MacRumors

Last week, Minecraft: Apple TV Edition was removed from the tvOS App Store and developer Mojang announced that anyone who was still playing the game on Apple TV would no longer see any updates or further support. In a statement, the company said that it needed to reallocate resources "to the platforms that our players use the most."

In a new article shared over the weekend, Ars Technica spoke with a few game developers in the wake of Minecraft's removal from the tvOS App Store, attempting to gain a consensus on what they think Apple needs to do to make the Apple TV a true gaming device. Strange Flavour CEO Aaron Fothergill said that Apple could do this by doing a better job of supporting Game Center across platforms, and creating its own gaming controller to bundle in with an Apple TV, "so there's an Apple TV being sold specifically for games."

Developer Patrick Hogan also indicated support for Apple to build its own full-featured gaming controller and include it in "every" Apple TV box, while other developers Ars Technica spoke with believed an optional gaming Apple TV bundle would suffice. Continuing, Hogan said Apple's marketing for Apple TV should emphasize gaming more, and the company should "spend a lot of money on funding platform exclusives, ports, and presence at every major gaming expo and conference to break the chicken-egg problem of getting customers to make it viable to devs."

Most of the developers I spoke with seemed to believe the same thing I did when I reviewed the Apple TV: there's a lot of potential here for this to be the Apple gaming console that people have speculated about for years. But, they add, Apple just isn't trying hard enough to let consumers know what the TV can do or to make it easy for them to use the TV explicitly for gaming purposes.

Although the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV devices have the hardware for powerful gaming support, Apple's actions so far have not indicated it intends to lean into presenting the Apple TV as a video game console. Even Game Center, which previously had a dedicated iOS app and social features, was downgraded to an optional integration for third-party gaming apps in iOS 10.

Apple also hindered gaming development on tvOS at the start by forcing developers to build in support for its touch-based Siri Remote in every gaming app, despite the fact that the Apple TV supports third-party Bluetooth controllers. Apple dropped this requirement within the fourth-generation Apple TV's first year on the market, but many developers mentioned that this left a poor first impression for the Apple TV as a true gaming device.

Still, most of the developers that Ars Technica spoke to remain positive about Apple TV's future as a gaming device. Team Alto lead Ryan Cash commented on the removal of Minecraft, bemused that Mojang and Microsoft completely axed the game as the Apple TV platform "continues to grow."

"If I were in charge of the game though, I think I'd really try to stay there. While the platform certainly isn't the biggest, it continues to grow, and it's a great way for certain types of audiences to experience gaming, often for their first time."

As of now, Apple's focus on the Apple TV is likely its upcoming string of exclusive television shows, which are rumored to be free to customers who own an Apple TV, iPhone, or iPad. Looking to the future, the successor to the Apple TV 4K isn't expected until 2019 or later, as Apple typically goes a few years in between generations of Apple TV, unlike its other products which get more consistent annual updates. Because of this, there have not been any solid rumors yet as to what features or improvements will be coming to the next Apple TV.

Apple is donating 1,000 Apple Watches to a new study that aims to track biological changes in people with eating disorders (via CNBC).

The University of North Carolina's medical school will conduct the study, which is called BEGIN (or the Binge Eating Genetics Initiative), to better understand overeating disorders in which people eat large amounts of food uncontrollably in a small period of time.

People who purge or engage in excessive bouts of exercise following the binge are usually diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. The study will enroll 1,000 participants of ages 18 or older who have experience with either binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa.

Each participant will be given a free Apple Watch, courtesy of Apple, so that researchers can monitor their heart rate to see if there are any spikes prior to binge eating episodes.

Enrolled participants will also sign up with a mobile app called Recovery Record, which they can use to log their thoughts and feelings, to be shared with a healthcare professional ahead of a session.

In addition, participants will receive tests to analyze their genetics and bodily bacteria that the researchers can better understand the root causes of the disease.

"We need to collect data from a whole lot of people to see what it looks like," said Cynthia Bulik, founding director of the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and author of Binge Control: A Compact Recovery Guide. "We want to know if it has a biological and behavioral signature."

Ultimately, researchers hope the collected data might help them to predict binge eating episodes before they happen. Ideally, this could result in a follow-up study in which participants received some kind of alert when they were at risk of binge eating.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, at least 30 million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, yet the field of research remains underfunded.

Apple has acquired San Francisco-based music analytics startup Asaii, according to unnamed sources cited by Axios. The deal, which has not been confirmed by Apple, was reportedly worth less than $100 million.

Asaii built tools that allowed music labels to discover, track, and manage artists using machine learning. The platform pulled data from social networks and streaming music services, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud, to find hidden talent.

Asaii offered two products specifically: a music management dashboard for A&R representatives to quickly scout and manage talent, and an API for music services to integrate a recommendation engine into their platforms.

"Our machine learning powered algorithms finds artists 10 weeks before they chart," the startup's website states. "Our algorithms are able to find the next Justin Bieber, before anyone else," another page claimed.

The acquisition will enable Apple to bolster its content recommendations to users, and help it compete with Spotify's efforts to work directly with smaller artists and music labels, according to the report. Apple Music and iTunes are likely to benefit from Asaii's machine learning algorithms.

Asaii was founded in August 2016 by Sony Theakanath, Austin Chen, and Chris Zhang, who have collectively worked at Apple, Facebook, Uber, Salesforce, and Yelp previously. All three individuals now work on the Apple Music team at Apple, as of October 2018, according to their LinkedIn profiles.

In an email to customers shared by Music Ally last month, Asaii said it would be shutting down operations on October 14, 2018.

Last month, Apple announced that it completed its acquisition of Shazam, a popular music recognition service that can identify the names and lyrics of songs and music videos. Shazam could be more tightly integrated into Apple products and services as a result, ranging from Apple Music to Siri.

Update - Oct. 15: Startup incubator and Asaii investor The House has confirmed the "recent acquisition."

"As the first investors in Asaii, we are incredibly excited by their recent acquisition by Apple where they will have the opportunity to dramatically scale their impact and continue building out their vision for the future of the music industry," Cameron Baradar, founder of The House, told Music Ally.

However, Apple declined to provide us with its usual statement confirming an acquisition. MacRumors also received an anonymous, unconfirmed tip today claiming that Asaii's co-founders received standard job offers from Apple as part of a deal worth "way, way less" than $100 million, so it may be an acqui-hire.

Update - Oct. 15: TechCrunch's Ingrid Lunden has also been unable to receive Apple's usual statement confirming an acquisition, leading her to report that the company has not acquired the assets of Asaii. Instead, she says Apple merely hired the startup's three co-founders, consistent with the tip we received.

Police in the United States are being advised not to look at iPhone screens secured with Face ID, because doing so could disable facial authentication and leave investigators needing a potentially harder-to-obtain passcode to gain access.

Face ID on iPhone X and iPhone XS attempts to authenticate a face up to five times before the feature is disabled and the user's passcode is required to unlock the smartphone.

The note appears on a slide belonging to an Elcomsoft presentation on iOS forensics, and refers to Apple's 2017 presentation of Face ID, in which Apple VP Craig Federighi tried and failed to unlock an iPhone X with his own face, before the device asked for a passcode instead.

Apple later explained that the iPhone locked after several people backstage interacted with it ahead of Federighi, causing it to require a passcode to unlock.

The advice follows a recent report of the first known case of law enforcement forcing a suspect to unlock an iPhone using Face ID. The action subsequently helped police uncover evidence that was later used to charge the suspect with receiving and possessing child pornography.

In the United States, forcing someone to give up a password is interpreted as self-incrimination, which is protected by the Fifth Amendment, but courts have ruled that there's a difference between a biometric recognition system like Touch ID and a passcode that you type into your phone.

In some cases, police have gained access to digital data by forcing people to unlock mobile devices using their fingers. Indeed, before Face ID was in use, law enforcement was advised how it could avoid locking Touch ID fingerprint-based authentication on Apple's iPhones.

• How to Quickly Disable Touch ID and Face ID on an iPhone

"With Touch ID, you have to press the button (or at least touch it)," Vladimir Katalov, CEO of Elcomsoft, told Motherboard. "That's why we always recommend (on our trainings) to use the power button instead, e.g to see whether the phone is locked. But with Face ID, it is easier to use 'accidentally' by simply looking at the phone."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple's upcoming iPad Pro could be one of its thinnest devices yet, measuring in at just 5.9mm thick, based on details shared by a leaker on Twitter who previously provided accurate details on the iPhone XS and XR ahead of launch.

According to Twitter user CoinCoin, the upcoming iPad Pro will measure in at just 5.9mm, and due to its thinness, there will be no room for Apple to include a headphone jack.

It is also in line with current iPad Pro measurements. The existing 10.5-inch iPad Pro is 6.1mm thick, so it would make sense for a new model to be somewhat thinner.

It's likely the 5.9mm estimate applies to the smaller of the two 2018 iPad Pro models that Apple is expected to introduce, which could be somewhere around 10.5 to 11 inches in size. Apple's current 12.9-inch iPad Pro is thicker than the 10.5-inch version, measuring in at 6.9mm thick.

The iPad Pro dimensions shared on Slashleaks yesterday suggest the smaller iPad Pro will be 7 inches wide (178.52mm) and 9.7 inches tall (247.64mm), while the larger model will be 8.5 inches wide (215mm) and 11 inches tall (280.66mm).

We've seen similar dimension estimates in earlier rumors from Japanese site Mac Otakara, suggesting the smaller iPad Pro will measure in at 247.5mm tall, 178.7mm wide, and 6mm thick, while the larger model will measure 280mm tall, 215mm wide, and 6.4mm thick.

Comparatively, the current 10.5-inch iPad Pro measures in at 6.8 inches wide (174.1mm) by 9.8 inches tall (250.6mm), while the 12.9-inch model measures in at 8.68 inches wide (220.6mm) by 12 inches tall (305.7mm).

Bezels on the new tablets could measure in right around 6mm at the top, bottom, and sides, with the 7.2mm measurement on the Slashleaks document perhaps referring to bezel thickness with side button included.

Multiple prior rumors have indeed suggested that the next-generation iPad Pro models will feature slimmer bezels all the way around, with the top bezel housing a TrueDepth camera system for Face ID. The bottom bezel is slimmer than in existing models because Apple plans to remove the Home button.

Coming back to the prediction of no headphone jack, this isn't the first time we've heard that rumor. Back in July, Mac Otakara also said that the upcoming iPad Pro models will not include a headphone jack. iPhone models have not offered a headphone jack since the iPhone 7, with Apple instead encouraging customers to use Bluetooth headphones like the AirPods or Lightning-based solutions.

The info shared on Slashleaks is likely from a case maker and because it's supported with data obtained from other sources, it's quite possibly accurate. Aside from the dimensions of the new iPad Pro models, the info also confirms the presence of a new Smart Connector at the back of the two tablets.

Other 2018 iPad Pro rumors suggest the device will feature a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port, a faster A12X chip, and support for a second-generation Apple Pencil.

It's not clear when the new iPad Pro models will be announced, but their debut is likely coming soon. We're expecting Apple to hold an event at some point in October, with the end of October looking like the most probable option.

Apple is expanding its street mapping efforts beyond vans outfitted with LIDAR equipment and now has employees collecting street level data on foot.

MacRumors reader Dante Cesa spotted a man wearing an Apple Maps backpack featuring a LIDAR rig, GPS, and multiple cameras, some of the same equipment that's previously been spotted on Apple's mapping vans.

Apple has been collecting street-level data with its Apple Maps vans since 2015, but this is the first time we've seen someone collecting mapping data on foot.

Apple in iOS 12 introduced a revamped Maps app that's been rebuilt from the ground up using its own data, which the company has promised will bring better accuracy and more detail.

The new Maps app offers up improvements to traffic, real-time road conditions, road systems, new construction, and changes in pedestrian walkways along with more detail and accuracy when it comes to displaying foliage like grass and trees, parking lots, building shapes, and more.

Data gathered on foot will likely be used to improve pedestrian directions in major cities like San Francisco.

Apple appears to be bolstering its mapping efforts following the launch of iOS 12. Along with the Apple Maps backpack man, Apple has also deployed new Subaru Impreza mapping vehicles that were spotted with new LIDAR equipment earlier this week in Los Angeles.

The Australian government is considering a bill that would require tech companies like Apple to provide "critical assistance" to government agencies who are investigating crimes.

According to the Australian government, encryption is problematic because encrypted communications "are increasingly being used by terrorist groups and organized criminals to avoid detection and disruption."

As noted by TechCrunch, Apple today penned a seven-page letter to the Australian parliament criticizing the proposed legislation.

In the letter, Apple calls the bill "dangerously ambiguous" and explains the importance of encryption in "protecting national security and citizens' lives" from criminal attackers who are finding more serious and sophisticated ways to infiltrate iOS devices.

In the face of these threats, this is no time to weaken encryption. There is profound risk of making criminals' jobs easier, not harder. Increasingly stronger -- not weaker -- encryption is the best way to protect against these threats.

Apple says that it "challenges the idea" that weaker encryption is necessary to aid law enforcement investigations as it has processed more than 26,000 requests for data to help solve crimes in Australia over the course of the last five years.

According to Apple, the language in the bill is broad and vague, with "ill-defined restrictions." As an example, Apple says the language in the bill would permit the government to order companies who make smart home speakers to "install persistent eavesdropping capabilities" or require device makers to create a tool to unlock devices.

Apple says additional work needs to be done on the bill to include a "firm mandate" that "prohibits the weakening of encryption or security protections," with the company going on to outline a wide range of specific concerns that it hopes the Australian parliament will address. The list of flaws Apple has found with the bill can be found in the full letter.

Apple has been fighting against anti-encryption legislation and attempts to weaken device encryption for years, and its most public battle was against the U.S. government in 2016 after Apple was ordered to help the FBI unlock the iPhone owned by Syed Farook, one of the shooters in the December 2015 attacks in San Bernardino.

Apple opposed the order and claimed that it would set a "dangerous precedent" with serious implications for the future of smartphone encryption. Apple ultimately held its ground and the U.S. government backed off after finding an alternate way to access the device, but Apple has continually had to deal with further law enforcement efforts to combat encryption.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Two weeks ago, Facebook announced that it discovered a security breach allowing hackers to steal Facebook data from millions of accounts, and today, Facebook shared further data on just what was accessed.

To get the Facebook data, hackers took advantage of a security flaw in the social network's "View As" code, a feature designed to let people see what their profile looks like to someone else. The Facebook access tokens that hackers were able to obtain are basically digital keys that allow people to stay logged in to Facebook.

According to Facebook, hackers used a set of accounts that they controlled that were connected to Facebook friends. An automated technique was used to move from account to account, allowing them to collect access tokens in September 2018.

Hackers were able to obtain timeline posts, friend lists, groups, and the names of recent Messenger conversations from an initial 400,000 people. People in this group who were Page admins of a Page that had received a message from someone on Facebook had the content of their messages stolen.

After stealing data from the 400,000 people attacked first, Facebook used their friends list to steal access tokens for approximately 30 million people.

For 15 million people, attackers were able to access name and contact details that include phone number and email address.

For 14 million people, hackers were able to access the same information as well as other data that includes username, gender, location, relationship status, religion, hometown, current city, birthdate, device types used to access Facebook, education, work, the last 10 places where they checked in, websites, people, Pages they follow, and 15 most recent searches.

An additional 1 million people had their access tokens stolen but no information was obtained.

According to Facebook, people can find out whether or not they were affected through the Facebook Help Center. Over the "coming days," Facebook plans to send customized messages to the 30 million people who were affected to explain what information hackers might have obtained.

The FBI is investigating the attack and Facebook has been asked "not to discuss who may be behind [the] attack."

Apple is widely expected to introduce new iPad Pro models with Face ID at a media event later this month, and we can now confirm that Apple has been testing those models internally over the past few months.

"The model codes for the Wi-Fi models of the 2018 iPad Pro will be iPad8,1, iPad8,2, iPad8,5 and iPad8,6," said Rambo. "Meanwhile, the cellular-capable models will be iPad8,3, iPad8,4 and iPad8,7 and iPad8,8."

For what it's worth, Appsee has yet to see any iPad8,6 or iPad8,7 sessions appear in its analytics, but those models very likely exist.

What's more interesting is that the new iPad Pro models appear to have the same display resolutions as the latest 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch models. Appsee's logs indicate that the iPad8,1 through iPad8,4 models have a resolution of 1,112×834 points, while the iPad8,5 and iPad8,8 measure in at 1,366×1,024 points.

Point resolution is not pixel resolution, but we can easily find out the latter.

iPad Pro displays use Apple's high-resolution @2x modifier, meaning there are four pixels for every point. As such, simple math reveals that the new iPad Pro models in the logs have resolutions of 2,224×1,668 and 2,732×2,048 pixels, identical to that of the current 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch models respectively.

The data suggests that iPad Pro models with Face ID will have the same-size 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch displays, and retain 4:3 aspect ratios. However, the overall dimensions of the tablets are likely to shrink, as the iPad Pro is expected to receive an iPhone X-esque redesign with an edge-to-edge display.

As far as accuracy is concerned, Appsee has a proven track record at this. The analytics firm discovered the model identifier iPad6,8 with a resolution of 2,732×2,048 pixels in its logs back in August 2015, and Apple introduced the original iPad Pro with that exact resolution the following October.

Appsee describes itself as a powerful qualitative in-app analytics platform that enables app professionals to measure, understand, and optimize the end-users' experience in their mobile apps, driving increased engagement, conversions, and in-app monetization. More information can be found on their website.

However, there are a few rumors that conflict with this data. First, often-accurate Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the next iPad Pro models will have 11-inch and 12.9-inch displays. If the 10.5-inch model is in fact evolving into an 11-inch version, then the resolution would be different as a result.

Second, dimensions from Japanese blog Mac Otakara and a photo on Slashleaks suggest the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro will be approximately 4mm wider. That does not necessarily mean the display will be larger, though, and it's worth noting that all of the other alleged dimensions are smaller on both models.

One way or the other, we should find out in a few weeks. Apple has yet to invite the media to its rumored October event, and with its CEO Tim Cook in Belgium on October 24, there is an increasing probability that the event might not take place until Tuesday, October 30, give or take a day.