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 today announced that its HomePod smart speaker will be available in Canada, Germany, and France beginning Monday, June 18.
HomePod will be available to order in white and space gray through Apple's online store, retail stores, and the Apple Store app on iPhone and iPad, or at select authorized resellers like Best Buy where available.
HomePod first launched with English support in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia on Friday, February 9, with orders beginning Friday, January 26. The smart speaker retails for $349 in the United States.
Elago, the company that previously launched the W3 Stand to turn an Apple Watch into a classic Macintosh, this week announced the "Wrist Fit" for Apple's AirPods. The $14.99 Wrist Fit is a small silicone strap that slides onto an Apple Watch band, providing two small slots where you can store your AirPods and reach them with ease.
The company says that Wrist Fit is compatible with "most" Apple Watch bands, like the Sport Band, Sport Loop, Classic Band, Leather Loop, and more. It also promises that the accessory will "securely" hold your AirPods so that they will "not get loose or slide out over time."
Lightweight and slim fitting. Perfect place to store your AirPods while you work out or when you run out of battery.
Hold your AirPods securely. It does not get loose or slide out over time. Keep your AirPods close at all times!
The Wrist Fit provides two options for carrying AirPods on your wrist: you can use the included black silicone strap to only carry the AirPods, or take off the small silicone attachment and slide it onto a compatible Apple Watch band. Elago says the attachment fits both 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch bands.
Elago has a few other AirPods-related accessories, including a Waterproof Hang Case, Silicone Case, Leather Case, Carrying Clip, EarPads, and more. The company also has a colorful line of Duo Cases for AirPods that lets users switch out parts of the case to add a hint of personalization to the AirPods Charging Case.
Following the success of the W3 Stand, Elago released the M4 Stand to make an iPhone 7, 6s, or 6 look like an old Macintosh computer from 1984. Similar to the Apple Watch accessory, the M4 Stand lets users slide their iPhone into the side of the silicone housing, and a pass-through rail underneath the stand allows for Lightning cable organization.
In terms of price, the W3 Stand is currently $9.99 on Amazon and the M4 Stand is $25.99 on Amazon (both in "Classic White"). More recently, Elago debuted the W4 Stand to mimic Apple's colorful iMac G3 line of computers from 1998.
For now, the Wrist Fit only appears to be available on Amazon in the United States, and it's running for $14.99.
Elgato today announced the launch of two new HomeKit-enabled accessories, the Eve Aqua and the Eve Flare.
The Eve Aqua is a HomeKit-enabled smart water controller, timer, and usage meter that's designed to control your sprinklers. With Eve Aqua, you can control your sprinklers or other irrigation system using the Eve app, the Home app, or Siri voice commands.
There is an auto shutoff feature so you can enable the Eve Aqua via a voice command and then trust it to shut off after a period of time. Like other Eve products, the Eve Aqua connects to a HomeKit setup using Bluetooth.
Using HomeKit timers and automations, you can create autonomous schedules for your sprinkler system with the Eve app, and if you have an iPad, Apple TV, or HomePod as a home hub you can control your outdoor irrigation while away from home.
In addition to offering control over your water system, the Eve Aqua is able to track water consumption based on an irrigation system's flow rate, with the information visible in the Eve app.
The Eve Aqua is UV and water resistant and can be left connected up to your irrigation system all the time.
Elgato's new Eve Aqua is priced at $99.95 and can be pre-ordered from the Elgato website in the United States starting today.
Along with the Eve Aqua, Elgato is also debuting the Eve Flare, a HomeKit-enabled portable LED lamp that's available exclusively in Europe.
The Bluetooth-enabled Eve Flare is a round multi-colored indoor/outdoor lamp that's water resistant and able to offer six hours of illumination. It charges wirelessly and features a carry and hang handle. Like other HomeKit-enabled lamps, it can be controlled through Siri voice commands or through the Home app, and it can be set to any color of the rainbow.
Elgato is making the Eve Flare available for pre-order in Europe starting today for 99 euros.
After an announcement at CES in January and more details unveiled earlier in May, Philips Hue today is finally beginning to roll out a major 3.0 update to its iOS app for all users of the connected lighting platform. In the release notes, the developers call version 3.0 "the biggest update to the Hue app since the original release of the 2.0 version."
Major changes include improved user interface navigation with quicker access to favorite scenes and colors, brightness controls and light visualization for individual lights and not just grouped-together rooms, and new color pickers for better overview and grouping of lights in a room. Hue's lighting designers have also created 30 new picture scenes for pre-set lighting recipes, and a new picture-to-light algorithm can automatically build scenes using the user's own pictures.
Users will also find a few existing Hue features again in version 3.0, including lighting routines to automatically dim lights at night and gradually turn them on in the morning, and the location awareness feature so lights can be set to turn on when the owner arrives at home or turn off when they leave. Meanwhile, the timer function activates lights after a specified time by triggering a scene or simply flashing the lights.
In the release notes, the Philips Hue team discussed the app's changes and thanked its users:
"The 3.0 app update is the biggest update to the Hue app since the original release of the 2.0 version. We’ve tried to make it more intuitive and enjoyable for everyday use. Some changes you might hardly notice, while others are hard to miss."
Later in July, Philips Hue will also debut a line of Hue lights for outdoors, so that users can connect and control their lighting on a patio, balcony, or other environment outside. The new lights include the Philips Hue Lily, which can be used to highlight key features in a garden, and the Philips Hue Calla, which can be placed in the ground and light pathways through outdoor spaces.
For the app update, version 3.0 is available to download today from the iOS App Store for free [Direct Link].
In iOS 11, Apple's Mail app includes a handful of neat swipe gestures that can help significantly reduce the amount of time you spend managing messages in your inbox on iPhone and iPad. In this article, we'll show you how to perform these gestures and how to customize some of the actions they reveal according to your personal preference.
The basic inbox gestures are swiping right or left on an email to reveal tappable actions that you can perform instantly, without having to call up additional menus.
For example, swiping left on an email reveals three options: the default Flag action which can be customized, a Delete or Archive button (depending on the account), and a More option that takes you to a pop-up menu with additional email management functions.
Pegatron has been tipped to land orders from Apple to produce an ARM-based MacBook, according to a brief DigiTimes report out on Tuesday. Citing industry sources, the Taiwan-based website claims the new MacBook model is internally codenamed "Star" and carries the series number N84, but the report mentions no specific production timeline.
Pegatron is likely to land orders from Apple to produce an ARM-based MacBook model, codenamed Star with a series number N84, according to industry sources.
Pegatron declined to comment on what it called market speculations.
The rumor accompanies news of declining net profits of nearly 50 percent in the first quarter of 2018 for Taiwan-based Pegatron, which expects to get growth back on track in the third quarter, "in line with the peak season", implying that the new MacBook model could factor into these predictions. DigiTimes' sources often provide reliable information, but the site has a mixed track record when it comes to interpreting that information and accurately deciphering Apple's plans, although 9to5Mac has also reported that Apple’s so-called "Star" project could be an ARM-based MacBook.
DigiTimes first claimed in January that Apple would release a new entry-level 13-inch MacBook this year, due in the second half of 2018, which would serve as a replacement for the MacBook Air. Two months later, then-KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a research note claiming Apple has a "more affordable MacBook Air" set to be released at some point in 2018.
Kuo didn't offer any details on what to expect in an updated MacBook Air beyond a lower price tag, but DigiTimes believes Apple could upgrade the MacBook Air with a Retina display, which led to questions over whether the machine will be an updated MacBook Air or a lower-cost MacBook. However, today's report is the first time ARM-based architecture has been suggest for the upcoming model.
Speculation that Apple eventually plans to design Macs powered by ARM-based processors has been rumored for some time. A report in September claimed that Apple would build its notebook chips using ARM Holding's technology, a British company that designs ARM architecture and licenses it out to other companies.
The rationale behind the idea is that developing in-house ARM notebook chips would allow Apple to reduce its dependence on Intel. ARM processors also require less power and fewer transistors, enabling a smaller die size for the integrated circuitry – two reasons why they can be found in iPhones and iPads.
However, it's possible the rumor about ARM chips in Macs has been spun out of context: the Touch Bar on Apple's latest MacBook Pro is already powered by an ARM-based T1 chip as a companion processor, suggesting this could be the actual origin of ARM-based rumors. Indeed, Apple said last year that it had no plans for Macs powered solely by ARM chips, rather than Intel processors.
Where that leaves the latest rumor regarding a new MacBook model remains unclear. The introduction of the Touch Bar has received a lukewarm reception among users and is only available as a premium feature on high-tier MacBook Pro models. Confounding matters further, well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has suggested the "N84" series number actually identifies Apple's upcoming low-cost LCD iPhone.
Taiwanese site Economic Daily News recently claimed Apple is working on a more affordable version of the MacBook Air with a price point of $799 to $899, while Bloombergclaims Apple is working on a new MacBook that costs under $1,000, but it still isn't clear whether it's in the MacBook Air family or a new sub-$1,000 machine in the MacBook line.
The current MacBook Air models haven't seen any substantial updates in three years. Since that time, Apple has discontinued the 11-inch model, while the only recent upgrade to the 13-inch model has been a bump to the base processor option last June, but it's still a Broadwell chip from the 2014–15 timeframe.
As Apple continues its shift from LCD to OLED technology for its iPhones, reports have indicated that two out of the three iPhone models planned for launch around the usual September timeframe this year will offer OLED displays – a second-generation iPhone X and a larger "iPhone X Plus." The lowest-cost option is said to be a new 6.1-inch model with a similar full-face display as seen on the iPhone X, but it will reportedly be an LCD rather than OLED display.
Apple's iPhone X promotional video highlighting flexible OLED display
Previous rumors have suggested Apple will complete its transition to OLED in 2019, with all models adopting the technology. A new report from South Korea's ET News is now adding its voice to the claim [Google Translate] based on information from its sources.
"Apple recently started planning the iPhone model in 2019 and decided to adopt OLED in all three types," said an official from Apple who said, "The OLED used in the iPhone X (TEN) is a low temperature polysilicon (LTPS) LCD Quality, performance, and so on. "
Another official said, "Apple has decided to put all the OLED on the new iPhone model in 2019." If the new model is more than three kinds, the LCD model may be maintained. However.
While this isn't the first time we've heard this rumor and it does make sense based on Apple's trajectory, it appears the financial markets are taking this specific rumor fairly seriously. Reuters notes that shares of Japan Display fell as much as 20 percent today on the news (though they have recovered somewhat and are now down 10 percent), while Bloomberg points out that Sharp's shares fell 4 percent.
Japan Display is currently an LCD display supplier for the iPhone, and while it is moving to develop OLED technology, it will only just be starting up in 2019. That timing and lack of experience will make it difficult for Japan Display to compete against Samsung and other OLED vendors that are further along with the technology.
Samsung is currently the sole OLED display supplier for the iPhone X, but Apple has reportedly invested billions of dollars to help LG get up and running with the technology, and LG has been rumored to be the supplier for this year's "iPhone X Plus."
Just one week before Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California, where the company is expected to introduce iOS 12, several graphic designers have created their own fanatical concepts.
The latest comes from Michael Calcada, a fourth-year design student at York University and Sheridan College in the Toronto, Canada area.
Calcada's concept envisions several changes and additions to iOS, including an all-new "Siri Sight" augmented reality mode with overlays of useful information on stores, restaurants, transit stops, landmarks, and other points of interest, in addition to timely information such as road closures.
"As I believe augmented reality is a technology that will be fundamental to the future of digital interaction, I integrated AR into the core of the iOS experience, providing new innovative and intuitive ways to interact with your digital and physical worlds at once," said Calcada, who shared his video with MacRumors.
Calcada's concept also envisions grouped notifications, a notification dot in the status bar, more granular controls in the default Camera app, a systemwide dark mode, FaceTime group chats, improved volume controls, and a general makeover to iOS that has some promise, even if it is not entirely realistic.
Any improvements to Siri would be welcomed, as multiple reports have suggested that Apple's assistant has fallen behind its rivals, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. A recent survey also found early adopters of the iPhone X to be impressed with all of the device's major features, except Siri.
In terms of the expanded augmented reality capabilities, they could be be better suited for iOS 13, as rumors suggest Apple will release at least one iPhone with a triple-lens rear camera system in 2019. The triple-lens array would reportedly enable both expanded zoom and 3D sensing for augmented reality.
As with most concepts, this one is unlikely to look like Apple's actual version of iOS 12. But with only a week remaining until the WWDC keynote, which MacRumors will be attending, it's fun to look at fan-made mockups.
Stay tuned to MacRumors for live, on-scene coverage of the WWDC 2018 keynote on Monday, June 4, beginning around 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
Apple will launch at least one new iPhone model with a triple-lens rear camera in 2019, according to Taiwanese website Economic Daily News, citing a research note from Deutsche Securities analyst Jialin Lu.
A triple-lens iPhone X mockup by Martin Hajek via iDrop News
Lu believes the triple-lens camera system will enable advanced 3D sensing via stereoscopic vision, with two of the sensors able to capture images of a single object from different angles. A triangulation method would then be used to obtain the distance between the iPhone and the object.
Like the TrueDepth system on the front of the iPhone X, the report suggests that the rear 3D sensing will be used for augmented reality purposes. The prediction lines up with a report from Bloomberg's Alex Webb, who last year said future iPhones will be equipped with rear-facing 3D sensing capabilities.
At the time, Webb reported that Apple was evaluating a time-of-flight approach that calculates the time it takes for a laser to bounce off surrounding objects to create a 3D image of the environment, but Lu believes that Apple will instead use the triple-lens approach for the rear camera system.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly expressed his profound interest in augmented reality. Last year, Apple released its ARKit platform, enabling developers to create augmented reality apps for iPhones and iPads on iOS 11.
Meanwhile, the third lens would likely have a longer focal length for enhanced zoom capabilities, according to Lu.
The long-focus lens would likely enable 3x optical zoom on an iPhone for the first time, enabling users to magnify the image in the viewfinder by up to three times without a blurry reduction in quality like digital zoom. iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X models feature 2x optical zoom for comparison.
Huawei's new P20 Pro smartphone became the first with a triple-lens rear camera system, including a 40-megapixel lens, a 20-megapixel monochrome lens, and an eight-megapixel telephoto lens with up to 3x optical zoom.
Yuanta Securities analyst Jeff Pu also expects Apple to release at least one iPhone with a triple-lens rear camera next year.
For background, the kit enables users to replace an iMac Pro's stand with a VESA mount adapter, allowing the computer to be affixed to any VESA-compatible wall mount, desk mount, or articulating arm. Jason Snell of Six Colors provides a good overview of the installation process in the video below.
Nelson installed the adapter without issue, but ran into difficulties when he went to remove it a few months later:
When I was backing out one of the five screws, which was not overtightened by the way, the screw head just broke clean off from the screw body, and it left the screw stuck inside of the screw hole threads. The end result… I couldn’t remove the VESA adapter… ever.
Nelson acknowledges that the adapter is probably not designed to be taken on-and-off repeatedly, but Apple never warns against doing so, and switching back to the traditional stand at least once seems reasonable.
Unable to remove the adapter, Nelson said he contacted Apple by phone, explained the situation, and was told that Apple could not provide support because the adapter is manufactured by a licensed OEM, despite being sold by Apple with Apple-branded packaging and documentation.
The support representative then declined to provide the name of the OEM or their contact information, according to Nelson, who gave up on the phone call and decided to visit the Genius Bar at his local Apple Store.
Unfortunately, the Genius Bar was not very helpful, as apparently only the Head Genius at that store was trained to service the iMac Pro. Nearly two weeks and one failed repair later, the iMac Pro was finally fixed and ready for pickup, with a new VESA mount adapter installed and the saga seemingly over.
Upon leaving the store, however, Nelson discovered that his iMac Pro's stand had been significantly dented and scratched. The damage prompted him to carefully remove the VESA mount adapter yet again, to see if the iMac Pro itself was damaged, and he encountered similar scuffs on the chassis of the machine.
Moreover, while attempting to unscrew the Apple-installed replacement adapter, another screw broke off, suggesting that Nelson's experience wasn't a one-off situation, and that the screws are in fact prone to break.
All in all, there are two separate issues here: the fragile screws and the un-pro-like customer service that was provided by Apple. And, unlike his fellow YouTube creator Linus Sebastian, Nelson did not disassemble the iMac Pro or perform any other action that would appear to violate Apple's warranty.
Importantly, after the video, Nelson says the Apple Store has since offered to replace the entire iMac Pro free of charge. He was also contacted by Apple's Executive Relations team, which wanted to ensure everything was okay and requested that he send the VESA mounting kit to Apple for its engineers to examine.
Apple store offered to a) replace the outer shell in another repair or b) do a CRU (complete replacement unit). I obviously elected the latter.
In the end, I am getting taken care of, but a few have seen the video already. Don’t know what they would have done for an average Joe.
— Quinn Nelson (@SnazzyQ) May 26, 2018
Just got a call from the Apple Executive Team. They called to see if everything turned out okay with the store and also requested that I send my VESA mount in for the engineering team to examine. Maybe they’ll finally fix this thing.
— Quinn Nelson (@SnazzyQ) May 27, 2018
While this doesn't appear to be a widespread problem, and might not ever be given the steps to reproduce it require mounting and demounting a minimum $5,000 computer, the simple solution could be stronger screws.
MacRumors has reached out to Apple for comment on the matter. We'll update this article if and when we hear anything back.
Cultured Code today released a major 3.6 update to its popular Things 3 app, introducing a slew of new features for the iPad.
The company says the goal with this update is to make Things 3 for the iPad truly desktop-class with full support for external keyboards and keyboard shortcuts to make the Things 3 experience when connected to a keyboard as easy as the touch-only experience.
To achieve this goal, Cultured Code has added support for selecting items in Things from the keyboard, mirroring how Things 3 works on the Mac.
Before you can use a shortcut, you need a persistent selection in the list that you can target. So that's exactly what we've built for Things 3.6. To see what we mean, just open the app and tap the down arrow; you'll see the first to-do selected.
Now you can move the selection around with the arrow keys, or hold down shift and use the arrows to select more to-dos. Yes, it works just like the Mac!
Things 3 supports a wide range of keyboard shortcuts for a selection, such as inserting a new to-do, opening a to-do, moving items up or down a list, duplicating or copying items, setting a date, marking an item complete, and more. Popovers in the app are also fully accessible from the keyboard.
Type Travel, a Things 3 navigation feature for the Mac, is also now available on the iPad. To use it, type where in the app you need to go, such as projects or a specific to-do, and then it automatically opens up.
Other new features include support for dragging and dropping to-dos into the Things sidebar to move them to other lists, the ability to apply tags and deadlines to multiple to-dos at once (also available on iPhone), and there's now an option to use undo and redo on iPad.
Things 3 for iPad can be downloaded from the App Store for $19.99. [Direct Link]
Things 3 for iPhone can also be downloaded from the App Store for $9.99. [Direct Link]
Apple recently made the decision to reject Valve's Steam Link app after initially approving it, leading to many unhappy Steam customers who had been looking forward to the feature.
Apple has been silent on the issue despite several requests for comment, but today, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller explained the reason behind the rejection to a MacStories reader and other Apple customers on Reddit who emailed to ask Apple to reconsider. In the email, Schiller says the Valve app violates a number of guidelines and that Apple is working with the Valve team to rectify the issue.
We care deeply about bringing great games to all of our users on the App Store. We would love for Valve's games and services to be on iOS and AppleTV. Unfortunately, the review team found that Valve's Steam iOS app, as currently submitted, violates a number of guidelines around user generated content, in-app purchases, content codes, etc.
We've discussed these issues with Valve and will continue to work with them to help bring the Steam experience to iOS and AppleTV in a way that complies with the store's guidelines. We put great effort into creating an App Store that provides the very best experience for everyone.
We have clear guidelines that all developers must follow in order to ensure the App Store is a safe place for all users and a fair opportunity for all developers.
The Steam Link app is designed to allow Steam users to play their Steam games on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV using either a 5GHz WiFi network or a wired Ethernet connection to a host PC or Mac. As our sister site TouchArcade said in a review of the app, it allows for "real" PC-like game experiences on Apple devices.
"I could see a very real situation where many people just straight up stop buying things from the App Store and exclusively purchase Steam games through Valve instead," wrote TouchArcade editor-in-chief Eli Hodapp.
As MacStories points out, we don't know the specifics of the guidelines the Steam Link app violates, but Apple has strict rules for features like filters for objectionable content, in-app purchases, loot boxes, and more. Steam Link, as a remote access app, does allow customers to purchase Steam games without standard in-app purchase methods, which is likely to be one of Apple's main qualms.
Valve first announced the Steam Link app on May 9 after initial approval from Apple, but Apple later said the preliminary approval had been a mistake and told Valve the app was not eligible for release due to "business conflicts." Valve's statement:
On Monday, May 7th, Apple approved the Steam Link app for release. On Weds, May 9th, Valve released news of the app. The following morning, Apple revoked its approval citing business conflicts with app guidelines that had allegedly not been realized by the original review team.
Valve appealed, explaining the Steam Link app simply functions as a LAN-based remote desktop similar to numerous remote desktop applications already available on the App Store. Ultimately, that appeal was denied leaving the Steam Link app for iOS blocked from release. The team here spent many hours on this project and the approval process, so we're clearly disappointed. But we hope Apple will reconsider in the future.
Valve has not commented on what features might need to be tweaked or removed to earn Apple's approval, and it is not clear when we might see a modified version of the Steam Link app available for sale if Valve is able or willing to make the necessary changes to the Steam Link experience.
Apple is expected to expand the NFC capabilities of its iPhones beyond mobile payments, allowing users to securely unlock doors equipped with the technology, according to The Information. The company is said to be planning to announce the new functionality "next month," suggesting it will come at WWDC as part of the iOS 12 unveiling.
The change to the near-field communication, or NFC, chip, which is expected to be announced next month, could pave the way for people to use iPhones for other security-sensitive interactions, from paying transit fares and opening car doors to verifying their identity in other ways.
Already, employees at Apple’s new campus in Cupertino, Calif., are using their iPhones to gain access to buildings and offices, suggesting that the technology has been deployed there, people familiar with the matter said.
The Informationreported nearly four years ago that Apple was looking to expand NFC capabilities to building security and transit ticketing, working with its campus security vendor HID Global on the technology.
Today's report notes that while Bluetooth is already used to manage some smart locks using iPhones, NFC offers a more secure method for connections and authentication, an important consideration for companies and government agencies in particular.
In iOS 11, Apple's Mail app includes a handful of neat swipe gestures that can help significantly reduce the amount of time you spend managing messages in your inbox on iPhone and iPad. In this article, we'll show you how to perform these gestures and how to customize some of the actions they reveal according to your personal preference. 
Apple recently made the decision to 
