AAPL has dipped below the $200 mark at times today, and is down around 10 percent since Apple's earnings report last week, resulting in the company losing its trillion dollar valuation in terms of market capitalization. As of writing, Apple has a market cap of around $950 billion based on its latest share count.
The news has sparked concerns among some analysts and investors that Apple may have something to hide, as iPhone unit sales in particular were essentially flat last quarter and could begin to decline in upcoming quarters.
Apple's financial chief Luca Maestri said unit sales are "not particularly relevant for our company at this point," as they are "not necessarily representative of the underlying strength of our business." He added that Apple may provide qualitative commentary related to unit sales if the info is valuable to investors.
Not everyone believes Apple's decision to stop reporting unit sales is a bad one. Apple bull Brian White at Monness Crespi Hardt believes the change "makes perfect sense" as Apple's success is "increasingly driven by an ecosystem of product and services on Planet Apple," including rising ASPs.
Apple analyst Gene Munster of Loup Ventures also believes the change will be "a good thing for Apple investors," as "the new reporting method will force the Street to think about Apple's business as a stable and growing service, which should yield a higher earnings multiple in the long run."
AAPL is currently hovering around $199-$201 on the intraday market, down from a closing price of $222.22 on Thursday.
Accessory company Hyper today announced the HyperDrive USB-C Hub for the 2018 iPad Pro. Apple's latest iPad Pro is the first of the company's tablets to include USB-C (replacing the Lightning port), allowing support for third-party USB-C accessories like Hyper's new device.
The HyperDrive for iPad Pro adds six total ports to the tablet: 4K HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack, SD card slot, Micro SD card slot, USB-A 3.0, and USB-C Power Delivery. Hyper explains that the accessory features a replaceable C-shape grip that holds the USB-C hub securely onto the iPad Pro.
The device is available in Space Gray and Silver, to match the iPad Pro's colors, and it will work with both 11-inch and 12.9-inch models with and without the Smart Keyboard Folio. The company says that the HyperDrive for iPad Pro will be available in December for $49 for customers who sign up to be notified on its website. Otherwise, the device will run for $99.99.
Following the conclusion of its 2018 fiscal year, which ended September 29, Apple today filed its annual Form 10-K [PDF] with the SEC. We've combed through the exhaustive, legalese-rich 72-page report so you don't have to.
Highlights:
9,000 more employees: Apple has 132,000 full-time employees as of the end of its 2018 fiscal year, up from 123,000 a year prior.
R&D expenses rose nearly $3 billion: Apple spent $14.2 billion on research and development in its 2018 fiscal year, a nearly 23 percent increase over the $11.5 billion it spent in its 2017 fiscal year.
Apple continues to execute its share repurchase program: Apple had 23,712 shareholders of record as of October 26, 2018, down from 25,333 as of October 20, 2017. There were 4,754,986,000 outstanding shares of Apple stock as of the end of its 2018 fiscal year.
Genius Bar expenses are down: Apple's expenses from warranty claims totaled $4.1 billion in its 2018 fiscal year, down from $4.3 billion in its 2017 fiscal year and $4.6 billion in its 2016 fiscal year.
CapEx to drop: Apple anticipates utilizing approximately $14 billion for capital expenditures during its 2019 fiscal year, down from $16.7 billion in its 2018 fiscal year. The capital is used towards Apple's manufacturing equipment, data centers, corporate facilities, and retail stores.
Apple snaps up more office space: Apple owned 16.5 million square feet and leased 24.3 million square feet of building space as of September 29, 2018. By comparison, Apple owned 13.4 million square feet and leased 23.0 million square feet of building space as of September 30, 2017.
Apple's annual Form 10-K also acknowledges that "international trade disputes" could adversely affect its business, almost certainly referring to an ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China:
International trade disputes could result in tariffs and other protectionist measures that could adversely affect the Company's business. Tariffs could increase the cost of the Company's products and the components and raw materials that go into making them. These increased costs could adversely impact the gross margin that the Company earns on its products. Tariffs could also make the Company's products more expensive for customers, which could make the Company's products less competitive and reduce consumer demand. Countries may also adopt other protectionist measures that could limit the Company's ability to offer its products and services. Political uncertainty surrounding international trade disputes and protectionist measures could also have a negative effect on consumer confidence and spending, which could adversely affect the Company's business.
Apple's annual Form 10-K can be viewed or downloaded in a variety of formats from the company's Investor Relations website.
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.
As part of my continuing series of articles looking at how car manufacturers have integrated CarPlay into their infotainment systems, I've taken a look at the 2019 Acura RDX, the popular crossover SUV from Honda's luxury brand. Acura has been gradually rolling out CarPlay support across its lineup over the past few model years, and the new 2019 RDX is the first of this model to support the feature.
My test vehicle was a well-equipped RDX with Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), Technology package, and an A-Spec trim designed for those who want a bold look.
The Technology package adds a premium ELS Studio audio system that offers 12 speakers, Acura's navigation system, two rear USB charging ports, parking sensors, and blind spot and rear cross traffic warning systems.
The A-Spec package adds larger 20-inch wheels in "Shark Gray," special exterior accents like a unique front bumper with LED fog lights, dual oval exhaust, and prominent badging. Inside, the A-Spec package adds a sport steering wheel that feels great in the hands, and leather seats in either full black or red with black inserts, including heated and ventilated front seats. Regardless of seating color, red is a prominent highlight color in other areas of the A-Spec cabin, including on the instrument panel and nighttime ambient lighting. The audio system is also upgraded to 16 speakers, including four embedded in the roof of the vehicle.
There's an additional Advance package that includes some other nice features such as rain-sensing windshield wipers, a heads-up display, a surround-view camera system, and 16-way power front seats including thigh extensions and side bolsters, but interestingly that package is not available on models equipped with the A-Spec package.
Acura tells me it's received some feedback from customers who would have liked to add some of these Advance package features to an A-Spec vehicle, so it's potentially something Acura will be taking a look at for the future as it weighs customizability against the simplicity of minimal trim packages.
Infotainment System Overview
Acura's built-in infotainment system handles all of the usual functions, including radio, SiriusXM, Bluetooth phone connectivity, voice control, optional navigation and more. A beautiful 10.2-inch widescreen center display is standard, as is CarPlay support, which is a welcome decision compared to some other manufacturers that offer it only with certain trims or as a standalone option for an extra charge.
Acura RDX's center stack with high-mount infotainment display
As part of its research, Acura's product development team determined that the optimal placement for a large infotainment display is mounted high on the dashboard and pushed back from the driver, minimizing the distance the driver's eyes need to travel from the road to glance at the display. What that means, however, is that touchscreen operation is infeasible, as it requires a stretch to reach even the near side of the display.
Manufacturers have come up with various solutions to the infotainment control issue, with some keeping the display close enough for touchscreen operation while others use some form of control knob to allow for scrolling through and selecting onscreen options.
True Touchpad Interface
In the RDX, Acura has launched a new True Touchpad Interface (TTI) within easy reach in the center console, and while it's not the only car to offer touchpad control of the infotainment system, it does offer a unique absolute positioning design where the small touchpad maps directly to the display above – pressing the top left corner of the touchpad activates the icon or menu option at the top left of the display, for example.
The TTI system takes a little bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it and stop trying to swipe around to the button you want on the display, it's a simple and natural way to navigate through various options, and the RDX has a comfortable palm rest below the touchpad to support your hand.
The touchpad is surrounded by a raised border that makes it easy to tell where your finger is by feel, and as your finger rests on various areas of the touchpad, the corresponding function on the display highlights to let you know where you are. Once the desired function is highlighted, a press on the touchpad in that location registers your selection.
Display highlighting Navigation icon corresponding to location being touched on TTI
Similar to some other widescreen infotainment systems, Acura's system in the RDX allows for two separate content windows, a large primary one taking up the majority of the screen, and then a smaller one off to the right side that can show options such as a clock or a secondary function of the system.
For example, if you have navigation up on the main part of the screen, the secondary portion of the display can show your current audio selection, whether it be radio, SiriusXM, or another source.
The TTI system includes a secondary touchpad, a thin strip along the right side that corresponds to the secondary content zone of the display above. Swiping up or down on this portion of the touchpad scrolls through the available content screens like clock or audio information, and pressing this strip swaps the two content zones, such as bringing the audio content over to the primary zone of the display while pushing navigation off to a small map on the right side. It's a handy system that makes it easy to manage multiple functions of the infotainment system.
Above the TTI touchpad is a set of three physical buttons: a Back button, a Home button, and a Cards button that lets you quickly access the available content for the secondary zone of the display without needing to scroll through the options one by one.
Top right physical button brings up card options for secondary display zone
The TTI touchpad can also be used to input handwriting for operations such as spelling out a destination or a phone number. In practice, I found this to be quite finicky and generally had a hard time getting the system to recognize the characters I was intending to draw.
Steering wheel and multi-information dashboard display (Voice control button is at lower left on steering wheel)
Of course, the TTI is only one way to control the infotainment system, with voice being the other primary system. The new RDX includes a revamped natural language voice recognition system, meaning you don't need to use specific phrasing for the system to recognize your requests. I found the system to be quite good at recognizing requests using a variety of wordings, while a fairly natural-sounding voice offered audio feedback and navigation prompts.
Interface
One of the great features of Acura's infotainment system is the customizability of the home screens. Much like an iPhone, the system supports multiple pages of "apps," such as navigation, radio, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, Aux, Hotspot controls, CarPlay, and more.
By pressing and holding on an app icon using the touchpad, you can enter an edit mode that lets you move the icon around the home screen or to a different page. This lets you put your most frequently used functions on the front page and in the most easily accessible locations such as in the corners.
Edit mode for rearranging home screen icons
These home screen icons aren't limited to just general functions like navigation or radio. Various "Favorites" like frequently used destinations, specific phone contacts, and radio stations can be added directly to the home screen with their own icons, allowing for one-touch access. And for apps you know you'll never use, you can delete them entirely from the home screen.
"Home" favorite for one-touch access to navigation route home
Built-in Navigation
I found Acura's built-in navigation to be quite powerful, easily recognizing a variety of addresses and POIs while providing accurate directions and estimated arrival times, as well as helpful voice prompts. The system makes it easy to set favorite destinations or select from recent ones, or you can quickly search for nearby POIs in various categories.
Navigation search results
Several different views are supported, including 2D and 3D views with available "north up" and "heading up" options for 2D mode. The system also shows helpful information like distance to next maneuver, direction and street name of the next turn, follow-up maneuvers, and lane guidance. You can also easily add waypoints if you need to make a stop on the way to your final destination.
Aside from the standard navigation mode, the system also offers an exploration mode, which lets you easily zoom and pan around the map for an overview of routes and traffic conditions, and you can select locations and POIs directly from the map.
CarPlay
As with nearly every other car manufacturer, Acura's CarPlay implementation is a wired one, so you'll need to plug your phone into a USB port in the center console in order to get CarPlay up and running.
Center console with phone slot and cupholders
Fortunately, the center console in the RDX includes a convenient slot housing the required USB port and providing simple and space-saving storage of your phone and cable while connected to the system. A sliding metal cover can hide away your phone and other small items in the neighboring cup holders.
Center console with sliding cover closed
CarPlay shows up as its own app on the RDX's home screen, making it easy to hop into CarPlay as needed. And as with other apps, you can customize its location on the home screen.
Once you enter CarPlay, you'll be greeted with the familiar 4x2 grid of app icons from your iPhone, taking up the primary zone on the RDX's display. The secondary display zone is not dedicated to CarPlay, so it can show content from the native system such as a navigation route in progress or the current audio information.
As usual, I won't delve too much into the specifics of CarPlay itself, as that's generally a consistent experience from vehicle to vehicle, but the one aspect that does vary is system control. CarPlay can support both direct touchscreen manipulation and selection highlighting via off-screen control methods such as knobs and jog wheels. But as you'll quickly find when you enter CarPlay for the first time on the RDX, it doesn't support absolute touchpad positioning, and that's a disappointing realization.
You can certainly control CarPlay using the touchpad, but it's a traditional trackpad mechanism where you have to swipe in various directions to move the highlights on the user interface to the desired function. You can't just tap on the touchpad in the location where your intended CarPlay icon or menu option is displayed.
What this means is that the method of controlling your infotainment system differs depending on whether you're in the native Acura system or in CarPlay, and that takes a bit of brain processing power to remember as you rapidly switch back and forth between the systems. Here's hoping that Acura and Apple are working together to bring absolute touchpad positioning to CarPlay, as it's a handy control mechanism.
In fact, Android Auto isn't supported at all on the RDX at the moment, as Acura says it's still working with Google on developing the ability for Android Auto to recognize absolute touchpad positioning, and so Android Auto support won't be coming until a future software update.
Waze on CarPlay
The hardware Back and Home buttons on the RDX do work with CarPlay to some degree, although the integration could be improved a bit. The Back button does typically reverse through your previous actions, backing up through menus and even moving out of apps back to the CarPlay home screen. I did find a few apps such as Google Maps and Waze, however, where pressing the Back button yielded a chime but didn't actually step back to the previous action.
The hardware Home button always takes you back to the Acura home screen, even if you're in CarPlay, and it would be nice if the system could intelligently take you back to either the CarPlay or Acura home screen depending on which system you're currently in, with perhaps a second press of the button in CarPlay mode taking you all the way out to the Acura home screen.
CarPlay can of course also be controlled via voice, and that functionality is accessible through the same steering wheel button used for Acura's built-in voice assistant. A short press on the button brings up Acura's system, while a long press brings up Siri.
I mentioned earlier that the dual-zone display lets you quickly swap back and forth between different functions in the Acura infotainment, but CarPlay is a bit limited in that regard. If you're using Acura's navigation and listening to music via CarPlay, the integration works fine and the secondary display zone will say "Apple CarPlay" and show the currently playing track and artwork, whether you're using Apple's Music app or another service like Pandora or Spotify.
Pressing the right-side strip on the TTI will then conveniently bring your CarPlay audio over to the primary zone and slide the Acura navigation over to the right side.
With the cards options for the secondary display zone, you can even assign audio to both zones, displaying the traditional CarPlay "Now Playing" interface in the primary zone and album artwork in the secondary zone.
Things don't work quite as well when you're using other functions. For example, if you're using CarPlay navigation in the primary display zone and SiriusXM in the secondary zone, swapping the zones will move the SiriusXM controls to the primary zone, but there's no "mini" mode for CarPlay's maps apps to show in the secondary zone.
SiriusXM on left, CarPlay Apple Maps on right
As a result, all you'll see on the right is a CarPlay-like icon and text saying "Apple CarPlay" and "Route Active" with no details on the navigation in progress. You will, however, still receive navigation voice prompts.
Ports and Connectivity
If you're looking to charge your devices in the RDX, you'll find several options, including the prominent USB port in the center console that gives your device access to the infotainment system. Another USB port is located underneath the center stack adjacent to a large storage space.
Ports under the center stack
If you have the Technology package, you'll get two more USB ports on the rear of the center console, giving your rear passengers convenient accessing to charging. All of the USB ports in the RDX offer 2.5A charging, so even devices like iPads with demanding charging loads will refuel fairly quickly.
Rear USB ports
Hotspot capabilities come standard on the 2019 RDX, although you'll have to subscribe to an AT&T data plan. Conversely, you can tether the car to your phone's cellular connection to support internet-connected features of the infotainment system.
Wrap-up
I came away impressed with the overall driving experience of the 2019 Acura RDX, and the infotainment system is one of the best I've tested with a powerful navigation system, a terrific widescreen center display, and a unique but natural-feeling touchpad control interface. CarPlay works well, and I appreciate the ability to use the secondary display zone to show details on apps from the built-in system while using CarPlay. It's a handy way to take advantage of CarPlay navigation and SiriusXM radio simultaneously, for example, and keep tabs on everything at once. It's a welcome enhancement to CarPlay's one-app-at-a-time experience.
The most significant negative is the lack of full True Touchpad Interface support in CarPlay, and hopefully that's something Apple will address at some point. TTI is a solid control mechanism, but I feel like CarPlay hampered my ability to become fluent with it simply because I was constantly switching between CarPlay and Acura's system.
As a result, I still found myself dragging my finger around on the touchpad even when using the native Acura system rather than heading straight for the area corresponding to my desired target. I have no doubt the interface would have become second nature more quickly without CarPlay and the built-in system constantly fighting to retrain my brain.
The 2019 Acura RDX starts at an MSRP of $37,300 with CarPlay supported on all vehicles including the entry-level Standard trim. The Technology package adds $3,200 to the total cost, and if you want even more you can opt for either the A-Spec package for a further $3,000 or the Advance package for $4,900, both on top of the Technology package. SH-AWD is an additional $2,000 on all levels.
The first wave of reviews of Apple's redesigned iPad Pro were published this morning. We've collected some of the key takeaways below.
The new upgraded 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models feature edge-to-edge displays that do away with the Home button, slim bezels all the way around, and a TrueDepth camera system that enables Face ID. Apple's new iPad Pro models also work with the Apple Pencil 2 and revamped Smart Keyboards.
Apple says this is the iPad it's wanted to build all along, and I'm not surprised. All the horsepower tucked away inside (and there's a lot of it) is more accessible because of this streamlined design, and I don't think I could go back to an iPad that wasn't this trim.
The overall aesthetic is much more businesslike and less 'friendly' in that very curvy sort of Apple way. I like it, a lot. The flat edges are pretty clearly done that way to let Apple use more of the interior space without having to cede a few millimeters all the way around the edge to unusable space. In every curved iPad, there's a bit of space all the way around that is pretty much air. Cutting off the chin and forehead of the iPad Pro did a lot to balance the design out and make it more holdable.
Apple's doing all the color management and individual color calibration you expect here, so iPad Pro looks dead accurate — so much so that, like iPhone XR, it can be hard to tell Apple LCD from Apple OLED in anything but the deep blacks and the off-axis. And yeah, that's still impressive.
Apple keeps saying the iPad Pro now has an "all screen design" that "goes from edge to edge," but let's just be honest: nothing about these bezels is edge-to-edge. It is, however, an extremely nice 264ppi LCD screen, and I continue to be a fan of Apple’s fancy technique to round off the corners of LCDs.
Apart from the corners, the new iPad Pro display is substantially the same as last year's Pro, with Apple's extremely smooth 120Hz ProMotion variable refresh rate system, True Tone automatic color calibration, and wide color support. This is one of the best, most accurate mobile displays you can look at.
It works well, and doesn’t require that cut-out notch on the screen like the iPhone. It’s not quirk-free, though. We usually hold our iPhones in a portrait (vertical) orientation because that’s just how they fit in our hand. With an iPad like this, you almost always use two hands, and that means there isn’t really a "right" or "wrong" way to hold it. From time to time, my hands would sometimes accidentally block the Face ID camera when I held it in landscape (widescreen) orientation. And if I’m lounging around, my face may also be out of view. As I’ve gotten used to keeping my head in front of the tablet screen, and my hands away from its front-facing camera, Face ID evolved from a hindrance to a helpful, secure aid.
On the second-generation Apple Pencil:
iMore's Rene Ritchie:
The new Apple Pencil has the same tip and core technology as the original but just about everything else has changed. There's no cap on the back to lose anymore and no Lightning plug either. It charges inductively now by magnetically piggy-backing right onto the side of the iPad Pro. It uses a series of magnets carefully arranged with alternating poles to force precise alignment and, when it gets it, locks into place with a satisfying, AirPods style thunk.
We had a few issues with the Pencil. The first is with synchronisation: when it clips on magnetically, it's supposed to pair with the iPad Pro (which ours did) and then be ready to use when removed (which ours did not always do). It also came unclipped easily when the iPad Pro was taken out of a rucksack, with the Pencil slipping off into some dark recess rather often.
There were multiple times when we'd remove it to no result - another connection was needed to get it to work, and we'd have to 'tap to connect'. Not what you'd expect for something that costs $129.
On the USB-C port that replaces a Lightning connector:
Included in the box is a 18W USB-C charger that means you can charge much faster and if you're a heavy user you'll need it. Using USB-C means you can charge it with your MacBook charger and it also supports reverse charging - so you could use it to charge your iPhone if your battery is low.
The Verge's Nilay Patel:
I tried a handful of USB-C hubs with an assortment of USB-A, HDMI, card readers, and Ethernet ports, and everything worked as intended... other stuff didn’t work, though: printers didn’t do anything. A Native Instruments Maschine mk3 audio controller sat in silence. A Beyerdynamic USB-C microphone only worked when we used an A-to-C cable plugged into a hub. USB-C is still kind of messy and weird, so you’ll just have to try things and see what works for you.
But one extremely important category of devices will definitely not work: iOS does not support external storage. You can plug as many flash drives or hard drives as you want into the iPad Pro’s USB-C port, and nothing will happen.
Battery life is also as excellent as on previous iPads. Apple advertises "up to 10 hours" for mixed usage and I got just about exactly that for reading, playing some games, watchings lots of YouTube and Netflix, and typing out some of this review. More intensive apps like Rush CC and iMovie will drain your battery quicker, so keep that in mind. But even still, I still got around 7-8 hours while working with pro-level apps.
On an iPad Pro replacing a laptop computer:
The Wired's Jeffrey Van Camp:
It doesn’t feel like the world is ready to treat my iPad as an equal to a PC yet—even if that iPad is a lot more powerful and user friendly. Now that Apple has declared the iPad is a PC, it should take more of the guardrails off of iOS.
The iPad Pro can be purchased from the Apple online store and it will be available in retail locations starting on November 7.
Pricing on the 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 for 64GB of storage, with 256GB of storage available for $949, 512GB of storage available for $1149, and 1TB of storage available for $1549. Models with cellular connectivity are available for an additional $150 over the base price for each storage tier.
Apple has told iPhone assemblers to halt plans for additional production lines dedicated to the iPhone XR, claimed a new report on Monday.
According to sources cited by the Nikkei Asian Review, Apple has informed Taiwanese smartphone manufacturers Foxconn and Pegatron of the cancelation, which the report said signaled "disappointing demand" for Apple's lower cost flagship model, which launched late last month.
"For the Foxconn side, it first prepared nearly 60 assembly lines for Apple's XR model, but recently uses only around 45 production lines as its top customer said it does not need to manufacture that many by now," a source familiar with the situation said.
That means Foxconn, the Taiwanese company traded as Hon Hai Precision Industry, would produce around 100,000 fewer units daily to reflect the new demand outlook -- down 20% to 25% from the original optimistic outlook, this person said.
As for Pegatron, the iPhone assembler is said to be "suspending plans to ramp up production and awaiting further instructions from Apple," according to Nikkei's supply chain sources.
Apple has reportedly also asked smaller iPhone assembler Wistron to stand by for rush orders, but Nikkei's sources said the company will receive no orders for the iPhone XR this holiday season.
Nikkei's reporting on iPhone supplies has been off the mark in recent years, with claims of Apple slashing iPhone production orders on weak demand being at odds with later sales figures.
The latest report also clashes with recent remarks made by noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said that iPhone XR pre-order demand in the first three days of the device's availability was "better than that" of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus during the same period last year.
Kuo said that although pre-order demand immediately after launch has been lower for the iPhone XR versus the flagship iPhone XS models, overall iPhone XR shipment momentum is "more stable" because it will drive more customers to upgrade than the iPhone 8 series over time.
On the flip side, some analysts expressed concerns that the iPhone XR's strong availability following launch implied weak sales of the $749 handset.
In addition, Apple's $89 to $93 billion revenue forecast for the first fiscal quarter of 2019 was cautious in its earnings call, but Apple blamed this on foreign exchange costs, issues with supply/demand balance, and weakness in emerging markets.
Apple CFO Maestri also explained that Apple had "some uncertainty" around supply/demand balance for the "unprecedented number" of new products the company had launched over the last six weeks.
The launch timing of the new iPhones was also said to be a factor, with the iPhone XR coming later than the XS and the XS Max. This had an effect on Apple's Q4 revenue and is also expected to impact Q1.
Apple Pay is about to launch in Germany. Banks such as HVB and Bunq this morning sent out emails to customers announcing their imminent support for Apple's mobile payment system in the country.
Apple Pay is "coming soon" according to Apple's own regional German website, which lists supported banks and cards, including boon, comdirect, Edenred, Fidor Bank, Hanseatic Bank, and Vim Pay. We'll update this article as soon as we can confirm that Apple Pay is operational in Germany for end users.
Apple Pay support in Germany has been rumored for some time, while Apple has been working to establish deals over fees and other factors with German banks.
During a July earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook also confirmed that Apple planned to bring Apple Pay to Germany in late 2018.
When Apple released iOS 12, it added Live Listen support for AirPods and AirPods 2, making it possible to use your iOS device as a directional mic and have the audio relayed to Apple's wireless earphones.
As an accessibility feature, the idea behind Live Listen is for it to be used by people who are hard of hearing or need extra help separating voices in a loud environment, but it can be useful in other ways, too.
If you're on a family vacation, for instance, you could use your iPhone or iPad as a makeshift baby monitor for when the baby's napping and you're in another room with the TV on. All you'd need to do is put the iOS device near the baby's crib and wear a single AirPod, which should have a strong enough Bluetooth range to allow you to listen in from afar.
Live Listen will work even when other audio is being played on your iPhone or iPad – so you could listen to a podcast, say, and still be keeping tabs on the baby. Just note that whatever it is that you're listening to will switch to mono output to match the Live Listen stream, and the AirPods' tap gestures will be disabled for as long as the feature is active.
Live Listen is easy to set up and use once you know how. The following steps show you how it's done on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 12 or later.
How to Set Up Live Listen on iPhone and iPad
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Control Center.
Tap Customize Controls.
Scroll down and tap the green plus (+) button next to Hearing.
How to Use Live Listen on iPhone and iPad
Put your AirPods in and connect them to your iPhone or iPad in the usual way.
Launch Control Center on your iOS device: On an iPad with a Home button, double-tap the Home button; on iPhone 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen; and on a 2018 iPad Pro or iPhone R/X/XS/XS Max, swipe down from the upper right of the screen.
Tap the Hearing icon.
Tap Live Listen.
Place your iPhone or iPad close to the person you want to hear, preferably in front of them.
If the output to your AirPods is too quiet or too loud, use the volume buttons on your iPhone or iPad to adjust the volume level.
If you see the message "Unavailable for current route" when you try to turn on Live Listen, restarting your iOS device and then forgetting and re-connecting your AirPods in the Settings app's Bluetooth menu should fix the issue.
Student and former Apple intern Punya Chatterjee has developed a slick-looking free tvOS app called DayView that acts as a personal dashboard for Apple TV.
Similar to Today View on iPhone, the DayView interface displays widgets that hook into useful online platforms and personal services, providing at-a-glance information in a unified dashboard.
You can customize the dashboard wallpaper and select which widgets go where in the dashboard panels, plus they automatically refresh, so you could leave the app up on your TV screen during your morning routine, for example.
Currently the app includes widgets for weather, commute time, Google calendar, stocks, Twitter trends, and news headlines, but Chatterjee plans to build several more as well as improve the existing widgets, with better dashboard customization options also in the offing.
Possibilities for future updates include custom wallpapers, additional news sources for the news widget, HomeKit integration, extra calendar view options, extendable widgets, and more.
Apple Calendar support would be an obvious win, but Apple's EventKit framework is currently only available for macOS and iOS, although the developer is looking at alternative syncing solutions in the meantime.
DayView 1.0 is a free download on Apple TV from the tvOS App Store. [Direct Link]
Apple will launch its first 5G iPhone in 2020, according to an unnamed source that spoke to Fast Company.
Apple is said to be planning to use Intel's 8161 modem chip in the 2020 iPhone lineup, with Intel set to be the sole provider of 5G chips for Apple devices. The upcoming 8161 chip will be fabricated using Intel's 10-nanometer process.
Right now, Intel is said to be testing a precursor to the 8161, the 8060, which will be used for prototyping the 5G iPhone.
Fast Company's source says that Apple has "been unhappy" with Intel as of late because of Intel's failure to solve heat dissipation and battery life issues with the 8060 modem chip that's in the works.
Many wireless carriers, including Verizon and AT&T in the U.S., will initially rely on millimeter-wave spectrum (between 30 gigahertz and 300 Ghz) to connect the first 5G phones. But millimeter-wave signal requires some heavy lifting from the modem chips, our source explains. This causes the release of higher-than-normal levels of thermal energy inside the phone-so much so that the heat can be felt on the outside of the phone.
Despite its displeasure with Intel, Apple has not considered reopening conversations with Qualcomm about supplying 5G modems for the 2020 iPhone models. The company has, however, held conversations with modem chip maker MediaTek as a Plan B if Intel can't work out its modem problems over the course of the next year and a half.
With its legal dispute with Qualcomm escalating, Apple has been relying on Intel chips for its devices. The iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR all use Intel modem chips, with Apple having transitioned away from Qualcomm entirely for its flagship iPhone lineup.
Rumors late last year suggested Intel and Apple were already working on 5G chip technology for future iPhone devices. Intel is said to have thousands of people working on 5G tech to catch up with Qualcomm and win Apple's 5G modem contract.
The first 5G smartphones are expected to start debuting early in 2019, with the first to be Android devices using Qualcomm 5G chips. 5G technology is expected to deliver speeds that are 10 to 100 times faster than the average 4G connection, at a gigabit per second or higher, along with lower latency and other benefits.
At today's Blizzcon event, Blizzard announced the upcoming launch of Diablo Immortal, a full-fledged action RPG that's set in the Diablo universe.
Developed alongside NetEase, Diablo Immortal takes place between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III. The Worldstone has been shattered and Skarn, Herald of Terror is collecting the shards to resurrect Diablo.
According to designer Wayne Cheng, who spoke about the game in an App Store feature, players will see Westmarch during its golden age and roam through new locations like the Shassar Sea in eastern Kehjistan. Nine outdoor zones will be available at launch, according to Blizzard.
Six classes will be available to play at launch: Barbarian, Wizard, Demon Hunter, Monk, Crusader, and Necromancer, all with a combination of fresh and familiar skills and abilities.
Immortal will expand Diablo's gameplay into a massive, shared online world. Players can play solo or alongside others, with a public hub available for teaming up for raids, upgrading gear, and crafting items.
"We'll have dungeon instances - similar to World of Warcraft - that allow you to form groups of four to take on much more difficult challenges," Cheng said.
There's no word on PvP gameplay yet, but Blizzard is interested in including such systems to foster a sense of competition and danger from other players.
According to Blizzard, Diablo Immortal is being built from the ground up as a mobile experience, and it will "feel familiar and intuitive" to mobile gamers and those who have previously played Diablo on console.
Blizzard plans to continually add new content to Immortal, evolving the game over time. The company says players can expect a "steady influx" of new story lines, character classes, challenges, and loot.
With just a single input form your thumb you can begin an ability, charge the ability up, aim it and then release to fire off the ability pic.twitter.com/yFwgzvns0d
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 2, 2018
There is no word on when Diablo Immortal is going to launch, with Blizzard planning to provide more details "in the coming months." Players can pre-register for the game using the Diablo Immortal website.
The Option (⌥) key – or Alt key, depending on your keyboard layout – can be used to unlock all kinds of features hidden in your Mac's operating system.
Try holding it down next time you access an app's menu bar options, for instance, and you'll often see several tweaked actions available to you.
Additional Finder File actions revealed via the Option key
In the Finder File menu shown above, Open becomes Open and Close Window (if you have a file selected in Finder, selecting this opens the file and also closes the Finder window), Close Window becomes Close All, and Move to Trash becomes Delete Immediately, amongst other options.
Below are just some of our favorite uses for the Option key in macOS. Feel free to share any other Option key actions you frequently use in the comments section at the bottom of this article.
Finder View Actions
In Finder's List view, hold Option and click the triangle next to a folder to expand it, and the contents of any subfolders nested inside will also be revealed.
In Column view, you can also resize all columns in a window by Option-clicking on the column selector.
Menu Bar System Icons
Holding the Option key when you click menu bar system icons often reveals hidden actions. Option-click the Wi-Fi icon for example and you'll see extensive information on the currently connected network.
Do the same for the volume icon and you'll be able to change not only the audio output device but the input device, too. Elsewhere, Option-clicking the Time Machine icon will let you Browse Other Backup Disks, and you can also Option-click the Notifications Bar icon to turn it on and off.
Safari Browser
To clear all history including cached website data and cookies, you would select Safari -> Clear History... from the Safari menu bar. If you hold the Option key though, Clear History... becomes Clear History and Keep Website Data.
Hold down the Option key when you click a tab's close button, and all other tabs will close except for that one. In Safari's File menu, the Close Tabs option also becomes Close Other Tabs with Option held down.
Preview File Formats
When you come to save or export a file in Preview, Option-click the Format dropdown to get access to several more available file types.
Open Preference Panes
If your Mac's keyboard has icons printed on some of the functions keys, you can press them to perform special features. For example, pressing the F11/12 keys with speaker icons adjusts the volume.
If you hold down Option when you press one of these keys, this will open the System Preference pane associated with the feature. Option-F11/12 opens the Sound pane, for instance.
Scrollbar Behavior
In the General preference pane, you can select between two forms of scrollbar behavior: Jump to the next page and Jump to the spot that's clicked.
You can actually switch between the two behaviors on the fly: simply Option-click anywhere in a window's scrollbar to jump to that location in the open document or webpage.
Force Quit Apps
If an application is acting up, hold down Option and right-click its icon in the Dock to reveal a Force Quit action in the popup menu.
You can also Option-click an app icon to bring its window to the forefront and simultaneously hide another app's active window.
Resize Windows
When you drag your mouse from one side or corner of a window to resize it, you can hold the Option key to resize the dimensions of the window from its center point instead.
Adjusting from one corner affects all corners with the Option key held
If you're a fan of modifier functions in macOS apps and you'd like to learn more, check out the free CheatSheet app by Media Atelier.
Apple today shared a new how to video that's designed to walk new iPhone users through using the Depth Control feature on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.
Depth Control, a feature new to the 2018 iPhones, lets you adjust the amount of background blur in a photo taken with Portrait Mode using either the front or rear camera.
Depth Control can be accessed by choosing a Portrait Mode photo from the Photos app, selecting the "Edit" button, and using the slider at the bottom of the screen to adjust the blur from f/1.4 (maximum blur) to f/16 (no blur).
Depth Control is available when editing an already-captured photo and as of iOS 12.1, there's a real-time Depth Control feature for adjusting blur before you take a photo.
Apple has in the past shared multiple short how to videos like this to highlight photography capabilities on the iPhone along with iPhone X features.
We're likely going to see several more videos focused on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR in the coming weeks as Apple helps users adjust to the new features available on the devices.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.2 update to its public beta testing group, two days after seeding the beta to developers and a few days after releasing macOS Mojave 10.14.1.
We don't know what improvements the second update to macOS Mojave might bring, but it is likely to include performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS 10.14.1 update.
Nothing new was discovered in the macOS Mojave 10.14.2 update provided to developers, so this software may be focused on under-the-hood changes that might not be discovered until it's released. Apple's release notes only mention an upcoming change requiring TLS certificates issued after October 15 to meet Apple's Certificate Transparency policy.
macOS 10.14.2 requires that publicly-trusted Transport Layer Security (TLS) server authentication certificates issued after October 15, 2018 meet the Certificate Transparency policy to be evaluated as trusted on Apple platforms.
macOS 10.14.2 follows macOS 10.14.1, an update that introduced Group FaceTime support for chatting with up to 32 people at one time and new emoji characters.
Apple today added the 2017 iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to its online store for refurbished products in the United States, offering the smartphone at a discount for the first time.
The refurbished store has a selection of 64GB iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray for sale, all of which are discounted by 14 to 16 percent.
The 64GB iPhone 8 models are priced at $499, a discount of $100 off of the regular price of $599, while the 64GB iPhone 8 Plus models in the refurbished store are available for $599, also a $100 discount off of the regular $699 price.
Apple sells the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus as lower-cost alternatives to the flagship iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. The devices feature a fast A11 Bionic chip, a Touch ID Home button, and a glass body for wireless charging.
There are no iPhone 8 or 8 Plus models with higher storage capacities available from the refurbished store at this time, but refurbished stock fluctuates frequently based on the available devices that Apple has on hand.
Refurbished stock is also limited in quantity and can sell out. Checking the refurbished site often or using a tracking site is the best way to figure out when a particular model that you might want is in stock.
Apple has been offering iPhones in its online refurbished store since 2016, but it often takes some time for new models to show up there. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, for example, were released in September 2017 but have just shown up on the refurbished site.
Purchasing a refurbished iPhone from Apple is a good way to get a like-new device at a lower price point. All of Apple's refurbished products are tested, certified, cleaned, and guaranteed with a one-year warranty that can be extended with AppleCare+.
For refurbished iPhone models, Apple provides a fresh battery and a new outer shell, ensuring peak performance and no scratches or other cosmetic damage on the device that you receive.
With the new Pure 2 EyeGuard Blue Light Glass Screen Protector, accessory company BodyGuardz is selling a screen protector that promises extreme impact shock absorption, along with the added bonus of blue light filtering for your eyes.
For those unaware, many people face overexposure to blue light from displays used in their jobs, which has been shown to result in the damage of light-sensitive cells in the eye's retina and other potentially harmful effects. In a day-to-day sense, this means that computer-heavy work can cause eye strain, fatigue, headaches, dry eyes, blurry vision, and more.
While blue light isn't only found in modern displays, new technologies and companies are emerging to combat eye strain that results from ongoing exposure to blue light from digital screens, including BodyGuardz's Pure 2 EyeGuard Screen Protector.
The BodyGuardz accessory promises to filter out up to 43 percent of blue light in an effort to protect your eyes from digital eye strain, while simultaneously safeguarding an iPhone from dangerous drops. The Pure 2 EyeGuard is sized to fit iPhone X and iPhone XS, with an edge-to-edge design that's also compatible with iPhone cases.
Installation Process
Installing a screen protector can be a daunting process, but BodyGuardz includes a few helpful accessories that make the Pure 2 EyeGuard a bit less of a hassle to place on an iPhone. There is a plastic guide to ensure the screen protector goes on straight, dust removal stickers, a clean wipe, dust wipe, and the screen protector itself.
To start, I placed the plastic guide around the edges of my iPhone X. This acts as a sort of border for your installation process, and definitely makes getting the perfect angle on your iPhone much easier. Next I wiped my iPhone's screen with the included wet wipe, then finished off with the soft dust wipe cloth.
My iPhone immediately after installing the Pure 2 EyeGuard (left) vs after cleaning it up with dust removal stickers and waiting for bubbles to disappear (right)
I continued by peeling off the screen protector from the plastic sheet it came on, and carefully placing it on top of my iPhone. As it fell into the plastic tray, the edges of the protector lined up easily with the small black bezels of my iPhone X and the top notch. BodyGuardz then guides you to press firmly from the middle of the protector and smooth it outwards.
The company warns that whatever bubbles you see will disappear within 24 to 48 hours, and over the course of my testing I did see fewer bubbles. When I initially installed, however, I just pressed firmly with my thumb to smooth the screen protector out and managed to have no large or unsightly bubbles on the display.
The first Geekbench benchmark for one of the 2018 Mac mini models has surfaced (via VentureBeat), giving us an initial look at the performance we can expect from Apple's revamped desktop machine.
The benchmarked model is a higher-end custom configuration that features a 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, UHD Graphics 630, and 32GB RAM. At a minimum, this configuration would cost $1,699.
Two scores for the machine were uploaded today from the same user taken eight minutes apart. The first features a single-core score of 5070 and a multi-core score of 16818, while the second, which suggests much better performance, features a single-core of 5512 and a multi-core score of 23516.
The higher-end score set puts this particular Mac mini configuration right on par with the high-end 2.9GHz 2018 MacBook Pro, which earned a single-core Geekbench score of 5433 and a multi-core score of 22556. Given the price point of this Mac mini's configuration, its MacBook Pro-matching performance comes as no surprise.
The Mac mini also closely matches the 2013 Mac Pro models when it comes to multi-core performance and exceeds them when it comes to single-core performance. With the exception of the iMac Pro, it outperforms 2017 iMac models, which were not refreshed this year.
It's not clear why there's such a disparity between the two Geekbench readings, but it's possible with the first that background tasks produced a lower result, hence the retest.
We should see additional Mac mini benchmarks surfacing in the near future as the device is set to launch on November 7. Benchmarks of the base models will give us a better idea of what to expect from the lower priced versions of the device.
MacBook Air and iPad Pro benchmarks have also surfaced over the course of the week, with the iPad Pro also demonstrating MacBook Pro-class performance.
Plex is an all-in-one media hub that organizes your entire library of content, from TV shows and movies to music, photos, and more. Plex also offers free access to news, web shows, podcasts, and, for cord cutters, live television access when paired with an antenna.
Plex is free to download and use as a media server, but advanced music, photo, TV, and movie features like live TV, automatic photo upload, lyric search, and more, require the Plex Pass. Plex Pass is $119 for a lifetime pass, $4.99 per month, or $39.99 per year.
To use Plex, you need a media hub where all of your content is stored, and that's where the Western Digital My Cloud Home portion of the giveaway comes into play. Until recently, Plex had a cloud service that let you access your media content anywhere, but that's been discontinued.
Luckily, with connected devices like the Western Digital My Cloud Home, you can still access your media library from anywhere. My Cloud Home is a network attached storage device, which means it connects to the internet and makes whatever's stored on it accessible even when you're away from home.
To use this combo, all you need to do is set up the My Cloud Home, install the Plex Media Server software on it, and then upload your media content like music, photos, and more. Then with the Plex app on the Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and other devices, you can access all of your content anytime, anywhere.
This same setup works with any NAS, and it also works with a plain old hard drive or Mac when you're connected to your home WiFi network.
We have three My Cloud Home drives from Western Digital paired with three lifetime Plex passes to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (November 2) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 9. The winners will be chosen randomly on November 9 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
