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Kristen Wiig Drops Out of Upcoming Apple Comedy Series Due to Scheduling Issues

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Kristen Wiig is no longer set to star in an upcoming Apple comedy series due to a scheduling conflict with "Wonder Woman 1984," reports Variety. Wiig's exit from the series and the reason behind it were confirmed by an Apple video spokesperson.

As was announced back in January, Wiig was set to play the lead role in a 10-episode comedy show based on the "You Think It, I'll Say It" short story collection from Curtis Sittenfeld. The show would have been Wiig's first regular television role since leaving "Saturday Night Live" in 2012.

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Wiig is instead set to play the villain Cheetah in "Wonder Woman 1984," which is set to be released in November of 2019. The first of Apple's television shows have also been rumored to be debuting in 2019, explaining the scheduling conflicts.

Curtis Sittenfeld's book features 10 stories that "upend assumptions about class, relationships, and gender roles in a nation that feels both adrift and viscerally divided," according to its description on Amazon. According to Variety, Apple still wants to develop the series and the producers for the show are regrouping.

Apple has dozens of other television projects in the works at the current time, with a full list available in the original programming section of our Apple TV roundup.

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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What's New in iOS 12 Beta 2: Screen Time Updates, Battery Usage Tweaks and More

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Apple this morning released the second beta of iOS 12 to developers, and as expected, there are tweaks and changes to many of the new features introduced in iOS 12.

Changes to Screen Time include new options to sort by device and view additional details on a per app basis, while tweaks made to Battery Usage make it easier to see which apps are eating up battery. There are several other smaller changes in iOS 12 beta 2, which we've listed below.

- Battery Usage - The charts for activity and battery level for the last 24 hours have been redesigned in iOS 12 beta 2, and some of the wording has been updated in this section.

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- Screen Time - Apple has removed a toggle for clearing Screen Time data, and the interface for adding time limits to apps from the main Screen Time screen has been tweaked. In the first beta, when you tapped an app it went right into the limits interface, but now tapping on an app displays more info on the app, including daily average use, developer, category, and more, and lets you tap to set a limit. There's also a new splash screen when opening Screen Time for the first time.

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- Screen Time By Device - There's now an option to view activity on a single device or all devices.

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- Notifications - There's a new toggle in the Notifications section of the Settings app that allows you to toggle off Siri Suggestions for individual apps. In iOS 12, Siri makes suggestions about limiting the notifications you receive from apps that aren't often used.

- Password AutoFill - There's a new interface for autofilling a password saved in iCloud Keychain.

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- Voice Memos - There's a new introductory splash screen for Voice Memos in iOS 12 beta 2.

- Face ID - When unlocking content using Face ID, the iPhone X now says "Scanning with Face ID."

- Photos - The text size for the "Media Types" and "Albums" listings in the Photos app is now much bigger, making it easier to read.

- Photos Search - In iOS 12 beta 2, Photos appears to support more advanced searches. For example, if you search for a specific date like July 10, it will show all photos from all years taken on July 10. This is different than the behavior in iOS 12 beta 1.

- iPhone apps on iPad - When you open iPhone apps on the iPad, like Instagram, they're now displayed in a modern device size (iPhone 6) in both 1x and 2x mode.

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There are also multiple known issues in the second developer beta of iOS 12, with full details available from Apple's developer site. We've listed a handful of the more prominent problems users might run into:

  • The Weather widget is not functional.
  • Universal Links might not open the expected target app.
  • Netflix might unexpectedly quit when downloading a video.
  • Twitter might display a blank login screen.
  • Playback might not pause when one AirPod is removed from your ears.
  • CarPlay might not connect to certain vehicles.
  • Group FaceTime calls can't be initiated between iOS 12 beta 2 and iOS 12 beta 1. FaceTime calls may also be interrupted by a poor connection message, and FaceTime might unexpectedly quit.
  • Screen Time must be re-enabled after installing iOS 12 beta 2, and all Screen Time settings are reset after updating.
  • Voice Memos might not sync between devices even when iCloud syncing is enabled.

iOS 12 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple has promised a public beta for its public beta testing group before the end of June, so we could be seeing a public beta as soon as later this week.

Related Forum: iOS 12
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watchOS 5 Beta 2 Includes Functional Walkie-Talkie App

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In the first watchOS 5 beta, the Walkie-Talkie app, which is one of the key new features in the update, was unavailable and said only "Coming Soon," but in the second watchOS 5 beta, the Walkie-Talkie feature is available.

When you launch the Walkie-Talkie app after installing the second beta update, you'll be able to scroll through your contacts and choose a person to connect to. The person on the receiving end of your Walkie-Talkie message will hear their Apple Watch beep and then they'll see a screen that will allow them to approve a connection.

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At the current time, it appears that you can only choose "always allow" when opting to enable a connection with a person.

Once a two-way connection is established, you simply press and hold down on the talk button to communicate, as does the person on the other end. Conversations, which we've been testing, are crisp and clear with excellent audio quality.

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If your Apple Watch is on silent mode, Walkie-Talkie ignores it, so you're still going to hear Walkie-Talkie beeps and incoming conversations. The same is true for Do Not Disturb Mode and Theater Mode, but there is a Walkie-Talkie volume toggle accessible by turning the Digital Crown. With a push-to-talk connection turned on, you and the person you're connected to can chat at any time, with no additional approval options available.

You can have multiple Walkie-Talkie conversations going at once, with each conversation listed in the app.

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While a Walkie-Talkie conversation is enabled with another person, both of you will see a yellow Walkie-Talkie icon at the top of the Apple Watch.

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If you want to mute a Walkie-Talkie conversation so you can no longer be contacted, you can scroll up on the Walkie-Talkie app interface and toggle off the "Available" icon. When unavailable, if someone tries to speak to you, they'll see a message that you are unavailable, and you'll receive a notification.

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If you want to resume your conversations with people, you can turn the toggle back to "Available" and everything will work as normal. Both people in the conversation need to have themselves set to "Available" in the Walkie-Talkie app for it to be fully functional.

Walkie-Talkie and the other watchOS 5 features will be limited to developers until watchOS 5 is released in the fall, as Apple does not provide betas of watchOS to the public.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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MacRumors Exclusives: Save 20% on Elevation Lab's 'DraftTable' and 40% on RAVPower's 7.5W Charger

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There are a few exclusive deals we have to share today, beginning with a partnership with accessory company Elevation Lab. Over on Amazon, our readers can purchase Elevation Lab's DraftTable or DraftTable Kit for 20 percent off, marking the accessories down to $39.96 and $55.96 respectively. Just head to Amazon and enter the code MACLAB20 during the checkout process before the code expires on Friday, June 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

DraftTables work with all sizes of iPad Pro (and even accommodate the iPad mini) and are designed to ensure a rock-solid base for working on Apple's tablet, with wide angle adjustment that ensures comfort for all-day workflows. The slightly more expensive DraftTable Kit also includes Elevation Lab's ArmRest so you can draw for hours without fatigue and the PencilStand which locks to a flat surface so it can't tip over.

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In our second exclusive deal this week, we've partnered with RAVPower to kick off a string of exclusive discounts that will be launching every week over the course of the summer. Things are starting with a 40 percent discount on RAVPower's 7.5W HyperAir Fast Wireless Charging Pad that's compatible with iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus, and can be purchased for just $23.99 with code MACRUMP34, down from $39.99 -- the best price in the accessory's history according to the company.

This sale will last through next Monday, June 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and then one week from today we'll continue the RAVPower sale event with another exclusive discount for our readers. We'll be keeping a tab on the sale in our Deals Roundup as it continues, so be sure to head there for the latest information.

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In other RAVPower discount news, the company also released a new collection of exclusive discount codes for our readers, with savings as high as 36 percent off:

These codes will be available for our readers for most of the summer, expiring on July 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT. As usual, you can head over to our full Deals Roundup for even more sales going on this week, including discounts on Mac software from StackSocial, a one-day Amazon Gold Box deal on a Late 2015 5K iMac, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Apple Releases Second Beta of New watchOS 5 Operating System to Developers

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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 5 update, two weeks after releasing the first beta following the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference Keynote and one week after releasing an updated watchOS 5 beta 1 with a bug fix. watchOS 5 is the newest version of the software that runs on the Apple Watch.

To install the beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update.

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To update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device instead of a primary device given that this is an early version of the watchOS 5 software that still has bugs to be worked out.

The first version of the initial watchOS 5 beta was pulled by Apple shortly after it was released due to reports that the beta had been bricking some Series 2 Apple Watches, rendering them unusable. Apple on June 11 released an updated version of the first beta.

watchOS 5 is a major update to watchOS, introducing Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Walkie-Talkie with push-to-talk functionality for quickly communicating with the people you talk to most, and auto workout detection to make it easier than ever to start and stop workouts.

Other new features include an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps, a dedicated Apple Podcasts app, new Workout types that include Yoga and Hiking, new features for runners, WebKit support for viewing some web content on Apple Watch, and enhanced notifications, which will make notifications on the Apple Watch interactive.

watchOS 5 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers (because there's no way to downgrade Apple Watch software), so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released in the fall to try it out.

The watchOS 5 update runs on all Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watch models. It is not available for the first-generation "Series 0" Apple Watch models, likely due to performance and battery issues.

Update: watchOS 5 beta 2 includes the new Walkie-Talkie app.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Apple Seeds Second Beta of macOS 10.14 Mojave to Developers

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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the first beta following the new software's debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after you've installed the first beta from the Apple Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded clicking on the Apple in the menu bar, choosing "About This Mac" and clicking "Software Update." Alternatively, open System Preferences and choose the "Software Update" icon.


The macOS Mojave update introduces a long-awaited and much-desired systemwide Dark Mode, with Mojave users able to choose between a light theme or the new dark theme. Dark Mode is accompanied by Dynamic Desktops, aka wallpapers that subtly change throughout the day.

Stacks, a new Desktop organization system, keeps all of your desktop files nice and neat, while Finder has been enhanced with a Gallery View, a Sidebar, a revamped Quick Look option and Quick Actions, so you can do more in the Finder window than ever before.

Screenshots can now be edited using Markup tools, while Continuity camera, a new feature, lets you import photos and document scans directly from the iPhone to the Mac.

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Apple News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos apps have been ported from iOS to macOS as part of a multiyear project Apple is working on to make it easier to port iOS apps to Macs, and Apple has introduced several privacy protections to keep your data safer.

Apple is also making it harder for websites to track you with a range of new tools, plus there's an entirely revamped Mac App Store that makes it easier to discover apps.

macOS Mojave will be beta tested by developers and eventually public beta testers for several months so Apple can work out bugs and other issues before releasing the software to the public in the fall.

Related Forum: macOS Mojave
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Second Beta of tvOS 12 Now Available for Registered Developers

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Apple today seeded the second beta of a new tvOS 12 operating system to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the first beta following the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference keynote.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the new tvOS 12 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode. Subsequent betas can be downloaded via the software update mechanism on the Apple TV.

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tvOS 12 brings support for Dolby Atmos sound. Apple says that iTunes will be home to the largest collection of Dolby Atmos-supported movies anywhere, with Apple upgrading titles customers have purchased for free.

Building on single sign-on, a new zero sign-on feature will further simplify the cable authentication process. With zero sign-on, the Apple TV can detect a user's broadband network and automatically sign them into supported apps they receive through their cable subscription.

Aerial screensavers include location information and there are new screensavers captured in collaboration with the International Space Station.

Other improvements to Apple TV in tvOS 12 include AutoFill passwords from iPhone, an Apple TV Remote automatically added to Control Center on the iPhone or iPad, and Apple TV support on Home control systems like Control4, Crestron, and Savant.

tvOS 12 is available for developers for testing purposes and will be available as a public beta later this month ahead of a fall public release.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater
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Apple Seeds Second Beta of iOS 12 to Developers

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Apple this morning seeded the second beta of the upcoming iOS 12 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first beta following the Worldwide Developers Conference.

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


The iOS 12 update brings major changes to the iOS operating system, with Apple working from top to bottom to make iPhones and iPads, especially older models, faster and more responsive.

On the iPhone X, there are new Animoji characters along with "Memoji" customizable, personalized Animoji that can be used both in Messages and in FaceTime. Messages and FaceTime have also gained fun new camera effects, and Group FaceTime support allows for calls with up to 32 people.

Siri is smarter in iOS 12 with a new Shortcuts feature that lets you create custom automations using first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri, and Apple built a comprehensive set of time management and monitoring tools into iOS 12 with Screen Time.

iOS 12 Memoji
New Do Not Disturb options make turning off notifications and distractions easier than ever, with a new Do Not Disturb at Bedtime feature cutting down on nighttime interruptions.

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Group Notifications make notifications easier to view and manage, while a new Instant Tuning feature lets you tweak your notification settings on a notification-by-notification basis.

iOS 12 notifications
Apple News has a new Browse feature, the Stocks app has been redesigned, iBooks has been overhauled with a new look and a new name -- Apple Books -- and Voice Memos has been revamped with iCloud support and an iPad app. There's also a new Measure app.

ARKit 2.0 introduces new capabilities like shared experiences that let two people see the same AR environment on separate devices, and persistence, which allows AR experiences to be saved across multiple sessions.

Tons of other small tweaks and features have been added to iOS 12, so make sure to check out our roundup and our tidbits post for additional detail on what's new in iOS 12.

Early betas of new operating system updates always introduce tweaked features and new functionality, and everything new in iOS 12 beta 2 can be found in our dedicated what's new in iOS 12 beta 2 post.

iOS 12 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple will provide a public beta later in June. iOS 12 will see an official release this fall alongside new iPhones.

Related Forum: iOS 12
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'Keepsafe Browser' Launches on iOS With Tracker Blockers, Secret Tabs, Touch ID/Face ID Log-Ins, and More

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Keepsafe is a company behind privacy-focused iOS apps like Photo Vault, Blur for iMessages, Unlisted, and Secure VPN Proxy. Today the company expanded its suite of secure apps with the launch of "Keepsafe Browser," an app that enables users to browse the web privately [Direct Link].

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The company says Keepsafe Browser ensures that all internet browsing history is kept private, and the app prevents third-party trackers from being able to target users. This means that users will be protected from ads, social networks, analytics, and content services built for targeting users online.

“Since its founding, Keepsafe has been on a mission to restore privacy to people’s daily lives,” says Zouhair Belkoura, co-founder and CEO of Keepsafe. ”Understanding the range of current privacy issues people today face, Keepsafe’s Browser leads industry competitors with its discreet web browsing privacy controls.”

Like other Keepsafe apps, users can lock access to the app using a unique entry code, which can also be tied into the iPhone's biometric security (Touch ID or Face ID) or Android Fingerprint. As long as you have the code set up and toggle on Touch ID/Face ID in settings, the request for Apple's security features will appear after you open the app in place of the code keypad entry field.

Privacy controls include secret tabs that forget session data after they are closed, meaning that all cookies, caching, and URLs will be deleted. There are also normal tabs that store cookies and URLs locally so that users can quickly return to their favorite websites and remain logged in to their accounts on those sites. In the tab switcher screen, private tabs have a slightly blurred purple hue over them as well.

Many developers have updated or tested out private browsing modes in iOS apps recently, including YouTube's test of an "incognito mode" for its mobile app. Prior to that, Firefox updated its iOS app with default tracking protection in both regular and private browsing sessions, and last November Mozilla launched spin-off iOS app "Firefox Focus" built around secure web browsing.

Apple has its own incognito mode alternative called Private Browsing in Safari, which prevents a user's browsing history from being saved, while also asking websites not to track users. At WWDC, the company detailed how privacy and security protections will be improved for users in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, including support for automatic strong passwords. With this feature, Safari automatically creates, autofills, and stores passwords, and flags if they've been reused to make it easier for users to create unique passwords for each login.

For Keepsafe, the company's new Keepsafe Browser app is available for free on iPhone and iPad [Direct Link].

Tag: Keepsafe
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Smart Speaker Owners Aren't Yet Widely Using Them to Control Connected Home Devices

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IHS Markit conducted a new survey in March and April 2018, asking 937 smart speaker owners various questions about the usage of their devices, spreading across the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and Brazil. According to the findings that have been shared today, just six percent of smart speaker owners used their speakers to command smart home devices like lights, switches, and thermostats.

The speakers and assistants included in the survey were HomePod/Siri, Google Home/Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, Bixby, and Amazon Echo/Alexa. The most popular category for smart speaker control for all speakers was asking about the weather and news, followed in descending order by: basic questions, music controls/discovery, sending a message and making a phone call, video controls/discovery, making a purchase, controlling smart home devices, and lastly a "none of these" category.

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Despite the low usage rates for users interacting with smart home products through their speakers, IHS principal analyst Blake Kozak believes this will change in the near future.

“Controlling smart home devices by voice currently represents only a small fraction of total smart-speaker interactions,” said Blake Kozak, principal analyst, smart home, IHS Markit. “However, this category will continue to trend upward as more video-streaming devices come to rely on voice control, as security alarm systems adopt voice control to arm and disarm, and as more builders embed smart devices throughout new homes.”

Kozak believes that one area of potential smart home growth will come from insurance companies, who will "play a role" in educating customers about connected devices that could help them in their homes. These include products for water leak detection, flow detectors, and shutoff valves. In total, Kozak predicts more than one million home policies in North America will include at least one connected home device by the end of the year, and 450,000 smart speakers will be connected to insurance companies by that time as well.

In terms of smart assistant usage, Amazon Alexa was the most widely used voice assistant with 40 percent of respondents owning an Alexa device, and 23 percent owning a Google Home device. Siri came in third place, with the most inquiries for Apple's assistant also pertaining to the weather, news, and asking Siri a question.

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For HomePod, Apple yesterday launched the smart speaker in Canada, France, and Germany via the Apple online store, Apple Store app, and in its retail locations in each country. HomePod allows users to command Siri to activate or deactivate their personal HomeKit products in the Home app, and represents Apple's first entry in the smart speaker market.

Related Roundup: HomePod
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Neutral)
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Yahoo Mail Debuts New Mobile Web Service for iOS and Android Smartphones

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Yahoo today announced the launch of a new Yahoo Mail website optimized for mobile devices, allowing users to access their inboxes without having to download an app on their iPhone or Android smartphone (via TechCrunch).

On the website for the new mobile web experience, Yahoo says that its users will have access to swipe gestures to easily mark messages as read or delete them completely, organizable folders, auto-suggest email addresses, and customizable themes.

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According to senior director of product management for Yahoo Mail, Joshua Jacobson, the company built the new mobile web service for users who don't want to download an app that takes up more storage on their device.

“We’ve heard loud and clear from users that they’re not always ready to make the big leap to downloading an app that takes up any storage space on their phone,” said Joshua Jacobson, senior director of product management for Yahoo Mail.

“People with high-capacity phones may want to save that space for photos or videos, while others with entry-level smartphones may just have limited space from the get-go. Further, some folks share devices or borrow a family member’s to access their email. This is all especially true in developing markets.”

The mobile web launch also ties into a new app for Android Go, which touts a smaller download size on the Android software that's tailored for cheaper devices. With the new Yahoo Mail versions, Yahoo is aiming at both storage-concerned users and those in emerging markets where low-cost devices are popular.

The company hopes to boost stagnated user growth, which sits at 227.8 million active users per month, an increase from about two million from one year ago. As TechCrunch points out, Yahoo's user base is far smaller in comparison to Google's Gmail client, which reported 1.4 billion users in April.

As the company grows Yahoo Mail, just over a week ago it announced that it will be permanently discontinuing Yahoo Messenger on July 17, 2018. At the time, Yahoo said its reason for shutting down Messenger was to focus on "building and introducing new, exciting communications tools" that will be a "better fit" for its customers.

Tags: Yahoo, Yahoo Mail
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Tim Cook Visits Ireland as Apple Promotes Its Support of Over 1.7 Million Jobs in Europe

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Apple CEO Tim Cook has arrived in Ireland, the latest destination on his European tour, which has included stops in Italy and the Netherlands.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook and Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach or Prime Minister of Ireland, tweeted that he had a "good meeting" with Cook in the capital of Dublin on Monday. It's unclear what was discussed, but it appears to have been a routine meeting.


Cook has since headed to Cork, where Apple's European headquarters are located. There, he will formally announce an expansion of its Hollyhill campus. Apple says a new building will provide space for an additional 1,400 employees. Since 2012, Apple says it has invested nearly €220 million to develop the facility.

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Apple's campus in Cork

Apple, on its recently updated Job Creation page in Europe, says it is Cork's "largest private employer" and "proud" that many of its employees in the area have worked at the company for decades.

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

Apple says Cork is home to its "only wholly owned manufacturing facility in the world. It provides configure-to-order iMacs which are for customers across Europe, Middle East, and Africa." AppleCare support for those regions is also based in Cork.

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Nicole, a Product Quality Engineer, at Apple's iMac facility in Cork

While in Cork, Cook also visited The English Market, according to photos shared on Twitter. Earlier, in Dublin, he met with developers from Hostelworld. The app, featured on Apple's website, allows travelers to search for and book thousands of hostels in more than 170 countries around the world.


All of this amounts to good PR for Apple in Ireland, just over a month after it abandoned its plans to build a $1 billion data center in the country due to "delays in the approval process," primarily due to concerns from some local residents. Apple and Ireland are also in a major tax dispute with the European Commission.

Apple's updated Job Creation page also reveals that it now supports 1.7 million jobs across Europe, including around 1.5 million jobs attributable to the App Store ecosystem, some 170,000 jobs supported by Apple's supply chain in Europe, and some 22,000 direct Apple employees in 19 countries across the continent.

Since the App Store was created, Apple says it has now paid €20 billion to European app developers. The company says the United Kingdom leads Europe in terms of jobs linked to App Store development, at 291,000.

Tags: Europe, Ireland, Tim Cook
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TP-Link Announces New 'Deco M9 Plus' Mesh Wi-Fi System That Doubles as Smart Home Hub

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The latest entry in the mesh router market comes today from TP-Link, which has announced availability of the Deco M9 Plus Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 2-Pack System. The router is TP-Link's newest mesh offering and promises to eliminate Wi-Fi dead spots with dependable connections to "more than 100 devices" throughout a home, and it also doubles as a smart home hub for IoT products.

TP-Link says the Deco M9 Plus provides a "stronger and more dynamic" backhaul than rival systems, supplementing its dedicated 5 GHz backhaul with additional backhaul throughput from other Wi-Fi bands as network demand increases. The system automatically identifies the strongest connection for every device (4K streaming boxes, game consoles, etc) to keep the network running smoothly.

TP Link deco router

“From everyday activities like streaming Netflix and using smart voice assistants, to occasional video chats with friends or online gaming, our home lives are more connected than ever before,” said Derrick Wang, director of product management at TP-Link USA Corp.

“Today, families need Wi-Fi systems that can support the higher demands put on their network, delivering reliable performance in every room of the home. Deco M9 Plus is a powerful solution designed to meet the Wi-Fi needs of the modern smart home.”

The 2-pack provides Wi-Fi for homes up to 4,500 square feet, and a single pack can be purchased to add to the network. Once set up, the connected Deco App can limit and monitor internet usage for all devices connected to the system. In terms of security, TP-Link HomeCare provides antivirus and malware protection in an effort to safeguard every connected device on the network from outside malware and hackers.

More Deco M9 Plus features:

- Standard 2-pack offers coverage up to 4,500 sq. ft.
- Powerful AC2200 tri-band Wi-Fi
- Three Wi-Fi bands with a dedicated backhaul to support 100-plus devices
- Quad-core CPU with 4 GB eMMC Flash and 512 MB RAM
- Wireless speeds of up to 400 Mbps on 2.4 GHz + 867 Mbps on 5 GHz (1) + 867 Mbps on 5 GHz (2)
- 6 Wi-Fi antennas, 1 Bluetooth antenna and 1 ZigBee antenna inside each Deco Unit
- 1 USB 2.0 port (reserved) and 2 Gigabit ports
- Built-in smart home hub compatible with Bluetooth 4.2 and ZigBee HA 1.2
- Advanced Wi-Fi security and HomeCare powered by Trend Micro

In addition, the Deco M9 Plus is a smart home hub that users can set up to enable control of ZigBee, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi devices using the Deco App. TP-Link says this "eliminates the need for additional smart hubs in the home" and the system supports a collection of smart home brands like the company's own light bulbs and switches, GE, Samsung SmartThings, Nest, and Kwikset. The Deco M9 Plus is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and IFTTT.

The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus Mesh Wi-Fi 2-Pack can be purchased for $299.99, while a 1-pack will run for $179.99.

Tags: Mesh Routers, TP-Link, Wi-Fi
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Ten One Design's 'Stella' MacBook Power Cord Uses Light to Guide You to an Outlet

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Ten One Design this morning debuted the Stella, a premium laptop cord that offers several compelling features over a standard extension cable for the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and other machines.

Made from a flexible fabric-covered material, the Stella has a built-in LED located near the plug prongs that activates when it's near a power outlet, so you can easily plug in your Mac even when it's dark.

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Stella is able to detect faint electrical fields near common electrical receptacles, and when power is detected, the small LED turns on. Ten One Design says the Stella cord is safer to use because it eliminates temptation to feel around near live outlets when you can't see.

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Stella is available for Apple's Mac lineup as a replacement for the standard power cable and for various 2-prong PC power adapters. For Macs, you can choose between a blue plug or an aqua plug.

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A built-in slide-out clip is included in the version of Stella made for Macs so you can wind up the cable when not in use, storing it right with your power adapter.

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Stella laptop charging cables can be pre-ordered from the Ten One Design website for $34.95. Ten One Design plans to begin shipping the cables in July.

In the future, Ten One Design plans to partner with other companies to bring its technology to additional products.

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Adobe Unveils Project Rush, an All-in-One Cross-Device Video Editing App

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Just ahead of VidCon, a conference designed for video makers, Adobe this morning unveiled Project Rush, an all-in-one cross-device video editing app that it plans to launch later this year.

Project Rush, unlike Adobe's existing Premiere Pro video editing software, is designed to be easy to learn and easy to use, similar to Apple's iMovie video editing software.

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It will use technology from Premiere Pro and After Effects, but with simplified editing, color, audio, and tilting tools for a more intuitive user experience.

Adobe plans to make Project Rush available on both desktop machines and mobile devices, making video editing accessible no matter which device you happen to be using at the time.

With Project Rush, all of your editing projects will be synced to the cloud automatically, and it will also integrate with Adobe Stock and offer editable Motion Graphics templates for quick customization options.

Direct sharing tools with one-click publishing will let Project Rush content be uploaded right to YouTube and other social networks.

While Project Rush will launch later this year, Adobe is offering customers a chance to beta test the software. You can sign up for a chance to be a part of the beta on Adobe's Project Rush website.

Project Rush will be previewed at VidCon this week, with a product demo available on June 23 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 260.

Tag: Adobe
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How to Change a File Type's Default App in macOS

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macos finder iconEach document that you have on your Mac is associated with a default application which macOS uses to open the file whenever you double-click on its icon in Finder.

Sometimes you may have a legitimate reason for changing which app your Mac automatically launches when you open a common file type – when a newly installed app assumes control of it, or when you want to open AVI video files in VLC instead of QuickTime, for instance. The following steps show you how to do just that.

  1. In a Finder window, right-click (or Ctrl-click) the file whose default launch app you want to change.

  2. From the contextual menu, select Open With -> Other....
    change a files default app macos

  3. A new navigation window will appear for you to select an alternative app to open the selected file. In our example, we're selecting the VLC media player app.
    change a files default app macos 2

  4. Tick the checkbox next to Always Open With to ensure your selection applies in future to all files with the same extension (AVI files, in our case). If you don't see the checkbox, click the Options button at the lower left of the window and it should appear.

  5. Click Open.

If the app that you want to use to open the file type is greyed out, it's because macOS doesn't think there's a valid association between the two. In most cases this is correct, but you can still override it by changing the Recommended Applications view to All Applications using the Enable: dropdown menu.

There's another way you can change a file type's associated app in macOS: Right-click (or Ctrl-click) on the file in a Finder window and select Get Info.

change a files default app macos1
In the information dialog that appears, you should see the Open with: section immediately below the Comments: section (click the chevron buttons to expand individual sections). Select Other... in the drop-down menu of apps to select one not already in the list, and then click Change All... to apply the association to all files with the same extension.

Related Forums: macOS High Sierra, macOS Mojave, macOS Sierra
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Adobe Scan App's Latest AI Feature Converts Business Cards into Phone Contacts

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Adobe Scan, Adobe's document scanning app, was updated today with a new feature that lets users capture business cards and convert them into phone contacts.

AI enhancements courtesy of Adobe's Sensei machine learning platform enable the app to recognize a business card when placed in view of the phone's built-in camera. Once the card is recognized, the app presents a "Save Contact" button to the user.

adobe scan
Tapping the new option captures the information on the business card including the name, company, phone number, email address, and any image, and automatically imports it into the user's contacts.

Adobe's Sensei AI also gets to work on the original scan of the business card, automatically correcting for shadows, perspective distortion, and even cropping out any fingers holding the card in the captured image.

Along with the AI-focused update to Adobe Scan, Adobe also announced some new PDF creation tools today for Microsoft Office 365.

New shortcuts in the ribbon of Microsoft's Word, Excel, and PowerPoint web apps let users convert documents into PDFs (and vice versa) with optional password protection. Likewise, Adobe PDF archiving, conversion, and distribution tools are also now available from within OneDrive and SharePoint.

Adobe Scan can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tags: Adobe, Office 365
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Apple Pay Launches in Poland

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Apple Pay today launched in Poland, according to reports from several MacRumors readers who are living in the country and Polish Apple site ThinkApple. iPhone, iPad, and Mac users in Poland are now able to add eligible cards to the Wallet app for use with Apple Pay.

applepaypoland

Image via MacRumors reader Kornel

According to Apple, the following banks support Apple Pay in Poland:

  • BGZ BNP Paribas
  • Bank Zachodni WBK
  • Alior Bank
  • Raiffeisen Polbank
  • Nest Bank
  • mBank
  • Bank Pekao
  • Getin Bank

Visa and Mastercards from the above listed banks will work with Apple Pay, and several MacRumors readers have been able to successfully add their cards to their iPhones.

Apple CEO Tim Cook first promised to expand Apple Pay to Poland during Apple's earnings call covering the second fiscal quarter of 2018. At the time, he also said Apple Pay would come to Ukraine and Norway, with the payments service yet to launch in the latter country.

Following the launch of Apple Pay in Poland, Apple Pay is available in more than 20 markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, Russia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, UAE, Brazil, and Ukraine.

Apple Pay in stores is available on the iPhone 6 and later and all Apple Watch models. Apple Pay on the web and in apps is available on the iPhone 6 and later along with the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, all iPad Pro models, and Macs with Touch ID or an accompanying iPhone or Apple Watch.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Poland
Related Forum: Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+
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