Apple at WWDC is expected to introduce a new pride watch face, reports 9to5Mac. The upcoming watch face is "inspired by the rainbow flag" and is likely designed to match the limited edition Rainbow Pride Woven Nylon Apple Watch band that Apple released at WWDC last year.
Code for the new watch face was found in iOS 11.4 and watchOS 4.3.1, and it appears that the new watch face will animate with moving threads of color that shift whenever the display is tapped.
The watch face will become available on Monday, June 4 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, which suggests it will be made available to all iOS users through an over-the-air update to watchOS 4.3.1. On Twitter, a user was able to change the date on his Apple Watch and the new face showed up, confirming it will release for everyone just after the keynote event wraps up.
It is not clear if Apple has any other pride-related announcements in store to accompany the new watch face, such as a new pride band. It is also not known if Apple plans to release additional watch faces with watchOS 5, but last year's watchOS 4 release did include new faces.
Apple always celebrates San Francisco Pride and participates in the parade, with the event set to take place on Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24 this year, so it makes sense for the company to release a new rainbow Apple Watch face ahead of that date.
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.
The New Zealand Commerce Commission today sent a warning to Apple over concerns that the company misled customers about their replacement rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act, reports the New Zealand Herald.
According to the commission, Apple may have violated New Zealand consumer law by telling customers its products have a two year warranty and also referring customers who purchase non-Apple branded products from Apple to the manufacturer for warranty issues.
From an eight-page statement released by the Commerce Commission:
We consider that Apple is likely to be misleading consumers by trying to exclude its liability for non-Apple branded products. If this behaviour is continuing, we recommend you take immediate action to address our concerns and seek legal advice about complying with the Fair Trading Act."
The New Zealand Herald says the Commerce Commission began an investigation into Apple's practices in April 2016 after receiving complaints from consumers who sought repairs from Apple but were told that their products were covered by consumer law for just two years.
Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, there is no set two-year period after which it expires, with the act instead outlining a set of requirements for consumer devices regarding build quality (products must be free from defects).
According to Commissioner Anna Rawlings, businesses should not base warranty decisions in New Zealand "solely on how long a consumer has owned a product." Instead, the "reasonable lifespan" depends "very much on what that product is" and each fault must be assessed "on its own merits."
During the investigation, the commission also said that Apple is "likely to have misled" consumers by excluding liability for non-Apple products. Apple is responsible, says the commission, for "compliance with consumer guarantees applying to all products it sells, even if it is not the manufacturer."
There were also some issues discovered around the availability of spare parts and repairs after one New Zealand customer was told he could have a maximum of four replacements for a faulty product.
The commission says Apple made voluntary changes to address some of the concerns that were raised, including making it clear to Apple employees in New Zealand that consumer law rights are not bound by a set time period. The commission believes Apple will consider and fix the other issues that were raised during the investigation.
Ahead of next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster today shared his predictions for the features and services that Apple will unveil during the event.
Munster expects Apple to debut new Siri, AR, AI, and Digital Health functionality, including a Beats-branded accessory (presumably a speaker) that includes Siri integration, much like the HomePod. Some of Munster's predictions have been previously covered in rumors shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, but Siri integration in a lower-cost Beats product is a new prediction.
We expect Monday's keynote to be highlighted by extending the reach of Siri (most likely adding new domains, opening HomePod to more capabilities, and integrating Spotlight), along with additional AI tools (new Core ML extensions).
We also anticipate new features around digital health (privacy and device management) and ARKit (development tools).
Expect Siri integration with Beats.
Collectively, these announcements advance the ease of use and intelligence of Apple's mobile and desktop experiences.
According to Munster, Apple may be planning introduce a $250 Beats-branded product that will offer Siri integration similar to the HomePod, allowing Apple to "advance its digital assistant ambitions" with a more affordable option. Apple currently sells a Beats Pill+ speaker for $179.95, and the device has not been updated in some time.
Apple is going to announce a new "Decade Collection" at WWDC according to a Best Buy leak, but that collection is limited to existing headphones in new colorways and does not appear include new products or a new speaker. It's possible that Apple does have a new Beats product ready to unveil, and a recent somewhat sketchy rumor did suggest that Apple's "low-priced" HomePod would be under the Beats by Dre branding.
That rumor would make some sense if Apple is indeed planning on introducing a Beats-branded speaker product that includes Siri integration. Siri competitor Alexa is available as an option on many speakers outside of Amazon's own, and Apple could be planning to follow in Amazon's footsteps. Obviously, though, it's not clear if the rumor and/or Munster's prediction are accurate.
Munster has several other predictions for features and services coming at WWDC. Specifically, he expects Apple to introduce new Siri domains, with support for "things like navigation and email" and integrated Spotlight Search to better improve Siri's performance compared to Alexa and Cortana, the AI assistants used by Amazon and Microsoft, respectively.
Munster also believes Apple will introduce new domains for CoreML, the machine learning SDK that Apple introduced with the launch of iOS 11. Munster doesn't offer details on what the new domains might be, but at the current time, CoreML offers features for developers like real time image recognition, search ranking, text prediction, handwriting recognition, face detection, music tagging, text summarization, and more.
Previous rumors have said Apple plans to introduce support for multiplayer augmented reality games, and Munster believes Apple will also introduce "subtle new developer tools" to improve AR development and lead to more compelling AR apps.
Similarly, rumors have indicated Apple is working on a Digital Health tool that will let parents better monitor the amount of time children are spending on iOS devices. Munster says Apple could also include additional features that notify users when data is being shared with developers and new device management features aimed at curbing "screen time and digital anxiety."
Munster's full range of predictions for WWDC can be read on Loup Ventures, and our iOS 12 roundup contains all of the other iOS-related rumors that we've heard thus far.
During WWDC, Apple will be launching a Close Your Rings Challenge that's designed to motivate developers to close the three Apple Watch activity rings each day of the week, with the challenge starting on Sunday, June 3 and lasting through Thursday, June 7.
To participate, developers will need to download the Challenges app from the App Store and sign up on the developer website for a unique invitation code. Move ring calorie goals will be set by weight for the challenge, and developers are able to team up with up to four friends to earn points.
If everyone on the team closes their rings each day, teams will be eligible for bonus points. All individuals who earn 200 points or more during the challenge will earn a reward on Friday, June 8, which will be given out at the McEnery Convention Center.
Participants will earn one point for each 1/12 of the Move ring that's completed (capped at 36 points), 1 point for each 1/12th of the Exercise ring that's completed (capped at 36 points), and 1 point for each 1/12th of the Stand ring (capped at 14 points) that's completed every day.
Individuals will earn 12 bonus points for closing all three rings on the same day, while teams will earn four bonus points for each teammate who closes all three rings that day.
Through the Challenges app on the iPhone, participants will be able to view a Challenge leaderboard and if in a team, team rank and status. Team members will be able to send motivating nudges to one another, and an Apple Watch complication is available for viewing daily point total.
Apple does not mention what the prizes are for winning the challenge, but for similar employee challenges in the past, Apple has given out unique pins, Apple Watch bands, and t-shirts.
The Close Your Rings WWDC challenge is limited to those who are attending WWDC, as the prizes will be given out in person at the end of the week. Attendees who want to participate can get an invitation code on Apple's developer site.
Today's new 11.4 software update for HomePod enables Siri to speak in French, German, and Canadian English in any region, including the United States. Apple says Canadian French will be added in a subsequent software update coming later this year, but it has not provided a specific timeframe as of yet.
The new software update should be pushed to the HomePod automatically after updating to iOS 11.4 on a paired iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but it can also be installed manually through the speaker's settings in the Home app.
To change a HomePod's default language, open the Home app on a paired iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 11.4, 3D Touch or long press on the HomePod's icon, tap on Details, and tap on Languages. There are now six languages, including the previous options of U.S. English, U.K. English, and Australian English.
Canadian residents who purchased a HomePod in the United States, for example, can now switch from American English to Canadian English.
While the switch from American English to Canadian English doesn't yield any significant differences, it does allow the language of a paired iOS device to be set back to Canadian English as well, as in Canada, a HomePod and paired iOS device must be set to the same language for Siri to deliver Personal Requests.
Despite support for Canadian English, the HomePod still isn't completely localized for Canada, as Siri still doesn't work with music charts, for example, as demonstrated by MacRumors reader Pedro Marques in the video below.
Of course, the HomePod should gain support for additional languages as it launches in more countries in the future.
Lyft is the latest company to ditch support for the Apple Watch, eliminating its Apple Watch app in an update that was released this morning.
Lyft did not announce the removal of the Apple Watch app in the update's notes, but the Lyft Apple Watch app is no longer listed in the App Store nor is it available as an app to install through the Watch app on the iPhone. There's also no longer a mention of the Apple Watch in the App Store description.
It is not clear why the Lyft app was removed from the App Store, and we've asked Lyft for comment, but this continues a trend where major companies are removing their Apple Watch apps due to low usage or Apple's requirement that all apps adopt the watchOS 4 SDK.
As of April, all Apple Watch app updates submitted to the App Store must use the watchOS 2 SDK or later. Apple Watch apps that use the watchOS 1 SDK are no longer able to be updated. Lyft has been updated several times since April, though, so it's not clear if the requirement is the reason why the app was removed. Lyft first introduced support for the Apple Watch in September of 2016.
Lyft joins several other major companies that have abandoned development for the Apple Watch and eliminated their watchOS apps, including Twitter, Google Maps, Amazon, Instagram, and eBay.
Update: Lyft provided the following statement to MacRumors on the removal of the Apple Watch app: "The latest Lyft update on iOS will no longer support a standalone Lyft app for Apple Watch. Lyft users will continue to have a great experience receiving notifications on their Apple Watch to easily follow their ride."
In addition to introducing support for Messages in iCloud, AirPlay 2, and stereo pairing for the HomePod, the new iOS 11.4 update, released this morning, introduces fixes for several high-profile bugs that have been plaguing iOS 11 users for months now.
First and foremost, the update addresses the "Black Dot" unicode bug that could crash apps on iOS devices with a specific character sequence involving certain emojis. Following the release of iOS 11.4, this particular sequence of characters will no longer cause apps like Messages to crash.
Apple says the update also successfully fixes an issue that caused iMessages to appear out of order on some devices, a frustrating bug that's been around for quite some time and has been the subject of many complaints.
The third major bug addressed in today's update is one that caused an app on the Home screen to appear in the wrong location, often hovering out of place above other apps. This is another bug that received widespread attention given the high number of users who saw the problem occur.
There are several additional bug fixes included in iOS 11.4, as outlined below in Apple's release notes:
- Addresses an issue that could prevent logging in or accessing files on Google Drive, Google Docs and Gmail in Safari - Fixes an issue that could prevent data syncing in Health - Fixes an issue that could prevent users from changing what apps can access Health data - Fixes an issue where CarPlay audio could become distorted - Fixes an issue where selecting music from your iPhone could fail when playing music over Bluetooth or when connected to USB on some vehicles
The iOS 11.4 update is available for download on all devices capable of running iOS 11, which includes the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad Air and later, and the 6th-generation iPod touch. You can download the update by going to Settings --> General --> Software Update. All of the new features in iOS 11.4 are outlined in our video below.
We expect iOS 11.4 to be one of the last updates to the iOS 11 operating system as Apple is preparing to introduce iOS 12 at the Worldwide Developers Conference next Monday. iOS 12 will be available in a beta capacity for developers and public beta testers ahead of a public launch in the fall.
The Russian government has asked Apple to help it block Telegram, the secure messaging app that's highly popular in the country, reports WCCFTech.
A Russian court in April ordered carriers and internet providers in the country to block Telegram back in April, after Telegram refused to provide Russia with backdoor access to user messages.
Telegram, for those unfamiliar with the app, offers end-to-end encryption for secure messaging purposes. With end-to-end encryption, no one, not even Telegram, can access the messages that are sent between users.
Despite issuing the block order back in April, Russia has only been able to disrupt Telegram's operations in the country by 15 to 30 percent.
Given the government's inability to block the app, Roskomnadzor, the division of the government that controls media and telecommunications, has demanded that Apple remove the Telegram app from the Russian App Store. The group first asked Apple to remove the app in April, but is appealing to Apple again.
"In order to avoid possible action by Roskomnadzor for violations of the functioning of the above-mentioned Apple Inc. service, we ask you to inform us as soon as possible about your company's further actions to resolve the problematic issue," the regulator wrote.
Roskomnadzor has given Apple one month to remove the Telegram app from the App Store. Roskomnadzor's director Alexander Zharov said he did not want to "forecast further actions" should Apple not comply with the request following the 30 day period.
The Russian government said that it needed access to Telegram to read messages and prevent future terror attacks in the country.
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 today released an updated version of iTunes, iTunes 12.7.5, which the company says introduces minor app and performance improvements.
The iTunes 12.7.5 update has been released alongside iOS 11.4, tvOS 11.4, and watchOS 4.3.1. Apple has a macOS 10.13.5 update in the works, but has not released it as of yet.
iTunes 12.7.5 can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free using the Software Update function.
iTunes 12.7.5 comes two months after Apple released iTunes 12.7.4, an update that introduced a new music video experience for Apple Music, adding a music video section to Apple Music in iTunes.
iTunes 12.7, released in September, was the last major update to iTunes, eliminating the built-in App Store to focus solely on music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks.
Apple today updated its HomeKit site, which is where the company lists all of the available accessories and smart home products that offer HomeKit support, with a new AirPlay 2 section.
This section of the site lists all of the upcoming speakers and receivers that will be updated with AirPlay 2 support now that the AirPlay 2 protocol is available.
AirPlay 2 devices include the HomePod, of course, which is the first and only AirPlay 2 device available following today's iOS 11.4 update, along with speakers from companies that include Bang & Olufsen, Denon, Libratone, Marantz, Naim, and Sonos.
Sonos, perhaps the most popular and well-known company introducing AirPlay 2 support, plans to add it to the Sonos One, the Play:5, and the Playbase. AirPlay 2 will work with other Sonos speakers, but one of these three Sonos devices will be required.
Today's list is limited to manufacturers who have already pledged support for AirPlay 2, but it is likely to grow as additional companies announce AirPlay 2 functionality. A full list of speakers gaining AirPlay 2 support is below:
Apple HomePod
Beoplay A6
Beoplay A9 mk2
Beoplay M3
BeoSound 1
BeoSound 2
BeoSound 35
BeoSound Core
BeoSound Essence mk2
BeoVision Eclipse (audio only)
Denon AVR-X3500H
Denon AVR-X4500H
Denon AVR-X6500H
Libratone Zipp
Libratone Zipp Mini
Marantz AV7705
Marantz NA6006
Marantz NR1509
Marantz NR1609
Marantz SR5013
Marantz SR6013
Marantz SR7013
Naim Mu-so
Naim Mu-so QB
Naim ND 555
Naim ND5 XS 2
Naim NDX 2
Naim Uniti Nova
Naim Uniti Atom
Naim Uniti Star
Sonos One
Sonos Play:5
Sonos Playbase
None of these speakers are available with AirPlay 2 at the current time, but many of them will gain support for the feature following firmware updates that will likely start trickling out now that iOS 11.4 has launched.
Alongside iOS 11.4, watchOS 4.3.1, and tvOS 11.4, Apple today released a new 11.4 software update designed for the HomePod, which introduces major new features for Apple's smart speaker.
This is the second update that's been released for the HomePod since it became available for purchase back in February.
The new HomePod software will be installed automatically on the HomePod after you update to iOS 11.4, but you can also manually update and check your software version by following the instructions in our HomePod software how to.
As Apple announced this morning, the new HomePod software, paired with iOS 11.4, introduces support for AirPlay 2 and HomePod stereo pairing.
AirPlay 2 is an updated AirPlay protocol that's simpler, more advanced, and more robust, enabling multi-room audio capabilities. With AirPlay 2, you can play music in any room to any room, move music from one room to another room, or play the same song in multiple rooms using an iOS device through an app or Control Center, the Apple TV, the HomePod, or Siri voice commands on any of the aforementioned devices.
AirPlay 2 controls can be accessed within any app and in the Control Center on an iOS device running iOS 11.4. In the Control Center, you will see a list of all of the available AirPlay 2 devices in your home, and you can effortlessly send audio to a single device, to multiple devices, or switch audio between devices.
The HomePod is the first AirPlay 2 device and one of the only AirPlay 2 devices on the market right now, but Apple plans to allow third-party speakers from companies like Sonos, Bose, Libratone, and more to add support for AirPlay 2.
Today's update also allows two HomePod speakers to be set up as a stereo pair, which is ideal for larger rooms as the arrangement offers up more room-filling sound. When paired, each HomePod is able to automatically adjust audio to take into account the other HomePod, for excellent sound from each device.
The HomePods are able to take advantage of the built-in A8 chip in each speaker to play a left or right audio channel while also separating out ambient and direct energy for what Apple says is an almost three dimensional soundstage.
Stereo pairing uses an Apple-designed wireless peer-to-peer direct link to allow the HomePods to communicate with one another and play music in sync. The two speakers will act as one when paired, and just one will respond to incoming Siri requests.
Setting up stereo sound is as simple as turning on a second HomePod. Whenever a second device is set up, you'll be prompted to form a stereo pair with a popup interface, with this information also available in the HomePod's settings in the Home app.
The new HomePod software also introduces one other small but important change -- it will allow users to check calendar appointments on the HomePod using Siri voice commands.
The HomePod is currently available only in the United States, the UK, and Australia, but Apple will expand availability to Canada, France, and Germany on Monday, June 18. While the HomePod is not launching in Canada, France, and Germany until mid-June, new languages, including Canadian English, French, and German are available on the HomePod starting today and are accessible through the HomePod settings in the Home app on an iOS device.
Ahead of the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off on Monday, June 4 with a keynote event, Apple has updated its official WWDC app for iOS devices, introducing a revamped design, a new organizational system, and a list of available sessions and labs that will be hosted by Apple employees at the event.
According to Apple's release notes for the app, the update introduces a new look that is designed to make it simpler to find favorites, downloaded videos, sessions, and labs so developers who are unable to attend are able to quickly access WWDC resources.
Topic-based organization of videos, sessions, and labs has been added to make it easier to find discussions covering specific aspects of the software, such as "Building apps for watchOS" and "Building Modern Apps."
The app has been updated with a new 2018 schedule that outlines when various sessions and labs will be held. Notably, Apple last year eliminated the Apple Design Awards ceremony, but will be reintroducing it this year on Monday afternoon.
Some of the app sessions have placeholder names as they cover topics and features that will be announced at Monday's keynote event when new versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS are unveiled.
For developers who are on-site and attending WWDC, the app offers up on-site tools like maps and start times for labs, sessions, and events. For those unable to attend, it includes live video streams of the keynote, labs, and sessions.
Like last year, Apple is also offering a tvOS app for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV so developers can also watch WWDC sessions on their television sets.
The Worldwide Developers Conference starts on June 4 with a keynote that will take place at 10:00 a.m. Apple will live stream the keynote on both its website and on the Apple TV, and MacRumors will also provide live coverage on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Apple's WWDC app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple today released watchOS 4.3.1, a small update to the watchOS 4 operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 4.3.1 comes more than a month after the release of watchOS 4.3, a major update that introduced Portrait Nightstand Mode and re-added iPhone music controls.
watchOS 4.3.1 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
As a 4.x.x update, watchOS 4.3.1 is minor in scale, focusing primarily on bug fixes and other under-the-hood performance improvements, with no major feature changes discovered during the beta testing period.
Prior to the release of watchOS 4.3.1, Apple stopped letting developers update Apple Watch apps built on the original watchOS 1 SDK. Starting with watchOS 4.3.1, you'll see an alert when launching a watchOS 1 app warning you that the app may not be compatible with future versions of watchOS.
This warning suggests Apple will perhaps drop support for watchOS 1 apps entirely in the future, perhaps in the upcoming watchOS 5 update that Apple will unveil at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week.
According to Apple's release notes, the watchOS 4.3.1 update also fixes a bug that could cause the Apple Watch to sometimes remain at the Apple Logo during startup for some users.
Apple today released tvOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the tvOS operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 11.4 comes more than a month after the release of tvOS 11.3, an update that focused on bug fixes and small feature improvements.
tvOS 11.4 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 11.4 automatically.
The tvOS 11.4 update, paired with iOS 11.4, introduces support for AirPlay 2 functionality. AirPlay 2 is designed to bring multi-room audio to the Apple ecosystem, allowing the same music to be played on multiple devices throughout the home.
tvOS 11.4 turns the Apple TV into an AirPlay 2-compatible device that's listed in the Home app for HomeKit devices. AirPlay 2 playback can be controlled through the Apple TV, through an iOS device, or using Apple's personal assistant, Siri, to play content using voice commands.
AirPlay 2 is limited to the Apple TV and the HomePod at the current time, but it will expand to additional audio devices in the future.
tvOS 11.4 also introduces performance improvements, security enhancements, and bug fixes for issues that have been discovered since the release of tvOS 11.3.
Apple today released iOS 11.4, the fourteenth update to the iOS 11 operating system that was first introduced last September. iOS 11.4 comes a month after the release of iOS 11.3.1, an update that introduced a bug fix for a display repair issue.
iOS 11.4 is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update. Eligible devices include the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad Air and later, and the 6th-generation iPod touch.
iOS 11.4 is an audio-focused update, introducing support for multi-room audio through a new protocol that supports multi-room audio on all AirPlay 2 enabled devices.
Right now, AirPlay 2-compatible devices include the Apple TV and the HomePod, but in the future, AirPlay 2 will be available on third-party speakers from manufacturers like Bang & Olufsen, Bluesound, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Libratone, Marantz, Marshall, Naim, Pioneer and Sonos.
With AirPlay 2, you can play the same song on multiple speakers throughout the house, move music from one room to another, or play music in any room from any room using an iOS device, HomePod, Apple TV, or Siri voice commands. AirPlay 2 devices are now displayed in the Apple Home app as AirPlay 2 is integrated with HomeKit.
Using AirPlay 2, you can control where music is playing through the Control Center or within apps on an iOS device or ask Siri to play music in any room (or multiple rooms) with an AirPlay 2-enabled device.
HomePod is also gaining support for stereo pairing, which is designed to let two HomePods work in unison.
The iOS 11.4 update also introduces Messages in iCloud, a feature that has been in the works for several months and was first promised as an iOS 11 feature in June of 2017. Messages in iCloud is designed to store your iMessages in iCloud rather than on each individual device, allowing for improved syncing capabilities.
At the current time, incoming iMessages are sent to all of the devices where you're signed in to your Apple ID, but there is no true cross-device syncing. Messages in iCloud will let you download all of your iMessages on new devices, and a message deleted on one device will remove it from all devices, which is not the case right now.
Older messages and attachments are also stored in iCloud rather than on device, saving valuable storage space across all of your Macs, iPhones, and iPads.
For the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, there is a new (PRODUCT)RED wallpaper available, which is not available on iPhone X, and in betas, the iOS 11.4 update included USB Restricted Mode, which may have made it into release.
USB Restricted Mode introduces a week-long expiration date on access to the Lightning port on iOS devices if your phone has not been unlocked, a feature that limits law enforcement access to the iPhone and the iPad using tools like the GrayKey box.
In addition to these features, iOS 11.4 also includes several bug fixes, as outlined in Apple's release notes. Full release notes are below:
iOS 11.4 includes AirPlay 2 multi-room audio, support for HomePod stereo pairs, and Messages in iCloud. This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.
AirPlay 2 - Control your home audio system and AirPlay 2-enabled speakers throughout your house - Play music at the same time on multiple AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in your house, all in sync - Control AirPlay 2-enabled speakers from Control Center, the Lock screen, or AirPlay controls within apps on your iPhone or iPad - Use your voice to control AirPlay 2-enabled speakers with Siri from your iPhone or iPad, HomePod, or Apple TV - Take a call or play a game on your iPhone or iPad without interrupting playback on your AirPlay 2-enabled speakers
HomePod stereo pair - This update supports setting up your HomePod stereo pair using your iPhone or iPad - HomePod pair automatically senses its location in the room and balances the sound based on the speakers' locations - Advanced beamforming provides wider soundstage than traditional stereo pair - HomePod will automatically update to support stereo pairs, unless auto updates are disabled in the Home app
Messages in iCloud - Store your messages, photos, and other attachments in iCloud and free up space on your devices - All your messages appear when you sign into a new device with the same iMessage account - When you delete messages and conversations they are instantly removed from all your devices - To turn on Messages in iCloud, enable Messages in iCloud settings (Settings > [your name] > iCloud) - Your conversations continue to be end-to-end encrypted
Other improvements and fixes - Enables teachers to assign their students reading activities in iBooks using the Schoolwork app - Fixes an issue where certain character sequences could cause Messages to crash - Addresses a Messages issue that could cause some messages to appear out of order - Addresses an issue that could prevent logging in or accessing files on Google Drive, Google Docs and Gmail in Safari - Fixes an issue that could prevent data syncing in Health - Fixes an issue that could prevent users from changing what apps can access Health data - Resolves an issue that could cause an app to appear in an incorrect location on the Home screen - Fixes an issue where CarPlay audio could become distorted - Fixes an issue where selecting music from your iPhone could fail when playing music over Bluetooth or when connected to USB on some vehicles
iOS 11.4 may be one of the final updates to the iOS 11 operating system, which will be followed by iOS 12. Apple will unveil iOS 12 at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week.
Apple's fleet of self-driving vehicles roaming the streets of California is now at 62 vehicles and 87 drivers, up from 55 vehicles and 83 drivers just two weeks ago. The numbers come from ongoing coverage provided by macReports, citing information obtained from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Apple has been expanding its autonomous vehicle test since it was granted a permit from the California DMV in April 2017, enabling it to test the advanced technology on public roads in the state. Beginning in early 2018, multiple sources reported on the number of vehicles in Apple's fleet, with 27 autonomous vehicles counted in January and 45 in March.
Each of Apple's cars is equipped with the company's in-development autonomous driving software, along with advanced LIDAR equipment and an array of cameras to detect the vehicle's surroundings. The actual cars are Lexus RX450h sports utility vehicles and must have safety drivers inside of them, since Apple's permit does not include driverless testing.
Apple's growing collection of self-driving vehicles is reportedly gathering data for the company's long-rumored autonomous vehicle software. Apple initially pivoted to self-driving car software when plans for its own electric vehicle fell through.
As Apple continues to grow the fleet, it's still unclear exactly what the company will do with the software when it's finished the testing phase. One likely possibility will be a partnership between Apple and an existing car manufacturer to place the self-driving software inside a vehicle not built by Apple, which could be implemented through a future version of CarPlay.
Rumors that date back to 2016 suggest the software could include augmented reality aspects, like a heads-up display that provides a collection of useful driving details from various apps. Since those rumors, AR has become a huge field of interest for Apple with the launch of the iPhone X and ARKit, so it's easy to see Apple's interest in potentially expanding such technology into driving.
More recently, in June 2017 Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed Apple's work on autonomous software: "We're focusing on autonomous systems. It's a core technology that we view as very important. We sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects... it's probably one of the most difficult AI projects to actually work on."
A new article published last night by The Wall Street Journal takes a look into how accessibility-focused technology has the "potential to fundamentally change the mobility, employment and lifestyle of the blind and vision-impaired." The piece looks at advancements made by Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and other companies, including hardware and software like Amazon's Echo, Microsoft's Seeing AI app, and Apple's Siri.
One blind individual, Mike May, discussed using dedicated accessibility technology like Aira, which provides users with special glasses that connect them to a human representative in real time who proceeds to describe the user's surroundings to them as they move around. Aira ranges from $89 for 100 minutes per month to $329 for unlimited access per month.
While important for blind users to have technology focused entirely on their daily needs, advocate Mark Riccobono pointed out that introducing accessibility into existing devices, like Apple does, "may be an even bigger need."
He points to the iPhone, which had accessibility built into it from the beginning.
“I can go down to the Apple store and pay the same price and triple-click the home button and I have VoiceOver,” says Mr. Riccobono, referring to a feature where the phone will describe aloud what is happening on the screen. “That’s built in, it’s great, it doesn’t cost a penny extra.”
Apple's devices have numerous features aimed at visually impaired users, including VoiceOver, display accommodations, the magnifier and zoom, resizable text options, and more. These features are available across the Apple ecosystem on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. One user, Erik Weihenmayer, mentioned using Siri to send texts to family members, which is also a functionality of HomePod.
Of course, many of the voice-activated devices that have become powerful aids for the blind, such as Amazon’s Echo and Google Home, weren’t specifically designed for them, or with philanthropy in mind.
Mr. Weihenmayer, for example, uses Comcast ’s voice remote to find TV shows, Apple’s Siri to send texts and Amazon’s Alexa to cue up his favorite music.
The article ends with a focus on the next potential "life-changing" technology for the blind: the driverless car. Apple's own progress in this field is now reportedly focused entirely on an autonomous driving system that would be integrated into an existing manufacturer's vehicle.
As Apple works on an autonomous system to launch on a wide scale in the future, it has already ramped up self-driving initiatives around its corporate campuses, recently signing a deal with Volkswagen to use Volkswagen vans as self-driving shuttles to transport employees in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“Transportation can be a very large barrier in the lives of blind people,” impeding everything from employment to education, says Eric Bridges, executive director of the American Council of the Blind. “Having the ability to have one of these vehicles come and take you where you want to go, when you want to go, and not be constrained by the paratransit system or the fixed-route system,” promises a greater level of independence and freedom, he says.
Other companies have beaten Apple to market in this field, most notably including Alphabet's Waymo, which is planning an autonomous car service for a wide launch in 2018. For its part, Waymo says it will put audio tools and Braille labels in its self-driving cars so that blind riders can perform tasks like requesting the car to pull over or calling a Waymo operator.
For Apple, the company on May 17 highlighted a wide range of its accessibility features on its website in honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The updated Apple.com accessibility page includes a short commercial from 2016 about real people with disabilities who use Apple products in everyday life, narrated by Sady Paulson, who uses Switch Control on a Mac.
Otherwise there are dedicated sections on the webpage for different types of disabilities, including Vision, Hearing, Physical and Motor Skills, and Learning and Literacy. At the top of the page Apple explains, "Technology is most powerful when it empowers everyone."
Apple has announced that iOS 11.4 will be publicly released today with long-awaited support for AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud.
iOS 11.4 should be available over-the-air and through iTunes shortly after 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, likely alongside tvOS 11.4, macOS 10.13.5, and watchOS 4.3.1, following nearly two months of beta testing. A companion software update for HomePod will also be pushed out automatically and through the Home app.
The software will enable multi-room audio with HomePods, Apple TVs, and other AirPlay 2-enabled speakers when they become available, including the Sonos One, Playbase, and Play:5, and models from Bang & Olufsen, Bluesound, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Libratone, Marantz, Marshall, Naim, and Pioneer.
Multi-room audio support will enable users to play music in any room, from any room, move music from one room to another, or play the same song everywhere using an iOS device, HomePod, Apple TV, or by asking Siri.
AirPlay 2 will also enable stereo pairing of multiple HomePods. Using spatial awareness to sense their location in the room, each HomePod automatically adjusts the audio to sound as optimal as possible, according to Apple:
With an A8 chip in each speaker, each HomePod is able to play its own audio channel — left or right — while separating out both the ambient and direct energy. This innovative stereo sound provides a wide, almost three dimensional soundstage for an incredible listening experience anywhere in the room. A HomePod stereo pair creates room filling sound with greater bass extension, resulting in a deeper, more accurate reproduction of low frequencies.
AirPlay 2 playback and volume controls are available across iOS within any app and in Control Center. On iOS 11.4, users can also ask Siri to play music in any room, a group of rooms, or everywhere in the home.
While not mentioned in Apple's press release, The Verge notes that iOS 11.4 will include support for Messages in iCloud, keeping all iMessages and preferences synced across devices. If you delete a message on your Mac, for example, it will also be deleted on your iPhone and other devices signed into the same Apple ID.
The Verge also said the HomePod is gaining calendar support for Siri, so you can add events to your calendar, ask when and where your meetings are, and so forth. The feature is said to work with any calendar you add to the standard Calendar app on iOS, as part of the HomePod's personal request feature.
AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud were introduced as key new features in iOS 11 at WWDC 2017, but neither were included in the public release version last September, and never returned for good. Multi-room audio and stereo pairing are also delayed features that were supposed to be available when the HomePod launched.
Apple at WWDC is expected to introduce a new pride watch face, reports 9to5Mac. The upcoming watch face is "inspired by the rainbow flag" and is likely designed to match the limited edition Rainbow Pride Woven Nylon Apple Watch band that Apple released at WWDC last year.
Apple today released an updated version of iTunes, iTunes 12.7.5, which the company says introduces minor app and performance improvements.
