Apple today shared a new ad in its recent "Just Text Them the Money" ad campaign for Apple Pay Cash, this time focusing on how easy it is to sent cash to other people following a group dinner.
Like other ads in this series, the "Dinner" video features a text-only conversation where one participant uses the Apple Pay Cash feature to send another money. In this funny little spot, two people send the same $55 back and forth to one another, fighting over who gets to pay for dinner.
Today's 18-second ad is the fifth in the "Just Text Them the Money" campaign, with Apple having introduced the first four ads in mid-July. These short ads will be used on TV and on social media sites like Instagram and YouTube.
Apple first introduced Apple Pay Cash in iOS 11.2, allowing iPhone and iPad users to send peer-to-peer Apple Pay payments to one another using the Messages app. Money received via Apple Pay Cash can be used for Apple Pay payments or deposited in a bank account, much like other mobile peer-to-peer payment services like Venmo.
At the current time, Apple Pay Cash is a feature that's limited to the United States, and Apple has not provided details on when it will expand to other countries.
When Apple introduced refreshed MacBook Pro models back in July, the company also debuted new Leather Sleeves that are designed to fit 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models.
In our latest YouTube video, we went hands-on with one of the new Leather Sleeves to see whether or not they're worth the $179 to $199 price tag.
Available in Midnight Blue, Saddle Brown, and Black, the Leather Sleeves are similar to the previously available Leather Sleeves for the 12-inch MacBook lineup. The colors match some of the colors of Apple's Leather iPhone case options.
Apple's Leather Sleeves are simple and no-frills, made from a high-quality European leather with careful stitching around the outer edges and an Apple logo front and center. Inside, there's a soft microfiber lining.
Four circles at the bottom of the sleeve match the feet of the MacBook Pro, so this is a sleeve that's only going to work with the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models from 2016 and on.
When not in use, the Sleeve can be used as a little mat for your MacBook Pro, protecting it from the surface beneath. Unfortunately, there's no access to the USB-C port when the MacBook Pro is in the Sleeve, so it can't be used while charging.
All in all, the Leather Sleeve is going to offer up protection from scratches and bumps, but there's no drop protection here. Most people may want to go with a cheaper option, but at the $179 to $199 price point, Apple hasn't skimped on quality.
What do you think of Apple's Leather Sleeves for the MacBook Pro? Let us know in the comments.
Apple has since responded to the letter, reiterating the company's belief that "privacy is a fundamental human right" and that it purposely designs its products and services to minimize its collection of customer data.
Timothy Powderly, Director of Federal Government Affairs at Apple, responded on behalf of Apple CEO Tim Cook:
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the capabilities of Apple iPhone devices. Not all technology companies operate in the same manner— in fact, the business models and data collection and use practices are often radically different from one another. Apple’s philosophy and approach to customer data differs from many other companies on these important issues.
We believe privacy is a fundamental human right and purposely design our products and services to minimize our collection of customer data. When we do collect data, we’re transparent about it and work to disassociate it from the user. We utilize on device processing to minimize data collection by Apple. The customer is not our product, and our business model does not depend on collecting vast amounts of personally identifiable information to enrich targeted profiles marketed to advertisers.
Because we strongly believe the customer should control their personal information and the way it’s used, we provide a number of easily accessible resources on our website so that they can make wise choices. Most of your questions are addressed in public-facing documents such as our privacy website, which can be found at www.apple.com/privacy. In addition, we recently answered similar questions from Senator Charles Grassley, and our responses are available online.
Innovation at Apple means designing a new product or service with customer privacy as a key element of design, and not an obligation. We hope that the responses below are helpful in understanding these topics and make clear Apple’s position that customers are entitled to transparency, choice, and control over their personal information. We would be pleased to brief Committee staff at your convenience.
Apple provided detailed responses to all 16 questions, and background information on location services, in its full-length letter.
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.
Newton, a popular email service for iOS and Mac, is shutting down on September 25, the company's founder Rohit Nadhani announced today.
Newton is a subscription-based app that costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, a business model that did not end up being successful. Nadhani says that the company explored "various business models" but wasn't able to "successfully figure out profitability & growth over the long term."
According to Nadhani, the market for premium consumer mail apps is "not big enough" and faces competition from high-quality free apps from Google, Microsoft, and Apple. "We put up a hard and honest fight," wrote Nadhani. "But it was not enough to overcome the bundling and platform default advantages enjoyed by the large tech companies."
Starting today, Newton is disabling new sign-ups and will not be renewing monthly subscriptions. Customers who paid for an annual subscription will also be refunded on a pro-rata basis, with Newton to offer instructions on claiming a refund no later than September 18.
CloudMagic, Newton's parent company, will continue to operate and will be focusing on "new and innovative products."
In an extensive profile of Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek, Fast Company's Robert Safian recently sat down to speak for a few minutes with Apple CEO Tim Cook at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California.
The topic was, of course, Spotify and Apple Music, two of the major players in the streaming music market and fierce competitors. Cook said that he looks to music as inspiration and motivation, a philosophy that's shared at Apple and has guided its focus on human-based music curation.
"Music inspires, it motivates. It's also the thing at night that helps quiet me. I think it's better than any medicine," Cook said.
While he declined to mention Spotify by name, Cook told Fast Company that Apple worries about streaming music losing the human touch, alluding to Spotify's more algorithmic approach to highlighting content.
Cook's words embody Apple's longstanding critique of Spotify, which is that its algorithms are eroding music's spiritual role in our lives. Cook doesn't mention Spotify by name but says, "We worry about the humanity being drained out of music, about it becoming a bits-and-bytes kind of world instead of the art and craft."
Despite launching just three years ago, Apple Music has 50 million paid subscribers and free trial members, with the company slowly catching up to Spotify. At last count, Spotify said that it had 83 million paid subscribers around the world.
Apple has always had an edge over Spotify due to its massive 1.3 billion active installed base, and the fact that it's never needed to worry about profitability like Spotify has. "We're not in it for the money," Cook told Fast Company.
Ek, too, didn't mention Apple Music by name, but he said he believes Spotify has something going for it that other companies don't: a singular focus. "Music is everything we do all day, all night, and that clarity is the difference between the average and the really, really good," he said.
Spotify's dedication to music and music alone is what Ek believes will ultimately help the company beat Apple and expand the Spotify service in the future.
Competing with Apple was always Spotify's plan, says Ek, even before Apple Music. Apple dominated digital music downloads via iTunes in 2008 when Spotify launched, with Ek aiming to replace the iPod with on-demand music.
Competition with Apple and working within tight margins, Ek says, has driven Spotify to be more disciplined.
Despite industry complaints and criticism from Apple, Spotify has continued to focus on free music, which is how Spotify draws in new paying subscribers. After going public earlier this year, Spotify overhauled its free listening tier, offering new features that include on-demand playlists and a data saving mode, which were previously limited to paying subscribers.
Ek believes that there's money to be made with Spotify's free tier, with radiolike advertising options. "Billions of people listen to radio, and most of that today isn't monetized very efficiently," Ek said.
Going forward, in addition to working to expand revenue via its free tier, Spotify plans to focus on artists. Ek eventually wants to get 1 million artists to make a living off of Spotify, ultimately imagining something akin to YouTube where artists and listeners can interact.
For anyone interested in the inner workings of Spotify or how Ek operates, Fast Company's full profile of the founder is well worth checking out.
Apple has secured the rights to create a new TV series based on Min Jin Lee's bestselling 2017 novel "Pachinko," reports Variety.
"Pachinko," a National Book Award finalist, chronicles the lives of four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family as they migrate to and establish a life in Japan.
The story begins in 1911 with the birth of Sunja, who becomes involved with a married yakuza, falling pregnant and facing ruin in her small village. The town's minister offers her a new life in Japan as his wife, where she is alone, lost, and unable to speak the language. The book then follows the Sunja's family through eight decades and four generations.
The TV adaptation of "Pachinko" will be written and produced by Soo Hugh, who will also serve as showrunner. Hugh has previously worked on "The Terror," "The Whispers," "Under the Dome," and "The Killing."
It's not yet clear how Apple will distribute its TV shows, but the Cupertino company is rumored to be considering launching a new streaming video service that would perhaps be bundled with an Apple Music subscription and a digital magazine and news subscription.
Rumors have suggested the first of Apple's TV shows could debut in March 2019, and several of them are indeed in the casting phase and could begin filming in the near future.
Read-it-later app Instapaper today announced that it is relaunching "Instapaper Premium" as part of the company's new initiative that's looking towards "the next ten years of Instapaper and beyond." Instapaper is hoping to generate revenue after it became an independent company last month through a deal with parent company Pinterest.
Instapaper Premium costs $2.99/month or $29.99/year and offers full text search for all articles, unlimited notes, text-to-speech playlists on mobile, speed reading, an ad-free website, and a "send to kindle" feature. The company ensures that there will still be a non-Premium version of Instapaper and these users "will continue with a standard free account without access to Premium features."
In addition to getting access to Premium features, your Instapaper Premium subscription will help ensure that we can continue developing and operating Instapaper. Our goal is to build a long-term sustainable product and business, without venture capital, and we need your help to achieve that goal.
In addition to the subscription news, the company announced that it is bringing Instapaper back to users in the European Union. Just over two months ago, Instapaper temporarily suspended user access to its service across Europe as it faced issues implementing the EU's GDPR laws.
Over the summer Instapaper took "a number of actions" to address the GDPR and will now return for users in the EU with a newly updated privacy policy that includes the rights afforded to EU users under GDPR. The company is also offering six months of Instapaper Premium to all EU users affected by the outage.
Mazda this week introduced the 2019 CX-9, its second vehicle to be equipped with CarPlay in the United States, alongside the 2018 Mazda6.
CarPlay and Android Auto come factory installed in Touring, Touring Premium, Grand Touring, and Signature trims of the 2019 CX-9, as part of the MAZDA CONNECT infotainment system with an eight-inch display. The software platforms do not appear to be an option in the base Sport trim at this time.
Mazda says the 2019 CX-9 will begin to arrive at select dealerships in the United States this month, with nationwide availability in September. Pricing for CarPlay-equipped packages starts at $35,330.
As for the 2018 Mazda6, existing owners of the Touring trim and above will be able to have a Mazda dealership install CarPlay and Android Auto at no extra cost, starting in September. Then, starting in November, CarPlay and Android Auto will come factory installed in brand new 2018 Mazda6 vehicles.
Accordingly, while the 2019 CX-9 is Mazda's second CarPlay vehicle to be announced, it will be the first to roll off the lot brand new with factory-installed CarPlay and Android Auto in the United States.
CarPlay will enable iPhone users to access a range of apps from the MAZDA CONNECT infotainment system, such as Messages, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Radio, Pandora, WhatsApp, Downcast, Slacker Radio, Stitcher, and, starting with iOS 12, Google Maps and Waze.
Earlier this year, on its Canadian website, Mazda said CarPlay and Android Auto will be available as a genuine retrofit for MAZDA CONNECT systems starting this fall, suggesting that Mazda vehicles released as early as 2014 could eventually support the platforms, but exact rollout plans often vary by country.
Mazda is one of the last major automakers in the United States to offer CarPlay, after Toyota and Lexus announced support earlier this year.
Apple Music appears to be rolling out an all-new weekly playlist called "Friends Mix" to a few subscribers today. According to Reddit user Reesyy, the new curated playlist will be filled with songs that your Apple Music friends are listening to.
In order to keep track of which friend listened to each song, the playlist will include a profile picture on the songs as well. Friends Mix will update on Monday every week and include 25 tracks in each update, similar to the other Apple Music weekly playlists.
Friends Mix is making new use out of the social features that Apple debuted in iOS 11 last year, which lets users build their own Apple Music profiles and show friends the playlists and albums that they're listening to. This information is then displayed on a playlist or album's information page and within the "Friends Are Listening To" section in For You, and now it'll also be used to fill up the new Friends Mix.
Friends Mix is joining Favorites Mix (which updates on Tuesdays), New Music Mix (Fridays), and Chill Mix (Sundays) as the fourth Apple Music weekly playlist. Apple originally launched versions of New Music Mix and Favorites Mix in the iOS 10 public beta in September 2016, followed by Chill mix in June 2017, so it's been well over a year since we've seen a new weekly playlist debut.
Like the other playlists, you'll be able to find Friends Mix sitting atop the "For You" tab in Apple Music. It's unclear on which version of iOS Apple is rolling out the playlist, but the poster on Reddit does reference being on the iOS 12 public beta.
Otherwise, Apple Music isn't getting much of an overhaul in iOS 12, which is expected to launch in September. Subscribers will notice updated artist profiles with larger portraits on the iOS app, and Apple has already opened up a new "Coming Soon" section for users on iOS 11 as well.
Apple has become a member of The Thread Group, an organization that supports companies interested in innovating networking solutions for consumer smart home devices using the Thread mesh standard (via 9to5Mac).
Apple has been added to the list of official members on the group's website, although what that means in practical terms is unclear. According to literature available online, the group's mission is "to focus on education, marketing, promotion of the Thread Networking Protocol, and ensuring a great experience through rigorous, meaningful product certification".
Thread Group is a not-for-profit organization responsible for the market education around the Thread networking protocol and certification of Thread products. Thread is an IP-based wireless networking protocol providing the best way to connect products in the home. With Thread, product developers and consumers can easily and securely connect more than 250 devices into a low-power, wireless mesh network.
Thread is just one among several mesh standards that smart home products can be certified to support. Zigbee and Z-Wave are two such examples of rival standards competing in the connected home market, while Bluetooth was also recently updated to support mesh networking, or creating large-scale networks across devices without relying on a central hub or router.
In recent years, Wi-Fi mesh systems have become a popular solution for in-home wireless networks, with options from companies like Linksys, Orbi, Eero, and Google.
The technology is also looking to expand, with the Wi-Fi Alliance in May announcing a new certification program called "EasyMesh", which aims to allow users to build mesh networks in their homes across different brands.
Apple joined the Qi Wireless Charging Consortium ahead of its adoption of inductive charging in last year's iPhone lineup, so Apple's Thread Group membership is sure to ignite speculation that the Thread standard could be coming to HomeKit products or even a future version of HomeKit.
Apple Pay Cash is the highest-rated mobile peer-to-peer payments service on the market, according to a review by Consumer Reports.
In the first comparison of its kind, the Consumer Reports publication looked at the relative pros and cons of Apple Pay Cash, Zelle, Square Cash, Venmo and Facebook Messenger P2P payments. Google Pay's new money-sending feature wasn't included in the group test, however.
The five services were rated worse or better in terms of payment authentication, data security, data privacy, customer support, and broad access (use not limited to those with a bank account or particular mobile device).
All five services were rated good enough to use, but Apple Pay Cash came out the winner with a higher overall score, mainly because of its stronger privacy and security measures.
Apple Pay was the only service that got top marks from CR for data privacy, because its policies state that it limits the information it collects and shares on users and their transactions. It doesn't store credit card or debit card numbers, and it states in the terms and conditions that it doesn't sell users' personal information to third parties, CR found.
The requirement of later-generation Apple hardware and software was classed as the only major drawback of Apple Pay Cash, as per the "broad access" category described above. Venmo, Facebook Messenger, and Square Cash all rated above average in most categories barring privacy. Zelle was downrated for poor clarity in its data policies, and failed to offer a way to confirm payments in its mobile app, although the company said the feature would be included by late October.
After a brief delay, Apple Pay Cash arrived on iOS devices in December 2017, although it's currently only available to users in the United States.
Logitech has announced a new wireless charger for iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X that aims to make it easier to use your smartphone while charging it at the same time.
Designed "in collaboration with Apple", Logitech's POWERED Wireless Charging Stand can be placed on a desk or bedside table, and can hold your iPhone in an upright position – ideal for unlocking Face ID and reading notifications without removing the device from the U-shaped cradle.
Two additional features distinguish the POWERED from most other charging stands on the market: First, your device doesn't have to be in exact alignment with the stand to complete the charging circuit, so you can "drop your iPhone on the cradle and go", according to Logitech.
Second, the POWERED also supports landscape orientation, so you can watch video on your smartphone's screen while it's charging. The stand also charges iPhones wearing a protective case up to 3mm thick.
Logitech says the POWERED delivers up to 7.5W charging for iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X only, and up to 5W charging for all other Qi-enabled devices. The stand will be available this month in an "off-white" color for $69.99 at Logitech.com and Apple's online store. Stay tuned for a review of the POWERED here on MacRumors.
Today's announcement shouldn't affect Apple's plans to launch its multi-device AirPower charging mat before or in September.
With Screen Time, Apple has introduced a robust set of parental control options in iOS 12, giving parents a way to monitor and limit the amount of time children are spending on their iOS devices, within specific apps, and more.
Screen Time works via Family Sharing, so as long as your children are part of your Family in the Family Sharing settings, you'll be able to view and control their Screen Time options.
You'll need to turn on and set up Screen Time on all devices owned and used by your children, which is done in the Screen Time section of the Settings app.
Here's how to do it:
Open up the Settings app.
Navigate to the Screen Time section."
Choose "Turn on Screen Time."
When you see the introductory screen asking whether this is your iPhone or your child's iPhone, select "This is My Child's iPhone."
From here, you can choose to set Downtime, which is a set period of time in which your child will be allowed or disallowed from using the iPhone, or App Limits, which will restrict certain app categories. At setup, you can also choose Content and Privacy settings, which are further explained below.
If you want to change Downtime and App Limits selections for your child, you will be able to do so at any time by going to the Settings app and selecting Screen Time on the child's device.
A child's Screen Time settings are also accessible on the parent's device for making changes remotely, available by tapping on a child's name in the Screen Time section of the Settings app, listed under the parent's own Screen Time usage.
All of your App Limits, Downtime, and Content Restrictions are protected via a passcode that must be entered to grant more usage time to children when limits have been reached. This also prevents children from changing their own Screen Time settings.
Using Downtime
Downtime sets a schedule that allows you to choose when your child can and cannot use their iPhone or iPad. You can, for example, choose to restrict access to iOS devices from 10:00 p.m. at bedtime until 7:00 a.m. in the morning, or choose something that limits hours even further, such as during school.
With Downtime, you can opt to block the device at Downtime, which prevents apps from being used entirely sans parental permission or choose for a less restrictive feature that allows children to turn off Downtime themselves or get 15 more minutes of usage before another reminder about Downtime restrictions.
Downtime and App Limits with blocking turned on at left and blocking turned off at right
Most parents will likely want to turn on blocking for Downtime to prevent apps from being used entirely, but the non-blocking option is useful for more responsible children where all parents want to do is offer up a reminder that apps shouldn't be used at certain times.
During Downtime, all apps on the iPhone are grayed out with little hourglass locks on them, letting children know that time limits have been reached. The exception is certain apps that are always allowed in case of emergency, such as the phone.
Using App Limits
App Limits allow you to finely control how much time your kids spend using certain categories of apps.
With App Limits, you can set restrictions on All Apps & Categories, Social Networking, Games, Entertainment, Creativity, Productivity, Education, Reading & Reference, Health & Fitness, and Other.
So, for example, if you want to limit the amount of time a child is spending on Snapchat and mobile games, you can set an App Limit for those categories for an hour or two.
After the App Limit has been reached, children won't be able to further access those app categories without asking for express parental permission. Apps will be locked with an hourglass symbol and a passcode will be required to enable more time.
As with Downtime, you can set less restrictive rules that serve as more of a reminder by turning off blocking with App Limits.
Always Allowed Apps
With Downtime and App Limits, you can set certain apps to "Always Allowed" to let children access them at all times even when Downtime and App Limits are enabled.
By default, Apple marks Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Maps as always available apps, but you can select any apps that you want through the Always Allowed app interface, accessible under "Always Allowed" in the Screen Time section of Settings on a child's device.
You can also remove access to all apps, including Messages, with the exception of the phone, which remains available to children in case of emergency.
Always Allowed is ideal if you want your kids to be able to use certain educational or communication apps at anytime while leaving other apps inaccessible.
Selecting Content Restrictions
Apple has always offered Content Restrictions for parents to limit access to music, movies, TV shows, and apps that are inappropriate for younger children, but these parental controls now live under the Screen Time section of the Settings app alongside the other Screen Time options.
In the Content & Privacy Restrictions section of Screen Time on a child's device, you can do things like limit App Store purchases, prevent kids from deleting apps, disallow access to certain apps, and set age restrictions on entertainment content.
You can also set privacy settings for everything from location to advertising preferences, so, for example, if you wanted to make sure you can always access your child's location, you can turn on Location Services and select Share My Location.
There are even options that prevent children from changing the passcode on their device, restrict account changes, limit volume, and automatically turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving.
Accessing Content & Privacy restrictions requires an adult to input a Content & Privacy passcode, which prevents children from changing these settings.
In the filing, the DoJ says the district court approved the merger after "erroneously ignoring fundamental principles of economics and common sense" and that it used a "deeply flawed assessment of the government's evidence" to reach its decision.
According to the DoJ, AT&T's access to Time Warner's content, including the highly important Turner Broadcasting System, which includes CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, and other networks, gives it bargaining leverage over rivals, which could drive up access fees, ultimately resulting in higher prices for consumers.
The original ruling approving the merger, says the DoJ, ignored key documents from AT&T on the competitive harm of vertical mergers, limited expert economic testimony, and refused to close the courtroom to allow for testimony related to confidential business information. Further, the DoJ insists the original ruling ignored the economics of bargaining and did not consider corporate profit maximization.
The government established a reasonable probability that the AT&T-Time Warner merger would increase Time Warner's bargaining leverage and, thus, substantially lessen competition, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
The district court's contrary conclusion rests on two fundamental analytical errors: it discarded the economics of bargaining, and it failed to apply the foundational principle of corporate-wide profit maximization. These errors colored the court's view of the facts, leading to a decision that is clearly erroneous in light of the evidence presented at trial.
The Department of Justice is asking the appeals court to vacate the district court's ruling and remand the matter for further proceedings.
AT&T and Time Warner completed their merger in June following the judge's ruling that the merger was legal. The Justice Department said at the time that it was disappointed in the court's ruling and would consider its next steps, but allowed the merger to move forward and did not file an emergency stay.
While the merger is finished, the Department of Justice remains able to appeal the judge's ruling and first announced plans to do so back in mid-July.
Shortly after acquiring Time Warner, AT&T announced a new WatchTV service allowing AT&T wireless subscribers with new "AT&T Unlimited &More" and "AT&T Unlimited &More Premium" plans access to more than 30 live channels and 15,000 TV shows and movies on demand.
AT&T's plans are more expensive than previous unlimited wireless plans, but they include WatchTV, which AT&T charges $15 per month for on a standalone basis.
Though AT&T said that its prices would not increase following the merger, it raised prices on its DirecTV Now plans by $5. AT&T also recently raised its administrative fees for postpaid wireless subscribers to $1.99, which some analysts have speculated is to make up for the expense of the Time Warner purchase.
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.
Microsoft last month announced plans to shut down Skype 7, aka Skype Classic, on PCs and Macs in September, with the company encouraging customers to instead upgrade to the latest version of Skype, Skype 8.
Skype 8, first introduced last year, features a total design overhaul that has not been popular with some customers, which led some Skype users to be unhappy with Microsoft's announcement.
As of today, as pointed out by Windows blog Thurrott, Microsoft has changed its mind following user feedback. In a forum post, the Skype team says that support for Skype 7 will not end in September, with the end of life date extended to an unknown time.
UPDATE: Based on customer feedback, we are extending support for Skype 7 (Skype classic) for some time. Our customers can continue to use Skype classic until then.
It is not clear how long "some time" will be, but customers who prefer the design of Skype 7 can continue using that version of Skype instead of upgrading to Skype 8.
The Skype team also said that it is listening to customer comments and plans to introduce features customers have requested into Skype 8. Classic Skype for Mac can be downloaded directly from Microsoft, as can Skype 8.
Google's latest Android operating system update, Android 9 Pie, was officially released to customers today following a beta testing period that started earlier this year.
Android Pie introduces a new gesture-based system interface that's similar to the interface of the iPhone X, with iPhone-like swipes for navigating through the operating system. We went hands-on with Android Pie earlier this year when it was in a beta testing phase.
The new update also introduces the Android Dashboard, designed to tell you how much time you're spending on your device, which is similar to Apple's own Screen Time feature. A new Do Not Disturb option called "Shush" silences Android devices when placed facedown, and a Wind Down option lets Android users select a specific bedtime to turn the interface gray to discourage smartphone usage at night.
Android Pie also includes an Adaptive Battery feature that maximizes battery power by prioritizing the apps you're most likely to use next, App Actions for predicting what you'll want to do next (much like Siri Suggestions), and Slices, a feature that brings up information from your favorite apps right in search, is coming in the future.
Like all new versions of Android, Android Pie is available for a limited number of smartphones at its launch because Android-based smartphones use customized versions of the Android operating system, and each smartphone manufacturer needs to make the new software available to its customers.
Android Pie is available to Pixel phones today, with the update set to roll out to recent devices from manufacturers that include Sony Mobile, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Essential later this year.
The majority of Android devices are not likely to ever see the Android Pie upgrade given Android smartphone fragmentation. The previous release, Android 8 Oreo, is installed on just 12 percent of Android devices as of July 23, 2018, despite the fact that it was released in August 2017.
Most Android smartphones continue to use Android Nougat, Marshmallow, and Lollipop, updates that came out in 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.
Comparatively, Apple's most recent operating system, iOS 11, was installed on 81 percent of devices as of May 31, 2018. 14 percent of devices use iOS 10, released in 2016, and just five percent of devices use an earlier version of iOS.
Apple is able to control the operating system on all of its devices which allows the company to distribute bug fixes, new features, and more to customers much more quickly.
When iOS 11 was launched, 25 percent of customers had downloaded it after just one week, and iOS 12, with the wealth of features that it brings like Screen Time and Siri Shortcuts, could see even faster adoption when it's released alongside new iPhones this September.
AirPods have been discounted again this week, with Rakuten seller Altatac selling Apple's wireless headphones for $135.99 when using the sitewide discount code SAVE15. Altatac is a highly-rated seller on the retailer's website, and the AirPods are in new condition.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Once you sign into your Rakuten account, head over to Altatac's page for the AirPods, add them to your cart, enter your shipping information, and place the code SAVE15 into the discount code box during the payment stage. AirPods were on sale for $144.99 at Amazon and Adorama last week, so today's sale is about $10 cheaper and the best for a new pair available online.
On Amazon, popular accessory company Anker has launched a big back-to-school sale on a variety of iPhone cases, portable chargers, cables, and more. We've rounded up every item in Anker's sale on Amazon in the list below, and to gain access to the savings enter the discount code ANKERBTS during checkout.
The Anker back-to-school sale will last through Sunday, August 12, and each item has been discounted by 20 percent:
Apple is partnering up with Akamai, Etsy, and Swiss Re to develop two new wind and solar energy farms in Illinois and Virginia, the companies announced today.
The new energy projects are set to generate 290 megawatts for the PJM electric grid in the Eastern United States, covering areas like Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.
A solar farm in China
As a collective, the companies plan to purchase 125 megawatts from a wind farm near Chicago and 165 megawatts from a solar PV project outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The wind and solar energy farms will support each of the companies' operations in those states and will also offer up enough power for 74,000 homes.
According to the press release announcing the initiative, Akamai, Etsy, and Swiss Re previously had "limited opportunity" for energy projects in this market, but were able to obtain wind and solar power at competitive prices thanks to the collaboration with Apple.
Apple's vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives Lisa Jackson had this to say about the partnership:
"At Apple, we're proud to power all of our operations around the world with 100 percent renewable energy. In the process, we've charted a course for other companies and organizations to purchase renewable energy and transition their own operations to greener power. The collaboration announced today shows how companies of all sizes can address climate change by coming together."
The renewable energy projects are set to come online over the course of the next two years.
Apple earlier this year announced that all of its global facilities, including retail stores, offices, data centers, and more, are powered with 100 percent clean energy, a milestone Apple worked towards for years.
Apple has now turned its focus to encouraging its suppliers to focus on sustainability, and more than 20 have now committed to using renewable energy sources.
Apple has secured the rights to create a new TV series based on Min Jin Lee's bestselling 2017 novel "Pachinko," reports 
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