Apple Pay made its long-awaited debut in Germany this evening, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch users in the country to finally take advantage of the contactless mobile payments service if their card issuer supports it.
At launch, Apple Pay partners in Germany include American Express, Deutsche Bank, Hanseatic Bank, HypoVereinsbank, Edenred, Comdirect, Fidor Bank, and mobile banks and payment services o2, N26, boon, bunq, and VIMpay. It may take until the end of the day before the rollout is fully completed.
MacRumors readers and Twitter users are starting to share screenshots of their Apple Pay cards in the Wallet app on iPhone.
Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014 and has since expanded to many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Belgium, China, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland, and Ukraine.
Samsung today introduced its latest smartphone, the Galaxy A8s. It is Samsung's first smartphone with an Infinity-O display, which has a nearly edge-to-edge, uninterrupted design beyond a small hole for the front-facing camera.
It is also Samsung's first smartphone without a headphone jack, much to the amusement of iPhone users, as Samsung has mocked Apple for over two years over its decision to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 in 2016, a trend that has continued through to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.
While on stage unveiling the new Galaxy Note7 in 2016, for example, Samsung executive Justin Denison made sure to point out that the device came with a headphone jack. "Want to know what else it comes with?" he asked. "An audio jack. I'm just saying," he answered, smirking as the audience laughed.
And earlier this year, Samsung mocked the iPhone X's lack of a headphone jack in one of its "Ingenius" ads promoting the Galaxy S9.
In the ad, a customer at an Apple Store asks if he can use his wired headphones with the iPhone X, and the employee informs him that he will need a dongle. The customer then inquires about charging at the same time, and the employee says he'll need another dongle. "So, a double dongle," the customer says.
To use wired headphones with the Galaxy A8s, a mid-range device for the Chinese market, users must use a USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter.
While rumors suggest Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S10 will continue to feature a headphone jack, it could be the company's last flagship handset to have one. In October, Korean website ETNews said Samsung is considering removing the headphone jack from the Galaxy Note10 in 2019 and Galaxy S11 in 2020.
Samsung isn't the first tech giant to mock Apple's decision to remove the headphone jack, only to follow suit. Google poked fun at the iPhone 7's lack of headphone jack while unveiling its original Pixel smartphone in 2016, and then the Pixel 2 launched without one just a year later. Well, well, well. How the turntables…
Epic Games today announced that its Infinity Blade role-playing game trilogy has been removed from the App Store.
In a blog post, the video game studio said "it has become increasingly difficult for our team to support the Infinity Blade series at a level that meets our standards," adding that the trilogy "will always hold a special place" in its history.
Along with the three Infinity Blade games, all in-app purchase options have been removed, according to Epic Games. iPhone users who already purchased the games will remain able to play them, and re-download them from the App Store using the same Apple ID that was originally used, for the foreseeable future.
The news was first reported by Eli Hodapp at MacRumors sister site TouchArcade, who described the trilogy as "an absolute App Store staple" that "even the harshest critics of mobile gaming could admit were, at minimum, pretty good."
Infinity Blade II followed in November 2011, while Infinity Blade III was released in September 2013. Both sequels also received stage time at Apple events, and remained critically acclaimed in 2018, despite the latest title being five years old.
"Premium games eventually losing the support of their developers then slowly falling into obscurity before being removed from the App Store isn't really a new phenomenon," said Hodapp, "but for it to happen to Infinity Blade seems like an incredibly terrible signal for the overall health of the App Store."
Epic Games now has a multi-billion-dollar valuation thanks to the success of its smash-hit battle royale game Fortnite, so the company certainly has the cash flow needed to keep the Infinity Blade trilogy alive, but they are evidently moving on.
Over the next month, Epic Games said it will continue to support Infinity Blade III with updated Clash Mobs and other surprises. It has also made its Infinity Blade sticker pack available for free in the App Store for iMessage. And it looks like the Infinity Blade sword will live on as a weapon in Fortnite.
It took nearly two months following the on-sale date for the iPhone XR, but Apple's highly anticipated clear case for the colorful device is now available. We're not entirely sure what the delay was in launching it, and it's currently the only first-party case available for the iPhone XR, so we went hands-on with the new case to see how it stacks up.
Apple's clear case is intended to show off the colorful rear shell of the iPhone XR, and it does a great job at that, with a crystal clear view of the phone itself all around. The case is a bit firmer than we expected based on our previous experiences with third-party clear cases, so Apple's case holds its shape well while also providing solid protection.
The iPhone XR Clear Case has a design that's very similar to Apple's other iPhone cases like the leather and silicone options for other models, with a raised lip around the front to protect your phone when placed or dropped face down and an open bottom that makes it easy to use gestures such as the Home screen swipe that starts at the very bottom of the screen.
It's not the most protective case on the market, but Apple has never been about providing maximal protection, so you'll have to look for other options if you're expecting to need anything more than protection from the occasional small drops.
The case unsurprisingly fits perfectly around the iPhone XR with ample clearance for the rear camera, although we wish the side button covers provided for a little more movement upon pressing to give the buttons a bit more tactile feel and that the ring/silent switch opening was a bit bigger to make it easier to access.
One common issue with third-party cases is that they tend to yellow over time after long-term light exposure. We obviously haven't had Apple's case long enough to know if that will be an issue, but we'd be surprised if Apple didn't take this phenomenon into account when selecting materials for the case.
The iPhone XR Clear Case is priced at $39, which is in line with Apple's other first-party cases but substantially more expensive than many third-party clear cases, so you'll need to decide for yourself whether the price premium is worth it.
Google today announced that it is expediting the closure of its Google+ social platform, which was previously set to end in August 2019 and will now be shut down in April 2019.
The company explained that it's doing this because of a discovery that 52.5 million users were impacted by a software update in November that contained a bug affecting Google+ API.
The bug appears to be connected to a certain Google+ API that let apps view information that users added to their profile, even if the user had set this data as private.
This included their name, email address, occupation, age, and more, but not financial data, passwords, or national identification numbers.
While Google discovered and addressed the bug within a week, and promises no third party compromised its systems, it has decided to hasten the closure of the consumer version of Google+ and all Google+ APIs. Ahead of the April 2019 sunsetting of the platform, the network's APIs will be shut down within 90 days from today.
Google explained what it knows about the bug:
- We have confirmed that the bug impacted approximately 52.5 million users in connection with a Google+ API. - With respect to this API, apps that requested permission to view profile information that a user had added to their Google+ profile—like their name, email address, occupation, age (full list here)—were granted permission to view profile information about that user even when set to not-public. - In addition, apps with access to a user's Google+ profile data also had access to the profile data that had been shared with the consenting user by another Google+ user but that was not shared publicly. - The bug did not give developers access to information such as financial data, national identification numbers, passwords, or similar data typically used for fraud or identity theft. - No third party compromised our systems, and we have no evidence that the developers who inadvertently had this access for six days were aware of it or misused it in any way.
Google says that ahead of the closure of the consumer Google+, in the coming months it will provide users with additional information on how to safely and securely download and migrate their data off of the platform. In the end, Google also reiterated on its original reasoning behind the sunsetting of Google+, which is because of "the significant challenges involved in maintaining a successful product that meets consumers’ expectations, as well as the platform’s low usage."
The pushed up end date for Google+ comes just under a week after the company announced the closure of Google Allo, which will see many of its features migrated to the main Google Messages app on Android.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1.2 update to developers, five days after releasing iOS 12.1.1, an update that introduced a revamped FaceTime layout, re-added Live Photos for FaceTime, and brought Haptic Touch for notifications on iPhone XR.
Apple's release notes state that iOS 12.1.2 "contains bug fixes and improvements," so this appears to be a minor update.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1.2 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
We'll update this post if we discover any notable changes.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.3 update to developers, five days after releasing macOS Mojave 10.14.2, which addressed an issue with external displays and included other bug fixes.
The new macOS Mojave 10.14.3 beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after the proper profile has been installed from Apple's Developer Center.
We don't yet know what improvements the second update to macOS Mojave will bring, but it is likely to include bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS 10.14.2 update.
If and when we discover what's new in the 10.14.3 beta, we'll update this post.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 5.1.3 update to developers, four days after releasing the watchOS 5.1.2 update with new complications for the Infograph face and ECG functionality for Apple Watch Series 4 owners.
Apple's release notes state that watchOS 5.1.3 "contains bug fixes and improvements," so this appears to be a minor update.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
Apple this morning seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.1.2 update to developers for testing purposes, five days after releasing the tvOS 12.1.1 update.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 12.1.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
tvOS updates have historically been minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than outward-facing changes. Apple unfortunately provides little to no information on what's included in tvOS updates, so we may not discover anything new after installing the new beta.
Though we don't often know what's included in tvOS updates, we share when new software is available so developers and public beta testers are able to download it upon release.
If there are noticeable changes in the tvOS 12.1.2 beta, we'll update this post with details.
Honda consistently ranks as a top five best-selling car brand in the United States, so it's worth taking a look at the company's Display Audio infotainment system and how well it works with CarPlay.
Honda was one of the first car brands to support CarPlay, starting in late 2015 with the 2016 Accord, and the company has since expanded support across nearly its entire lineup. I had the opportunity to spend some time with a 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid, which offered me a chance to try out Display Audio, CarPlay, and some of Honda's slick hybrid technology.
My Accord Hybrid came in the high-end Touring trim, which tops out at a little over $35,000. It includes all of the bells and whistles you might expect from a top-level trim on a mid-range car, including a heads-up display, heated and ventilated front seats, built-in navigation, rain-sensing wipers, and even a wireless phone charger that'll talk a bit more about later.
Honda has been at the forefront of driver safety technology, and every Accord trim comes with Honda Sensing standard. The suite includes a collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane-keeping assist, and, newly standard in 2019, traffic sign recognition.
The two-motor hybrid system Honda is using in the Accord delivers an EPA rating of 47 MPG and offers a remarkably smooth ride that feels like an all-electric vehicle much of the time. That's because at most speeds (up to about 50 mph), only the electric drive motor is connected to the wheels and providing the drive force. When the gas engine kicks in, initially it's solely being used to generate electricity for the hybrid system.
Only as you approach highway speeds or briskly accelerate and power demand increases beyond what the electric drive motor can provide does the gas engine connect to the front wheels to provide drive power. As a result, the Accord Hybrid doesn't have a traditional transmission and instead has only a single gear that's the equivalent of sixth gear in a six-speed manual transmission to provide "direct drive" power.
Digital driver's display
CarPlay is available on all but the entry-level LX and base Hybrid trims, as they have the basic 7-inch LCD infotainment screen. Sport and higher trims come with an 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen, and all of these trims support CarPlay with no additional packages, options, or fees required.
Display Audio
In addition to the generously sized 8-inch capacitive touchscreen, Honda has also equipped its Display Audio system with a number of hardware controls, including volume and tune/scroll knobs and a series of buttons along each side of the display for jumping directly to specific functions. It's a handy combination that combines the tactility of buttons to help keep your eyes on the road with the flexibility of a touchscreen.
Main screen of Display Audio system
The screen itself has a matte finish, so glare and fingerprints are thankfully minimized, and it supports touch, swipe, and pinch gestures within the Display Audio system.
Second page of main screen tiles
The Display Audio's home screen is centered around pages of tiles for various functions, all color-coded to make it easy to identify their categories. For example, the navigation tile has a red hue, while phone functions are green, audio tiles are blue, and system tiles are yellow. It's a somewhat subtle shading, with a band or bright color across the top and a gentle fade down through the tile. The design helps the tiles stand out without being too colorful. The home screen layout can be customized by tapping and holding on the screen, which enters an edit mode where you can add, hide, and rearrange tiles however you see fit.
In a strip along the top of the screen, you'll see a persistent set of icons that lets you jump directly to commonly used functions. Like the main tiles, these shortcut icons can be customized to make it easy to access phone, navigation, audio, or other apps from anywhere else in the Display Audio system. The strip also displays current audio information, the time, and small icons representing such data as signal strength of a paired phone, Bluetooth and USB connections, hotspot signal strength, and more.
Customizing app tiles and shortcut icons
To the left of the screen, you'll find hardware buttons for returning the Display Audio home screen, going back a screen in the hierarchy, adjusting display brightness, and changing audio tracks, as well a volume knob. To the right of the screen are quick-access buttons for jumping to navigation, phone, and audio apps, as well as a source button that takes you directly to a menu to switch among AM/FM, Sirius XM, CarPlay, USB, and other audio sources. There's also a tune/scroll knob to help navigate options or change radio/SiriusXM stations.
SiriusXM screen
The 8-inch screen is a nice palette for Honda's navigation system, which offers a helpful "3D" perspective view that shows a good amount of your surroundings to help orient you. The display's location high on the center stack makes it easy to glance over, and it's bright and crisp with a solid combination of detail and easy-to-tap interface elements.
Main map view
Honda's Display Audio system doesn't yet support natural language input, so you'll need to use trigger phrases to accomplish needed tasks. I didn't find it nearly as clunky as Volvo's system, however, and the system helpfully displays trigger word options for each step as you walk through the hierarchy. For example, to set a destination, you can say "Navigation," then "Find Place," then a business name. Once the system pulls up some results, you'll be able to choose the correct one by line number, confirm, and you're off.
Navigation system search results with addresses almost entirely cut off
One aspect of this process that could be improved is the layout of the destination search results. In some cases, the name of the business is so long that you can't see much other information about the specific location like the address, which makes it a bit difficult to easily identify the location you want just from the list. A compass direction and distance is included for each result, but being able to see the street address right in the list would be much more helpful.
Destination/POI search using the touchscreen
The POI database is generally solid, and the system does a good job of pulling up relevant results, although I did run into one issue where it was unable to find my doctor's office when I searched using only a portion of the practice name. When I used the full name, the office came right up, so I was surprised that my initial search didn't find a hit as a partial match and instead simply yielded no results. Other partial searches like "FedEx" do pull up proper results even when the business name in the database is "FedEx Office Print & Ship Center," so it's not a ubiquitous problem.
Exit sign pop-over
On highways along your route, Honda includes a nice pop-over exit sign view on the right side to help you identify the proper exit.
Hardware climate controls
Honda has wisely kept climate controls out of the Display Audio system, and there is a full set of climate control buttons and knobs within easy reach on the dashboard. All trims come with dual-zone automatic control with temperature knobs that subtly change color as you adjust the settings.
Ports, Wireless Charging, and Connectivity
Honda provides two USB-A ports in the front of the Accord, both offering up to 2.5 amps of charging power and both providing connectivity to the Display Audio system for CarPlay, iPod audio, or other options.
The first USB port is inside what Honda refers to as the center pocket where the center stack meets the center console. There's a USB port and a 12V power port tucked inside this pocket, and it has a garage door-style cover that can be closed to conceal what's inside.
That center pocket also optionally includes a Qi wireless charger, which is a great option although rather pricey at $300. The option is available on all trims with the exception of the high-end Touring where it's included standard.
Center pocket with USB port, 12V port, and Qi charger
The charger includes a power button that lets the charger be left on or off as you desire, and then a pair of status lights: green to signify the charger is on and amber to signify that a device is charging. On supported devices (not iPhones), the light will switch back to green when the device is fully charged. There are also two small rails in the bottom of the pocket to help keep your phone aligned on the charger's sweet spot.
Plus-sized phone on Qi charger
The second USB port is inside the center console compartment, which provides another option for hiding away your phone or other device connected to the Display Audio system. The center console compartment is fairly deep, and there's a removable tray sitting on the top of the rear half that's a convenient place to rest a connected phone.
Phone plugged into center console compartment (left) and console overview (right)
Honda also offers rear USB ports as an option on the Sport trim and higher as a $120 standalone option, but my test vehicle was not equipped with them. They're charging-only ports, so they won't allow you to deliver media to the Display Audio system, but they do provide 2.5 amps of power each, so they're great for keeping iPads charged up.
The Accord also comes with NFC capabilities, but unfortunately this feature currently only works with Android phones using Android Beam. It lets you tap your phone on the NFC N-Mark on the dashboard to more quickly pair your Android phone to the Display Audio system over Bluetooth and also transmit a wallpaper image from your phone to use on the Display Audio system.
N-Mark NFC logo on dashboard
While it's not a big deal to jump through the normal Bluetooth pairing process once when you first get your car, NFC is a simple way for friends with Android phones to get their devices paired up to share music on road trips, for example.
Honda does offer vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities in the Accord and Accord Hybrid through AT&T, but only on the top-of-the-line Touring trim where it's standard. It's not available even as an option on any of the lower trims.
Separate from the hotspot capabilities, Honda also offers several HondaLink connected car packages for the Accord, depending on trim. Entry-level trims have free access to the Basic package that offers a digital owner's manual, recall notifications, service appointment booking, parking location reminders, and roadside assistance during your warranty period. With higher trims, you can also access the free Link package that lets you see dashboard stats like mileage and fuel range from your phone, receive warning and maintenance notifications on your phone, and send destinations from your phone to the in-vehicle navigation system.
HondaLink functions
The high-end Touring trim offers several additional paid HondaLink package options, including the Security package that can automatically connect you to a live agent if a collision is detected and offer enhanced roadside assistance, priced at $89 per year after the first year.
A Remote package priced at $110 per year after a three-month trial offers features like remote start and lock/unlock, geofencing and speed alerts that can help keep tabs on teen drivers, security alarm alerts, stolen vehicle locator technology, and more. Finally, a Concierge package priced at $260 per year after a three-month trial gives you to a live assistant who can perform tasks such as making reservations, finding nearby events and more. The Remote package features are also included in the Concierge package.
CarPlay
Unsurprisingly, Honda's CarPlay implementation is a wired one, which is unfortunate considering the company offers convenient Qi wireless charging right in the center pocket. The missed opportunity is made a bit more frustrating by the fact that a Plus/Max-sized iPhone with a Lightning cable sticking out the bottom is just a little bit too long to fit comfortably in the center pocket without sitting oddly or putting strain on the cable.
It's not a deal-breaker, however, and it's great that you also have the option of using the USB port in the center console compartment for CarPlay, either tucking your iPhone away in that compartment or routing the cord out and using a cupholder conveniently shaped with a flat side to accommodate a phone. Most other manufacturers limit CarPlay to working over a single USB port, so I really like that Honda has provided an option here.
Main CarPlay home screen
CarPlay looks nice on the large 8-inch screen, although Display Audio lacks some of the more seamless integration I've seen with other infotainment systems. CarPlay takes up the entire screen, so you can't see any information from Honda's system simultaneously unless you've configured things to show it elsewhere such as navigation directions in the heads-up or driver display.
Apple Maps in CarPlay
It's easy enough to hop out of CarPlay using the Display Audio hardware buttons, which can quickly take you to the Honda home screen, the Display Audio navigation, or the audio display/options. Getting back into CarPlay from Display Audio can, however, take a couple of steps, depending on how you have things laid out, so I recommend setting up one of the persistent icons in the top strip to get you back to CarPlay with a single tap.
Now Playing app in CarPlay
If you want to use Honda's navigation and CarPlay's Apple Music app, for example, you can control some aspects of the CarPlay music playback from the Display Audio system, so once you get your tunes up and running in CarPlay, you can hop back to Display Audio and may not necessarily need to get back into CarPlay.
Voice assistant/Siri button at right side of lower left steering wheel cluster
Siri voice input for CarPlay works similarly to most other manufacturers' systems, with a short press on the steering wheel voice button bringing up Honda's assistant and a long press bringing up Siri. With the exception of the track buttons and the tune/scroll knob being able to change between album or playlist tracks in CarPlay audio apps, none of the other hardware buttons in the Display Audio system can be used to control CarPlay. That's not an issue, however, as voice and the touchscreen are plenty simple to use.
Wrap-up
Honda's Display Audio system offers some solid hardware with a quality 8-inch touchscreen that's well-positioned at the top of the center stack and minimizes both fingerprints and glare. The inclusion of hardware buttons and knobs around the display definitely helps with usability, making it easy to quickly access popular functions and make common adjustments by feel.
The software is pretty solid as well, offering a clean interface that's customizable with easy-to-find tiles. I wish the navigation system supported natural language input, but as it stands the voice interface isn't bad. You can move pretty rapidly and intuitively through the various steps to get directions to your destination. I do wish the navigation search results screen was laid out a bit better to make it easier to identify location options at a glance.
CarPlay looks nice on the big display, but I do miss the widescreen displays offered on some other vehicles that let you see some of the native infotainment data in a split-screen view alongside CarPlay. Still, Honda makes it reasonably easy to hop back and forth between Display Audio and CarPlay, particularly if you configure a shortcut icon for CarPlay.
Honda has done a decent job of bringing CarPlay to most Accord buyers, leaving it out of only the LX and base Hybrid trims as those vehicles offer smaller, non-touchscreen infotainment systems. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before the more full-featured Display Audio system becomes standard equipment across the lineup. For those trims that do include Display Audio, Honda doesn't charge extra for CarPlay support.
The 2018 and 2019 Honda Accord models in Sport trim, the lowest one that supports Display Audio and CarPlay, start around $26,000, and you can go up to around $35,000 for the Touring trim, although you can push the price even a bit higher with assorted options, particularly upgraded 19-inch wheel options that can add about $3,000 over the standard 17-inch wheels.
Apple Pay will make its long-awaited debut in Germany this week, according to German blog Macerkopf.
The report, citing unnamed sources within German banking circles, says the launch will likely occur on Tuesday with mobile bank N26 and Comdirect expected to be among the initial participating issuers in the country.
Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014 and has since expanded to many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland, and Ukraine.
Today is Green Monday, an online shopping event that is similar to Cyber Monday, allowing customers another chance to buy gifts for the holidays at Black Friday prices and get their items shipped before Christmas.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Most major retailers are running Green Monday deals today, and we've rounded up some of the best and most notable deals in this article. These include HomePod for $250 at Target, an iPad mini 4 for $250 at Best Buy, all-new Anker discount codes on Amazon, and more.
Target
Target today has brought back one of the best Black Friday discounts, offering shoppers the chance to get Apple's HomePod for just $249.99, down from $349.99. This is the same price that Best Buy had on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and another great opportunity to buy Apple's smart speaker at its all-time-low price.
Target also has the 9.7-inch iPad from early 2018 (32GB, Wi-Fi only) for $249.99, down from $329.99. Amazon matches this price in Gold and Space Gray color options, and as of today these are the lowest-ever prices for this version of the iPad and the best available online.
As usual, one of the best Amazon sales centers upon Anker's accessories, this time including Lightning cables, battery packs, surge protectors, wall chargers, and wireless chargers. We've listed every item part of Anker's Gold Box for Green Monday below:
Lastly, Amazon has Apple's 10.5-inch iPad Pro in multiple sizes and colors at a discount today. You can get the 256GB + Wi-Fi version of the 2017 tablet for $669.99, down from $799.99. 512GB + Wi-Fi is available as well in Silver and Space Gray for $849.99, down from $999.00. Both prices are currently the best available online for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.
Best Buy
At Best Buy, you can get the iPad mini 4 (128GB, Wi-Fi) for $249.99, down from $399.99 in Gold, Silver, and Space Gray. This is currently the best price available online for Apple's three-year old iPad mini 4, and it's matching the same sale price seen for the tablet during Black Friday at Best Buy and Target.
Best Buy also has the HomePod on sale for $279.99, down from $349.99. This isn't quite as good as Target's current $249.99 sale price on the smart speaker, which we mentioned above.
Apple
Even Apple has joined in on Green Monday deal offers today, with a few discounts on Beats by Dre headphones. Although Apple's sales on Beats are typically beaten out by numerous other companies, today marks one of the few times that Apple is actually offering the lowest-possible prices for these headphones available online today, and sometimes matching popular retailers like B&H Photo and Amazon.
B&H Photo is celebrating Green Monday with discounts on the 2017 models of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. These savings reach to as much as $330 off original prices of both Wi-Fi Only and Wi-Fi + Cellular models, representing the lowest-ever prices for every iPad Pro listed below. One of the best markdowns in this sale is for the 512GB Wi-Fi only model, which has hit its lowest-ever price today of $799.99, down from a previous discount of $899.00, and from an original price of $1,149.00.
Google today announced that its Google Maps app for iOS will be updated today with a new "For You" tab in over 40 countries.
"For You" was first announced at Google I/O in May and was initially limited to Android. The feature is designed to "tell you what you need to know about the neighborhoods you care about," such as new restaurants opening nearby, trending spots, and more, based on places you've rated and places you've visited.
The tab is accompanied by a new "Match Score" that predicts which restaurants you're most likely to prefer based on your personal preferences, which is designed to help you to choose between multiple restaurant suggestions.
iPhone users can install the update from the App Store later today. "For You" is also expanding to over 130 countries on Android today.
CNBC and Reuters today report that the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court has granted Qualcomm an import ban on the iPhone 6s through iPhone X in China after the court found those devices violated two Qualcomm patents. This could result in those iPhone models being unavailable to purchase in China.
However, in a statement issued to those publications, Apple said all iPhone models remain available for customers in China:
Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world. All iPhone models remain available for our customers in China. Qualcomm is asserting three patents they had never raised before, including one which has already been invalidated. We will pursue all our legal options through the courts.
The first Qualcomm patent reportedly enables users to "adjust and reformat the size and appearance of photos," while the second is said to relate to "managing applications using a touch screen when viewing and navigating apps."
Qualcomm issued the following statement:
We deeply value our relationships with customers, rarely resorting to the courts for assistance, but we also have an abiding belief in the need to protect intellectual property rights. Apple continues to benefit from our intellectual property while refusing to compensate us. These Court orders are further confirmation of the strength of Qualcomm's vast patent portfolio.
The ruling does not apply to the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR, nor does it apply to iPhones running iOS 12, which is possibly why Apple says all iPhone models remain available to customers in China. Apple naturally disagrees with the ban and said it is pursuing all of its legal options through the courts.
Of note, this ruling does not appear to be related to the larger legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm over wireless modem technology in iPhones.
Apple continues to mention its unreleased wireless charging mat AirPower in recent job listings in the United States and New Zealand.
The openings range from student co-op positions to hardware engineers on Apple's Wireless Power Technology team in its hometown of Cupertino, California as well as Auckland, New Zealand, where wireless charging company PowerbyProxi remains based following its acquisition by Apple in October 2017.
The job description for the openings, posted between late October and early December, each refer to the AirPower a single time:
The mission of the Wireless Power Technology team - Build the world's best Wireless Charging user-experience by inventing state-of-the-art technologies. The Wireless Power Technology team develops bleeding-edge Wireless Charging designs that are central to Apple's products - the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, AirPower and more.
Apple first previewed the AirPower at its September 2017 event. At the time, the company's marketing chief Phil Schiller said the accessory was coming in 2018, as did a few Apple press releases.
Apple Newsroom:
Apple gave a sneak peek of AirPower, an Apple-designed wireless charging accessory coming in 2018, which offers a generous active charging area that will allow iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X customers to simultaneously charge up to three devices, including Apple Watch Series 3 and a new optional wireless charging case for AirPods.
At this point, it's not entirely clear if Apple still plans to release the AirPower, which has reportedly faced technical challenges. Apple has not commented on the AirPower for many months, and there are just three weeks remaining for the company to deliver on its promise of releasing the accessory in 2018.
Apple's recent job listings could be an indication that the company is still developing the AirPower, or they could be a simple oversight. There are also AirPower references in the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR user guides.
In late October, in a research note obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that "Apple may launch new AirPods and AirPower in late 4Q18 or early 1Q19," without providing further details. If accurate, then the AirPower is alive and well and could be released within the next few months.
The delayed or canceled release of the AirPower is believed to be the reason why Apple has yet to release its optional wireless charging case for AirPods, which is listed as "currently unavailable" on Apple's website. Like the AirPower, Kuo expects the wireless case to be released by early 2019.
Google released Chrome 71 earlier this week, but the latest version of the web browser still lacks support for Dark Mode on macOS Mojave. Fortunately, it appears that will change by early next year.
Dark Mode in Canary, a developer build of Chrome
As mentioned on Reddit, a Google developer recently submitted a code change that implements system-level Dark Mode in Chromium, the open source web browser that serves as the foundation of Chrome. The code change passed the review process and will make its way into a future release of Chrome.
For those unaware, there are several different builds of Chrome that Google uses to slowly test and roll out new features. All code changes begin in Chromium and then work their way from Canary to Chrome Dev to Chrome Beta to Chrome, the stable version released to all users roughly every six weeks.
Dark Mode in Canary, a developer build of Chrome
Dark Mode in Chromium remains hidden behind feature flags, which are essentially code-level toggle switches, but we were able to run a Terminal command to force the darker appearance into action and took screenshots.
The system-level Dark Mode applies a dark appearance to much of the Chrome interface, including the omnibox, tabs, menus, bookmark bar, status bar, and dialog boxes. The startup page with Google search and shortcuts will also have a black background when the Dark appearance is enabled in System Preferences.
Most of the current Dark Mode colors in Chromium are placeholders, according to one developer working on the project, so there may be slight changes to come. One challenge the developers face is ensuring that the Dark Mode is distinguishable from Chrome's private-browsing Incognito Mode, which is also dark.
Incognito Mode in Canary, a developer build of Chrome
We're not entirely sure if Dark Mode will make the cut for Chrome 72, which has already been branched and will likely be released in mid-to-late January. Chrome 73 will likely follow in March, so it looks like early 2019 either way.
In the meantime, a variety of third-party dark themes are available for Chrome, but the omnibox always remains white since it is not allowed to be themed. Third-party dark themes are also available for websites such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, Gmail, Reddit, and Twitter to complete the experience.
Apple celebrated the holiday season today with a live performance by award-winning singer Idina Menzel, who sang a handful of songs from the Disney animated film Frozen, including the soundtrack Let It Go.
A big thank-you from our Apple family to the phenomenally talented @idinamenzel. Your voice is a gift — thank you for sharing it with us. What a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays! ☃️ pic.twitter.com/nc9SOpVmMj
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 8, 2018
"A big thank-you from our Apple family to the phenomenally talented Idina Menzel," tweeted Apple CEO Tim Cook. "Your voice is a gift — thank you for sharing it with us. What a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays!"
The concert took place at Apple's Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino, California during its recurring Beer Bash employee gathering today.
Idina Menzel performing at Apple Infinite Loop via Elton
Apple today also hosted its annual celebration of Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas.
Last year, Apple's holiday Beer Bash featured a live performance by singer Gwen Stefani.
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 appears to be readying the release of a new Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS, and possibly versions for the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR too, based on information uncovered by 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo.
Rambo uncovered references to three model identifiers for the case in iOS code, including A2070, A2071 and A2171, suggesting that Apple could release the case in three different sizes for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. Another identifier found in the iOS code reportedly points towards a 2018 release.
Apple's first Smart Battery Case was for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, and was equipped with a 1,877 mAh battery that protruded out of the back of the case. Apple later released an iPhone 7 version with a similar design but larger 2,365 mAh battery. Both cost $99 in the United States, with the latter still available.
9to5Mac earlier found an icon in the watchOS 5.1.2 beta that appears to correlate to the new Smart Battery Case. The icon suggests the case will have a Lightning connector, but it's unclear if wireless charging will be supported. It also looks like the new cases might not have a "chin" extending past the bottom of the iPhone.
It's not out of the ordinary for Apple to release new accessories in December, with the original Smart Battery Case launching this month in 2015 and AirPods launching in December 2016 after a multi-month delay.
Google today 
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
