WhatsApp received an update overnight that suggests media previews will soon be coming to the app's iOS message notifications for the first time.
Currently in WhatsApp iOS notifications, images included in messages are replaced by a camera emoji, requiring the user to open WhatsApp to see the media. Likewise, GIF messages are represented in notifications by the space invader emoji.
However, WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp version 2.18.80 lays the groundwork for full media previews in iOS notifications. The upcoming notification extension feature is said to support images as well as GIFs.
To view the media preview, users will need to use the Peek and Pop gestures or swipe down on the notification in Notification Center. Users should also be able to download the media directly from the notification if they have disabled WhatsApp's media auto-download option.
Aside from the notification feature that's still under development, the latest version of the app lets you use Siri to send messages to WhatApp groups.
WhatsApp is a free download for iPhone available from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Apple today premiered this week's opening of Apple Piazza Liberty in the center of Milan, Italy. Set to open its doors on Thursday, the retail location features a dramatic glass fountain that serves as the entrance to the store and a backdrop to the large outdoor amphitheater.
The piazza, clad in Beola Grigia, a stone used throughout Milan, will be open to the public 24 hours a day and will host special events year-round amongst 14 Gleditsia Sunburst trees planted in the area.
"There's no better expression of our vision for Apple stores serving as modern-day gathering places than Apple Piazza Liberty," said Angela Ahrendts, Apple's senior vice president of Retail. "In a city with such rich history of art, entertainment and creativity, it's an honor to establish a space where anyone can be inspired to learn, create and connect with their neighbors."
Apple Piazza Liberty will host a variety of Today at Apple sessions, taking in photography, filmmaking, music creation, coding, design and more. This September, Apple Piazza Liberty will also host a special month-long Milan Series, where 21 local artists will share their visions for the creative future of Milan, as previewed on a special Apple.com web page.
There will be live music in the location's amphitheater on the opening night by musician LIM, a "crazy self-portraits" session with Olimpia Zagnoli on July 27, a photographic laboratory with Piotr Niepsuj on July 28, and a "draw the summer" class on July 29.
"To work within one of Italy's historic piazzas is both a great responsibility and wonderful challenge," said Jony Ive, Apple's chief design officer. "We combined two fundamental elements of the Italian piazza — water and stone — adding a glass portal that creates a multi-sensory experience as visitors enter the store through a cascading fountain that seems to envelop them."
The store will employ 230 staff, many of whom have come to Milan from Apple stores around the world, according to Apple. Apple Piazza Liberty opens Thursday, July 26, at 5pm, and registrations for Today at Apple can be made now on Apple's website.
YouTube today announced on its Creator Insider channel that it is experimenting with a new Explore Tab on mobile devices, which is designed to expose YouTube viewers to content they might not otherwise experience.
The Explore Tab will recommend different topics, channels, or videos that wouldn't typically come up in a user's traditional feed. Explore Tab recommendations are still personalized and are based on viewing habits, but it's essentially a greater range of content.
YouTube Director of Product Management Tom Leung explained the concept in the video announcing the feature.
The idea behind Explore is for viewers who say 'Hey, you know I like all these recommendations based on what I view, but sometimes it's like too much of the similar stuff' and they want to kind of broaden their horizons a bit. Explore is designed to help people be exposed to different kinds of topics, videos, or channels that you might not otherwise encounter.
The Explore Tab is in testing and it is available to one percent of iPhone users who use the YouTube iOS app. Users who are selected for testing will see a new "Explore" tab at the bottom of the app alongside the "Home" tab, a Subscriptions tab, a new Activity tab, and a Library tab.
While the Explore Tab is limited to a small number of users at this time, if it is successful, YouTube plans to roll it out to a wider number of users.
Consumer Intelligence Research Partners this afternoon shared analysis comparing data collected from Spotify subscribers in the United States and Spotify subscribers globally, finding some notable differences in habits between the two.
Spotify has a lower percentage of Spotify Premium subscribers in the United States compared to the global share, according to CIRP, which CIRP attributes to the competitive U.S. market that offers many different services from Apple, Google, Amazon, and others.
In the United States, 35 percent of Spotify users have signed up for a premium subscription, while the other 65 percent listen to the company's free tier or were previously Spotify Premium subscribers.
Of premium subscribers in the U.S., 55 percent have individual accounts, 24 percent use a family plan, 12 percent have student subscriptions, and 9 percent have a subscription that combines access to Spotify Premium and Hulu.
"In our first survey of Spotify users, we can see differences between the US and the rest of the world," said Josh Lowitz, Partner and Co-Founder of CIRP. "In the US, a somewhat lower percentage of listeners have Spotify Premium compared to the global share.
The US is a competitive market, with a number of options for both free and paid streaming music. And, among these Premium subscribers, over half have the standard Individual membership, while one-quarter have the broader Family Plan, which offers multiple individual accounts for a single higher monthly fee. A significant percentage of Spotify customers have chosen these alternative subscription options."
During the second quarter of 2018, which is when the data was collected, 11 percent of ad-supported Spotify listeners started a trial Premium subscription, while 74 percent of subscribers continued with a paid Premium subscription when a trial ended.
16 percent of Premium subscribers ended a subscription and reverted to the free listening tier or stopped using Spotify all together, a churn rate that CIRP says is higher than Spotify's global churn rate.
"Spotify's financial success depends on creating a robust funnel of users, converting casual listeners that download the app to long-term paid Premium subscribers," said Mike Levin, Partner and Co-Founder of CIRP. "Spotify encourages free Ad-Supported listeners to begin a free or nearly-free trial of a Premium subscription, typically of seven or thirty days. It then seeks to convert that trial to some form of paid Premium, with users paying for the service monthly. The monthly payment plan does allow Premium subscribers to cancel at any time, a situation that Spotify calls 'churn'.
We estimate a US churn rate of 16% for the quarter, higher than what Spotify suggests is the global rate. Again, we attribute this to a competitive US market, with many choices for paid and free streaming music services."
While Spotify and Apple Music both operate in multiple countries around the world, Apple Music has been gaining popularity rapidly in the United States since its 2015 launch.
In early July, an anonymous source from a major U.S.-based distributor told Digital Music News that Apple Music has surpassed Spotify's subscriber count in the United States, something The Wall Street Journal accurately predicted would happen this summer given the subscriber growth rates of the two companies.
Both Apple Music and Spotify are said to have more than 20 million subscribers in the United States, with Apple "a hair ahead" of Spotify. Spotify and Apple Music do not break down their subscriber counts by country, so there's no official confirmation.
Spotify in May announced that it has a total of 75 million paid subscribers worldwide, and Apple during the same month said that it has 50 million paid subscribers and free trial users around the globe. Spotify's total user base continues to be much larger -- 170 million active users - due to the free ad-supported tier that Spotify offers.
Customers in the United States have a lot of choice when it comes to streaming music services. Along with Apple Music and Spotify, Pandora Radio, SoundCloud, Google Play Music, Amazon Music and others offer subscription options.
CIRP's Spotify data for its report was gathered from surveys of 500 U.S. participants who used Spotify from April to June 2018.
Over the weekend, Reddit user Nucleam shared photo albums containing archives of all of the different wallpapers that Apple has offered for iOS and macOS, providing an interesting trip down memory lane.
There are two separate Google Photos albums for iOS and macOS, with images dating back multiple years.
The iOS album, for example, contains wallpapers from iOS 3 and beyond, along with promotional images Apple has used for advertising purposes, images from WWDC and special events, and more.
The macOS album features wallpapers dating back to System 7, with images from Mac OS 9, all the versions of OS X, and more modern wallpapers from the newer versions of the Mac operating system. Event wallpapers, such as those used for the 2017 iMac and the 2017 MacBook Pro, are also available.
As The Loop pointed out this morning, this is an excellent collection of wallpapers that's worth checking out if you want to revisit (and use) some of Apple's past wallpaper options.
Netgear's Arlo brand today announced the launch of the new Arlo Audio Doorbell and Arlo Chime, a new smart doorbell solution that's designed to pair with wire-free cameras in the Arlo lineup.
The Arlo Audio Doorbell doesn't include its own camera, as it's meant to be used with existing Arlo home security camera options. It pairs up with an Arlo camera installed in a home's entryway and adds doorbell functionality, but it can also be used on a standalone audio-only basis.
Able to work via batteries or as a replacement for a home's existing doorbell setup, when the Arlo Audio Doorbell is pressed, it activates your iPhone with an incoming VoIP call interface so you can speak with whoever is at your door. If you're not home, the person can leave an audio message.
"When a guest rings the Arlo Audio Doorbell, users immediately receive a phone call on their smartphone via the Arlo app, prompting them to either answer the call or send a prerecorded message for a quick reply. Couple this standout feature with the simple, wire-free setup and users have a seamless way to modernize the traditional doorstep greeting."
A connected camera provides an image of the entryway so you can see who is at the door through the accompanying Arlo app, and with the addition of the Arlo Smart Chime speaker, you can hear the doorbell ring anywhere in the house if you've replaced your existing chime.
When paired with a camera that includes the Arlo Smart subscription service, intelligent people detection is included and there's an option to call emergency services closest to the camera's location.
The Arlo Audio Doorbell is resistant to weather conditions that include snow, rain, and heat, and your incoming audio calls are recorded and can be played back for 7 days with included 7-day rolling audio cloud storage.
The Arlo Audio Doorbell and Chime are an interesting alternative to other smart doorbell setups for those who are already in the Arlo ecosystem. As Arlo home security cameras don't include HomeKit, the new doorbell also will not be HomeKit-compatible.
Arlo plans to share more information on the Arlo Audio Doorbell and Chime, including pricing, later this year.
Update: Arlo recently unveiled Arlo Smart service plans that offer features like person detection, cloud activity zones for monitoring specific areas, rich notifications for previews of what's captured on the iPhone's lock screen, and support for e911 emergency call services to send emergency responders to your camera's location. The Arlo Smart service plans start at $2.99 per month.
Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, who starred in Apple's first original TV show "Planet of the Apps" as a mentor and investor, recently shared some insight into why he thinks the show ultimately failed, blaming Apple's marketing efforts.
Vaynerchuk made the comments in a recent episode of AskGaryVee, where he spoke with The Grill Dads from Food Network (via Business Insider). In the video, Vaynerchuk says that Apple did "everything" wrong when marketing "Planet of the Apps," and that he sat through Apple marketing meetings metaphorically "bleeding profusely from his mouth" from biting his cheeks to keep quiet on Apple's decisions.
Vaynerchuk's "Planet of the Apps" comments begin right around 27 minutes into the video.
I was on an Apple show, right? Planet of the Apps? Gwyneth, Will, Jessica Alba, and me and Apple didn't use me or Vayner[Media] to do the marketing and did EVERYTHING wrong. Apple. [...]
I don't trust anybody in marketing today. And I feel like when you have the misfortune of also knowing production and marketing you're sitting there -- and I did the same thing -- for all my bravado, I'm a real tough guy when it's in my home, this is my home. When I do content, it's my home. But when I'm in somebody else's house, I was taught to show respect.
You'd be blown away by the way I handled myself in the Apple marketing meetings. My cheeks were bleeding profusely out of every meeting because I was biting them. My tongue completely fell out of my mouth. You're also there with Jimmy Iovine and Jimmy is like 'I got it, we got it,' and I knew he wasn't in the trenches, I know Jimmy's no dope, clearly, but I was like f**k this.
Vaynerchuk didn't go into specific detail on what he thought Apple did wrong, but he did say that he felt Jimmy Iovine was not involved enough in the marketing of the show. Apple limited "Planet of the Apps" to its Apple Music subscribers as a perk, which undoubtedly had an impact on its popularity, but given the response to the show, it's doubtful more expansive marketing would have improved the ultimate outcome.
"Planet of the Apps" launched in the summer of 2017 and received rather mixed reviews. Engadget, for example, called it Planet of the Naps and said it was lousy TV, The Guardian said it "won't be a fun watch for anyone except maybe venture capitalists," and Variety said it was a "bland, tepid, barely competent knock-off of 'Shark Tank.'"
The unscripted series was meant to be about apps and the developers who make them. It featured several app developers who pitched different app ideas for a chance to be mentored by influencers and entrepreneurs that included Vaynerchuk, Gwyneth Paltrow, Will.i.am, and Jessica Alba.
Mentors helped their chosen candidates build out their apps and prepared them to ask for funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners.
"Planet of the Apps" wasn't universally hated and some viewers did enjoy it as it earned 3.5 stars on iTunes, but unlike Apple's second original TV show, "Carpool Karaoke: The Series," "Planet of the Apps" did not get renewed for a second season and Apple has not continued on with the series.
Similar to the existing indoor LightStrip, the outdoor product is a flexible diffuse light that the company says works for both direct and indirect lighting situations. Available in 2m and 5m, the LightStrip Outdoor lacks a sticky backing like its indoor counterpart, and instead can be attached to a wall, ceiling, or fence with included clips and screws. Customers can also place the light on the ground and bend and shape it to provide lighting along a path.
Like other products in the outdoor range, the LightStrip Outdoor is "completely weatherproof" and can withstand rain, small puddles, and water jets from any direction, according to the company. The accessory also supports hues in both the white and color ambiance spectrum, so customers will be able to light their outdoor spaces with "16 million colors and all shades of white."
Other Philips Hue Outdoor accessories include the PAR38 bulb, Calla pathway light, Ludere security light, Lucca wall lantern, Inara wall lantern, and an extension cable. Like all other HomeKit-compatible products, Hue's line of outdoor devices can be added into Apple's Home app so users can control them in existing HomeKit scenes, automations, and by using Siri.
For the LightStrip Outdoor, it's unclear when Philips plans to expand availability for the accessory across its website in all territories, but even on the Netherlands-based website the rope light doesn't appear to be available for purchase at this time. According to a Philips representative, more details about the LightStrip Outdoor should be emerging towards the end of August.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara, citing information from suppliers, claims that third-party fast chargers may require USB-C Authentication [PDF] certification, or C-AUTH, to charge the 2018 lineup of iPhones at full speeds. Otherwise, the iPhones may display a warning, and limit charging speeds to a max of 2.5W.
USB-C Authentication is intended to protect against non-compliant USB chargers and to mitigate risks from maliciously embedded hardware or software in USB devices, so core to Apple, this seems to be all about extra security.
Apple is one of over 1,000 member companies of the USB Implementers Forum, so USB-compliant fast chargers are available from a wide variety of brands. Before purchasing a random fast charger from the likes of Amazon, though, it may be a good idea to check the list to see if the company is in fact a member.
Qualcomm this morning published a blog post touting the superiority of its Snapdragon 845 chip with integrated X20 LTE modem compared to other competing chips such as the Intel XMM 7480, which is the LTE chip used in some iPhone X models.
The data Qualcomm is sharing comes from an Ookla database of more than a million speedtests conducted by smartphone users all over the world. For those unfamiliar with Ookla, the company makes a Speedtest service that is designed to provide users with a way to measure their LTE and WiFi connectivity speeds.
Ookla regularly creates reports based on the user-submitted tests that it collects, which have become popular advertising points for cellular carriers and smartphone manufacturers who come out on top. Qualcomm's blog post focuses on data collected in the most recent Ookla report, from the period between April and June 2018.
Because Ookla reports can determine connectivity speeds between different devices and chipsets, the data can provide an interesting look at the top performing LTE chips. Qualcomm says that because of the large number of samples taken, the impartiality of the Ookla test, and the notable difference between the Snapdragon 845 and competing chips, it felt compelled to publicize the Ookla results.
In Ookla's results, which measured download speeds, upload speeds, and latency on the T-Mobile and AT&T networks, the Android smartphones equipped with the Snapdragon 845 included in devices like the Galaxy S9 and S9+, beat out smartphones equipped with Intel XMM 7480 and XMM 7360 chips, which includes the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus.
On T-Mobile's network, for example, the Snapdragon X20 LTE chip was 53 percent faster than the Intel XMM 7480 included in the iPhone X/8/8 Plus when it came to download speeds, and latency was 32 percent lower. It was 68 percent faster downloading content than the Intel XMM 7360 in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and offered 35 percent lower latency.
On AT&T's network, download speeds with Qualcomm's chip were 40 percent faster than the XMM 7480, upload speeds were 20 percent faster, and latency was 20 percent lower. Compared to the XMM 7360, download speeds were 64 percent faster, upload speeds were 41 percent faster, and latency was 27 percent lower.
Apple's iPhones actually use a mix of chips from Intel and Qualcomm, with some models equipped with Qualcomm's X16, but these devices were not included in the data shared by Qualcomm. The X16 chip is not as new as the X20 and is slower, so this chip would not measure up to Android smartphones equipped with newer technology.
Samsung also recently used Ookla's speedtest results in an anti-Apple advertisement highlighting the faster download speeds of the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+.
It's worth noting that the Galaxy S9 and S9+, along with other Android smartphones equipped with Snapdragon 845 processors and X20 LTE chips, like the LG ThinQ, Asus Zenfone 5Z, and OnePlus 6, are newer than Apple's flagship device, the iPhone X, and thus have newer technology.
Apple provided the following statement to Bloomberg in response to the speed-test data shared by Qualcomm:
With both LTE-Advanced speeds and Apple's custom-designed A11 Bionic, the smartest and most powerful chip ever in a smartphone, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X provide an incredibly fast wireless experience that can easily handle today's most demanding tasks. With up to 27 LTE bands, more than any other smartphone in the world, these iPhones also provide the best worldwide LTE coverage.
Apple is planning to introduce a new lineup of smartphones that are set to debut in just about a month and a half, if Apple follows its typical release schedule, and these devices will have new LTE technology.
Rumors have suggested Apple will introduce improved antenna technology for faster connection speeds, plus dual-SIM dual standby functionality. Apple may be planning to use Intel's XMM 7560 and Qualcomm's X20 chips, both of which are faster than the LTE chips in the iPhone X and will allow Apple's iPhones to better compete with the current crop of Android devices.
Full, detailed speed comparisons of the Snapdragon 845 with Intel's modems can be found over on Qualcomm's site for those interested.
Qualcomm today announced the launch of what it says are the world's first fully-integrated 5G millimeter wave and sub-6 GHz RF modules for smartphones and other devices, with the new 5G mmWave antenna combining a 5G millimeter wave radio, power amplifier for signal boosting, and antenna array, all in a package that's small enough to fit on a fingertip.
Qualcomm's QTM052 mmWave antenna module family and its QPM56xx sub-6GHz module family are designed to pair with the previously announced Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem to pave the way for smartphones and other devices able to take advantage of 5G networks.
"Today's announcement of the first commercial 5G NR mmWave antenna modules and sub-6 GHz RF modules for smartphones and other mobile devices represents a major milestone for the mobile industry. Qualcomm Technologies' early investment in 5G has allowed us to deliver to the industry a working mobile mmWave solution that was previously thought unattainable, as well as a fully-integrated sub-6 GHz RF solution.
The new 5G mmWave antenna modules are designed to fit in the bezel of a smartphone and the idea is to put multiple antenna modules (up to four) into different locations in the bezel so a 5G signal can be received even if one of the antennas is covered up by a hand or blocked by something in the environment, as is common with the way millimeter wave signals work.
This design also boosts signal that's received, with the device able to choose the module receiving the strongest signal and swap between them seamlessly for a reliable 5G connection. Up to 800MHz of bandwidth in the 26.5-29.5 GHz, 27.5-28.35 GHz, and 37-40 GHz mmWave bands is supported.
In technical terms, QTM052 mmWave antenna modules support advanced beam forming, beam steering, and beam tracking technologies for improved range and reliability.
Millimeter wave technology is ideal for dense urban areas and crowded indoor environments, but broad 5G coverage requires the sub-6GHz spectrum bands, which is what Qualcomm's new QPM56xx RF module family addresses. This includes the new QPM5650, QPM5651, QDM5650, and QDM5652 modules.
Qualcomm says the first 5G millimeter wave antenna modules are being shipped out to customers this week, and the first crop of devices able to take advantage of 5G networks will be released late this year.
Mobile hotspots are likely to be the first accessories to include Qualcomm's technology, but the company says that we can expect Android smartphones with this 5G millimeter wave antenna during the first half of 2019. 5G devices require 5G networks, which carriers are working on.
T-Mobile is building out its 5G network with plans to roll it out to 30 cities this year, AT&T plans to deploy 5G to customers in a dozen cities in 2018, and Verizon plans to activate fixed 5G services in Sacramento in late 2018, with a mobile 5G service to launch approximately six months later.
As announced at Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm is partnering with more than 20 electronics manufacturers who will use its 5G technology, including Asus, Fujitsu, Nokia, HTC, LG, Oppo, ZTE, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Vivo, and more.
Apple is not a known Qualcomm partner and it is not clear if the two companies will work out their differences given the intense legal battle that is going on between the two. When asked whether Apple would potentially choose this technology for future iPhones, Qualcomm said it was not able to comment on that.
Little is known about Apple's 5G plans at the current time, but November rumors suggested Apple was "leaning heavily" towards using Intel's 5G modems in future iPhones, with Apple engineers already working with Intel on 5G technology.
That report, from Fast Company, suggested at the time that Apple's discussions with Qualcomm have been "limited." Other reports have suggested Apple is considering eliminating Qualcomm chips from future iPhones and iPads, and this year, it looks like Intel will be supplying the majority of chips needed for the 2018 iPhone lineup.
China-based BOE Technology Group is stepping up its bid to become an OLED panel supplier for Apple's future smartphones, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
BOE is the world's top producer of large liquid crystal screens and already makes displays for Apple's iPads and MacBooks, but the firm now has its sights set on the lucrative OLED panel market.
The earliest BOE could supply the OLED screens would be from 2020, one person familiar with the matter said. For iPhones intended for release later this year, Apple is set to procure screens mainly from Samsung, with a small portion coming from LG Display Co. , people have said.
If Apple and BOE were to agree to a deal, the Chinese manufacturer would become Apple's first OLED supplier outside of South Korea and Japan. Samsung exclusively produces OLED displays for the current iPhone X, but Apple is in the process of opening up to LG, Sharp and Japan Display.
Apple has considered using BOE as an OLED supplier before. In February 2017, Bloomberg reported that Apple had been testing BOE's OLED displays for months, but that it hadn't decided whether to add the company as a supplier.
One of the reasons for the delay may have been down to the OLED panel manufacturing process, which is much more difficult than making liquid crystal displays. If so, BOE will need to do more to convince Apple that it can produce large numbers of OLED panels while maintaining the highest quality controls.
If it succeeds, BOE will not only prove its manufacturing prowess with a technically challenging product, but also will score a big win for China in its race to catch up to South Korea and Japan in advanced display-screen manufacturing.
Buying display screens from BOE, which is controlled by the Beijing city government and whose biggest shareholders are state-linked companies, could help Apple stay in China’s good graces—as long as BOE can meet Apple’s high bar for quality.
BOE is one of China's largest display makers, recently spending about $14.5 billion on two AMOLED factories. One of the new factories opened last summer, while another will open a couple years later. When they're up to full capacity, BOE says they'll be able to produce 1.6 million square-meters of flexible glass substrates (surfaces that displays are carved out of) a month.
Apple is investigating dozens of cases of fraudulent iTunes account charges in Singapore, according to local news reports over the weekend.
Channel News Asia spoke to two people in the Southeast Asian country who said they had both lost several thousand dollars through fraudulent transactions processed through their iTunes accounts.
Apple Orchard Road in Singapore (Image via Strait Times)
Two people told Channel NewsAsia that they lost at least S$7,000 each to iTunes purchases with one saying she was billed on her HSBC credit card. She added that she only realised something was amiss when she received a text message from HSBC that she had less than 30 per cent of her credit limit left. She realised the extent of the issue after speaking to a customer service operator.
The affected customers had reportedly been banking with Singapore banks including UOB, DBS, and Oversea-Chines Banking Corporation (OCBC). OCBC alone confirmed 58 similar cases of fraudulent charges.
One iTunes user who banked with DBS also told Channel News Asia that six fraudulent transactions had "completely wiped out" their account. As a result of the cases, UOB said that it was stepping up monitoring of all iTunes spending over recent weeks due to increase in cases of fraudulent activity.
Apple Singapore told the news organization that it is looking into the charges and had already cancelled many of the transactions identified as fraudulent. We'll update this article if we hear more.
A new HomePod firmware update due to be released in the fall could include some significant new features for Apple's smart speaker.
French tech blog iGeneration reports that a beta version of the software currently in internal testing enables HomePod users to make calls and answer them, ask Siri to Find My iPhone, and set multiple timers on the device.
Currently, HomePod owners who want to use the built-in speakerphone feature must make or receive a call on their iPhone and then switch the audio output to the HomePod when the call connects. With the beta software, however, the HomePod appears to have access to the user's contacts, allowing them to initiate the call directly on the speaker.
In addition to the above, the report suggests HomePod users could soon be able to listen to voicemails and search their call history over the speaker. Improvements to Siri's general knowledge are also hinted at, including specific enhancements to the virtual assistant's food and nutrition knowledge base.
Lastly, the report mentions a new Wi-Fi feature that appears to allow HomePod users to switch the speaker to another wireless network as long as a paired iPhone knows the password. As it stands, users can only choose which network to connect their HomePod to during the initial setup.
As with all beta software, these features may be changed, delayed, or removed completely by the time the firmware is officially released.
The last software update for HomePod came with iOS 11.4.1, but it was limited to stability and quality improvements. We'll know more about what's in store for HomePod in September or October, when Apple releases iOS 12, along with watchOS 5, tvOS 12, and macOS Mojave.
In 2016, when Apple introduced the first MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models, the repair experts at iFixit discovered the notebooks have non-removable SSDs, soldered to the logic board, prompting concerns that data recovery would not be possible if the logic board failed. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
Apple has a special tool for 2016 and 2017 models of the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar that allows Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers to recover user data when the logic board fails, but the SSD is still intact.
The tool is essentially a little black box that is able to transfer data from a failed logic board to a functioning MacBook Pro. The box has a flex cable that connects to a data recovery port on the failed logic board, while the box and a functioning MacBook Pro are connected via USB-C to USB-C cable.
Apple's internal Customer Data Migration Tool
Once the logic board is placed into a special holder, and all cables are connected, technicians simply power on the functioning MacBook Pro, open Migration Assistant, and proceed with the standard steps for data transfer.
Customer Data Migration Tool connector on 2016 MacBook Pro logic board
While not fail-proof, the tool is a convenient, last-ditch option for data recovery when a MacBook Pro's logic board goes kaput. But, unfortunately, it appears the tool will not work with the latest models.
Last week, iFixit completed a teardown of the 2018 MacBook Pro, discovering that Apple has removed the data recovery connector from the logic board on both 13-inch and 15-inch models with the Touch Bar, suggesting that the Customer Data Migration Tool can no longer be connected.
MacRumors contacted multiple reliable sources at Apple Authorized Service Providers to learn more, and based on the information we obtained, it does appear that the tool is incompatible with 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models.
Multiple sources claim that data cannot be recovered if the logic board has failed on a 2018 MacBook Pro. If the notebook is still functioning, data can be transferred to another Mac by booting the system in Target Disk Mode, and using Migration Assistant, which is the standard process that relies on Thunderbolt 3 ports.
The data recovery port was likely removed because 2018 MacBook Pro models feature Apple's custom T2 chip, which provides hardware encryption for the SSD storage, like the iMac Pro, our sources said.
Apple's internal 2018 MacBook Pro Service Readiness Guide, obtained by MacRumors, advises technicians to encourage customers to back up to Time Machine frequently, and we highly recommend following this advice, as it now appears to be the only way to preserve your data in the rare event your MacBook Pro fails.
MacRumors also confirmed that Apple's internal document for its Customer Data Migration Tool has not been updated to reflect use with the 2018 MacBook Pro, and nothing else we've seen outlines any alternative solutions.
While it appears Apple itself is unable to recover data from failed 2018 MacBook Pros, the Service Readiness Guide does state that customers can consult with data recovery specialist companies, such as DriveSavers, Knoll, Seagate, and Payam, but it's unclear how they might be able to help.
Update: MacRumors has received the following statement from Mike Cobb, DriveSavers Director of Engineering:
None of the changes mentioned in the iFixit article regarding the MacBook Pro 2018 have had any affect our ability to recover data for our customers. This is due to our advanced capabilities in addressing the logic board. DriveSavers has been very successful in recovering data from the 2018 model as well as all others. It is worth noting that customers need to send us the whole device to complete the data recovery service.
We've reached out to Apple for clarification. If we receive any information, we'll update this article accordingly.
Apple announced that it will be hosting a HomePod live event in its Support Communities on Wednesday, July 25, providing customers with an opportunity to ask Apple support representatives questions about the Siri-enabled speaker.
Specialists will be on hand between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Pacific Time, answering questions about a variety of topics in real time:
Discover how to make HomePod your own: use AirPlay 2, create a stereo pair, personalize your setup and settings, ask Siri, and more. During this live event, Apple HomePod Specialists will be available to help you get the most from your HomePod.
To participate in the event when it goes live, head to the HomePod Community on the Apple Support Communities, sign in to or create an Apple ID account, click Post > Discussion in the upper-right corner, and submit a question.
Specialists already monitor the Apple Support Communities, and occasionally answer questions, but this event should lead to faster answers.
In iOS 12, Apple has introduced new notification features, providing an expanded set of tools for monitoring and managing notifications in quicker and more intuitive ways.
There have been no changes to the way that Notifications work on the whole, but many of these features make it easier to clear notifications, determine which notifications you want, and make adjustments on the fly.
iPhone and iPad owners have been asking for the return of grouped notifications for years, and in iOS 12, Apple delivered.
Multiple notifications from the same app will be grouped together on the Lock screen of the iPhone, cutting down on clutter. You can tap a set of notifications from a particular app to expand them to see all of the notifications in the list.
You can tap on the "X" next to a notification group to clear all of those notifications at one time, or do the same thing with a swipe to the left.
In the Settings app, you can change the behavior of grouped notifications. Go to Settings > Notifications and tap on any app to see the "Notification Grouping" preferences. Tap that to choose "Automatic," "By App," or "Off" if you'd rather see all of the incoming notifications for a particular app like Messages.
Automatic sorts by app for the most part, but with this setting enabled, you might get two notification groups if you have email threads going with two different people in the Mail app, or multiple conversations in Messages, for example. Or different incoming Messages conversations.
By App will make sure all notifications from an app are in one stack, without the sorting that Automatic mode uses.
Instant Tuning
Instant Tuning is a feature that lets you manage a pesky notification right on the Lock screen, giving you the tools to turn notifications for that app off entirely or send notifications right to the Notification Center.
On any notification that's on the Lock screen or in the Notification Center when you swipe down, swipe left on a notification to see settings that include "Manage," "View," and "Clear All."
Select "Manage" from this list to see Instant Tuning options. Notifications set to "Deliver Quietly" will be visible in Notification Center, but you won't see them on the Lock screen, there will be no banner, and there won't be a badge.
To reverse this, tap on a notification from the muted app again, follow the same instructions, and choose "Deliver Prominently." Notification settings can also be changed in the Settings app, also accessible from the Instant Tuning popup. Turn Off, as the name suggests, turns off notifications for that app entirely.
You can also get to your Instant Tuning settings by 3D Touching or long pressing on any notification and selecting the three ellipses. For more details on using Instant Tuning, make sure to check out our detailed how to.
Note: In iOS 12, Apple will send you alerts asking you if you would like to continue receiving notifications from a particular app if you've been getting a lot of notifications and haven't been interacting with them. When this happens, the alert will feature a "Manage" section so you can access your Instant Tuning settings for that particular app.
Critical Alerts
Critical Alerts are a new type of opt-in notification in iOS 12 that can ignore your Do Not Disturb settings to send important must-see notifications.
These alerts are limited in scope and are available for medical and health related information, home security, and public safety. For example, a person who is diabetic might want to set critical alerts for a glucose monitor when blood sugar is low, so the notification will be delivered even if Do Not Disturb is turned on.
Critical alerts bypass Do Not Disturb and the ringer switch, and will always play a sound. They are meant to be disruptive and for that reason, are going to be highly limited to apps that need these kinds of immediate alerts.
Developers with apps appropriate for critical alerts will need to apply for an entitlement that needs to be approved by Apple. Users will be able to turn off critical alerts on a per app basis separately from other notifications.
Notification Count in Screen Time
Screen Time, Apple's new feature designed to provide you with the tools to monitor when and how you're using your iOS devices, keeps track of all of the notifications that apps are sending you, letting you know which apps are the noisiest.
This information can help you decide if you want to keep notifications turned on for a particular app, or if you might want to mute an app to cut down on interruptions.
You can get to this section of Screen Time by opening the Settings app, choosing Screen Time, selecting "All Devices," and then scrolling down to the bottom. You can see your notifications from the last 24 hours or the last 7 days.
In iOS 12, app developers can build notifications that are able to accept user input, so you can interact with notifications in new ways, doing more on the Lock screen without having to open up your iPhone.
With Instagram, as an example, if the app sends you a notification that a friend posted, you might be able to view the photo and then add a like all from the notification.
In this example, you can tap the heart to like the photo, something that wasn't possible in iOS 11.
Rich notifications were available in earlier versions of iOS, but Apple has removed the limits that previously restricted interactive touches.
What do you think of the changes to notifications in iOS 12? Are there other notification features you're hoping for in the future? Let us know in the comments.
When Apple launched iPhones without Home buttons, a whole new set of gestures were introduced, changing the way that we were used to interacting with our iPhones.
One of these changes involved the App Switcher and the way open apps are found, with Apple introducing a gesture to reach the App Switcher on devices with a Home button.
How to close an app on iPhone X, XS, XS Max, XR, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, or 12 Pro Max
At the Home screen of the iPhone, or while in an app, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause while still pressing the screen.
When the App Switcher comes up, swipe left and right through the different app cards to find the app that you want to close.
Use a quick swipe upwards to close the app.
Using this gesture exits out of an app and effectively closes it, which is useful if you need to restart an app for some reason. There's generally no need to close your apps to improve performance, though, as Apple has built-in management systems for dealing with all of the apps that you have open on your device.
Most apps that are not active are in a suspended state and are not using up any resources, but some apps can run in the background for a period of time if background refresh is activated.
According to Apple, force quitting an app will not improve your battery life, and it's possible that doing so can actually drain battery because it causes the iPhone to load it all over again.
WhatsApp received an update overnight that suggests media previews will soon be coming to the app's iOS message notifications for the first time.
A new HomePod firmware update due to be released in the fall could include some significant new features for Apple's smart speaker. 
