MacRumors

Google today launched its new cloud storage pricing scheme under the moniker Google One, which replaces all paid storage plans under the Google Drive brand.

The new plans include 100GB storage for $1.99 a month, 200GB for $2.99 a month, and 2TB for $9.99 a month (down from $19.99). The free 15GB for non-paying users remains. There's also a new family option for divvying up a single storage plan amongst up to five members.

Google One storage
As a result of the changes, Google is removing its 1TB/$9.99 plan, but existing 1TB Drive plans will be upgraded to 2TB at no extra cost. Pricing for plans larger than 2TB will remain the same.

The new storage plans provide users with space for Google Drive, Gmail, and original quality photos and videos (including 4K) in Google Photos. The paid plans also come with live chat support, something that was previously limited to G Suite business account holders.

Apple's iCloud monthly storage plans aren't so different: they start with 5GB free storage for non-paying users, then offer 50GB for $0.99, 200GB for $2.99, and 2TB for $9.99.

On the face of it, Google One's new 100GB/$1.99 plan offers something of a middle ground between iCloud's 50GB and 200GB tiers, but that doesn't account for the practicalities of switching ecosystems that you'd need to factor in, not to mention differing privacy policies.

As of today, the new Google One plans are available to users in the United States, with existing Drive subscribers there having already been moved to the new plans. Google is promising availability for other regions soon.

Calendar subscriptions offer a convenient way for you to stay up to date with everything from national holidays to the match fixtures for your favorite sports team. In this article, we'll show you how to subscribe to a public calendar on your iPhone or iPad – all you need in advance is the web address of the calendar (ics) file.

calendar iphone x
Note that if you want a calendar subscription to sync across all devices signed into your iCloud account, you'll need to subscribe to it on your Mac. To do so, open the Calendar app in macOS and select File -> New Calendar Subscription, enter the URL of the calendar to subscribe to, and then select iCloud in the Location menu.

How to Subscribe to a Calendar in iOS 11

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap Accounts & Passwords.
  3. Under the Accounts section, tap Add Account.
    how to subscribe calendar ios

  4. Tap Other.
  5. Under Calendars, tap Add Subscribed Calendar.
  6. Type in your calendar link in the Server field; to paste in a copied link, tap and hold the field and select Paste.
    how to subscribe calendar ios 2

  7. Tap Next.
  8. Use the Description field to give the calendar an easily recognizable name.
  9. Enter a server username and password if required (most users will be able to skip this step).
  10. Tap Save.

How to Remove a Calendar Subscription in iOS 11

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap Accounts & Passwords.
  3. Tap Subscribed Calendars.
    how to unsubscribe calendar ios

  4. Tap the calendar subscription you want to remove.
  5. Tap Delete Account.

Apple recently updated its Maps app to expand the availability of transit directions to several new states.

Transit data is now available in areas of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Michigan. Apple previously offered transit directions in Detroit, Michigan, but availability has expanded across the state.

transitdirectionsmainenewhampshire
Transit directions are new in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Full transit lines are not yet being displayed in the Maps app, but the transit directions are active.

Apple has been rolling out transit directions to major cities across the United States and around the world, but in recent weeks has concentrated on expanding it further in various states.

Transit directions were first added to Apple Maps in 2015 with the launch of iOS 9 and were initially limited to a few cities, but Apple has been introducing the feature in new markets at a steady pace.

Transit information is now live in dozens of cities and countries around the world, with a full list available on Apple's iOS Feature Availability website.

(Thanks, Ram!)

Japan's Fair Trade Commission is investigating allegations that Apple pressured Yahoo Japan into pulling back from its Game Plus platform in the country, reports Nikkei.

Yahoo last fall submitted complaints about its Game Plus platform, a web-based service first launched in July 2017. Game Plus is designed to let users play games without needing to download a full app.

yahoogamesplus
52 companies were participating in Games Plus at launch, according to Nikkei, including major game makers like Square Enix, and Yahoo initially planned to expand the platform into other areas, like business software.

Yahoo cut its Game Plus budget last year and pulled back on promotions for the service. According to Yahoo, it did so because of "pressure behind the scenes from Apple." Such a platform competes with the App Store, where Yahoo also offers apps for sale.

Japan's Fair Trade Commission is said to be gathering information on the situation, which it says "may constitute interference in Yahoo's business prohibited by the Anti-Monopoly Act."

Nikkei says it's unclear how the investigation will proceed, as Japanese investment company SoftBank, a major Yahoo shareholder has stepped in to mediate. Companies also often hesitate to work with authorities, according to an attorney that spoke to Nikkei, which can make it difficult to prove wrongdoing.

Tag: Japan

Ahead of upcoming Twitter changes set to be implemented tomorrow, Tapbots has released an updated version of its Tweetbot app for iOS devices, removing several features that have been present in the app for years.

Timeline streaming over Wi-Fi has been disabled, which means Twitter timelines will refresh every one to two minutes instead of as new tweets come in. We've been using the Tweetbot for iOS app in a beta capacity with these changes implemented, and while it's not a huge change, the delay is noticeable.

tweetbot
Push notifications for Mentions and Direct Messages are also delayed by a few minutes, and push notifications for likes, retweets, follows, and quotes have been disabled. Tapbots says it is, however, investigating re-adding some of these push notification options in the future.

The Activity and Stats tabs have been removed from the app, and because the Apple Watch app was heavily dependent on Activity data, it too has been eliminated.

Tapbots says that it is sorry that the changes had to be made, but Twitter has decided to eliminate certain features provided to third-party apps without offering alternatives.

On August 16th Twitter will disable parts of their public interface that we use in Tweetbot. Because Twitter has chosen not to provide alternatives to these interfaces we have been forced to disable or degrade certain features. We're sorry about this, but unfortunately this is totally out of our control.

Other third-party Twitter clients, such as Twitterrific, have also had to remove the same features that have been disabled in Tweetbot because of Twitter's new limitations on third-party apps.

Twitter is requiring Twitter clients to pay for Premium or Enterprise accounts to access certain features, and timeline streaming has been deprecated entirely.

Tapbots has not yet updated Tweetbot for Mac, but changes should be coming to the Mac app soon as well.

Tweetbot for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Update: Tweetbot 2 and Tweetbot 3 for Mac have also been updated to work with Twitter's new API changes. Features that have been changed or removed are listed below:

- Timeline streaming is now disabled. Your timelines will now refresh automatically every 1-2 minutes instead.
- Notifications for Mentions, Direct Messages, Follows, and Follower's Tweets will now be delayed by a few minutes.
- Notifications for Likes and Retweets have been disabled.
- Activity and Notification tabs have been removed.

Apple doesn't often allow people to visit its data centers, which are located across the country, but The Arizona Republic was recently given a tour of Apple's Mesa Arizona data center, formerly the site of GT Advanced.

The Mesa Arizona facility spans 1.3 million square feet, with long, sparse hallways equipped with servers. Apple calls the Mesa site its "global data command" center, which employs a "handful" of employees working in 10-hour shifts to oversee Apple's operations data. 150 employees total are employed at the data center.

mesaarizonaservers

Servers in the Mesa, Arizona data center, via The Arizona Republic

The facility is not recognizable as Apple's from the outside, surrounded by thick, dark walls draped in vines. A guard patrols the entrance to the parking lot.

Server halls contain dozens and dozens of rows of large, humming electronics. Booming fans sit above the servers in an effort to cool the technology.

While The Arizona Republic was provided with a tour and was allowed to take photos inside the data center, Apple "would not share many specifics about what happens inside the facility" due to security concerns.

The Mesa data center, and others like it, house data from Apple apps and services that include iMessage, Siri, and iCloud.

Apple announced plans in 2014 to repurpose the Mesa, Arizona plant where GT Advanced worked to develop sapphire glass for Apple products before filing for bankruptcy. Hundreds of GT Advanced employees were laid off when the company failed, with Apple at the time pledging to bring more jobs to the city.

mesaarizonawatercooling

The water-cooling system for the Mesa, Arizona data center, via The Arizona Republic

Not long after, Apple confirmed that it would transform the Mesa, Arizona plant into a "command center" for Apple's global data network. It has been operational since 2016, and Apple has been renovating and adding on since then. According to The Arizona Republic, the most recent addition, several new halls of servers, was completed in April.

The Arizona Republic's photos of the data center are worth checking out for anyone interested in Apple's data operations.

Apple recently reported sales of 3.72 million Macs in the third quarter, its fewest in any quarter since 2010. It was also the first time Apple sold fewer than four million Macs in any quarter since 2013.

mac family trio lineup
For that reason, it should come as no surprise that Apple's share of the worldwide notebook market took a hit last quarter.

Taiwanese research firm TrendForce estimates that Apple accounted for 6.5 percent of notebook shipments worldwide in the third quarter, a considerable decline over its estimated 10 percent market share in the year-ago quarter.

The decline resulted in Apple dropping below Acer and ranking sixth among notebook vendors, in terms of global shipments, in the third quarter. The top five spots were held by HP at 26.2 percent, Lenovo at 20 percent, Dell at 19.6 percent, Acer at 8 percent, and ASUS at 7.4 percent, according to TrendForce.

It's important to note that Apple doesn't break down its Mac sales on a model-by-model basis in its earnings reports, so TrendForce's data is estimated, likely based in part on the average selling price of a Mac.

trendforce 2q18 notebooks
There's a pretty simple explanation for the decline in sales last quarter: nearly every product in the Mac lineup was outdated.

Both the 12-inch MacBook and iMac lines haven't been refreshed since June 2017, while the MacBook Air hasn't received any substantial updates since 2015. Likewise, the latest Mac mini is from October 2014, and the Mac Pro hasn't been updated since December 2013, but an all-new version is coming in 2019.

It certainly didn't help that Apple refreshed the MacBook Pro in mid July, nearly two weeks after the quarter ended. Apple's financial chief Luca Maestri highlighted this "difficult launch comparison" in the company's earnings call:

Our year-over-year sales performance was impacted by the different timing of the MacBook Pro launch…

Mac sales should rebound in the near future, however, as TrendForce expects Apple to release a new MacBook Air at the end of the third quarter, while respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the 12-inch MacBook, iMac, and Mac mini lines to be updated later this year—likely by the end of October.

Apple today seeded the eighth beta of an upcoming iOS 12 update to developers for testing purposes, just a few days after seeding the seventh beta and more than two months after introducing the new software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air after installing the proper certificate.


iOS 12 beta 8 comes just two days after the release of iOS 12 beta 7, which Apple was ultimately forced to pull a few hours after it was released due to performance issues.

Many people who downloaded the seventh beta reported problems when launching apps, with serious delays between when an app icon was tapped and when the app opened.

Most users said that the delay disappeared after five or 10 minutes of using the iPhone, but it was a serious enough bug that Apple pulled the update until a fix was available, and some users also saw continual delays, crashes, and freezes.

Apple removed the over-the-air update first and then later also pulled the download from the Apple Developer Center. No public beta was released due to the performance issues, but now that an updated beta has launched, a public beta should be available soon.

iOS 12 beta 7 removed the Group FaceTime feature that has been present in iOS 12 since the update was first introduced in June. Apple has decided to delay Group FaceTime for now and reintroduce it in an iOS 12 update set to be released later this fall.

Group FaceTime, one of iOS 12's major new features, is designed to allow users to chat with up to 32 people at once.

Though Group FaceTime will no longer be available when iOS 12 launches, the update will bring Screen Time for monitoring time spent on iOS devices, new Animoji and Memoji, a new Effects camera in Messages and FaceTime, Siri Shortcuts, grouped notifications, and more.

Update: Apple has released a new version of iOS for its public beta testers. iOS 12 Public Beta 6 is identical to the eighth developer beta.

Related Forum: iOS 12

safaripreviewiconApple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced over two years ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

Safari Technology Preview release 63 includes bug fixes and feature improvements for Dark Mode, Custom Elements, Media, Web Animations, Web API, Accessibility, Web Inspector, Internationalization API, WebGL 2, and SVG.

The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest version of the Mac operating system that’s currently being beta tested by developers. Apple notes that Adobe Flash content does not load on macOS Mojave in Release 63.

The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store (or in System Preferences in Mojave) to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.

Apple will release a new MacBook Air at the end of the third quarter, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce. That lines up with either September or October, depending on how the wording is interpreted.

macbook air high sierra
TrendForce also refers to a new MacBook Pro in future tense, but it is surely referring to the models released in July, when the third quarter began:

The second quarter was the transition period when Apple was preparing for the releases of the upcoming new MacBook devices for the year. TrendForce therefore expects MacBook shipments to again post a large QoQ increase in 3Q18, as Apple will be releasing a new MacBook Pro at the start of the quarter and a new MacBook Air at the end of the quarter.

The report does not provide additional details, but both Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg News reporter Mark Gurman expect Apple to release a new entry-level notebook later this year, and they are two of the more reliable sources as it relates to Apple's upcoming product plans.

TrendForce specifically says it will be a new MacBook Air, but Kuo and Gurman have not identified what branding the notebook will have.

Earlier this year, DigiTimes claimed that Apple will release the first MacBook Air with a Retina display in the second half of 2018, and noted that it will be a 13-inch model in a separate report. This week, it said Quanta will assemble new "inexpensive notebooks" from Apple in the fourth quarter.

Whether it turns out to be a MacBook, MacBook Air, or something else, Gurman expects at least one of the entry-level notebooks, if there are more than one, to have a starting price of $999 or less in the United States.

The current MacBook Air hasn't seen any substantial updates in over three years. Since that time, Apple has discontinued the 11-inch model, while the processor on the base 13-inch model received a minor bump in clock speed, but it's still a Broadwell chip from the 2014–2015 timeframe.

Apple could announce availability of a new MacBook Air via press release at any point this fall, or save it for a September or October event. At this point, we lean towards an October release, as the September event should be busy, with a trio of new iPhones, Apple Watch Series 4 models, new AirPods, and more.

With refreshes to other Macs expected later this year, including the iMac and Mac mini, and a widely expected iPad Pro with Face ID, Apple may have enough in its pipeline for an October event, which it last held in 2016.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

T-Mobile held a press conference today announcing a new "Team of Experts" service, which is the company's next "Un-carrier" move that's taking aim at the poor customer service performance of rivals like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon. During the hour-long conference, T-Mobile CEO John Legere and EVP of Customer Care Callie Field explained that customer service is "the biggest pain point" in the telecom industry today.

Team of Experts aims to nullify that customer frustration by introducing a tight-knit team that is dedicated solely to each individual user, and others in their city, with no robots or automated phone menus to navigate around. The company hopes to make Team of Experts feel more personal than traditional customer service, and even allows you to see a photo of your team in the T-Mobile iOS app.

iphone x t mobile When you call or message T-Mobile, the company will put you straight through to a member of your team. If you open an issue and have to contact T-Mobile again, the same team will still be covering the matter, making it easy to keep track of ongoing service requests and fixes.

“Team of Experts isn’t just better customer service. It’s an entirely new way of thinking about customers … one that puts your happiness at the center of everything we do,” said Callie Field, EVP of Customer Care at T-Mobile. “Some brands attempt to give high-dollar customers the kind of treatment we give everyone with Team of Experts. Because at T-Mobile, we think just being our customer makes you a rock star. Team of Experts is ‘one percenter’ treatment for the rest of us!”

Team of Experts will be available 24/7, and you can schedule calls to let the team know when you're available. In the future, T-Mobile will also support Alexa and Google Assistant prompts that can set up Team of Experts calls.


Notably, the new customer service feature is also launching with asynchronous messaging for all T-Mobile customers in both the T-Mobile app and in Apple's Messages app thanks to Business Chat. This means you can easily launch Messages on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, text your Team of Experts with an issue, and let them get to work on it, all without having to call.

Team of Experts is live beginning today for T-Mobile postpaid customers as a free addition to their accounts. The company says that the best way to reach the team via phone call is to dial 611 from a T-Mobile phone.

The company also had a few music-related announcements, including the reveal that T-Mobile customers will get a free subscription to Pandora Plus for an entire year. Users will be able to get a code to unlock their free Pandora Plus subscription in the T-Mobile Tuesdays iOS and Android app on August 28.

T-Mobile is also partnering with Live Nation so that T-Mobile customers can get last-minute reserved tickets to sold out shows "at first day prices." On LiveNation.com, users will be able to look for a T-Mobile Reserved Seats icon starting 30 days before select shows, confirm their T-Mobile account, and get access to the event. Discounted tickets will also be available starting August 21 in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app for concerts including Charlie Puth, Wiz Khalifa, and more.

There was no mention of T-Mobile's upcoming OTT streaming television service during today's press conference, which is supposed to launch in 2018.

If you've ever wanted to snuggle with your Apple devices, Throwboy has a new Kickstarter project that may be of interest. The new Iconic Pillow Collection includes a selection of plushy pillows that have been designed to look like Apple products.

The collection includes five pillows meant to mimic the Apple II, released in 1977; the first Macintosh, released in 1984; the iMac G3, which was released in 1998 and also happens to be celebrating its 20th anniversary today; the iPod, released in 2001; and the iPhone, released in 2007.

iconicpillowcollection1
Each of the five pillows features embroidery and design details to make it look like the product it's designed after. The 1984 pillow, for example, has a rainbow logo (not an Apple logo, for trademark reasons), a floppy disk drive, and vents at the sides.

iconicpillowcollection4
The 2001 iPod pillow features the iPod's two-toned body, a click wheel, and a screen, while the iPhone includes a Home button, speaker, and the silver and black color scheme from the original device.

iconicpillowcollection3
According to Throwboy, all of its pillows are made from ultra-soft 100 percent vegan fine grain plush, with careful embroidery, woven and silk screen labels, and a poly fiber filling. Each pillow measures approximately 13 x 5 x 13 inches and weighs just about a pound.

The first backers can get a single Iconic Pillow of their choice for $27, after which prices will go up to $33. Pricing on two pillows starts at $54 for early backers, while all five can be purchased by the first backers for $135.

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Specific pricing for each tier is available on the Kickstarter project site, and pricing will vary after early bird rewards run out.

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Throwboy plans to begin shipping the first of the pillows out in January 2019. While Kickstarter project shipping dates are often delayed, Throwboy is an established company that's been making quirky pillows for a decade, so it's likely that's a reasonable shipping timeline.

Update: Given the strong interest in the Iconic Pillow Collection, Throwboy has added a new pillow representing the well-known Mac beach ball, aka the spinning wheel of death. It can be purchased for $20 alongside any other Iconic pillow.

Nissan today announced that the 2019 Sentra, excluding the base Sentra S model, features standard CarPlay and Android Auto.

2019 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 10
This is the first model year of the Sentra with CarPlay, following in the footsteps of the 2017 and newer Maxima, 2017 and newer Micra, 2017 and newer Murano, 2018 GT-R, 2018 Kicks, 2018 LEAF, 2018 Rogue, and 2019 Altima.

CarPlay enables iPhone users to access a range of apps from the NissanConnect infotainment system, including Messages, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Radio, Pandora, WhatsApp, Downcast, Slacker Radio, Stitcher, and, starting with iOS 12, Google Maps and Waze.

The 2019 Sentra is on sale now at Nissan dealerships across the United States, with CarPlay-enabled packages starting at $19,090.

Related Roundup: CarPlay
Tag: Nissan

Apple Maps has been updated with indoor maps of at least 18 shopping malls in several Canadian cities and suburbs, including Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Montréal, Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Dieppe, New Brunswick.

indoor maps canada malls
Nearly all of the shopping malls are Cadillac Fairview properties, with the sole exception being Square One in Mississauga:

  • Galeries D'Anjou in Montréal

  • Carrefour Laval in Laval

  • Promenades St-Bruno in Saint-Bruno

  • Fairview Pointe Claire in Pointe-Claire

  • Rideau Centre in Ottawa

  • Markville in Markham

  • Shops at Don Mills in Toronto

  • Fairview Mall in Toronto

  • Sherway Gardens in Toronto

  • Square One in Mississauga

  • Lime Ridge in Hamilton

  • Fairview Park in Kitchener

  • Masonville Place in London

  • Polo Park in Winnipeg

  • Chinook Centre in Calgary

  • Market Mall in Calgary

  • Richmond Centre in Richmond

  • Champlain Place in Dieppe, New Brunswick

Apple has yet to add indoor maps for the Eaton Centre in Toronto and the Pacific Centre in Vancouver, two of the biggest Cadillac Fairview malls. Two other notable exclusions are Yorkdale in Toronto and the Centre Eaton de Montréal.

Apple launched indoor maps at select airports and shopping malls in 2017, with a list of locations available on its iOS Feature Availability page. To view an indoor map, open the Apple Maps app on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 11 or later, search for a supported location, zoom in, and tap on "Look Inside" if necessary.

Indoor maps at shopping malls make it easier to find the exact location of stores, restaurants, and restrooms on each floor, in addition to guest services, parking, escalators, stairs, and so forth. Or, swipe up on the place card to browse by category, such as clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty, food, and drinks.

Likewise, at airports, Apple Maps users can zoom in to view terminals, boarding gates, security checkpoints, airline check-in desks, baggage claim carousels, information kiosks, restrooms, stores, restaurants, parking, and more.

Twitch, the platform known as a place to watch streamers play games like League of Legends, Fortnite, and Overwatch, is now looking into becoming a "broader video service" that would cater to lifestyle vloggers from rival company YouTube.

According to a report today by Bloomberg, Amazon-owned Twitch has decided to "aggressively broaden" the programming on the platform to directly compete with YouTube, and gain more advertising revenue in the process. Amazon and Twitch have reportedly pursued exclusive live-streaming deals with "dozens" of popular media companies and personalities who are currently on YouTube.

iphone x twitch app
These deals are said to be worth "as much as a few million dollars a year," and include a share of future advertising sales and subscription revenue. "A few deals have closed," although some approached by Twitch have not agreed to the company's terms, including a minimum amount of hours required to livestream per week.

Despite Twitch's plans to add more non-gaming programming, the company is still focusing on live streaming video.

“There will be a steady drumbeat of lots of new content we’re bringing on,” says Michael Aragon, Twitch Interactive Inc.’s senior vice president of content. “We’re growing well, and that makes us an attractive destination for people looking to do new things in live, interactive entertainment.”

When Amazon bought Twitch in 2014, the live streaming service was exclusively focused on video games and didn't let anyone post videos that weren't related to gaming. In recent years, Amazon slightly expanded the scope of the platform with "Twitch Creative," encouraging non-gamers like chefs and artists to stream on Twitch. There have also been marathons of old Saturday Night Live episodes and some live sports.

Despite this introduction of new content, Twitch is still primarily video game-focused today. When browsing the Discover tab on iOS, popular live gaming streams, gaming channels, game clips, and more fill up the space. While Twitch will retain all of the live-streaming features and community of gamers it currently has, today's report suggests that users can expect to see more non-gaming streams in this area down the line.

This "broader video service" expansion appears to have gained even more momentum recently, as Twitch looks to bring people to its platform who might be more susceptible to advertising. As it stands, Twitch's target audience of young male gamers "tend to be resistant to ads." Justin Warden, CEO of e-sports marketing agency Ader Inc., explained that "few brands are excited about reaching an audience of hardcore gamers," but there is interest for "working with an influencer or personality."

YouTube has been losing favor in the creator community for a few years now, most recently causing controversy in May by testing a non-chronological video order in the user's subscription feed. In January, YouTube and Google announced new rules surrounding creator monetization and partnerships, particularly de-monetizing videos that have controversial or inappropriate content. This caused many YouTubers to consider lessening their focus on the platform and look into supplementing their income with other services like Twitch.

Feral has announced that the iPhone version of ROME: Total War will be released on August 23. The acclaimed historical strategy game made its way to iPad in November 2016, and has since been redesigned for an even more mobile experience.

Rome Total War iphone

ROME: Total War on iPhone

ROME: Total War seamlessly blends conquest and politics on a massive scale as it challenges players to build and rule the ancient world’s greatest empire over three hundred years, from the late Roman Republic to the early Roman Empire. Players will deploy strategy and tactics in spectacular real-time battles, and use diplomacy, subterfuge and assassination to smooth the path to ultimate victory in huge turn-based campaigns.

The upcoming version includes a suite of features tailored specifically for iPhone, from a redesigned user interface to enhanced touch controls. Feral says the game will make full use of the latest version of Apple's Metal API for improved performance, enhanced graphics, and reduced battery usage.


ROME: Total War will require an iPhone 5S or later, iOS 11, and 4GB of free space to install. The full list of supported iPhones is below:

  • iPhone 8 plus
  • iPhone 7 plus
  • iPhone 6s plus
  • iPhone 6 plus
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 6
  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone SE
  • iPhone 5s
  • iPod Touch (6th generation)

ROME: Total War for iPhone will be available from the App Store for $9.99 as a universal app. That means anyone who previously purchased the game on iPad will be able to install it on their iPhone at no additional cost, and transfer across any existing save files.

Tag: Feral

On August 15, 1998, Apple officially released the first iMac, the candy-colored gumdrop-shaped iMac G3, launching a desktop machine that has continued to be updated and revised over the years.

Designed by Apple design chief Jony Ive, the iMac G3 was unique among computers at the time for its unusual shape, the use of translucent plastics that allowed the internals to be visible, and the bright colors that Apple adopted.

iMac G3
"This is iMac. The whole thing is translucent. You can see into it. It's so cool," said Jobs when introducing the iMac G3.

Apple's first iMac, which sold for $1,299 at launch, came equipped with a 233 - 700MHz PowerPC 750 G3 processor, 4GB of storage, a 15-inch CRT, a CD-ROM drive, and an ATI graphics card, components that don't sound impressive today but made for a powerful, well-rounded machine, that, in combination with the design, made the iMac a best seller.


At launch, and in the years following its release, Apple released the iMac G3 in a slew of shades that include the famous Bondi Blue, Blueberry, Grape, Graphite, Indigo, Lime, Sage, Strawberry, Ruby, Snow, Tangerine, and two patterned colors, Blue Dalmatian and Flower Power.

If you live near Michigan, all 13 colors of the original iMac G3 are on display at the Henry Ford Museum in a popup collection called "Looking Through Things," which has been introduced in celebration of the iMac's anniversary.

hello again imac
The iMac G3 was introduced just a year after Steve Jobs returned to lead Apple, and it came at a time when the company was still struggling and trying to find its footing. By 1999, Apple saw its first quarter profits more than triple, with the jump attributed to sales of the new iMac.

Apple in May celebrated the anniversary of the debut of the iMac G3, which, while launched in August, was first introduced by Jobs in May 1998.


Since the iMac G3's 1998 debut, Apple has introduced several revisions to the desktop machine, launching design revisions in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2015.

imac timeline
Today, the iMac is available in 21.5 and 27-inch size options, with 4K and 5K Retina displays, respectively. Kaby Lake chips, AMD graphics, and super fast SSDs are included.

imacs 2017
We also have an iMac Pro, a workstation class machine aimed at Apple's professional users with a unique Space Gray body, Xeon processors with up to 18 cores, Radeon Pro Vega graphics, and up to 4TB of SSD storage.

macosmojaveimac
We're still expecting refreshed iMac models in 2018. There's no word on when the next design change is coming, but in 2018, Apple is expected to add 8th-generation Coffee Lake chips and other internal improvements that make a great desktop machine even better.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iMac

Apple will earn its two trillion dollar market cap through its services business, an augmented reality headset, and an Apple Car, according to reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who now works for TF International Securities and today sent out a new note for investors outlining products that he expects to see in Apple's future.

According to Kuo, Apple will launch an Apple Car sometime between 2023 and 2025, with the car set to be positioned as "the next star product." Kuo foresees the Apple Car revolutionizing the automobile market much as the iPhone did back in 2007.

kuoapplecar
Kuo believes there are "huge replacement demands" in the auto sector because it's in the process of being redefined with new technologies. Apple's technology advances, such its work in augmented reality, would redefine cars and "differentiate the Apple Car from peers’ products."

Apple, says Kuo, can do "better integration of hardware, software and services" than current competitors in the consumer electronics sector and potential competitors in the auto sector. Apple's services category will also grow significantly through its entrance into the "huge car finance market" after Apple launches the Apple Car.

We expect that Apple Car, which will likely be launched in 2023–2025, will be the next star product. The reasons for this are as follows: (1) Potentially huge replacement demands are emerging in the auto sector because it is being redefined by new technologies. The case is the same as the smartphone sector 10 years ago; (2) Apple’s leading technology advantages (e.g. AR) would redefine cars and differentiate Apple Car from peers’ products; (3) Apple’s service will grow significantly by entering the huge car finance market via Apple Car, and (4) Apple can do a better integration of hardware, software, and service than current competitors in the consumer electronics sector and potential competitors in the auto sector.

Kuo's suggestion that Apple is planning to launch a full Apple Car is interesting, because rumors have suggested that while that was Apple's initial plan, focus has since shifted to autonomous driving software for cars rather than an Apple-branded and designed vehicle.

Work on Project Titan, Apple's autonomous vehicle program, has been ongoing since 2014, but it was said to be plagued with leadership issues, internal strife, and other problems, with Apple opting to shelve the idea of a car for the foreseeable future.

Hundreds of employees were laid off and leadership was transferred to Bob Mansfield, who transitioned the team's work to an autonomous driving system that could allow Apple to partner with existing car manufacturers. Apple has been testing and developing its autonomous driving software out on the streets of Cupertino in Lexus SUVs outfitted with autonomous driving equipment since early 2017.

Some recent hirings, including that of Doug Fields, who spent five years as Tesla's lead engineer, have, however, led to speculation that Apple may be reconsidering the idea of building its own vehicle. If Kuo is correct, Apple's current autonomous software research could be built into an actual Apple-branded car at some point.

Prior to when the project was shelved, Apple was said to be developing a self-driving electric vehicle. Apple early on met with manufacturers like Magna Steyr and BMW, and explored a range of technologies, including silent motorized doors, car interiors sans steering wheel or gas pedals, augmented reality displays, an improved LIDAR sensor that protrudes less from the top of a car, and spherical wheels, but it's not clear if any of these concepts will be revisited if the car project has indeed shifted back to a full car.

Kuo did not share additional information on the Apple Car project beyond a prospective launch date, but he did also comment on the future of AR, another market where he expects Apple to see significant revenue growth in the future.

Kuo believes that Apple is planning to introduce AR glasses in 2020, expanding on its existing augmented reality market. AR, says Kuo, is the "next-generation revolutionary UI," with Apple planning to redefine the UIs of its existing products by offering an AR experience created by the augmented reality glasses that are rumored to be in the works.

Multiple past rumors have suggested Apple is experimenting with a variety of AR and VR headsets, and augmented reality smart glasses seem to be one of the most persistent rumors. The smart glasses are said to include a dedicated display, a built-in processor, and a new "rOS" or reality operating system based on iOS.

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