Following yesterday's Apple Pay launch in Belgium, Apple today updated its Maps app to include transit information across the country.
Apple has yet to update its official list of locations for which Maps offers Transit data, but several tipsters contacted MacRumors to confirm the information is already live.
The coverage includes train, tram, and bus routes in the main cities as well as other funicular connections around the country. Belgian connections to nearby connections abroad also feature in Apple's coverage.
Google Maps has supported transit directions for several years now, but Apple Maps has been adding transit data since 2015 and is steadily catching up with detailed routing information.
If you use the VIP feature in the iOS Mail app then you'll already know how they can help you keep track of important messages from your key contacts amid the daily torrent of incoming emails.
Keeping on top of VIP emails can be made even easier by ensuring you receive a specific sound or vibration alert whenever one comes through on your iPhone or iPad. That way you'll know if a new message justifies your immediate attention before you've even looked at your iOS device. Here's how to set them up.
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Mail in the list.
Tap Notifications.
Tap VIP.
Tap Sounds.
Choose a unique sound from the list or tap Vibration to select a special vibration. The default sound alert is Ding (Classic), so be sure to choose something different.
With that done, the next time you receive an email from one of your VIPs, you'll get the unique notification alert and immediately know it's an important message.
Apple is facing a class action lawsuit that accuses the company of failing to install vent filters in MacBooks and iMacs, leading to lower processor speeds and screen smudges from trapped dust, which result in expensive repairs for consumers.
News of the lawsuit was published today by Hagens Berman, the firm handling the case.
"Apple is the most valuable company in the world today because consumers trust it to make reliable, quality products, yet it has failed to remedy one of the most simple and well-known problems in the technology community - the accumulation of dust," said Steve Berman, managing partner and co-founder of Hagens Berman. "This filter defect is costing Apple owners hundreds of dollars in repairs, and Apple refuses to take responsibility."
"We intend to hold Apple accountable for this costly defect affecting millions of its computers," Berman added.
According to the lawsuit, some iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook, and MacBook Air users have experienced dark smudges and spots on the interior of the screens of their computers as well as excessive slowness due to heating issues because of the lack of a filter in these devices.
The computer intakes air to cool its components, but with no filter, dust gets trapped inside. This affects the screen and logic board of the computer, leading to dust stuck behind the screen and gummed up motherboards, causing the computer to run slow and/or overheat.
Dust accumulating from the air allegedly impacts the screen and the motherboard, causing spots on the display and heat regulation issues.
Hagens Berman says that Apple has been charging customers with machines out of warranty upwards of $600 to fix these problems. The lawsuit says iMac and MacBook models from 2013 to 2018 are affected.
Several plaintiffs are named in the lawsuit, including a photographer who was plagued by dark spots on her Mac's display, a user who had smudges on his iMac who was required to pay $600 for a replacement after five months, and a third iMac owner who saw dark smudges soon after making a purchase and subsequently had his display and motherboard replaced multiple times, leading to high repair bills.
The class action lawsuit is seeking monetary compensation for Mac owners, including compensation for screens that "did not perform as advertised," reimbursement for out-of-pocket repair costs, and compensation for those who sold their computers at a loss due to dark smudges on the display or poor performance.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.2 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the third beta and a month after releasing the macOS Mojave 10.14.1 update.
The new macOS High Sierra 10.14.2 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 10.14.1 update.
No new features were discovered in the first three 10.14.2 betas, but we'll update this post if anything new is found in the fourth beta.
macOS Mojave 10.14.2 comes shortly after the release of macOS 10.14.1, an update that brought support for Group FaceTime on the Mac and introduced new emoji characters.
Update: Apple has also made a new public beta of macOS 10.14.2 available to its public beta testers.
RAVPower recently introduced a new 45W USB-C Power Adapter that uses eGaNFET circuitry allowing for an ultrathin design more portable than traditional USB-C power adapters.
Made from white plastic, the power adapter measures in at 2.8 inches long, 2.1 inches wide, and 0.56 inches thick. Compared to the 29/30W USB-C chargers for the MacBook and the MacBook Air, it's longer, but thinner.
The thinner design allows the power adapter to fit easily in a pocket, bag, or backpack. It's not as oddly square-shaped as Apple's own chargers, which makes it more convenient to carry. RAVPower does not ship this power adapter with any cables, so you're going to need to supply your own USB-C to USB-C cable or USB-C to Lightning cable.
Since this is a 45W charger, it's ideal for the MacBook Air or the MacBook, but won't really work for the 61W 13-inch MacBook Pro or the 85W 15-inch MacBook Pro.
It is, however, also useful paired with a USB-C to Lightning cable to charge an iPhone or with a USB-C to USB-C cable to charge one of Apple's new iPad Pros more quickly.
Design wise, this is a nice looking power adapter. The aforementioned white plastic is unblemished aside from a RAVPower logo at the top, and there's a single USB-C port at one side.
RAVPower's adapter next to 29W power adapter from Apple
At the back, there's a set of prongs for plugging it into an outlet, which fold down when the power adapter is not in use. This also allows it to be pocketed or tucked away in a small pouch in a backpack.
At 45W, the RAVPower charger enables fast charging with the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XS Max, and XR when paired with one of Apple's Lightning to USB-C cables. Fast charging charges your iPhone to 50 percent in a half hour, and with the RAVPower charger and the required cable, my iPhone XS Max charged from 1 percent to 52 percent in a 30-minute time period.
When using the 45W RAVPower adapter, I was also able to charge the new USB-C 11-inch iPad Pro faster. With the standard 18W charger it ships with, the iPad Pro charged to 45 percent from 1 percent over the course of an hour.
With the 45W RAVPower adapter, the iPad Pro charged from one percent to 66 percent during the same time period. As a caveat, though, faster charging is available with 29W/30W chargers too, as I was also able to reach a 66 percent charge in one hour using a standard 29W MacBook power adapter. The same goes for iPhone fast charging - 45W offers no benefit over 29W/30W.
On my MacBook, the standard 29W charger charged it to 62 percent over the course of an hour, which is the exact same result I got with the 45W charger, so there's also no benefit using 45W over 29W/30W with a MacBook.
45W is overkill for charging a MacBook, MacBook Air, 11-inch iPad, or iPhone, but it's not enough power for a 13 or 15-inch MacBook Pro under a heavy load (technically you can charge either of these machines with the 45W adapter, but it's not going to be enough when using a lot of power), which makes RAVPower's adapter kind of an odd choice for Apple devices.
Bottom Line
I don't really have much else to say about the power adapter. RAVPower makes good products, and the new ultrathin USB-C power adapter is no exception.
It's portable, offers faster charging for the iPhone and iPad Pro, and works well with Apple's MacBook and MacBook Air. It has a foldable plug, and with its thin body, it's ideal for travel because it's not going to take up much space.
Unfortunately, RAVPower has priced its new USB-C power adapter rather high, charging $55 for it. That's more expensive than the $49 power USB-C 30W Power Adapter direct from Apple, and more expensive than many non-ultrathin ~30W USB-C power adapter solutions.
RAVpower's power adapter is nice, but it doesn't seem worth the premium over other 30 and 45W power adapters just to save a bit of space. There are many more affordable charging options on the market, and for Apple devices, 30W seems to be the sweet spot for fast charging the 11-inch iPad Pro, iPhone, and the MacBook and MacBook Air so why shell out extra money for RAVpower's solution?
RAVPower does often discount its products, though, so if you're in the market for a pocketable 45W USB-C charger, keep an eye out for a sale before picking this one up.
Apple's iPhone XR, released in late October, has been outselling the iPhone XS and XS Max every day since it first launched, Apple's VP of product marketing Greg Joswiak told CNET in an interview published today.
Priced starting at $749, a more affordable price tag than the $999 iPhone XS or $1,099 iPhone XS Max, the iPhone XR was Apple's "most popular iPhone each and every day" since it became available for purchase.
Though the iPhone XR has been outselling Apple's more expensive iPhones, rumors have suggested that it is not selling quite as well as Apple expected. Apple has reportedly cut both iPhone XS and iPhone XR orders following lower-than-expected demand. Apple is said to have slashed iPhone XR production by up to a third.
Joswiak did not comment on reports of iPhone XR production cuts, and instead reiterated his statement that the device is Apple's best selling iPhone at the current point in time.
In addition to providing details on iPhone XR sales, Joswiak said that Apple will again promote World AIDS Day on Saturday, December 1. $1 of every Apple Pay purchase made at an Apple Store, the Apple Store app, or through the Apple website from December 1 to December 7 will be donated.
"Not only does each purchase bring us closer to an AIDS-free generation, but every dollar provides five days of life-saving medicine," said Joswiak.
Apple also plans to turn the Apple logos at 125 of its stores red, as it has done in past years, and at 400 additional stores, red decals will be placed over Apple logos. Apple does not plan to offer any special promotions in the App Store this year.
Apple has long supported AIDS research through its RED partnership, which sees it offering (PRODUCT)RED themed devices and donating a portion of the purchase price. Apple in October alongside other iPhone XR models launched a (PRODUCT)RED version of the iPhone XR, which Joswiak said is "incredibly" important to Apple. "It's hard to think of a higher calling than selling products that save people's lives," he said.
In macOS, the Open With contextual menu that appears when you right-click (or Ctrl-click) on a file provides links to all the applications installed on your Mac that are associated with that file type.
At the top of the list is the default app that macOS launches whenever you double-click on files that share the same suffix or extension, with other apps associated with the file type below that, and an Other... option at the bottom which lets you choose an alternative app in case the one you want to use isn't listed.
You can easily change the default app associated with a particular file to something else. To do so, click Get Info in the contextual menu and select another app from the Open With: dropdown list in the file's Info pane. To use that app to open all files sharing the same extension, click the Change All... button and select Continue.
Clearing the Open With Menu
If you've installed a lot of applications on your Mac through the years, you may find that some apps appear in the Open With menu that really have no business being there given the kind of file you've selected.
As well as unrelated apps, you may even see references to "ghost" apps that you removed from your Mac long ago. All of which results in a long and cluttered list of launch service links you won't use.
Unfortunately the list isn't directly editable, but there are a couple of ways that you can clear the cruft from it. One option is to grab Titanium Software's free Onyx system utility and run a task to rebuild the Launch Services database.
Alternatively, if you're comfortable with a command prompt you can open a Terminal window and run the following command, which does the same thing:
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/ LaunchServices.framework/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user
Leave the command to run for a few minutes while the LaunchServices database rebuilds, and when the prompt reappears type killall Finder and press Enter to see the changes take effect.
Google today announced a major expansion of its Project Fi smartphone plan, which has previously been available on select Android devices. As of today, iPhone and iPad users are also able to take advantage of Fi, with a new a new iOS app available with setup steps.
Project Fi, which is being renamed "Google Fi" alongside the expansion of the service, is designed to provide hassle-free cellular service with perks like international data coverage at an affordable price.
The Google Fi service is priced at $20 for unlimited talk and text, along with $10 for each GB of data used up to 6GB. At the 6GB cap, data becomes free, and at 15GB, data speeds slow down. The monthly fee caps out at $80, not including taxes and fees, and it costs an additional $15 per person.
On the iPhone, LTE data speeds, unlimited texts, and unlimited calls are included, and there are no roaming fees in more than 170 countries. There are, however, some restrictions.
While iMessage functions fine, sending texts to non-iPhones requires configuring some settings, and voicemails will not be able to take advantage of the visual voicemail feature in iOS. Voicemails will instead be available as text messages, and you'll need to call to check them. Google Fi's network switching feature and VPN do not work on iOS.
Google Fi compatibility on an iPhone XS Max
Google Fi operates as an MNVO, aka mobile virtual network operator, which means its coverage comes from other carriers like T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Sprint. Google devices are able to take advantage of network switching for better coverage, but this does not work on iOS.
iPhones and iPads will instead use T-Mobile's network for calls, texts, and data, but international roaming is still available. Calls or texts cannot be made over WiFi with Google Fi, and when outside of the U.S., the data hotspot feature will not work.
You could previously get Fi service on an iPhone in an unofficial capacity using a SIM card activated by a Google device and changing some settings, but Google now offers official Google Fi support on the iPhone.
Google says the Fi service will work with the iPhone 5s and later, with iPhones required to be running iOS 11 or higher.
For today only, Google is offering a travel credit when purchasing a Google phone, or a $200 Fi service credit when bringing a phone to Fi.
CarPlay will be a standard feature in the all-new 2019 Mazda3, excluding the base model, according to a company spokesperson. The vehicle is making its worldwide debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week and will be rolled out to global markets over the coming months, starting with North America in early 2019.
CarPlay in a Mazda vehicle
The 2019 model will be the first Mazda3 with CarPlay, accessible through the Mazda Connect infotainment system. CarPlay is also preinstalled in the 2018 and newer Mazda6, 2019 Mazda CX-5, and 2019 Mazda CX-9, with a $199 retrofit option available for select 2014 and newer Mazda vehicles in the United States.
CarPlay will also be available as a standard feature in the 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport and 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, equipped with seven- and eight-inch touchscreens respectively. The new Rogue Sport is available now at Nissan dealerships in the United States, while the new Corolla Hybrid goes on sale in spring 2019.
Toyota and Mazda were among the last major automakers to offer factory-installed CarPlay, but each has expanded its lineup of vehicles integrated with Apple's software, which provides convenient dashboard access to apps such as Phone, Messages, Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, Apple Music, and Spotify.
Toyota now offers CarPlay in the 2019 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2019 RAV4, 2019 Sienna, and 2019 CH-R in the United States.
Insurance company John Hancock and behavior change platform Vitality today released information on a study by RAND Europe of over 400,000 people in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa. The study concluded that those who wore an Apple Watch and participated in the Vitality Active Rewards program averaged a 34 percent sustained increase in physical activity, compared to those without an Apple Watch.
Specifically focused on U.S. users, the study found significant improvements in levels of physical activity, including an increase in the number of active days by almost 31 percent, and an increase of high-intensity activity days by 52 percent. Participants with high levels of inactivity and body mass index improved more than other groups in the study with physical activity boosted by 200 percent in the U.S. for these individuals.
Additionally, John Hancock Life Insurance customers will now be able to get the Apple Watch Series 4 for as low as $25 through regular exercise. The program mirrors previous incentives that encourage insurance customers to engage in physical activity, reaching goals that earn them points to reduce or eliminate their monthly payments for the Apple Watch over a two-year period.
Customers have to pay a $25 initial fee (plus tax) when signing up for John Hancock Vitality PLUS. Afterwards, when they exercise they will earn Vitality Points that discount the total cost of the device. If they earn 500 Vitality Points per month for two years, no additional charges will be required for the Apple Watch Series 4.
"There is natural alignment between consumer health and longevity, and our goals as a life insurer. This type of shared value is good for everybody," added Brooks Tingle, president and CEO of John Hancock Insurance. "The Apple Watch has been an extremely popular and effective component of our program to date, helping our customers not only live healthier lives through better exercise and mindfulness habits – but also improve their financial wellness through the rewards our program offers, including lower premiums and discounts from some of their favorite national retailers."
Apple Watch Series 4 is Apple's latest wearable device, featuring a new design with a slimmer body, 30 percent larger display, and electrical sensors for taking ECG readings. The ECG feature is not yet live yet, but we now know that it will be enabled on Apple Watch Series 4 in the publicly released version of watchOS 5.1.2.
ECG functionality will be enabled on the Apple Watch Series 4 in the publicly released version of watchOS 5.1.2, which is currently in beta testing, according to an internal Apple Store training document obtained by MacRumors.
watchOS 5.1.2 will feature an Apple-designed ECG app that can indicate whether your heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation, a serious form of irregular heart rhythm, or a normal sinus rhythm. Apple Watch Series 4 is capable of generating an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram, according to the FDA.
ECG and other heart data is collected in the Health app on a paired iPhone. Apple's document lists a minimum requirement of an iPhone 5s or later running iOS 12.1.1, currently in beta testing, or later.
To take an ECG reading from the Apple Watch, users will need to place a finger on the Digital Crown while wearing the watch. The reading is completed in 30 seconds, allowing users to determine whether their hearts are beating in a regular pattern or if there are signs of atrial fibrillation.
Apple's training document states that the ECG app is regulated and only available in regions cleared for use. The app will initially be limited to the United States, where Apple has received FDA clearance, but Apple Watch Series 4 models sold worldwide include the electrical heart sensor for future expansion.
Apple Store employees are instructed to advise customers that the ECG app is "not intended to be a diagnostic device or to replace traditional methods of diagnosis," and "should not be used to monitor or track disease state or change medication without first talking to a doctor," according to Apple's document.
Apple promised that the ECG app will be available later this year, but it's unclear when watchOS 5.1.2 and iOS 12.1.1 will be released. watchOS 5.1.2 has been in beta testing since November 7, while iOS 12.1.1 has been in beta testing since October 31, so both software updates should be released relatively soon.
A separate Apple training document obtained by MacRumors suggests that irregular heart rhythm notifications will also be enabled in watchOS 5.1.2 on Apple Watch Series 1 through Apple Watch Series 4 models.
The ECG app will not be available on previous-generation Apple Watch models, including the original through Series 3.
As expected, Apple Pay launched in Belgium today, allowing bank card users in the country to take advantage of the contactless mobile payment system if their card issuer supports it.
In this case, the region's Apple Pay launch has taken the form of an exclusive partnership with BNP Paribas Fortis and its subsidiary brands Fintro and Hello Bank.
It's possible that other banks in Belgium will support Apple's digital wallet further down the line, but currently we don't have any specific details regarding future rollouts. Apple Pay can be used on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, as well as Mac models with Touch ID and Macs released in 2012 or later in combination with an iPhone or Apple Watch.
Also today, Apple Pay launched in Kazakhstan. The rollout there comes to Eurasian Bank, Halyk Bank, ForteBank, Sberbank, Bank CenterCredit, and ATFBank cardholders, with Mastercard and Visa variously supported. Around 65 percent of card terminals in the country already support contactless payments, according to Forbes, with banks actively expanding the terminal network with NFC technology.
Belgium and Kazakhstan become the 30th and 31st region where Apple Pay is officially available. Apple Pay is also set to launch in Germany this year and is "coming soon" to Saudi Arabia, according to Apple.com.
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.
Apple this afternoon released an update for iCloud for Windows, which is the iCloud software designed to run on the Windows operating system for those who have both Windows machines and own Apple devices.
iCloud for Windows version 7.8.1 is designed to fix compatibility issues with the latest version of Windows 10.
Earlier this month, Microsoft blocked the iCloud for Windows software from being downloaded by Windows users after Apple discovered an incompatibility that could result in problems updating Shared Albums after users upgraded to Windows 10 version 1809.
At the time, Microsoft said that it was working with Apple to provide a version of the iCloud software compatible with the latest version of Windows 10.
The fix isn't mentioned by Apple, but the company did revise a support document that had previously suggested iCloud for Windows was only compatible with Windows 10 through the April 2018 update rather than the most recent update.
Following the release of iOS 12.1 on October 30, Apple has stopped signing iOS 12.0.1, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 12.1 will no longer be able to downgrade to iOS 12.0.1. The iOS 12.1 update was significant, introducing Group FaceTime, eSIM support for Apple's newest iPhones, new emoji, and more.
Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.
iOS 12.1 is now the only version of iOS that can be installed on iPhones and iPads by the general public. Developers and public beta testers can download iOS 12.1.1, an iOS 12 update that's currently being beta tested.
Several months back, a crazy custom "Tesla" iPhone X with a built-in solar charger made headlines across the internet because of its unique design and its $4000+ price tag.
We managed to get our hands on one of the Tesla iPhone X models, designed by custom iPhone maker Caviar, to test it out, and while this isn't something that most MacRumors readers are likely interested in buying, it's always interesting seeing one of these insanely expensive custom devices in person.
According to Caviar, the Tesla iPhone X is so named because the solar charging panel and battery pack built into the back of the device were inspired by Elon Musk. There's no actual association with Tesla aside from the name and the solar design.
The Tesla iPhone X's solar charger isn't a case or a standalone battery pack - it's built right into the back of the iPhone. The solar addition is a 2,300mAh battery that can be used to charge the iPhone, and the battery itself charges using the power of the sun or via USB.
When charging using the sun, the battery takes 30 hours to charge, so it's in no way efficient. It is, however, useful if you're stranded sans power, and while home, you can use an included magnetic charging cable to charge it up in just a few hours.
We did notice when charging that the Tesla iPhone's battery frame and magnetic connector got super burn-your-hand hot, which is always a concern because it's not clear how safe custom iPhone components are in day to day use.
The device also comes with headphones, a Lightning cable, and a wall adapter, just like any other iPhone, but it has a Caviar-designed box that offers a premium unboxing experience as one would expect from a $4,400 iPhone.
The Tesla iPhone's battery pack is essentially similar to one of Apple's battery cases, except the battery is included at the back of the phone. This does, of course, disable the iPhone X's wireless charging feature, and it adds a good amount of bulk.
Along with the solar panel at the back of the device, the Tesla iPhone features carbon fiber accents, gold plating, and Tesla and Caviar-branded labeling on the device.
Aside from the solar panel and the custom design, the Tesla iPhone works like any other iPhone X. Face ID is unhindered, and the buttons work as normal.
This isn't a phone designed for the average consumer given its $4,400 price point, but there's a definite customer base for altered iPhones like this, and it's fun to check out even if it's not something we might buy.
What do you think of the Tesla iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
Each year, Apple shuts down iTunes Connect for a week around the holidays to give its App Store staff time off from work. This year, iTunes Connect will be shut down from December 23 to December 27.
While iTunes Connect is unavailable, Apple will not accept new apps or app updates, which means all pricing changes and new app submissions will need to be locked in before that date for developers who wish to offer discounts or new content over the holidays.
Developers tend to offer sales and promotions ahead of when the App Store closes for the holidays, and those sales remain available until the App Store re-opens in late December.
While App Store submissions will be unavailable, other iTunes Connect tools will remain accessible to developers throughout the holiday period.
DriveSavers today announced the launch of a new consumer-facing service that's designed to unlock iOS devices for customers who have forgotten their passcodes, been locked out after too many incorrect entry attempts, or who need to access the data on the device of a deceased family member.
DriveSavers says it is using "new proprietary technology" to recover data from a passcode-locked devices, a service that has previously been limited to law enforcement agencies and unavailable to the average consumer.
It is not known what technology DriveSavers is using to access data on the device. It may be a passcode guessing feature or something related to iCloud data, with the company suggesting it is able to recover data like photos, videos, contacts, text messages, voice recordings, and notes.
The service is advertised for Android, Windows, BlackBerry, and iOS devices, so the full breadth of information DriveSavers can recover from an iPhone or an iPad is unclear.
Law enforcement agencies have long used data recovery hacks and devices to gain access to locked iPhone devices. The most well-known recovery method highlighted in recent months is the GrayKey box, which can brute force the passcode on an iOS device using some kind of proprietary jailbreaking software. The GrayKey was allegedly disabled with iOS 12, but DriveSavers may be using a similar device or unlocking method.
GrayKey iPhone cracking box, via MalwareBytes
Government agencies also have the ability to request data from iCloud straight from Apple, but this is presumably not a method that's available to DriveSavers for consumer data recovery requests.
The Passcode Lockout Data Recovery service is for standard customers only, and DriveSavers says it will not unlock devices for law enforcement or other government agencies. Prior to unlocking a device, DriveSavers verifies ownership "during all phases of the recovery process" and requires a legal authorization form with customers required to provide specific information before data access is provided.
DriveSavers does not provide pricing for its Passcode Lockout Data Recovery Service, and suggests that those interested call the company for more information.
Update: DriveSavers has provided MacRumors with additional info on its iPhone unlocking service. The company is able to fully unlock the iPhone and return the unlocked device to the owner, and there's an option to back up the phone's data to an external device. DriveSavers is not able to provide further information on its unlocking methods.
The service is not inexpensive, priced around $3,900. DriveSavers is also using strict identification protocols, in some cases requesting documents that include death certificates, probate documents, court documents, and more. DriveSavers says that most people use the service to access the data from the device of a deceased loved one.
Apple is offering a limited time promotion that provides up to $100 in additional credit when trading in an iPhone, according to Apple's dedicated trade-in site.
When trading in an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, or 8 towards the purchase of an iPhone XR or iPhone XS, customers can get between $25 and $100 extra.
With an iPhone 6 Plus, for example, the normal trade-in value is $100, but with the current promotion, customers will get $200 in credit towards the purchase of a new iPhone.
It appears the trade-in bonus credit is only available when trading in an eligible older iPhone towards the purchase of the iPhone XR and iPhone XS, with extra credit not available for purchases of the iPhone 7 or iPhone 8.
When you go through the normal trade-in process on the trade-in site, Apple offers $150, but if you use the trade-in option during the checkout process of purchasing a new iPhone XR or XS, the bonus trade-in credit is displayed.
As with all trade-ins, to get the full trade-in value, your iPhone must turn on, it must be in good shape with working buttons, and it can't have a broken display. A broken iPhone that does not turn on or has broken buttons earns no trade-in value, though Apple offers to recycle it. An iPhone with a broken display earns a lesser trade-in amount.
If you use the 
You can easily change the default app associated with a particular file to something else. To do so, click Get Info in the contextual menu and select another app from the Open With: dropdown list in the file's Info pane. To use that app to open all files sharing the same extension, click the Change All... button and select Continue.
Following the 
Each year, Apple shuts down iTunes Connect for a week around the holidays to give its App Store staff time off from work. This year, iTunes Connect 
DriveSavers today 
