Apple is investigating dozens of cases of fraudulent iTunes account charges in Singapore, according to local news reports over the weekend.
Channel News Asia spoke to two people in the Southeast Asian country who said they had both lost several thousand dollars through fraudulent transactions processed through their iTunes accounts.
Apple Orchard Road in Singapore (Image via Strait Times)
Two people told Channel NewsAsia that they lost at least S$7,000 each to iTunes purchases with one saying she was billed on her HSBC credit card. She added that she only realised something was amiss when she received a text message from HSBC that she had less than 30 per cent of her credit limit left. She realised the extent of the issue after speaking to a customer service operator.
The affected customers had reportedly been banking with Singapore banks including UOB, DBS, and Oversea-Chines Banking Corporation (OCBC). OCBC alone confirmed 58 similar cases of fraudulent charges.
One iTunes user who banked with DBS also told Channel News Asia that six fraudulent transactions had "completely wiped out" their account. As a result of the cases, UOB said that it was stepping up monitoring of all iTunes spending over recent weeks due to increase in cases of fraudulent activity.
Apple Singapore told the news organization that it is looking into the charges and had already cancelled many of the transactions identified as fraudulent. We'll update this article if we hear more.
A new HomePod firmware update due to be released in the fall could include some significant new features for Apple's smart speaker.
French tech blog iGeneration reports that a beta version of the software currently in internal testing enables HomePod users to make calls and answer them, ask Siri to Find My iPhone, and set multiple timers on the device.
Currently, HomePod owners who want to use the built-in speakerphone feature must make or receive a call on their iPhone and then switch the audio output to the HomePod when the call connects. With the beta software, however, the HomePod appears to have access to the user's contacts, allowing them to initiate the call directly on the speaker.
In addition to the above, the report suggests HomePod users could soon be able to listen to voicemails and search their call history over the speaker. Improvements to Siri's general knowledge are also hinted at, including specific enhancements to the virtual assistant's food and nutrition knowledge base.
Lastly, the report mentions a new Wi-Fi feature that appears to allow HomePod users to switch the speaker to another wireless network as long as a paired iPhone knows the password. As it stands, users can only choose which network to connect their HomePod to during the initial setup.
As with all beta software, these features may be changed, delayed, or removed completely by the time the firmware is officially released.
The last software update for HomePod came with iOS 11.4.1, but it was limited to stability and quality improvements. We'll know more about what's in store for HomePod in September or October, when Apple releases iOS 12, along with watchOS 5, tvOS 12, and macOS Mojave.
In 2016, when Apple introduced the first MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models, the repair experts at iFixit discovered the notebooks have non-removable SSDs, soldered to the logic board, prompting concerns that data recovery would not be possible if the logic board failed. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
Apple has a special tool for 2016 and 2017 models of the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar that allows Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers to recover user data when the logic board fails, but the SSD is still intact.
The tool is essentially a little black box that is able to transfer data from a failed logic board to a functioning MacBook Pro. The box has a flex cable that connects to a data recovery port on the failed logic board, while the box and a functioning MacBook Pro are connected via USB-C to USB-C cable.
Apple's internal Customer Data Migration Tool
Once the logic board is placed into a special holder, and all cables are connected, technicians simply power on the functioning MacBook Pro, open Migration Assistant, and proceed with the standard steps for data transfer.
Customer Data Migration Tool connector on 2016 MacBook Pro logic board
While not fail-proof, the tool is a convenient, last-ditch option for data recovery when a MacBook Pro's logic board goes kaput. But, unfortunately, it appears the tool will not work with the latest models.
Last week, iFixit completed a teardown of the 2018 MacBook Pro, discovering that Apple has removed the data recovery connector from the logic board on both 13-inch and 15-inch models with the Touch Bar, suggesting that the Customer Data Migration Tool can no longer be connected.
MacRumors contacted multiple reliable sources at Apple Authorized Service Providers to learn more, and based on the information we obtained, it does appear that the tool is incompatible with 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models.
Multiple sources claim that data cannot be recovered if the logic board has failed on a 2018 MacBook Pro. If the notebook is still functioning, data can be transferred to another Mac by booting the system in Target Disk Mode, and using Migration Assistant, which is the standard process that relies on Thunderbolt 3 ports.
The data recovery port was likely removed because 2018 MacBook Pro models feature Apple's custom T2 chip, which provides hardware encryption for the SSD storage, like the iMac Pro, our sources said.
Apple's internal 2018 MacBook Pro Service Readiness Guide, obtained by MacRumors, advises technicians to encourage customers to back up to Time Machine frequently, and we highly recommend following this advice, as it now appears to be the only way to preserve your data in the rare event your MacBook Pro fails.
MacRumors also confirmed that Apple's internal document for its Customer Data Migration Tool has not been updated to reflect use with the 2018 MacBook Pro, and nothing else we've seen outlines any alternative solutions.
While it appears Apple itself is unable to recover data from failed 2018 MacBook Pros, the Service Readiness Guide does state that customers can consult with data recovery specialist companies, such as DriveSavers, Knoll, Seagate, and Payam, but it's unclear how they might be able to help.
Update: MacRumors has received the following statement from Mike Cobb, DriveSavers Director of Engineering:
None of the changes mentioned in the iFixit article regarding the MacBook Pro 2018 have had any affect our ability to recover data for our customers. This is due to our advanced capabilities in addressing the logic board. DriveSavers has been very successful in recovering data from the 2018 model as well as all others. It is worth noting that customers need to send us the whole device to complete the data recovery service.
We've reached out to Apple for clarification. If we receive any information, we'll update this article accordingly.
Apple announced that it will be hosting a HomePod live event in its Support Communities on Wednesday, July 25, providing customers with an opportunity to ask Apple support representatives questions about the Siri-enabled speaker.
Specialists will be on hand between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Pacific Time, answering questions about a variety of topics in real time:
Discover how to make HomePod your own: use AirPlay 2, create a stereo pair, personalize your setup and settings, ask Siri, and more. During this live event, Apple HomePod Specialists will be available to help you get the most from your HomePod.
To participate in the event when it goes live, head to the HomePod Community on the Apple Support Communities, sign in to or create an Apple ID account, click Post > Discussion in the upper-right corner, and submit a question.
Specialists already monitor the Apple Support Communities, and occasionally answer questions, but this event should lead to faster answers.
In iOS 12, Apple has introduced new notification features, providing an expanded set of tools for monitoring and managing notifications in quicker and more intuitive ways.
There have been no changes to the way that Notifications work on the whole, but many of these features make it easier to clear notifications, determine which notifications you want, and make adjustments on the fly.
iPhone and iPad owners have been asking for the return of grouped notifications for years, and in iOS 12, Apple delivered.
Multiple notifications from the same app will be grouped together on the Lock screen of the iPhone, cutting down on clutter. You can tap a set of notifications from a particular app to expand them to see all of the notifications in the list.
You can tap on the "X" next to a notification group to clear all of those notifications at one time, or do the same thing with a swipe to the left.
In the Settings app, you can change the behavior of grouped notifications. Go to Settings > Notifications and tap on any app to see the "Notification Grouping" preferences. Tap that to choose "Automatic," "By App," or "Off" if you'd rather see all of the incoming notifications for a particular app like Messages.
Automatic sorts by app for the most part, but with this setting enabled, you might get two notification groups if you have email threads going with two different people in the Mail app, or multiple conversations in Messages, for example. Or different incoming Messages conversations.
By App will make sure all notifications from an app are in one stack, without the sorting that Automatic mode uses.
Instant Tuning
Instant Tuning is a feature that lets you manage a pesky notification right on the Lock screen, giving you the tools to turn notifications for that app off entirely or send notifications right to the Notification Center.
On any notification that's on the Lock screen or in the Notification Center when you swipe down, swipe left on a notification to see settings that include "Manage," "View," and "Clear All."
Select "Manage" from this list to see Instant Tuning options. Notifications set to "Deliver Quietly" will be visible in Notification Center, but you won't see them on the Lock screen, there will be no banner, and there won't be a badge.
To reverse this, tap on a notification from the muted app again, follow the same instructions, and choose "Deliver Prominently." Notification settings can also be changed in the Settings app, also accessible from the Instant Tuning popup. Turn Off, as the name suggests, turns off notifications for that app entirely.
You can also get to your Instant Tuning settings by 3D Touching or long pressing on any notification and selecting the three ellipses. For more details on using Instant Tuning, make sure to check out our detailed how to.
Note: In iOS 12, Apple will send you alerts asking you if you would like to continue receiving notifications from a particular app if you've been getting a lot of notifications and haven't been interacting with them. When this happens, the alert will feature a "Manage" section so you can access your Instant Tuning settings for that particular app.
Critical Alerts
Critical Alerts are a new type of opt-in notification in iOS 12 that can ignore your Do Not Disturb settings to send important must-see notifications.
These alerts are limited in scope and are available for medical and health related information, home security, and public safety. For example, a person who is diabetic might want to set critical alerts for a glucose monitor when blood sugar is low, so the notification will be delivered even if Do Not Disturb is turned on.
Critical alerts bypass Do Not Disturb and the ringer switch, and will always play a sound. They are meant to be disruptive and for that reason, are going to be highly limited to apps that need these kinds of immediate alerts.
Developers with apps appropriate for critical alerts will need to apply for an entitlement that needs to be approved by Apple. Users will be able to turn off critical alerts on a per app basis separately from other notifications.
Notification Count in Screen Time
Screen Time, Apple's new feature designed to provide you with the tools to monitor when and how you're using your iOS devices, keeps track of all of the notifications that apps are sending you, letting you know which apps are the noisiest.
This information can help you decide if you want to keep notifications turned on for a particular app, or if you might want to mute an app to cut down on interruptions.
You can get to this section of Screen Time by opening the Settings app, choosing Screen Time, selecting "All Devices," and then scrolling down to the bottom. You can see your notifications from the last 24 hours or the last 7 days.
In iOS 12, app developers can build notifications that are able to accept user input, so you can interact with notifications in new ways, doing more on the Lock screen without having to open up your iPhone.
With Instagram, as an example, if the app sends you a notification that a friend posted, you might be able to view the photo and then add a like all from the notification.
In this example, you can tap the heart to like the photo, something that wasn't possible in iOS 11.
Rich notifications were available in earlier versions of iOS, but Apple has removed the limits that previously restricted interactive touches.
What do you think of the changes to notifications in iOS 12? Are there other notification features you're hoping for in the future? Let us know in the comments.
When Apple launched iPhones without Home buttons, a whole new set of gestures were introduced, changing the way that we were used to interacting with our iPhones.
One of these changes involved the App Switcher and the way open apps are found, with Apple introducing a gesture to reach the App Switcher on devices with a Home button.
How to close an app on iPhone X, XS, XS Max, XR, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, or 12 Pro Max
At the Home screen of the iPhone, or while in an app, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause while still pressing the screen.
When the App Switcher comes up, swipe left and right through the different app cards to find the app that you want to close.
Use a quick swipe upwards to close the app.
Using this gesture exits out of an app and effectively closes it, which is useful if you need to restart an app for some reason. There's generally no need to close your apps to improve performance, though, as Apple has built-in management systems for dealing with all of the apps that you have open on your device.
Most apps that are not active are in a suspended state and are not using up any resources, but some apps can run in the background for a period of time if background refresh is activated.
According to Apple, force quitting an app will not improve your battery life, and it's possible that doing so can actually drain battery because it causes the iPhone to load it all over again.
This giveaway product is a little simpler than many of our other giveaway options, but we have quite a few to provide to MacRumors readers and these power adapters are an essential component for fast charging with the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.
All of Apple's newest devices support fast charging speeds using an 18W+ USB-C power adapter and a USB-C to Lightning cable, which needs to be purchased directly from Apple for $19.
Apple touts fast charging when the aforementioned USB-C to Lightning cable is paired with a MacBook or MacBook Pro adapter, but prices on those start at $49 (for the 30W version), making fast charging prohibitively expensive. At $15 (or even lower, check out the discount below), Choetech's solution is more affordable.
Earlier this year, MacRumorsdid extensive testing on various iPhone charging methods and confirmed that an 18W charger such as this one provides just as much charging power as the official MacBook power adapters.
In fact, this Choetech charger is the exact charger that was used in our testing, and paired with an Apple USB-C to Lightning cable, it charged an iPhone X from 1 percent to 49 percent in 30 minutes, and from 49 percent to 79 percent in another 30 minutes.
Apple's fast charging specification is designed to provide a 50 percent charge in just a half hour, which is successfully achievable with Choetech's 18W power adapter.
This power adapter isn't much to look at with its plain black design and rather prominent logo, but it gets the job done. If you have a Nintendo Switch or a compatible Android smartphone, it also charges those devices at full speeds.
We have 35 of Choetech's 18W power adapters to give away, and Choetech is also providing a significant discount for MacRumors readers. Enter code MACRPD18 at checkout when purchasing from Amazon to drop the price from $15 to $10. This deal will be available until the end of the month.
To enter to win the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (July 20) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 27. The winners will be chosen randomly on July 27 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
The very first Apple Store opened its doors on May 19, 2001, at the Tysons Corner Center shopping mall in McLean, Virginia, near Washington D.C. Now, just over 17 years later, those doors may soon close temporarily.
Apple Tysons Corner
Planning documents filed with the Department of Planning and Zoning in Fairfax County, Virginia this month, viewed by MacRumors, reveal that Apple plans to make significant interior alterations to the store, with demolition work involved, suggesting that the location is set to receive a facelift.
The permits issued don't indicate when renovations will begin, nor is it clear whether Apple will modernize the current store, or relocate to a different area of the shopping mall, as it has done with some of its other stores. An anonymous tipster tells us the store may move to the opposite end of the mall.
Apple Tysons Corner has a lot of nostalgia attached to it, as the company's first-ever retail store. Shortly before it opened to the public, the late Steve Jobs previewed the store to a group of journalists, including Walt Mossberg, introducing iconic features like the Genius Bar that still exist today.
Just months after the dot-com collapse, some critics viewed the Apple Store as a risky move. But, some 500 people lined up at Apple Tysons Corner for its grand opening, foreshadowing the long queues on iPhone launch days.
Together with Apple's store in Glendale, California, which opened the same day, the two locations welcomed over 7,700 people and sold a combined total of $599,000 of merchandise during their first two day weekend, according to Apple's press release at the time. It was considered a resounding success.
Apple Tysons Corner has already received a facelift at least once before, in the 2000s, losing its iconic black entrance with two Apple logos, which remains in use at just three stores: Tice's Corner, Southpoint, and Cherry Creek.
Apple Tysons Corner with its original storefront
Apple has been renovating dozens of its stores around the world since 2015, an initiative led by its design chief Jony Ive and retail chief Angela Ahrendts. The new look often includes wide, open spaces with sequoia wood tables and shelves, large 8K video screens for in-store events, and sometimes indoor trees.
Apple's website does not yet reflect any upcoming store closure at Tysons Corner.
Update: Upon review of further planning documents, it appears the renovations are limited to the store's break room.
Apple Business Chat, which is customer service through iMessage, is expanding to a total of 10 new partners and technology platforms.
Apple on Friday announced that satellite TV provider DISH, concessions operator Aramark, hotel chain Four Seasons, food and gift producer Harry & David, and credit card company American Express are adopting the service.
Here's the rundown from Apple:
Aramark is launching a 10-game pilot of "Brew2You" at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. By scanning a QR code on their seat back, fans in three sections can use Business Chat to order beer or water and have it delivered to their seat.
DISH Network is deploying Business Chat to customers nationwide, to allow them to contact a live agent to ask questions, make account changes, and schedule an appointment. They can also use their credit card on file to order a pay-per-view movie or sporting event.
Four Seasons will enable guests to search for any Four Seasons property and instantly engage Four Seasons Chat, a multi-lingual chat service, helping guests to engage with Four Seasons teams anywhere, at any time, for any need.
Harry & David customers can chat with a gift concierge about a product or service, or ask any other questions they might have.
American Express is kicking off a pilot program for card members to get account information such as their balance, payment due dates, points balance, as well as ask for a card replacement, dispute a charge, get information about their card benefits, and more.
Apple also announced five new technology platforms supporting Business Chat, including Cisco, eGain, Kipsu, Lithium, and Quiq, that businesses can integrate with to handle routing of inbound communications and so forth.
Apple Business Chat also powered the official concierge service for Cannes Lions in June, with LivePerson.
Apple Business Chat launched in iOS 11.3 in March, enabling iPhone and iPad users to ask for information, schedule appointments, make purchases, and complete other customer service tasks directly in the Messages app.
Other companies using Business Chat include Apple itself, Discover, Hilton, The Home Depot, Lowe's, Marriott, Newegg, T-Mobile, Ameritrade, Wells Fargo, and 1-800-Flowers. Apple says it has seen "strong interest" in the service.
Business Chats must be initiated on an iPhone or iPad, but they can be continued on any other iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch signed into the same Apple ID. You can start a conversation by searching for a business in Maps, Safari, Siri, or Search and tapping on the Messages bubble where available.
Samsung has expanded upon its "Ingenius" ad campaign with three new videos titled Dongle, Fast Charger, and Camera.
In each of the videos, Samsung depicts an Apple Store employee having a conversation with a customer, attempting to justify the iPhone compared to the Galaxy S9, as it relates to the camera, dongles, and more.
In the first ad, a customer asks if he can use his wired headphones with the iPhone X, and the Genius informs him that he will need a dongle. The customer then inquires about charging at the same time, and the Genius says he'll need another dongle. The customer then says, "so, a double dongle."
For what it's worth, rumors suggest Apple will include a faster 18W charger in the box with its upcoming 2018 iPhones.
In the second ad, which has the same format, a customer asks if the iPhone X comes with a fast charger, like the Galaxy S9 does. The employee says no, informing her that she can purchase a Lightning to USB-C cable, along with a USB-C power adapter, for fast charging. The customer has a puzzled reaction.
The ads don't even try to hide the fact that it's supposed to be an Apple Store, and are a clear jab at "Geniuses." Samsung has repeatedlytried to mock Apple and the iPhone, though, so this is par for course for them.
Earlier this week, the repair experts at iFixit opened up the 2018 MacBook Pro, uncovering Intel's new JHL7540 Thunderbolt 3 controller, introduced earlier this year as part of its "Titan Ridge" family.
While the specifications for the JHL7540 lists compatibility with DisplayPort 1.4 on Intel's product database, it's not as clear-cut as it sounds, as support also relies on graphics, which vary by MacBook Pro model.
MacRumors reached out to Apple for clarification. Here's what we learned:
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models support DisplayPort at High-Bit Rate 3 (HBR3), a signal standard of both DisplayPort 1.3 and DisplayPort 1.4. Apple says the dedicated Radeon Pro graphics can drive up to two 5K displays at 60Hz, each over a single stream.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models support DisplayPort at High-Bit Rate 2 (HBR2), a signal standard of DisplayPort 1.2. This is a limitation of the Iris Plus Graphics 655 in these models, as Intel's integrated GPUs do not support DisplayPort 1.4.
What that means:
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro theoretically supports DisplayPort 1.4, which Apple confirmed, but at least for now, it still can't drive an 8K display. It could be possible with VESA's lossless Display Stream Compression standard, perhaps, but it's unclear if this can be enabled down the road.
For now, then, the new 13-inch and 15-inch models have the same compatibility with external displays as the previous-generation MacBook Pro: up to two 5K displays or up to four 4K displays on the 15-inch model, and up to one 5K display or up to two 4K displays on the 13-inch model.
For comparison, 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models are equipped with Intel's JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controller, which supports DisplayPort 1.2.
Uber this week announced a partnership with startup "Cargo," which aims to increase the wages of rideshare drivers by providing them with small containers filled with goods that riders can buy during their trips (via TechCrunch). Despite the new partnership with Uber, Cargo will still support drivers of other ridesharing apps.
Cargo works by providing drivers with a free Cargo box filled with free products and free shipping on all product replenishments, as long as the driver has at least a 4.7 rating. When the rider gets in the car, they can browse which items are in their driver's Cargo box by opening the Cargo mobile site, add the products to their cart, and checkout on their smartphone.
Payment methods supported include all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Android Pay, Venmo, and Paypal.
“It’s always a pleasant surprise when you’re in an Uber and the driver offers you a bottle of water or a piece of gum, but up to this point these perks have usually been on the driver’s dime,” said Keith Hensley, Business Development Lead, Uber. “Cargo took note of this and created an innovative model that aims to bring new value to riders and drivers. We’re looking forward to working with Cargo to develop and scale in a way that makes the most sense for our customers.”
When complete, drivers earn $1 per order and average $100 earnings per month, according to the company. Since its launch last summer, about 7,000 rideshare drivers have made more than $1 million with Cargo. On an annual basis, drivers earn an average of $1,200/year, and the top 10 percent of drivers make $3,600/year in income.
Items in Cargo boxes include energy bars, gum, mints, various snacks, beauty items, beverages, electronics like earbuds and small phone chargers, and free samples of many of these products. Riders will still have to leave the Uber app to pay for Cargo items by visiting the mobile site (which they can do by scanning the QR code on their driver's Cargo box), but Uber says it "envisions" integrating Cargo into its own app down the road.
The partnership with Uber is beginning first in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where Uber drivers can pick up a Cargo box at one of Uber's driver support locations. Following the initial rollout, Uber says it hopes to continue expanding support for Cargo in more cities.
The latest proposed U.S. tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods name Apple Watch and other activity trackers assembled in China, according to government rulings. Reuters reports the latest rulings list names the original Apple Watch, Fitbit Charge, Charge HR and Surge models, and Sonos Play:3, Play:5 and SUB speakers.
If the list goes into effect this fall following its public comment period, affected companies could face a 10 percent tariff and could consider passing the cost onto the consumer. However, Apple discontinued the original first-generation Apple Watch in September 2016 when it released the Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2, so the proposed tariff makes little practicable difference to Apple.
It is possible that the products from Apple, Fitbit and Sonos no longer fall under tariff codes in the $200 billion list, trade experts said. The codes applied to specific products are only public knowledge because their makers asked regulators to rule on their proper classification. And some of the products have been replaced by newer models that could be classified differently.
Nevertheless, while smartphones and computers have so far avoided the threat of import duties, the rulings show that technology companies aren't completely immune to the tariffs, which could end up hitting a range of smaller product lines.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials have decided the devices listed above fall under the subheading "data transmission machines", one of more than 6,000 codes in the most recent round of proposed tariffs released in early July.
All three companies declined to comment on the proposed tariff list, but in its recent IPO filing, Sonos claimed that the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory trade measures could require it to raise prices.
As for Apple, The New York Times recently reported that during a meeting in May, President Trump told CEO Tim Cook the U.S. government would not levy tariffs on iPhones assembled in China. No mention was made of other product categories, however.
If companies have products whose tariff codes are on the list, they have three options, experts said: Advocate to get the code dropped from the list during the public comment period, apply for an exclusion once tariffs go into effect, or try to have their products classified under a different code not on the list.
Apple includes the Apple Watch in its "Other Products" category in an effort to keep its competitors from getting a detailed look at its shipments, so research firms look for clues in Apple's earnings reports to estimate shipments.
Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimates that the Apple Watch will bring Apple $9.9 billion in sales this year, although that estimate includes sales outside the U.S. that wouldn't be affected by tariffs.
Apple Watch saw its best quarter ever in Q1 2018, with the new Series 3 models selling at twice the volume of the Series 2 models last year. In his last earnings call, Tim Cook said Apple's wearables business – which includes AirPods, Beats, and Apple Watch – is the size of a "Fortune 300" company, with revenue up almost 50 percent.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
WhatsApp says it is limiting the ability to forward messages to multiple chats at once in an attempt to reduce the spread of spam and misinformation.
The news follows WhatsApp's recent decision to add labels that indicate to users that a message has been forwarded.
The change was announced by the company in a blog post that specifically mentions India, where the spreading of fake messages over the chat platform has reportedly incited lynchings.
Today, we're launching a test to limit forwarding that will apply to everyone using WhatsApp. In India - where people forward more messages, photos, and videos than any other country in the world - we'll also test a lower limit of 5 chats at once and we'll remove the quick forward button next to media messages.
We believe that these changes — which we'll continue to evaluate — will help keep WhatsApp the way it was designed to be: a private messaging app.
WhatsApp's wording suggests the limit is a test, however a spokesperson told Recode that the company was "horrified" by the violence in India, and that it had announced several changes to help address the issues.
On Thursday, the BBC reported on one incident in India that left one man dead and two others severely injured after false rumors went viral on WhatsApp that they had tried to abduct children. It's the latest in a series of viral message-related crimes in the country that has resulted in 12 dead over the last month.
Popular third-party password manager 1Password received an update today that takes the iOS app to version 7.1 and introduces Markdown support in secure notes, stickers for Messages, and a couple of notable fixes.
Following on from the Mac version updated in May, 1Password for iOS now lets you create rich secure notes that can include headers, bold and italic text, lists, tappable links, and more.
Also in this version is a collection of 1Password stickers for users to enliven their chat threads in the Messages app.
Several lingering bugs have been squashed in version 7.1, but two stand out: Searches no longer return broken or incorrect results, and creating a new item no longer causes 1Password to become unresponsive.
Elsewhere, an issue where search borked when vault items where syncing has been resolved, and occasional crashes when users add new items should no longer occur.
Lastly, the developers have updated all text in the app to make it more consistent, and improved the rendering of template icons in list and detail views.
1Password for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but there is an in-app fee to access the service. A standard 1Password account is priced at $3.99 per month and a multi-user family account is priced at $6.99 per month. [Direct Link]
Each year, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) highlights the best photographs captured with an iPhone over the course of the year. This year's winners were announced yesterday, with the winning photographs selected from thousands of entries submitted by iPhone photographers from more than 140 countries.
The Grand Prize Photographer of the Year Award went to Jashim Salam, who submitted a photograph called "Displaced," captured in Bangladesh.
The first place award went to Alexandre Weber for his shot of a woman wearing a colorful skirt in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, while second place went to Huapeng Zhao for a photograph of a boy with a fish.
Along with the overall winners, IPPA also chooses winning photographs from a range of categories that include abstract, animals, architecture, children, floral, landscape, lifestyle, nature, news-events, other, panorama, people, portrait, series, still life, sunset, travel, and trees.
Winning photographs from the sunset (left) and floral (right) categories
Apple CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter this evening to congratulate the award winners.
Apple's iPhones are popular photography tools, and Apple has maintained a long running "Shot on iPhone" ad campaign to showcase photos and videos captured with the iPhone. IPPA award winning photos were captured using a range of devices, from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone X.
Instagram today announced the launch of a new feature that's designed to let you know when your friends are active on the social network. When a friend is online, their profile picture will be accented with a green dot in various places within the app.
You'll see the green dot in the Direct inbox and in your friends list when you share a post from the feed. Dots will be displayed for friends who follow you or people you have previously spoken to in Direct.
If desired, you can hide your own status and turn off the ability to see when your friends are active in the settings section of the Instagram app.
Instagram says this new update is meant to make it easier to connect with friends over direct messages for more realtime conversations. The dots are rolling out to Instagram users today.
Instagram can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple today launched a new Apple Pay promotion called Summertime Savings, offering a range of discounts on Apple Pay purchases made within select apps or on select websites from July 19 to August 1.
Participating companies include Fandango, Groupon, Grubhub, Hotels.com, Houzz, and more, with a full list of discounts below:
StubHub: $10 off purchases of $100 or more in the StubHub app
To get these discounts, customers will need to use Apple Pay as the payment method when making a purchase within a participating app or on a participating website using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac that works with Apple Pay.
There may be additional restrictions with these offers, which are outlined by Apple's partners when redeeming a deal. The discounts will be available through August 1.
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