a possibility the tech will not be ready until 2021. This lines up with a prediction from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who expects an iPhone with both Face ID and in-display Touch ID in 2021.

The upcoming fingerprint reader would be embedded in the display, enabling users to unlock the ‌iPhone‌ by placing a finger almost anywhere on the screen, and it would complement rather than replace the existing Face ID system. This would give users the convenience of two biometric authentication options.

‌Face ID‌ and Touch ID each have their weaknesses, such as ‌Face ID‌ not working well when an ‌iPhone‌ is laying flat on a table, or ‌Touch ID‌ not playing friendly with wet fingers. With both systems, users would have the best of both worlds, using the authentication option that is better in a given situation.

Several major Android smartphone makers have adopted in-screen fingerprint scanners over the past few years, including Samsung.

Apple is also working on its first low-cost ‌iPhone‌ since the iPhone SE, which could launch as early as the first half of 2020, according to Bloomberg. As Nikkei reported earlier this week, the device is said to look similar to the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display and a ‌Touch ID‌ home button.

The ‌iPhone‌ 8 currently retails for $599 and up, while the ‌iPhone SE‌ started at $399, but was later discounted to $349.

Samsung has announced the Galaxy Fold will go on sale in South Korea on Friday, September 6, over five months after its original scheduled launch date and just days ahead of Apple's annual iPhone event.

According to The Verge, the Galaxy Fold will also be available in France, Germany, and Singapore come September 18. Samsung hasn't revealed an exact date for the UK or US, but the handset is expected to arrive in those countries in the coming weeks. Initially at least, the phone will be available in just a single configuration, offering 512GB of storage, 12GB of memory, and 5G support, with a Montblanc luxury case thrown in.

Samsung will be crossing its fingers and its toes in the hope of a fault-free rollout this time around. The folding smartphone was initially meant to be in the hands of customers in April, but it was delayed following multiple reports from reviewers of broken units after just a few days' use. Many reviewers experienced issues while testing the device, including random bulges appearing on the 7.3-inch display and flickering screens. In many cases, the issues were enough to make the $1,980 device completely unusable.

An independent investigation revealed that the folding phone lacked adequate protection against the ingress of debris between the OLED screen and the chassis bezel. Samsung recalled all Fold devices that were distributed to reviewers and said it was postponing the launch of the hybrid handset while it completed a redesign to resolve the display failures. The South Korean firm said in July that the phone would relaunch in September, but didn't specify a date.

Samsung is already working on its next bendable smartphone, according to a Bloomberg report earlier this week. Projected to launch early next year, it's said to be a flip phone-style 6.7-inch device that can be folded down into a compact-sized square.

Apple's ‌iPhone‌ event takes place on September 10, when the company is expected to launch three new iPhones with more advanced cameras. The line-up includes two OLED models in 5.8 and 6.5 inches and one LCD model that's 6.1 inches. Apple is said to be exploring folding screen technology, but nothing suggests it plans to release a foldable smartphone in the near future.

Apple today announced that its new Apple Marunouchi store in Toyko is set to open on Saturday, September 7. Marunouchi is Apple's third store in Japan to open since last April, and it is the largest Apple Store in Japan.

Apple Marunouchi is located near the Imperial Palace and across from the historic Tokyo Station. Apple's senior vice president of Retail and People, Deirdre O'Brien, said that the Marunouchi store marks a significant moment in Apple's relationship with Japan.

"Marunouchi has amazing energy and our teams can't wait to welcome customers to our largest store in Japan for the first time on Saturday," O'Brien said.

According to Apple, the split-level Marunouchi store was built with a unique facade, featuring two-story vitrine windows that were constructed from "specially cast aluminum" to allow them to feature three-dimensional rounded corners.

The windows are a first in an Apple retail location and are designed to allow the "vibrant street life" of the surrounding area to connect with the interior of the store. Bamboo lines the interior of the windows.

Marunouchi will feature "world-class creators" leading Today at Apple sessions, kicking off with The Tokyo Creative Guild, which is a special 12-part series that Apple is introducing to celebrate the store's opening.

Customers can begin signing up for Today at Apple sessions at Marunouchi starting now. Apple says that later this month, its Fukuoka store will also be expanding to a new location, and the remodel of Apple Omotesandō will be completed.

Apps designed for the Mac don't often receive as much attention as apps made for iPhones and iPads, so we have a series here at MacRumors designed to highlight useful and interesting Mac apps worth checking out.

This month's picks include apps for revamping your dock, discovering new music, making GIFs, annotating and managing screenshots, and more.

• Plug (Free) - Plug is a macOS player for The Hype Machine, a website that's designed to help you discover interesting new music. The Hype Machine curates content from up and coming artists highlighted by various websites on the internet, which can result in a nice mix of fresh music. You can choose to see what's popular, view remixes, see what friends are listening to, and more.
• Active Dock ($19.99) - Active Dock is a dock replacement app for the Mac that offers features you don't get with the standard dock. You can group documents and apps together for quicker switching between what's open, and you can hover over an app on the dock to see all of the open windows. You can get to options like system preferences and frequently accessed documents, plus there are tons of customization options to work with for changing the look of the dock, icons, and more. Active Dock costs $19.99, but there's a free trial.
• GIFSKI (Free) - GIFSKI is a fun little app that's designed to allow you to create custom GIFs from video clips. Just drag and drop a video file into the app, adjust the start and end points, and you have a GIF. The app supports multiple video formats, it has a clean interface, and it's simple to use.
• In Your Face ($1.99) - In Your Face is a notification app that takes over the entire screen, so if there's something that you really need to remember to do, this is the app to use. The app is located in the menu bar and it interrupts whatever you're doing when it's time for something like an important meeting. It's a good idea if you typically dismiss reminders and calendar events without paying attention, because it's impossible to miss the In Your Face popups.
• Xnip (Free) - Xnip is a screenshot and annotation app that adds a few capabilities not possible with Apple's built-in screenshotting tools. You can capture a full-page screenshot in an app like Safari where all of the content might not be visible, and you can capture multiple windows together. A color picker tool lets you pick a color of a pixel to make a capture, there's an option to measure objects on the screen, and there are other tools like pixelation for hiding details and numbered annotation options. Removing watermarks from screenshots requires a $4.99 per year subscription.

If you have a favorite must-have Mac app that we haven't highlighted yet, let us know in the comments, and we might feature it in a future video. For more of our Mac app picks, make sure to check out our Mac app archives.

An exposed server with more than 419 million records from Facebook users has been discovered online, reports TechCrunch.

The server was not protected with a password and was accessible to anyone. It featured 133 million records from U.S.-based Facebook users, 18 million records from users in the UK, and 50 million records on users in Vietnam.

The records contained each person's unique Facebook ID along with the phone number listed on the account. Facebook IDs are unique numbers that can be associated with an account to discover a person's username.

Facebook restricted access to phone numbers more than a year ago, so the database that was found is older than that. A Facebook spokesperson said that the data had been scraped prior to when Facebook cut off access to phone numbers, calling the dataset "old."

"This dataset is old and appears to have information obtained before we made changes last year to remove people's ability to find others using their phone numbers," the spokesperson said. "The dataset has been taken down and we have seen no evidence that Facebook accounts were compromised."

TechCrunch was able to verify multiple records in the database by matching a known Facebook user's phone number against a listed Facebook ID. Other records were verified by matching phone numbers with Facebook's password reset feature, which can be used to partially reveal a phone number linked to an account. Records primarily had phone numbers, but in some cases, also had usernames, genders, and country location.

Phone number security has become increasingly important over the course of the last few years due to SIM-hacking, which involves calling a phone carrier and asking for a SIM transfer for a specific number, thereby giving access to anything linked to that phone number, such as two-factor verification, password reset info, and more.

SIM-hacking requires little more than a phone number and social engineering skills, and it has been devastating for people who have been impacted. Leaked phone numbers also expose Facebook users to spam calls, which have also become more and more prevalent over the last several years.

The database was originally found by security researcher Sanyam Jain, who said that he was able to locate phone numbers associated with several celebrities. It's not clear who owned the database nor where it originated from, but it was taken offline after TechCrunch contacted the web host. There is no word on why the data was scraped from Facebook or what it was used for.