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Apple Music Updates 'Browse' Tab With New Themed Sections

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Apple Music recently updated the New Music section of the "Browse" tab with a small refresh that highlights an assortment of different playlists from various musical genres. Apple sometimes pushes silent updates to ‌Apple Music‌, like last summer when it added a "Coming Soon" section, more specific launch dates for albums, and updated artist profiles.

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Now, in the central Browse tab of ‌Apple Music‌, you'll find Apple's "Daily Top 100" playlist featured prominently at the top of the section, just below the traditional carousel of new music. These Global Top 100 playlists launched last September and have been available to listen to by navigating to Browse, scrolling down, and finding the Top Charts area. Now, they're much easier to find right at the top of Browse.

The section under Daily Top 100 is "Weekend Warrior," a list of pop, dance, hip-hop, country, and more music all centered around celebrating the weekend. Just like the Daily Top 100, these playlists have all been available in ‌Apple Music‌ before, but the service's organization and presentation of them is new. Slightly lower in Browse you can now find an area that features "Just Updated" playlists across genres and moods.

apple music march update iphone
The rest of Browse looks mostly the same, with Hot Tracks and New Music showcasing the most popular new songs on the service. Near the bottom of the tab are a few more changes, including a "We're Loving" area that features new album recommendations from the ‌Apple Music‌ editors, and a "Get Down Tonight" section curating dance music. Because a few of these sections are dedicated to the weekend, it appears that Apple will more frequently update Browse with new themed areas.

It's also worth mentioning that ‌Apple Music‌ is highlighting a collection of classical music today in the Browse tab's main carousel, aimed at celebrating the Los Angeles Philharmonic's 100 year anniversary. This new area has albums, playlists, brief histories about the Los Angeles Philharmonic's conductors and relevant albums, music videos, and an exclusive playlist curated by Deutsche Grammophon celebrating the anniversary. Many problems still remain for classical music on ‌Apple Music‌, but it's reassuring to see Apple highlight a major event in the classical world among new modern album releases.

You can check out the updates to the New Music section of the Browse tab on both macOS and iOS devices.

Tag: Apple Music Guide
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AirPower to Launch in 'Late March' According to DigiTimes Sources

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Apple plans to release its long-awaited wireless charging mat AirPower in "late March" according to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. We're in late March now, so if the report is accurate, then a release should be imminent.

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The report cites unnamed "industry sources" within Apple's supply chain:

Lite-On Semiconductor, a maker of discrete and analog IC components, is expected to see its second-quarter revenues register a double-digit sequential growth as it will soon kick off volume shipments of GPP (glass passivated package) bridge rectifiers needed for Apple's wireless charger AirPower, according to industry sources.

The sources said that Apple's AirPower wireless charger for iPhones, Apple Watch and AirPods is set to be officially launched in late March, which will significantly drive up Lite-On's revenues for the second quarter of 2019.

There are 10 days remaining in March including today.

DigiTimes has a mixed track record when it comes to predicting the timing of Apple product releases. While the publication has sources within Apple's suppliers in Asia, particularly in Taiwan, supply chain sources are typically more privy to what is coming rather than when. In short, we'll see.

There is certainly increasing evidence pointing towards an upcoming release.

Yesterday, after receiving a tip from reader Michael Bateman, MacRumors uncovered what appears to be a new image of the AirPower with an iPhone XS and the new AirPods wireless charging case on it.

airpower iphone xs image
MacRumors also uncovered evidence to suggest that Apple has secured the rights to the AirPower trademark in the United States.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple approved production of the AirPower earlier this year, and reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the AirPower will be released within the first half of 2019.

‌AirPower‌ is designed to charge multiple Apple devices at once, including the ‌iPhone‌ 8 and newer, Apple Watch Series 3 and newer, and AirPods when they are placed in the new optional wireless charging case introduced on Wednesday.

Apple introduced new iPads on Monday, new iMacs on Tuesday, and new AirPods on Wednesday of this week.

Tags: AirPower Guide, DigiTimes
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Vox Signs on to Join Apple's News Subscription Service for Future Paid Tiers

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voxlogoApple has inked a deal with Vox for Vox to become a part of its upcoming subscription service that will be available in Apple News, reports Bloomberg.

Vox is owned by Vox Media, which also owns the Verge, Recode, Eater, and SB Nation, but Apple's deal is only for the Vox site for now. Vox does not have a subscription offering at the current time, but Vox CEO Jim Bankoff recently said that paid subscriptions would be added to the Vox site later this year.

‌Apple News‌ subscribers who sign up for Apple's paid service, set to be called ‌Apple News‌ Magazines, will be able to access a variety of magazines and paywalled news from participating publishers.

Rumors have suggested Apple plans to charge around $9.99 for the service, with the Cupertino company keeping 50 percent of the fee while splitting the rest of the fee among publishers.

The Wall Street Journal and many magazine publishers have signed up to participate, but other news sites like the Washington Post and The New York Times have declined.

Apple plans to unveil its new ‌Apple News‌ Magazine service at an event that will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 25.

Tag: Apple News Guide
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Comcast Launches New $5 Month Ad-Supported Streaming TV Service

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Just ahead of when Apple plans to launch a new subscription video service that will give customers access to bundled cable channels, Comcast has introduced Xfinity Flex, a streaming service that combines video on demand content, ad-supported, free live streaming content, and access to add-on subscription apps.

Xfinity Flex is priced at $5 per month and is available to customers who subscribe to Comcast's Xfinity internet service. It comes with a 4K set-top box and X1 voice remote for accessing content.

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Comcast says that thousands of free movies and shows will be offered, with free content from Tubi TV, YouTube, Xumo, Pluto TV, and more offered alongside subscription content from apps like Netflix, HBO, EPIX, and Prime Video. It will also be paired with podcasts and music services from Pandora, iHeart Radio, NPR One, among others.

The app will have an interface that's not unlike the interface of the Apple TV, with a content library, access to a "Watch" section for TV content, a listen section for music, and an apps section for accessing different apps and home WiFi settings.

"Xfinity Flex will deepen our relationship with a certain segment of our Internet customers and provide them with real value," said Matt Strauss, Executive Vice President, Xfinity Services for Comcast Cable. "For just five dollars a month, we can offer these customers an affordable, flexible, and differentiated platform that includes thousands of free movies and shows for online streaming, an integrated guide for accessing their favorite apps and connected home devices, and the ease of navigating and managing all of it with our voice remote."

Comcast plans to allow customers to subscribe to third-party video services through its platform, which is something that Apple is also going to offer with its own streaming service.

According to Comcast, more than 10,000 free online movies and TV shows will be included alongside the streaming services that its customers subscribe to, along with options to purchase and rent movies and TV shows.

Comcast plans to make Xfinity Flex available to Comcast subscribers on March 26. It will be available to residential customers who have internet service with 25Mb/s or above that's compatible with xFi gate.

Tag: Comcast
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Apple Secures Rights to AirPower Trademark Amid Launch Rumors [Update]

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Amid launch rumors that Apple is preparing to release the AirPower sometime soon, the Cupertino company has finally secured the rights to the ‌AirPower‌ trademark.

To get the ‌AirPower‌ trademark, Apple had to jump through quite a few hoops over the course of the last few months, ultimately seeming to purchase access from a company that had previously applied for the trademark.

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Apple first attempted to trademark the ‌AirPower‌ name in the summer of 2018, but found that a company named Advanced Access Technologies had filed an earlier application to trademark the term.

The ‌AirPower‌ trademark registered by Advanced Access Technologies was then provisionally granted and published for opposition in December 2018. Ahead of when a trademark is officially granted, the USPTO takes opposition filings from anyone who believes the trademark could result in confusion with an existing product.

Apple opposed Advanced Access Technologies' trademark of ‌AirPower‌ in January 2019, claiming that it would interfere with similar trademarked Apple product names, including AirPlay, AirPort, AirPods, and AirPrint.

After fighting to prevent the ‌AirPower‌ trademark from being granted to Advanced Access Technologies for several months with multiple different filings with the USPTO, Apple yesterday suddenly withdrew its opposition and the dispute was terminated.

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Just after Apple withdrew opposition on Advanced Access Technologies' trademark of the ‌AirPower‌ name, an Apple lawyer was appointed the attorney of the trademark case, suggesting that Apple purchased rights to the ‌AirPower‌ trademark from Advanced Access Technologies ahead of an imminent ‌AirPower‌ launch that would not give Apple time to secure the trademark through other means.

Advanced Access Technologies is still listed as the owner of the trademark, but Apple appears to be in the process of getting that changed, with Apple lawyer Thomas Perle now named as the attorney on the trademark application.

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Apple's acquisition of the ‌AirPower‌ trademark comes amid new rumors suggesting a launch for the long-delayed accessory isn't too far off. There's new code in the iOS 12.2 beta related to charging multiple devices at once, which wasn't there before, indicating Apple may be planning to release the ‌AirPower‌ sometime around when iOS 12.2 comes out.

The Wall Street Journal recently confirmed that Apple approved production of the ‌AirPower‌ earlier this year, and just today, we found an image of the ‌AirPower‌ with an iPhone XS and the new AirPods Wireless Charging Case hidden in the source code on Apple's website in Australia.

It's still not clear when the ‌AirPower‌ is actually going to launch, but with increasing signs of its arrival, it could come at any time. Apple this week released new iPads, iMacs, and updated AirPods on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, leading to speculation the company was gearing up to introduce the ‌AirPower‌, but there's still no sign of the device.

We could potentially hear word on when we can expect the ‌AirPower‌ at Apple's March event, which will take place next Monday. Apple is using the event to introduce a new Apple News service and streaming TV service. Rumors have, however, suggested the event will not focus on hardware, so we could be waiting until later in the spring for an ‌AirPower‌ update.

Update: According to a new document filed with the USPTO on March 22, [PDF], the ‌AirPower‌ trademark has indeed been transferred to Apple.

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Apple Updates Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, and iMovie

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Apple today updated a number of its video-related Mac apps, including Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, and iMovie. Most of the updates are minor in scale, focusing on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements.

For all four apps, Apple has added a feature that detects media files that could be incompatible with future versions of macOS after Mojave. In Final Cut Pro and iMovie, these files will be converted to a compatible format, while just highlighted in Motion and Compressor.

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Apple is phasing out support for 32-bit Mac apps after Mojave, which is why this new feature has been introduced. All three software updates also include improved reliability when sharing video to YouTube.

In Final Cut Pro, Apple has also added a number of bug fixes, with the release notes listed below:

- Detects media files that may be incompatible with future versions of macOS after Mojave and converts them to a compatible format
- Fixes an issue that could cause share destinations to disappear from the share menu after quitting Final Cut Pro
- Fixes an issue that could cause the workflow extension button to disappear when resizing the interface
- Fixes an issue in which the Select Clip command could incorrectly select the clip beneath the playhead
- Fixes an issue in which a successful share notification appears after the share operation was cancelled
- Fixes an issue in which frames saved to the frame browser in the Comparison Viewer may appear differently than they do in the viewer
- Fixes an issue in which frequency information for Hum Removal may not be visible in the audio inspector
- Fixes an issue in which relinked media may appear with black thumbnails in the browser and timeline
- Fixes an issue in which the share menu may be obscured behind the viewer when using Final Cut Pro in fullscreen mode
- Improves reliability when sharing video to YouTube

Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, and iMovie are all available from the Mac App Store. iMovie is a free download, while Final Cut Pro is priced at $299, Motion is priced at $49.99, and Compressor is priced at $49.99.

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Facebook Stored Hundreds of Millions Passwords in Plain Text, Thousands of Employees Had Access

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Facebook today announced that during a routine security review it discovered "some user passwords" were stored in a readable format within its internal data storage systems, accessible by employees.

As it turns out, "some user passwords" actually means hundreds of millions of passwords. A Facebook insider told KrebsOnSecurity that between 200 and 600 million Facebook users may have had their account passwords stored in plain text in a database accessible to 20,000 Facebook employees. Some Instagram passwords were also included, and Facebook claims many of the passwords came from Facebook Lite users.

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Facebook says that there's no "evidence to date" that anyone within Facebook abused or improperly accessed the passwords, but KrebsOnSecurity's source says 2,000 engineers or developers made around nine million internal queries for data elements that contained plain text user passwords.

Facebook employees reportedly built applications that logged unencrypted password data, which is how the passwords were exposed. Facebook hasn't determined exactly how many passwords were stored in plain text, nor how long they were visible.

Facebook plans to notify users whose passwords were improperly stored, and the company says that it has been looking at the ways certain categories of information, such as access tokens, are stored, and correcting problems as they're found.

"There is nothing more important to us than protecting people's information, and we will continue making improvements as part of our ongoing security efforts at Facebook," reads Facebook's blog post.

Facebook and Instagram users who are concerned about their account security should change their passwords, using unique passwords that are different from passwords used on other sites. Facebook also recommends users enable two-factor authentication.

Tag: Facebook
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Two Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Discovered in Safari for Mac on Day One of Pwn2Own Hacking Contest

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The 19th annual CanSecWest security conference is underway in Vancouver, Canada, including the annual Pwn2Own hacking contest, and two zero-day security vulnerabilities have so far been discovered in Safari on macOS.

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The contest kicked off on Wednesday with security researchers Amat Cama and Richard Zhu teaming up against Safari. The duo successfully exploited the browser and escaped the sandbox by using a combination of an integer overflow, heap overflow, and brute force technique, earning them $55,000.

Later in the day, a trio of Niklas Baumstark, Luca Todesco, and Bruno Keith targeted Safari with a kernel elevation. They demonstrated a complete system compromise, but it was only a partial win since Apple supposedly already knew of one of the bugs used in the demo. They still netted $45,000.


In total, participants were awarded $240,000 on day one of Pwn2Own. Day two of the contest is currently underway. All exploits discovered during the contest are reported to the necessary companies like Apple so they can be patched.

Tags: Pwn2Own, Safari
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Apple Store App Gains Revamped Sessions Tab, Easier Access to Trade-In Values

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Apple today updated its Apple Store app to version 5.3, introducing a redesigned Sessions tab at the bottom of the app that houses dozens of new Today at Apple sessions that Apple users can sign up to attend.

Apple says that it's also now easier to check the trade-in values of your devices when using the ‌Apple Store‌ app.

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You'll see trade-in options when purchasing a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch, and Apple will give you a list of your current devices where you're signed in with your Apple ID and their trade-in value.

You can tap one, go through Apple's status checklist, and then finish the trade-in process right when checking out.

The splash screen when starting the app after installing the new update also says that returns have been streamlined with options to track the progress of your order, initiate a return, or print a return label directly from the ‌Apple Store‌ app.

The ‌Apple Store‌ app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tags: Apple Store, Today at Apple
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Apple Plans to Sell Bundles of Cable TV Channels Through New Streaming Service

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While Apple's new TV streaming service will include its own original content, Apple will also be offering customers access to video streaming subscriptions from third-party services, such as HBO and Showtime.

Part of this effort could potentially include bundles of channels from various content providers, according to new reports from Recode and The Information.

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Apple has negotiated rights to bundle streaming services together as part of its deals with media firms, which will allow it to offer packages of channels like HBO, Showtime, and Starz at a price that's lower than what each service would cost on a standalone basis. From Recode:

That wholesale/retail relationship also means Apple, not the streamers, can set the price for the stuff it sells. Apple isn't likely to sell, say, HBO for less than HBO sells itself on rival platforms like Roku. But it definitely plans to sell bundles of pay tv channels at a discount, just like pay TV operators have always done.

It's not entirely clear when Apple plans to offer bundles like these, but providing discounted access to a group of channels would provide Apple with an edge over Amazon. Amazon, as The Information points out, allows customers to sign up for streaming services like Showtime through their Amazon account, but customers must pay full price.

According to Recode, Apple's service isn't going to be a major Netflix or Hulu competitor because the focus is going to be on selling streaming video subscriptions from other companies and taking a cut of the transaction. Apple is working on original content, but its own shows and movies "should be considered very expensive giveaways, not the core product."

Apple is offering its content partners a revenue share that's similar to Amazon, which keeps 30 to 50 percent of the subscription fee. Apple, however, won't be offering access to as much data as Amazon provides. Still, The Information says publishers find bundling "appealing," and Apple has been touting its huge subscriber base to score deals. Apple's subscription TV content will be made available through its existing TV app which is available on the Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad.

There's no word on which channels Apple will include in bundles, but Apple has signed deals with 15 streaming channels for separate subscriptions, including digital only services like Cheddar and Tastemade and TV channels like Showtime and Starz. Apple has not yet inked a deal with HBO.

Apple is going to introduce its streaming service at its upcoming March 25 event, and the service is expected to launch in the United States later in the spring before expanding to additional countries.

Apple is also unveiling an Apple News subscription service at the event, and rumors have suggested that the TV and news services could be bundled with Apple Music as part of one subscription for Apple users. Apple is also going to announce an Apple credit card provided by Goldman Sachs.

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's WWDC 2019 Ticket Lottery Ends, Winners Begin Receiving Confirmation Emails

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The ticket lottery for Apple's 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference ended yesterday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and following the end of registration, Apple has started sending out confirmation emails to winners.

Developers who scored a ticket to WWDC can expect to see their credit cards charged for the $1,599 over the course of the next few days.

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Apple uses a lottery system to provide developers with WWDC tickets and has done so for the last several years due to overwhelming demand. There are approximately 5,000 spots open for developers, but Apple gets many more applications than that.

Developers who receive a WWDC ticket will be able to attend iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS app development sessions and more than 1,000 Apple engineers will be on hand and in labs to provide assistance.

The 2019 event will start on Monday, June 3 and will last through Friday, June 7 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. Apple will host a keynote event on Monday to introduce new iOS, tvOS, macOS, and watchOS software. There are sometimes a few hardware surprises, though we haven't heard much detail on what could be included. It's possible we'll see our first glimpse at the new modular Mac Pro Apple has been working on since 2017.

Following the keynote event, Apple will make new software updates available to developers and the rest of the week will be spent in technical sessions and hands-on labs.

Developers not selected to purchase a WWDC ticket will be able to watch the keynote session and follow along with technical sessions through the Apple Developer Website and the WWDC app for iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV.

Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech Industry
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Deals: B&H Photo Takes $200 Off Pre-Orders for New Entry-Level 21.5-Inch 4K iMac

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Earlier this week we highlighted a few deals for pre-orders on Apple's new iPad mini and iPad Air, and now B&H Photo has introduced a notable pre-order discount for the new entry-level 21.5-inch 4K iMac, which Apple refreshed on Tuesday.

B&H Photo is only providing a pre-order discount on one model of the ‌iMac‌, but you can find pre-order links to more models below. It's unclear how long B&H Photo will be keeping the offer up for, but the new iMacs are expected to exit their pre-order phase and begin shipping next week.

215inchimacNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

21.5-inch 4K iMac Pre-Order Discount

2019 iMac Pre-Orders

27-inch 5K

21.5-inch 4K

Head to B&H Photo for the full list of 2019 iMacs that you can pre-order today, and our Deals Roundup has more sales for you to check out.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Apple Has Reportedly Acquired Italian Startup Stamplay

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Apple has acquired Italian startup Stamplay, which offered an API-based back-end development platform, according to Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore. The report claims Apple paid around five million euros for the company.

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The report does not cite Apple's standard statement for acquisitions, which typically reads "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans." We've reached out to Apple for our own confirmation, but we did not immediately hear back.

Nevertheless, one telltale sign of the acquisition or at least an acqui-hire is that Stamplay's website was almost entirely stripped of information within the past few weeks, as is usually the case following Apple acquisitions.

Stamplay describes itself as a "low code workflow automation platform, empowering organizations to streamline manual work by integrating data and business applications used every day." The "API-based development platform" enables developers to build and launch "full-featured cloud-based web apps."

From the startup's LinkedIn page:

The powerful web-based editor includes everything a developer needs to create and run a powerful backend for their app, including popular APIs like Stripe (payments), Sendgrid (email), Twilio (SMS and VoIP), Pusher (realtime notifications) and many more.

The report was brought to our attention by setteBIT:

Stamplay was co-founded by Giuliano Iacobelli and Nicola Mattina.

Update: In a press release via setteBIT, the Università Roma Tre in Italy has confirmed that Apple acquired Stamplay.

Tag: Apple Acquisition
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New AirPower Image With iPhone XS Appears Within Source Code on Apple's Website

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Based on source code from the AirPods page of Apple's website in Australia, MacRumors has uncovered what appears to be a new image of the AirPower with an iPhone XS and the new AirPods wireless charging case on it, providing yet more evidence that Apple still plans to release the wireless charging mat at some point.

airpower iphone xs image
Apple updated its AirPods page yesterday after unveiling a second-generation pair, and this image was intended to showcase the new optional wireless charging case on a Qi-enabled charging mat, but Apple never ended up featuring the image publicly. We found it hidden within a CSS stylesheet.

A similar ‌AirPower‌ image with an older ‌iPhone‌ X was removed from the AirPods page yesterday after the wireless AirPods charging case was announced:

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While the ‌AirPower‌ might still be coming after all, a specific release date remains unclear. The Wall Street Journal yesterday reported that Apple approved production of the AirPower earlier this year and reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said the AirPower will be released within the first half of 2019.

There was some hope that Apple would announce the ‌AirPower‌ today after announcing new iPads on Monday, new iMacs on Tuesday, and new AirPods on Wednesday, but that never materialized. We also didn't get a new iPod touch, although Kuo and other sources have indicated that one is coming at some point this year.

‌AirPower‌ is designed to charge multiple Apple devices at once, including the ‌iPhone‌ 8 and newer, Apple Watch Series 3 and newer, and AirPods when they are placed in the new optional wireless charging case introduced yesterday. The images on the AirPods page have simply never showed the Apple Watch on the mat.

‌AirPower‌ was in fact shown with an Apple Watch on it when previewed on stage and on the Apple Watch page earlier last year:

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Thanks to Michael Bateman for tipping MacRumors.

Tag: AirPower Guide
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New iPad Mini Reviews: Capable Small Tablet With Nearly All Features of New iPad Air

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Early reviews and hands-on impressions of the new iPad mini came out today. Most publications agree that the iPad mini is a great update for fans of the smaller 7.9-inch tablet with almost identical tech specs to the new iPad Air.

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That includes the same A12 Bionic chip, 8-megapixel rear camera, 7-megapixel front camera, Touch ID, Lightning connector, 64GB and 256GB storage options, two speakers, headphone jack, Gigabit-class LTE, first-generation Apple Pencil compatibility, and up to 10 hours of battery life.

The new ‌iPad mini‌'s only notable differences versus the new ‌iPad Air‌ are its smaller screen and lack of Smart Keyboard compatibility.

As The Verge's Nilay Patel notes, however, the ‌iPad mini‌ design is now very old:

You're still looking at the exact same external design, which is now nearly seven years old. If you secretly replaced any previous iPad mini with the new one, there's a chance you might not even notice the difference. All the changes to this new mini are on the inside, and they're significant — which they should be, given the amount of time since it was last refreshed.

And while the ‌iPad mini‌ finally supports the ‌Apple Pencil‌, it comes with all of the downsides of the first-generation version:

…the iPad Pro came out late last year with a new second-gen pencil that magnetically clips onto the side of the iPad and charges wirelessly, but this new mini doesn’t have any of that. Instead, you’ve got Apple’s first-gen Pencil, which has never been a triumph of design or usability. You still pair and charge it by plugging it into the bottom of the iPad, which looks even more ridiculous on the mini, and the cap is still insanely easy to lose.

As for the ‌iPad mini‌ sticking with the Lightning connector, Apple told Patel that it views USB-C as a "pro" feature — aka iPad Pro.

Patel added that "the display is very nice" on the new ‌iPad mini‌ despite not having the ‌iPad Pro‌'s ProMotion variable refresh rate for smooth scrolling, but found that its same old 8-megapixel rear camera "takes at best medium-good photos."

Most reviews conclude that if you want the smallest iPad possible, the new ‌iPad mini‌ is quite capable and at least somewhat reasonably priced at $399. And with little competition from Android tablets, the ‌iPad mini‌ is one of the only small tablets worthy of consideration in the first place.

Patel's closing paragraph:

But the decision to get an iPad mini is simple: do you want a small, capable tablet? If you do, the mini is obviously worth $399, especially when you consider how long Apple has supported iPads for in the past. There’s just nothing else like it. Let’s just hope that next time we don’t have to wait four years for Apple to remember it exists again.

Lauren Goode of Wired:

I haven't fallen in love with the new Mini, just as I never felt the need to buy one before. But I could see why people would. It's less burdensome than a lot of other things we carry. It's not quite pocketable, but it's close. Again, I can't hold it in one hand, but some people can, I'm sure. The Mini feels personal in a way that other devices no longer do. Not because of its actual newness, but because it is still here, and slightly reinvented once again.

Harry McCracken of Fast Company:

It still looks like an iPad Mini–complete with home button and headphone jack. But after three loooooong years, Apple’s little tablet is finally getting the features it needs to qualify as a modern iPad.

Chris Velazco of Engadget:

I'd actually argue it's perhaps the best small tablet out there right now. There's more than enough power here for most people, and if portability is your biggest concern, there's no denying the mini is more convenient to lug around.

Raymond Wong of Mashable:

There simply isn't a tablet as powerful as the new iPad mini with the same or similar dimensions. You can get a 7-inch Kindle Fire for $50, but it's demonstrably inferior in every way from the construction, to the app selection, to the performance, to the storage, to display, and etc.

Scott Stein of CNET:

An iPad Mini with a faster processor and Pencil support is filling a specific need not everyone will have. It's like a specifically sized screw, or a particular TV size. As Apple keeps splitting its iPad line into more variants, the Mini feels far less essential than ever, particularly as the iPhone screens creep to six inches or more. But if you need an efficient iPad this size and don't want a bigger iPhone for the job... well, this is what you're looking for.

Videos


Other Reviews and Hands-On Impressions

The new ‌iPad mini‌ can be ordered now on Apple.com and will be available in Apple Stores starting next week.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Tag: Reviews
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad
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New Apple Pay Promo Offers Free Instacart Delivery on Orders Over $35

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With Apple Pay's latest promotion, you can get free delivery through Instacart when you use ‌Apple Pay‌ to checkout. To get the free delivery, you'll have to spend $35 or more on your order.

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This promotion lasts through March 27, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and is subject to availability as Instacart is not available in all zip codes.

Apple's new promotion is themed around grocery shopping, and encourages users to shop using ‌Apple Pay‌ at Aldi, Hy-Vee, Sprouts, Giant Food Stores, Stop & Shop, Giant Eagle, Meijer, and Raley's.

This week's ‌Apple Pay‌ promo follows previous offers featuring Panera Bread, Adidas, Fandango, 1-800-Flowers, and many more.

Tag: Apple Pay Promo
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AirPods 2 vs. AirPods 1 Buyer's Guide

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Apple in March debuted second-generation AirPods, featuring several updates over the original massively popular wireless earbuds of the same name.

So what's improved in the new AirPods compared to the older model, and what's stayed the same? Read on to find out.

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Price of New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

Buying Apple's original AirPods was straightforward as they came with a single $159 price tag, but that's changed with the second-generation models.

The new AirPods still start at the same price, but customers now have the option to buy the earbuds with a Wireless Charging Case for $199.

airpods options 2019
Apple is also offering the Wireless Charging Case separately for $79, so if you already own first-generation AirPods you can buy the case and charge your earbuds using any Qi-compatible charging mat. The Wireless Charging Case still includes a Lightning port so you can charge your AirPods via cable if you prefer.

Apple's new AirPods can be ordered on Apple's website and will be available in Apple Stores and resellers from March 26, 2019. Apple no longer lists first-generation AirPods on its website, but you should be able to find them elsewhere online at a lower price now that the new AirPods are available.

Design of New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

Apple's new AirPods look identical to the first-generation models, save for a single LED on the front of the Wireless Charging Case. This light simply tells you the charging status of the AirPods when you place them on a Qi-compatible charging mat. On the standard charging case, which came with the original AirPods, the LED was inside the lid between where the two AirPods go.

Otherwise, both versions of AirPods have the same dimensions and weight, and both are only available in white.

Processor in New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

Apple's second-generation AirPods use a new proprietary chip called the H1, whereas the original AirPods run on the W1 chip.

Both chips are responsible for the earbuds' seamless one-tap pairing process, but Apple claims the H1 allows the new AirPods to connect to calls up to 1.5 times faster and generally provide a more stable wireless connection to devices like iPhones and iPads, while making them up to twice as fast when switching between active devices.

In addition, the H1 chip delivers up to 30 percent lower latency, which means you should experience fewer delays between onscreen events and their accompanying audio when playing games.

Using Siri With New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

One of the headline features of the new AirPods is the ability to invoke Siri handsfree when you're wearing them, thanks to Apple's new H1 chip.

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With the first-generation AirPods you have to double tap the earbuds before you can talk to the personal assistant, but the new models allow you to say simply "Hey ‌Siri‌" for it to register your spoken query or command. This is particularly neat if you wear them when your hands are busy or you want to exclusively control your music using ‌Siri‌ commands.

Battery life in New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

Apple's new AirPods offer the same overall battery life as the original AirPods, which is 5 hours on a single charge and over 24 hours of additional battery capacity in the charging case. According to Apple, the second-generation AirPods offer 50 percent more talk time due to the H1 chip.

In other words, the new AirPods get up to three hours of talk time per charge, compared to up to two hours with the previous generation. So that's something to think about if you'd be using them to take a lot of calls.


Bottom Line

Apple's second-generation AirPods aren't an earth-shattering upgrade over its original wireless earbuds, with the company seemingly holding rumored features like health monitoring, noise cancellation, and water resistance for the next generation, expected in 2020.

That said, new features like handsfree "Hey ‌Siri‌" activation and wireless charging are still welcome improvements, and even if you're not convinced they present a worthwhile upgrade over your first-generation AirPods, you still have the option to buy the new wireless case to charge your existing earbuds using a Qi-compatible charging pad.

Whatever you decide, be sure to check out our complete guide to AirPods to learn a lot more about what AirPods can do and how you can make the most of them, and read our roundup for more details on the new second-generation AirPods.

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AltConf 2019 Offers San Jose Alternative for Developers Unable to Attend WWDC, Plus Satellite Events for Keynote Viewing

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AltConf, a popular alternative conference that takes place at the same time as Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, is returning in 2019. Developers unable to get a ticket to WWDC can instead attend AltConf to meet and mingle with others in the iOS and macOS communities.

This year's AltConf event will take place at the Marriott San Jose, located close to the McEnery Conference Center where WWDC will be held. AltConf will kick off on Monday, June 3, and will last through Thursday, June 6.

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There will be speakers at AltConf, along with a community labs feature where attendees can get expert advice on their apps, discuss ideas, and more. On Monday, AltConf will kick off with viewings of Apple's keynote event and State of the Union for developers, with the venue able to accommodate more than 900 attendees.

New to AltConf this year is an Apple-themed escape room that will require attendees to use their "Apple skills and knowledge" to save a doomed Apple keynote from failure. Tickets are priced at $5.

AltConf is free to attend, but there is an option to become a Hero Supporter to show support for the event.

For developers unable to make it to San Jose who still want to attend a developer-centric event, AltConf is hosting a number of satellite events in Europe that will be all-day conferences.

AltConf satellite events will take place in London, Madrid, Paris, and Berlin, with each hosted and curated by local community volunteers. There will be speakers and events, which will be followed by a viewing of Apple's keynote event at night.

Tickets to the satellite conference events will range in price from 29 to 50 pounds based on location, though keynote viewing in the evening will be available for free.

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