MacRumors

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.4 updates to developers, one week after the release of the second betas and a month after the release of iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1.

iOS and ‌‌iPadOS‌‌ 13.4 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer center or over the air once the proper developer profile has been installed. On the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, Apple requires the beta to be installed over the air using the configuration profile.

iOS and iPadOS 13.4 are major updates, bringing several major new features to the ‌iPhone‌ and the iPad. There's a new toolbar in the Mail app that's available when viewing an email, featuring a more logical design to address complaints about the Mail layout in iOS 13.

The update design moves the reply icon away from the delete icon, making it much harder to accidentally delete an email, and it adds Folder and Compose icons.

iCloud Folder Sharing, designed to let users share folders in iCloud Drive with other people, is available as of iOS 13.4. ‌iCloud‌ Folder Sharing was first announced at WWDC last year, but it has taken Apple several months to implement it. The feature shows real-time updates so file changes will sync across the devices of all people with access to a specific folder.

There are nine new Memoji and Animoji stickers included in the update, featuring emoji-style poses like shocked face, face with hearts, eyes rolling, and more.

There's a subtle but significant tweak to the way the URL bar works in Safari. In iOS 13.4 beta 2, you can tap into the URL bar right away even when a URL is highlighted, which is different behavior from iOS 13.3.1. In iOS 13.3.1, an extra tap outside of a URL was required to deselect it before it could be tapped to be edited. The new behavior streamlines how the URL bar works and makes it quicker to alter a URL.

There are new Settings in the TV app that are designed to allow users to control streaming and downloading over WiFi and cellular, introducing new data saving options for those without unlimited streaming plans.

There are hints of a new CarKey API in iOS 13.4, which would allow the ‌iPhone‌ to be used to lock, unlock, and start a car that has NFC capabilities. This functionality hasn't been announced by Apple as of yet, but it will ‌iPhone‌ owners to use their devices in lieu of a car key. Sharing features will also be available for assigning keys to friends and family members through the Messages app.

Though not an iOS specific feature, Apple with iOS 13.4, macOS 10.15.4, tvOS 13.4, and Xcode 11.4 is allowing developers to create apps with universal purchase support, which means Apple device users will be able to purchase one app that works across multiple platforms.

There are new controls for calls and third-party navigation apps in CarPlay, along with keyboard shortcuts for the Photos app, changes to location requests for apps requesting user location, a new Shazam Shortcuts action, options for remapping hardware keys of a keyboard connected to the ‌iPad‌, and more.

For a full list of all the new features that have been found in iOS and iPadOS 13.4 so far, make sure to check out our dedicated what's new articles for beta 1 and beta 2.

Eero's lineup of routers now support HomeKit, eight months after Apple announced Amazon-owned Eero as one of the companies adding HomeKit support back in June at WWDC.

Any Eero, Eero Pro, or Eero Beacon running the eeroOS 3.18.0 update or later is now able to be added to the Home app using a setup process in the Eero app.

‌HomeKit‌ for routers is a feature that was added in iOS 13, and it is designed to firewall off smart home devices for a more secure ‌HomeKit‌ experience. With ‌HomeKit‌ for routers, smart home products are not able to communicate outside the home without user permission, so if one ‌HomeKit‌ device becomes compromised, others remain safe.

There are multiple security settings that can be enabled for HomeKit-connected routers, as outlined by Eero.

- Automatic: allows an accessory to communicate to the devices and services approved by its manufacturer, preventing access by unauthorized services.

- Restrict to Home: allows an accessory to communicate only to ‌HomeKit‌ on your Apple devices. You will be able to manage your accessories through the Home app, but this may reduce some functionality, such as firmware updates.

- No restriction: allows an accessory to communicate with every device in your home, and any website or service on the internet, much like other devices on your home network.

After a HomeKit-connected router is added to a ‌HomeKit‌ setup, existing ‌HomeKit‌ devices will continue to benefit from "most ‌HomeKit‌ network protection features," but that they should be removed, reset, and then re-added back to the Home app for maximum security. From Apple's support document:

After setup, add your HomeKit accessories to the Home app. If you already have HomeKit accessories added to the Home app, they will continue to work and benefit from most HomeKit network protection features. For even more security, remove and reset your Wi-Fi accessories then add them back to the Home app. This creates a unique passkey known only to the router and each accessory.

Eero is the first router manufacturer to add support for ‌HomeKit‌ to its devices, but ‌HomeKit‌ support is also coming to Linksys and Charter/Spectrum routers.

Cable company Altice USA today announced that it has launched its Altice One experience on Apple TV, offering access to the company's streaming live TV service, on-demand video, and cloud DVR recordings.

Additional features include an interactive program guide, program restart for live shows, and Siri voice search support.

Altice customers have the option of adding an Apple TV 4K to their subscriptions for either $180 or a $10 per month finance option, and the Altice ‌Apple TV‌ app can of course be downloaded to customers' existing ‌Apple TV‌ boxes.

Altice is one of the largest cable providers in the United States, offering cable and internet through its Optimum and Suddenlink brands to nearly 5 million customers in 21 states.

Apple has been offering certified refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro models in the United States for a couple of weeks now, but today it started selling refurb 16-inch models through its international online stores for the first time since the notebook was released in November 2019. All of the refurbished configurations are discounted by 15 percent compared to the equivalent brand new models.

In the United Kingdom for example, a Silver 16-inch MacBook Pro 2.6GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 is listed for £2,039, down from £2,399, offering a £360 saving on the original price. The same savings are being offered on a Space Grey 16-inch MacBook Pro with matching specs.

Refurbished 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models have also been spotted in Apple's online refurb stores in Germany and Japan.

Apple says refurbished 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged with a 96W USB-C power adapter and USB-C cable in the box. In our view, a refurbished ‌MacBook Pro‌ is virtually indistinguishable from a brand new model, so this represents a good opportunity for savings.

Keep in mind that third-party resellers frequently offer better deals than Apple's refurbished prices, so be sure to shop around.

A refurbished ‌MacBook Pro‌ comes with Apple's standard one-year warranty effective on the date the notebook is delivered. The warranty can be extended to three years from the refurbished purchase date with AppleCare+ for Mac, which costs £399 for the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ in the U.K.

(Thanks, Tommy!)

In an interview with Vanity Fair today, Rian Johnson, who directed the popular movie "Knives Out," shared an interesting tidbit about iPhone product placement deals for films. Apple, he says, allows iPhones to be used in movies, but bad guys aren't allowed to have iPhones on camera.

Also another funny thing, I don't know if I should say this or not... Not cause it's like lascivious or something, but because it's going to screw me on the next mystery movie that I write, but forget it, I'll say it. It's very interesting.

Apple... they let you use iPhones in movies but -- and this is very pivotal if you're ever watching a mystery movie - bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera.

So oh nooooooo, every single filmmaker that has a bad guy in their movie that's supposed to be a secret wants to murder me right now.

Apple is known for having strict rules about how devices are used, portrayed, and photographed. As part of its guidelines for using Apple trademarks and copyrights, for example, Apple says that Apple products should only be shown "in the best light, in a manner or context that reflects favorably on the Apple products and on Apple Inc."

As noted by our forum members, people have in the past pointed out that it's the good guys that use Apple products in TV shows in movies. When "24" was on the air, Wired wrote about a fan theory that the good guys use Macs while the bad guys use PCs, which turned out to be accurate.

Given this tidbit from Johnson, who is a well-respected director, many people may be watching movies with a much keener eye on the devices that actors and actresses are using to suss out hidden details.

The iPhone XR was the world's most popular smartphone in 2019, with Apple outshipping all other smartphone models, according to new data shared today by research firm Omdia.

Apple shipped an estimated 46.3 million ‌iPhone‌ XR units in 2019, which is more than double the 23.1 million units shipped in 2018. ‌iPhone‌ XR shipments were also nine million units higher than the second most popular model, which was Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 11. Apple shipped an estimated 37.3 million ‌iPhone‌ 11 models.

After the ‌iPhone‌ XR and ‌iPhone‌ 11, the Galaxy A10 was the third most popular smartphone, with Samsung shipping 30.3 million units. The Samsung A50, Samsung A20, and iPhone 11 Pro Max came in fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

"Apple has consistently owned the first and second positions in the global smartphone model shipment ranking, with the company maintaining this dominant position for more than five years running," said Jusy Hong, smartphone research and analysis director at Omdia. "The company's continued dominance on this front is all the more remarkable when considering that Apple's price hikes caused overall iPhone shipments to decline last year. By limiting the number of models it offers compared to its top competitors, Apple has been able to concentrate its sales on a few smartphones that have broad appeal, like the iPhone XR."

Apple has continued selling the ‌iPhone‌ XR alongside the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro as a lower cost option, priced starting at $599. The ‌iPhone‌ XR is $100 cheaper than the $699 starting price point of the ‌iPhone‌ 11.

Omdia is a research firm that was established following the merger of the research division of Informa Tech and the IHS Markit technology research portfolio.

At this time of year, Apple engineers and executives typically visit China as Apple's suppliers start getting ready to manufacture new iPhones, but that preparation process is delayed this year due to coronavirus travel restrictions, reports Reuters.

Production of new devices usually kicks off in the summer, but during the first months of the year, Apple employees visit China to perfect assembly processes with manufacturing partners like Foxconn. Reuters spoke to former Apple employees who said that it "could be bad" if Apple's engineers haven't been able to meet up with Foxconn engineers in China to plan iPhone 12 production.

"They probably have one assembly line they're trying things out on," said one of the former employees who asked not to be named discussing production matters.

"Are Apple's engineers with the Foxconn engineers? If they are, they're probably making progress. But if they're not, if they're quarantined, that could be bad."

People familiar with Apple's process for device prototyping to manufacturing said that work typically picks up after the Lunar New Year. By February, Apple is normally in the late stages of engineering validation, where Foxconn workers assemble a small number of devices and the manufacturing process is reviewed.

Reuters says that delays at this stage can eat into the time Apple needs to finalize orders for chips and other ‌iPhone‌ components that need to be made well in advance of when full production begins.

In March and April, Apple and Foxconn engineers work together to set up assembly lines and do trial runs, with final adjustments coming in April and May. One person familiar with Apple's process told Reuters that it's "very complicated" and there are "so many variables in the environment."

Supply chain experts have said that Apple still has time to keep the ‌iPhone‌ schedule on track, but the travel restrictions have made it difficult.

"There is no face-to-face work being done," an executive at a semiconductor firm that supplies smartphone companies and works with teams in China said, speaking generally about phone production cycles.

"And the word is, that's probably not going to change for another month at best. You're really talking about two lost months, which in the consumer electronics cycle is huge."

Foxconn and other Apple suppliers were shut down for multiple days in February and while factories are now up and running, they're not operating at full production capacity due to labor shortages, travel restrictions, and quarantines. Senior Foxconn officials are working remotely from Taipei and have not returned to China on a large scale.

U.S. airlines like United, which Apple often uses, have also suspended many flights to China. United will not be resuming flights to Beijing, Chengdu, Hong Kong, and Shanghai until April 24. People who do visit China are also subjected to health screenings and other restrictions when returning to the United States.

Apple has already warned investors that it will not be able to meet revenue goals for the March quarter due to device shortages and store closures in China, which have impacted device sales, and the company will provide additional info on the impact of the coronavirus during its April earnings call.

The United States Federal Trade Commission today announced that it is sending out refund checks totaling over $1.7 million to people who fell victim to tech support scams.

Scam companies like Click4Support created ads on various websites claiming to be from tech support companies like Apple and Microsoft, tricking consumers into calling them for unneeded tech support services.

Click4Support representatives would convince people into providing them with remote access to their computers for identifying non-existent viruses and malware. The fake services were sold both on a one time fee basis or with a long-term service plan, with the fake company charging from $69 to thousands of dollars.

The FTC shut down Click4Support and other similar companies back in 2015 and filed legal action at that time, with refunds finally available for customer who were tricked into shelling out money.

The FTC is providing refunds averaging approximately $30 each to victims, and most recipients will receive their refunds through PayPal, though some will receive checks. The money is sourced from Click4Support after a federal court in 2018 ruled that its assets should be used to reimburse customers who lost money due to the scams.

While this is a small victory for some users who have been tricked by scammers, scams have unfortunately grown much more sophisticated over the course of the last five years.

Apple maintains a dedicated support page that instructs customers on how to avoid phishing emails, fake virus alerts, fake phone calls, and other similar scams. These tips are well worth reading for anyone who owns an Apple device.

The United States National Transportation Safety Board today conducted a hearing dissecting the fatal 2018 crash of Apple engineer Walter Huang, who was using the autopilot feature of a Tesla Model X, reports CNBC.

The NTSB called Tesla's Autosteer feature "completely inadequate" and said that Tesla's forward collision warning system did not provide an alert, nor did the automatic emergency braking system activate, but the board also had some choice words for Apple.

At the time of the crash, Huang was playing a game on his company-issued development iPhone. He was not paying attention to the road and likely did not have his hands on the steering wheel as the Tesla was in Autopilot mode.

So first let me say, if you own a car with partial automation, you do not own a self-driving car. Don't pretend that you do. This means that when driving in the supposed "self-driving" mode: you can't sleep; you can't read a book; you can't watch a movie or TV show; you can't text; and, you can't play video games. And, that is precisely what we found in this crash - the driver was playing a video game on his smartphone when his car veered into the median barrier.

In a statement, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt criticized Apple for not having a policy that prevents employees from using their iPhones while driving.

Let me circle back to the issue of driver distraction - one that involves the role of employers. Employers have a critical role in fighting distracted driving. At the NTSB, we believe in leading by example. Over a decade ago, under the leadership of my former colleague and NTSB chairman, Debbie Hersman, NTSB implemented a broad-reaching policy which bans using Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) while driving. We know that such policies save lives.

The driver in this crash was employed by Apple - a tech leader. But when it comes to recognizing the need for a company PED policy, Apple is lagging because they don't have such a policy.

During the hearing, the NTSB said [PDF] that employers play an important role in preventing distracted driving. A strong policy is an effective strategy for cutting down on distracted driving, and Apple has no policy that prohibits cell phone use while driving.

Apple in a response provided to CNBC, said "We expect our employees to follow the law." In California, where the crash took place, there are distracted driving laws that prohibit the use of cell phones while driving, even in vehicles with an autopilot mode.

Apple has also implemented a Do Not Disturb While Driving feature that activates when a driver attempts to use a cellular phone while driving, though it can be disabled.

The NTSB's goal is to get all employers to implement and enforce policies that ban the use of personal electronic devices while driving.