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Apple Challenges Four Qualcomm Patents in Ongoing Legal Battle

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Apple today filed petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office challenging the validity of four Qualcomm patents amid an increasingly vicious legal battle, reports Bloomberg. Apple is aiming to get the USPTO to cancel the four Qualcomm patents, arguing that they do not cover new ideas.

The patents in question cover camera autofocusing, a device that functions as a phone and a digital assistant, touch-sensitive displays, and circuit memory.

qualcomm iphone 7
Challenging patent validity is one of Apple's typical strategies in its legal battles. According to Bloomberg, Apple has filed a total of 398 such petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

For the Qualcomm filing, a trio of judges will consider the petition along with responses from Qualcomm, and will issue a preliminary decision on whether Apple's argument has merit. If Apple has a chance of getting the patents declared invalid, the USPTO will conduct a formal review before issuing a final judgement on the matter.

Apple and Qualcomm have been embroiled in a legal battle since the beginning of 2017, with the dispute centered on how much Apple should have to pay Qualcomm in royalties. Apple claims Qualcomm has been charging unfair royalties for "technologies [it] has nothing to do with," while Qualcomm claims its technology "is at the heart of every iPhone." Apple has used Qualcomm LTE chips in its devices for years, but has been moving away from Qualcomm's technology due to the legal fight.

Both Apple and Qualcomm have filed multiple lawsuits against one another, with Qualcomm also seeking import and export bans on some iPhones in the United States and China.

Apple iTunes chief Eddy Cue and Apple CEO Tim Cook will testify on June 27 as part of Qualcomm's initial lawsuit against Apple, which accuses the Cupertino company of lying to regulators to cause trouble for Qualcomm in multiple countries.

Last week, the United States International Trade Commission began investigating whether Apple infringed on three Qualcomm patents related to power management, radio voltage, and graphics processing. A pre-trial report from the ITC's lawyers suggested Apple infringed on the power management patent, but not the other two patents. A ruling on the ITC case, which has the potential to lead to an iPhone import ban, is expected in September.

Tags: Apple Lawsuits, Patent Lawsuits, Patent Trials, Qualcomm
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Deals: $15 Off $75+ Orders at eBay, 10% Off at Gazelle, Beats Studio3 for $205, and More

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eBay today launched its latest sitewide coupon code, offering customers the chance to save $15 on orders that reach or exceed $75. The code isn't as enticing as eBay's previous sitewide sales, but could still give shoppers the chance to save money on a variety of items, excluding video game consoles, laptops and netbooks, coins and paper money, gift cards and coupons, and real estate.

ebay june 21 couponNote: 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.

Otherwise, those interested can shop throughout eBay, add items to their cart until it reaches $75, and checkout with the coupon code PSUPERSUMMER before 7:00 p.m. PT tonight, June 21. The code can only be used once and within a single transaction, and only eBay users registered with an address located in the United States, Canada, Latin America or the Caribbean can take part in the sale. Head to eBay's Daily Deals page and home page to start browsing before the sale ends in a few hours.

Gazelle has also kicked off a sitewide sale this week, allowing shoppers to take 10 percent off items across the site through June 24. Gazelle's storefront offers discounts on used iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and more, all inspected by the company and ensured to be working properly and backed by a 30 day return policy. Those interested can start shopping on Gazelle today and simply add any item into their shopping cart to see the 10 percent savings automatically applied during checkout.

beats sale june 21
In other deals, there are a few Beats discounts happening this week on Amazon. The company's official Amazon store has the BeatsX in Black for $89.99, down from $149.99, which has been a frequent sale price for the in-ear headphones.

More notable is a nice discount on the Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, marked down to $204.95 from $349.99 in Matte Black, White, and Blue. Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart have knocked down prices on the Studio3 Headphones to around $205-$220 in recent weeks, but Amazon's price is one of the lowest currently available online for the high-end headphones.

Below you can also find a few of the latest charging accessory promo code discounts offered by Anker and Choetech on Amazon:

anker late june code imageAnker

Choetech

For more details about this week's best discounts and offers, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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GarageBand for Mac Updated With New Drummers, Loops, Sound Effects and Free Artist Lessons

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Apple today updated its GarageBand music creation software for Mac to version 10.3, introducing new loops, sound effects, drummers, and more, all for free.

There are two new Drummers that offer Roots and Jazz-influenced brush styles, along with 1,000 new electronic and urban loops that cover genres like Reggaeton, Future Bass, and Chill Rap.

garagebandformac
Apple says that it has added more than 400 animal, machine, and voice sound effects that can be worked into music creations, and there are also free downloadable Artist Lessons.

The new Artist Lessons are designed to teach users how to play hit songs on piano and guitar, and are taught by the artists that made the songs famous.

This is the first major update to GarageBand for Mac in a year. The last update, 10.2, was introduced in June 2017 and brought new Drummers along with support for the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro.

Since April 2017, the GarageBand apps for both iOS and Mac have been available to download for free. You can get the new version of GarageBand for Mac from the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: GarageBand
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Final Cut Pro Gains Support for Editing RAW Files From DJI Inspire 2 Drone

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Apple today updated Final Cut Pro, its video editing software for professionals, to version 10.4.3, introducing minor new features and a few bug fixes.

The new update introduces support for viewing and editing ProRes RAW files from the DJI Inspire 2 drone with the DJI D-log setting, which is the only new feature that Apple listed in its software release notes.

final cut pro x 10 4 1 prores raw
The update also addresses a bug that could cause deleting unused render files from a Compound clip in the browser not to work, and it fixes an issue that resulted in some Panasonic P2 video files being imported with mixed-down audio channels.

Today's 10.4.3 update to Final Cut Pro comes one month after 10.4.2, another minor bug fix update, and more than two months after the release of Final Cut Pro 10.4.1, a major update that introduced a new ProRes RAW format, new closed captioning tools, and enhanced tools for exporting files.

Final Cut Pro can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $299.99. [Direct Link]

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Facebook Messenger Expanding Chat Translation to All Users in United States and Mexico

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Facebook today announced it is expanding chat translation within Messenger to all users in the United States and Mexico.

facebook messenger chat translations
When you receive a message in a language that is different from your default language in Messenger, Facebook's artificial intelligence assistant M will automatically offer a suggestion to translate the message. When you tap on the suggestion, you will be asked to enable auto-translation. Upon doing so, all future messages received that are not in your default language will be automatically translated.

"This is a meaningful milestone for M Suggestions and will enable people to connect with people they would not be able to communicate with otherwise in a way that is seamless and natural," a Messenger spokesperson said.

Auto-translation is enabled on a per-conversation basis, and all messages are shown in both the original language and translated version. You can opt-out of the feature at any time via the M Settings menu in Messenger, accessible by tapping your profile picture in the top-left corner of the app.

At launch, M can translate from English to Spanish, and vice versa. Facebook plans to add other languages and countries in the future.

Facebook first launched chat translation via M for users of its Marketplace service in the United States in early May. M Suggestions as a whole launched in April 2017, and are now available in 11 countries and five languages.

facebook messenger update 2
At its F8 developer conference last month, Facebook previewed an upcoming redesign of Messenger, including a simplified user interface, a dark mode, and customizable chat bubbles. At the time, the company said the facelift will be available "very, very soon," but as of now, the update has yet to be rolled out.

Apple is known to have looked at a similar implementation of Siri in iMessage as M in Messenger. A patent published in 2016 for a "virtual assistant in a communication session" depicts a scenario in which users can invoke Siri from within chat threads to get answers to relevant queries, complete scheduling tasks, and more.

siri messages 800x566
Apple hasn't moved forward with the idea, but it did introduce Siri Shortcuts in iOS 12, enabling users to connect certain third-party apps to Siri to greatly streamline voice controls with app-specific actions.

Tags: Facebook, Facebook Messenger
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Tim Cook Reaffirms Apple's Commitment to Ireland After Tax Dispute and Abandoned Data Center Plans

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Just weeks after Apple abandoned its plans to build a $1 billion data center in Ireland, and amid a major Irish tax dispute with the European Commission, Apple CEO Tim Cook ensures his company remains committed to the country.

Apple Data Center
In a recent interview with The Irish Times, Cook said Apple appreciated the support it received from the community who wanted the data center to be there, and reaffirmed Apple's commitment to Ireland as a whole.

"We loved the community there. Fortunately we had great support from the community who wanted us there. That's probably the biggest disappointment from our point of view; we felt we could have been in the community and made a lot of friends like we had in Cork and grown the relationship over time," Cook said. "But we understand and respect the process."

Of course, not all local residents wanted the data center there, as concerns were raised about its potential effects on local animals, flooding on a neighboring golf course, and its close proximity to a shut-down nuclear power plant.

Last October, Apple finally won approval for construction by the Irish High Court, after an appeal by two individuals against the decision was dismissed. However, the appellants decided to take their case to the country's Supreme Court, resulting in Apple abandoning its plans just before the hearing was to occur.

"Despite our best efforts, delays in the approval process have forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data centre," Apple said in a statement ahead of the Supreme Court heading on Thursday.

"While disappointing, this setback will not dampen our enthusiasm for future projects in Ireland as our business continues to grow," the company said, citing plans to expand its European headquarters in County Cork where it employs over 6,000 people.

Cook added that Apple "didn't come to Ireland for tax," nearly two years after the European Commission ruled that the company received illegal aid from the country, ordering it to repay 13 billion euros to the country. Apple and Ireland are both appealing the ruling, as escrow payments begin for now.

"We came to Ireland in 1980 because we saw a community we thought we could grow, and could do a number of things to support the continent. We've stayed on course on that over almost four decades. It hasn't been a straight line – life isn't a straight line, things go up and down – but it's always been in a trajectory that is increasing. I don't anticipate that changing."

Cook visited Ireland this week, where he met with the country's head of government Leo Varadkar in Dublin, before heading to Cork, where Apple's European headquarters are located. Apple recently expanded the campus with a new building that provides space for an additional 1,400 employees.

tim cook ireland
Apple's recently updated European Job Creation page reveals that it now supports 1.7 million jobs across Europe, including around 1.5 million jobs attributable to the App Store ecosystem, some 17,000 of which are based in Ireland.

Apple's website notes that it "has been based in Cork for over 35 years and now directly employs 6,000 people throughout Ireland supporting all aspects of the business." The company also says its Irish team has "doubled in size over the last five years and includes over 80 different nationalities."

All in all, this amounts to a good PR campaign for Apple, echoing much of what it said in its Message to the Apple Community in Europe a few years ago.

Tags: Ireland, Tim Cook
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MoviePass Will Introduce Surge Pricing for Popular Films Beginning in a Few Weeks

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Movie subscription service MoviePass today confirmed that it will soon introduce surge pricing into its business model, charging customers from $2 and up for films that the company deems popular. The news comes from MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe, who confirmed to Business Insider that surge pricing will affect monthly subscribers while annual subscribers will be exempt from what he describes as "high-demand" pricing.

moviepass app map
The change will appear for affected subscribers within the "coming weeks," according to Lowe. Surge pricing is a dynamic, time-based strategy that apps like Uber use when a large amount of customers are requesting rides in the app but there aren't enough drivers to taxi them around.

Now this will extend to MoviePass, so on opening weekends or at particularly busy late-night showings of popular movies, monthly subscribers should expect to pay a bit more above their locked-in $9.95/month subscription price. Because this is not a fee that the movie theater is charging, users can expect MoviePass to take the surge pricing fee from the credit cards associated with their account -- although Lowe or any MoviePass spokesperson has yet to confirm this.

"At certain times for certain films — on opening weekend — there could be an additional charge for films," Lowe told Business Insider.

Lowe said this decision was a way to have its theaters partners see more traffic for big blockbusters in the mid-week and less-crowded weekends following the movie's opening weekend. It was also to "make sure that we can continue to offer a valuable service and support the whole enterprise," Lowe added.

Otherwise, there are two other additions coming to MoviePass this summer: a bring-a-friend feature and IMAX/3D screenings. In the MoviePass iOS and Android app, subscribers will be able to add on a ticket for a non-MoviePass friend, the cost of which will be "somewhere near the retail price of the ticket."

For IMAX and 3D movies, users will be given the option to pay an added fee for the premium screenings, ranging from $2-$6 according to Lowe. As of now, one of MoviePass' detriments is that it only allows subscribers to watch regular 2D movies. At launch subscribers will have to choose one of these features or the other for a single film, but eventually they will be able to combine premium and bring-a-friend options for the same movie.

The MoviePass news comes after AMC just yesterday revealed its own movie subscription service, which will let customers watch three movies per week for $19.95 a month -- including IMAX and RealD 3D showings. Lowe responded to this new rival service today as well:

"It's been tough when you have the president of AMC essentially for eight or nine months telling everybody that our subscription was not sustainable, and then he comes out with a program that essentially could cost him $60 or $80 a month to pay the studios their minimums and collecting $19.95," Lowe said, referring to AMC CEO Adam Aron. "So it is a little bit kind of funny that it's pretty clear what he wanted to do — clear the way for his own subscription program and not have competition."

All of the new MoviePass features -- including surge pricing -- will appear in the MoviePass app by the end of August.

Tag: MoviePass
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Google Assistant's 'Continued Conversations' Rolling Out to Reduce Need for 'OK Google' Commands

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Siri rival Google Assistant received a major update today across the Google Home speaker ecosystem with a feature Google revealed at I/O in May, called "Continued Conversation." Now, when you speak to Google Assistant and wake it up with a "Hey Google" or "OK Google" phrase, you don't need to repeat the phrase again for a follow-up request.

For example, you can ask "Hey Google, what's the weather today?", and then follow up with "And what about tomorrow?" or "Can you remind me to bring an umbrella tomorrow morning?" When your thread of requests is finished, Google explains that you can say "thank you" or "stop" to end the conversation, but Google Assistant will also do this automatically if it detects you're no longer talking to it.

google continued conversation
Continued Conversations will need to be turned on in the Google Assistant app's Settings > Preferences > Continued Conversation. When starting up a new conversation you'll still need to say "OK Google" or activate a physical trigger every time, but the company hopes that reducing the instances you need to speak a wake-up phrase will result in more fluid and natural interactions with Google Assistant.

In comparison, Apple's Siri still requires you to say "Hey Siri" every time a command is given, or by activating the AI assistant manually on iPhone or HomePod. Later this year, Apple will debut improvements to Siri in iOS 12 in the form of a new "Siri Shortcuts" feature, allowing iPhone owners to build customizable workflows and connect a variety of third-party apps and services under one voice command.

Siri remains one of the downsides for Apple's products for some users, with a recent survey finding that iPhone X early adopters were very satisfied with all features of the smartphone except Siri. Around the time of that survey, The Information reported that Siri has become a "major problem" within Apple and that the assistant remains "limited compared to the competition," including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Tags: Google, Google Assistant
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Gurman: Apple Considered Removing Lightning Connector on iPhone X

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As a side note in his report about technical challenges facing the AirPower, expected to be released by September, well-connected reporter Mark Gurman also noted that Apple considered removing wired charging from the iPhone X.

Lightning iPhone 7
From his Bloomberg News story:

During the development of the iPhone X, Apple weighed removing the wired charging system entirely. That wasn't feasible at the time because wireless charging was still slower than traditional methods. Including a wireless charger with new iPhones would also significantly raise the price of the phones.

Just to be absolutely clear, Gurman confirmed to me that this would have included removing the Lightning connector from the device. In fact, his report notes that Apple designers eventually hope to "remove most of the external ports and buttons on the iPhone," although this is likely multiple years away.

A few years ago, it was reported that Apple's design chief Jony Ive's end goal is for the iPhone to resemble a "single sheet of glass," while Apple has repeatedly expressed its ambitions to "create a wireless future," so the eventual removal of the Lightning connector should perhaps come as no surprise.

Apple is already well on its way towards that wireless future, with products and technologies ranging from AirPods and AirPower to its W1 and W2 wireless chips. Apple also made the controversial decision to remove the headphone jack from iPhone 7 models a few years ago, pushing users towards wireless earphones.

Still, removing the Lightning connector would certainly be another controversial decision, given it is not only used for wired charging, but also for audio and data transfer, such as syncing an iPhone with iTunes on a Mac or PC.

Removing the Lightning connector would also prevent an iPhone from directly connecting to a wide range of peripherals, including many adapters, docks, battery cases, power banks, keyboards, game controllers, audio cables, wired headphones, and other accessories authorized under Apple's MFi Program.

In many cases, however, wireless alternatives would be available. It's possible to sync an iPhone with iTunes over Wi-Fi, for example, while wired headphone users can go wireless, Bluetooth-enabled game controllers are available, and upright-positioned wireless chargers can double as a docking station.

There is even wireless CarPlay, although it is currently only available in a few vehicle models and aftermarket systems.

Of course, there would be some friction with this transition, just like when Apple switched from its 30-pin dock connector to Lightning in 2012, and removed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7. In both of those cases, however, the controversy eventually died down as many users came to accept the new reality.

It's also worth noting that Apple considers a lot of different ideas internally that might never materialize in a public-facing product.

At this point, it appears like the Lightning connector on iPhones should live on for at least a few years. Rumors suggest Apple will bundle a faster 18W charger with a USB-C port with iPhones released in 2018, which would connect to the devices with a Lightning to USB-C cable included in the box.

Tags: Bloomberg, Lightning, Mark Gurman
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Apple Plans English-Language Adaptation of French Show 'Calls'

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In the latest piece of news surrounding Apple's original television content plans, the company has given a series order to an adaptation of the French series "Calls," which aired in France beginning in 2017 (via Variety).

Created by Timothée Hochet, "Calls" is described as a short-form series that tells stories via snippets of audio taken from real-life situations, as well as through the use of minimal visuals. The show's IMDb and official Facebook pages suggest that many of the episodes lean towards the horror/mystery genre as well.

calls apple tv show

Image via @callscanalplus on Facebook

It's believed that the company will keep this format alive in the transition, but the content of the episodes remains unclear. Reports have suggested that Apple intends for most of its shows to eschew mature content in favor of a stable of shows that the entire family can watch -- a decision that led to Bryan Fuller leaving as showrunner on Apple's other series with horror elements, "Amazing Stories."

For "Calls," Apple has also acquired the rights to the first season of the French original, suggesting that the company also plans to offer the season as a streaming option on its upcoming service. The amount of episodes and cast members have not yet been revealed for the American version of "Calls."

It's been a busy month for news surrounding Apple's TV content plans, as in the past few days alone reports broke about the company officially ordering Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon's "Little America" to series, giving a straight-to-series order for a drama about child journalist Hilde Lysiak, partnering with Sesame Workshop on multiple kid TV shows, and even revealing a multi-year production partnership with Oprah Winfrey. Despite the ramp up of show announcements, Apple has yet to explain how users will watch its new TV shows, which are expected to appear sometime before March 2019.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tags: Apple TV Plus Guide, Apple TV Shows
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater
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Apple Pay Promo Takes 15% Off Orders Placed in the Adidas App Through June 28

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Apple has partnered with Adidas for this week's Apple Pay promotion, allowing customers to save 15 percent on items purchased in the iOS Adidas app until June 28. There's no promo code this time around, and some exclusions apply in regards to the products that can be discounted, but the companies didn't provide specifics.

apple pay adidas
To take advantage of the promotion, download the Adidas app for iOS [Direct Link], add items to your cart, and when checking out choose Apple Pay as the payment method and the 15 percent savings will be automatically applied.

Other retailers mentioned in the summer workout-themed promotional email include The North Face, Oakley, and Reef, which Apple says offer faster checkout thanks to Apple Pay. Apple's last promotion also encouraged Apple Pay users to get active outside with two free bike rides through the ofo app.

Prior to ofo, promotions have often included partnerships with Postmates, Instacart, Fandango, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Apple Pay Promo
Related Forum: Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+
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AT&T Follows Time Warner Acquisition With Reveal of Live 'WatchTV' Service and New Unlimited Phone Plans

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One week after completing its acquisition of Time Warner, AT&T today announced the impending launch of an all-new live TV service called "WatchTV," which unsurprisingly includes many channels under the Time Warner umbrella (via Engadget). This appears to be the service not focused on sports that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said in April would be coming very soon.

The announcement came alongside AT&T's reveal of two new unlimited wireless plans, called "AT&T Unlimited &More" and "AT&T Unlimited &More Premium." WatchTV will be directly tied into these cellular plans, offering plan subscribers access to the TV service at no additional cost.

att watchtv
The service includes 30+ live channels, over 15,000 TV shows and movies on demand, and will be available on "virtually every" smartphone, tablet, browser, and streaming device. Subscribers to &More Premium will be able to add one of several premium services for no extra charge: HBO, SHOWTIME, Cinemax, Starz, Amazon Music Unlimited, Pandora Premium, or VRV.

Here's the full list of channels available on WatchTV at launch:

  • A&E
  • AMC
  • Animal Planet
  • Audience
  • BBC World News
  • BBC America
  • Boomerang
  • Cartoon Network
  • CNN
  • Discovery
  • Food Network
  • FYI
  • Hallmark Channel
  • Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
  • HGTV
  • History
  • HLN
  • IFC
  • Investigation Discovery
  • Lifetime
  • Lifetime Movies
  • OWN
  • Sundance TV
  • TBS
  • TCM
  • TLC
  • TNT
  • TRU TV
  • Velocity
  • Viceland
  • WE TV

Channels coming soon after launch include:

  • BET
  • Comedy Central
  • MTV 2
  • Nicktoons
  • Teennick
  • VH1

The &More Premium plan (starting at $80/month for an individual line) offers WatchTV, a premium service add-on, 15GB of high-speed tethering, access to 1080p high definition video, and a $15 monthly credit to put towards DirecTV, DirecTV Now, or U-verse TV, similar to the carrier's current unlimited plans. On the lower tier, &More (starting at $70/month) offers WatchTV, a $15 monthly credit to DirecTV Now, access to 480p video, and up to 4G LTE unlimited data.

AT&T didn't give many other details about the new unlimited plans, but said that more information will be coming when they launch, which is expected sometime next week. Additionally, the company confirmed that WatchTV will be available as a $15/month standalone live TV streaming service for those not on an AT&T unlimited cellular plan, and those details will also come at a later time.

Tags: AT&T, Time Warner
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Gurman: Apple Aims to Release AirPower By September

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Apple aims to release its multi-device AirPower charging mat "before or in September," after facing a handful of technical challenges with its hardware and software, according to well-connected reporter Mark Gurman.

airpoweriphone8
An excerpt from his Bloomberg News story:

Apple didn't say when in 2018 it would release AirPower, but engineers hoped to launch the charger by June. The aim now is to put it on sale before or in September, according to one of the people. In recent months, some Apple engineers have ramped up testing of the device by using it as their charger at the office, another person said.

Apple first previewed the AirPower alongside the iPhone X in September 2017. At the time, the company's marketing chief Phil Schiller said it would be available in 2018, as reflected on Apple's website. Pricing has not been disclosed.

Gurman says Apple engineers initially hoped for a June launch, presumably at WWDC 2018, but noted the AirPower has been delayed due to technical challenges, including the potential for overheating, complex multi-device charging circuitry, and software bugs with the accessory's on-board firmware.

AirPower is said to include a custom Apple chip running "a stripped down version of iOS" for power management and pairing with devices:

The AirPower charger is also more advanced than the current competition because it includes a custom Apple chip running a stripped down version of the iOS mobile operating system to conduct on-device power management and pairing with devices. Apple engineers have also been working to squash bugs related to the on-board firmware, according to the people familiar.

AirPower is an oval-shaped mat that can inductively charge multiple Apple devices at once, including the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and Apple Watch Series 3 models. It will also be able to charge AirPods when they are placed in a new, optional charging case set to launch alongside AirPower.

AirPower's ability to charge multiple devices is derived from propriety technology developed by Apple. Apple said it will work to have its technology become part of the universal Qi standard, supported by the latest iPhones, so that other third-party manufacturers can release multi-device charging mats.

AirPower is another step towards Apple's goal of a wireless future. Gurman says Apple designers eventually hope to "remove most of the external ports and buttons on the iPhone," noting Apple even considered removing wired charging from the iPhone X, but decided wireless charging was not yet fast enough.

Of course, the AirPower is not truly wireless, as power is supplied to the mat with a charger connected via Lightning cable.

Tags: AirPower Guide, Bloomberg, Mark Gurman
Related Forum: iPhone
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How to Identify and Remove Unnecessary Apps on Your iPhone and iPad

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appstorelogocleanWith so many paid-for and free apps available on the App Store these days, it's easy to reach a point where you have so many of them on your iPhone or iPad that a sizable proportion are simply forgotten about, and soon storage space starts to become an issue.

Fortunately, there's an easy way that you can keep tabs on which apps you use the most and which ones have basically become redundant to you, and are just adding needless clutter to your home screen and eating up storage. Follow the steps below to learn how it's done.

How to Identify and Delete Redundant iOS Apps

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.

  2. Tap General.

  3. Tap iPhone Storage.

  4. A list of all the apps (including stock apps) on your iOS device will load in order of size, with the largest apps listed first. Scroll down the list and look at the Last Used: date underneath the title of each app. If it's been several weeks or months since you opened an app, or it says Never Used, then consider uninstalling it – tap the app in the list.
    identify redundant ios apps

  5. Two uninstall options are presented on this screen. Tap Offload App to unload the app but preserve any documents and data (these are reinstated if you later reinstall the app) or tap Delete App to remove the app and all related data from your device.

If you tend to download a lot of apps that often get left unused, consider enabling the iPhone Storage menu recommendation to automatically Offload Unused Apps when you're low on storage. If you uninstall a purchased app but later decide that you want to use it (and it's still available in the App Store) simply follow the steps below.

How to Reinstall Deleted Apps

  1. Launch the App Store app on your iPhone or iPad.

  2. Tap the Today tab if it isn't selected already.

  3. Tap your circular profile photo at the top-right of the Today screen to access the account settings screen.

  4. Tap Purchased.
    restore deleted ios apps

  5. In the Purchased screen, tap the Not on this iPhone/iPad tab.

  6. Scroll through the list of purchased apps to find the one that you want to reinstate, and tap the cloud download icon next to it to re-download and install.
Related Forum: iOS 11
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Car Consortium That Includes Apple Announces Digital Car Key Specification for Smartphones

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The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), an organization that includes Apple, today announced the publication of a new Digital Key Release 1.0 specification, which is a standardized solution designed to let drivers download a digital vehicle key onto their smartphones.

Described as an organization focused on enabling seamless mobile device-to-vehicle connectivity, the CCC's new Digital Key Release specification is available to all member companies.

digitalkey
In addition to Apple, this includes charter member companies Audi, BMW, General Motors, HYUNDAI, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Samsung, and Volkswagen, plus core members like ALPS ELECTRIC, Continental Automotive GmbH, DENSO, Gemalto, NXP, and Qualcomm Incorporated.

The new Digital Key specification, which uses NFC, was developed to create a "robust ecosystem" around interoperable digital key use cases. It will let drivers lock, unlock, start the engine, and share access to their cars using smart devices like the iPhone with reliable user authentication methods.

It is a secure system that lets vehicle manufacturers transfer a digital key implementation to a smart device using a Trusted Service Manager infrastructure that leverages NFC distance bounding and a direct link to the secure element of the device. This kind of technology has a wide range of uses, such as car sharing and car rentals, along with key-free operation.

Given the interest in the initial release, the CCC has begun work on a Digital Key 2.0 specification that will offer a standardized authentication protocol between a vehicle and a smart device, ensuring interoperability between different smart devices and vehicles. The Digital Key 2.0 specification has a target completion date of Q1 2019.

Several car manufacturers, such as Audi, already offer Digital Key services to their customers, while others, like Volkswagen, plan to implement the feature in the near future.

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AMC Launches 'Stubs A-List' MoviePass Competitor for $19.99 Per Month, Launching June 26

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AMC today announced the upcoming launch of a new movie-watching service that's designed to compete with MoviePass, allowing AMC customers to watch several movies per week for a monthly fee.

While MoviePass permits customers to watch one movie per day for $9.95 per month, there have been questions about its long-term sustainability. AMC's "Stubs A-List" offering will let customers watch three movies per week for $19.95 plus tax, which it claims is a "sustainable price."

amcstubsalist
MoviePass does not permit customers to watch more than one movie per day or to rewatch movies they've already seen once, both features that are included in the Stubs A-List program.

Stubs A-List can be used at all AMC, AMC Dine-in, and AMC Classic theatres in the United States, with other perks that are not available through MoviePass. Customers can book tickets online in advance, including at AMC Theatres with reserved seating, and it includes IMAX, Dolby Cinema, RealD 3D, Prime, and Big D movies.

Movie tickets can be purchased at AMC Theatres, on the AMC website, or through the AMC Theatres app, available for iOS and Android.

AMC's new offering also includes all of the benefits of its AMC Stubs Premiere program, with "VIP service levels" at theatres, no online ticketing fees, and discounts on food and beverages, such as free upgrades on popcorn and soda.

Stubs A-List will be available starting on Tuesday, June 26.

Tag: MoviePass
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Instagram Launches New 'IGTV' Video Hub for Longer-Form Content [Updated]

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Instagram today announced the launch of IGTV, a new video streaming service that's designed to compete with YouTube. The news was shared during a live broadcast from Instagram's headquarters in San Francisco.

With the launch of IGTV, which is mobile first and built with smartphones in mind, content creators on Instagram can now upload videos that are as long as one hour to Instagram, up from a single minute.

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IGTV focuses on full-screen vertical video, with the ability to interact with other users while watching videos. Anyone can upload IGTV content to Instagram starting today.

Longer-form video content on the social network can be discovered through the IGTV section of the Explore Tab, with Instagram highlighting popular videos from well-known Instagram users. Instagram is also releasing a standalone IGTV app that's going to launch in the next few weeks.

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In the upcoming IGTV app, content will begin playing as soon as it's opened, which Instagram says is meant to be "just like turning on the TV." You'll be able to watch content from people you already follow on Instagram, with the new app also suggesting content based on your interests.

IGTV has channels that are based around creators. When you follow a creator, their content will be displayed for you to watch.

Instagram today also announced that it now boasts 1 billion monthly active users, giving it a huge user base for the new IGTV video service.

Update: The new IGTV app is now available for download from the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Instagram
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Westworld's James Marsden and Evan Rachel Wood to Star in Upcoming Carpool Karaoke Episode

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Apple today announced that this Friday's episode of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" will feature James Marsden (Teddy) and Evan Rachel Wood (Dolores), two of the main characters in HBO's popular "Westworld" series.

A trailer for the new episode was shared on YouTube, depicting the duo singing songs like "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette and an improvised version of Salt-N-Pepa's "Shoop," renamed to "Loop" with Westworld-related lyric replacements.


The new episode of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" will air on Friday, June 22 and it will be available to watch for free in Apple's TV app, which is available on the Apple TV and iOS devices.

Apple debuted its first new 2018 episode of "Carpool Karaoke" last week, featuring the cast of TAG, including Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, and Jon Hamm.

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Tag: Carpool Karaoke
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