MacRumors

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with iSkelter to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win either a Pilot LapDesk or a Slate Color LapDesk, both of which are designed to be mobile workspaces that can hold an iPad, MacBook, iPhone, and more.

Priced at $100, the Pilot LapDesk is made from either a light bamboo or a darker walnut bamboo, and it's roomy enough to hold up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro while also providing additional workspace.

On one side of the Pilot LapDesk, there's a whiteboard and a cutout that can hold an iPhone or an iPad as big as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, while the middle area features a cutout for ventilation along with a grip to keep your MacBook secured on the surface. The other side of the Pilot has a built-in mousepad and a second slot to hold another iOS device.

The Pilot LapDesk, which can be configured with the whiteboard and mousepad on whichever side you prefer, is able to rest hands-free on the arm of a chair, on a lap, or on a bed.

iSkelter's Slate Color LapDesk, also priced at $100, is more compact than the Pilot LapDesk, but it's still able to hold a MacBook Pro up to 15 inches in size and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro or smaller.

Most of the Slate Color, which is made from a light wood with a colored accent area, features a series of ventilation holes to dissipate heat from your laptop. At the right side, there's a flat workspace for writing or using a mouse, which can be customized in walnut, blue, green, orange, or pink. The cutout across the top holds your iOS devices.

The Slate Color and Pilot LapDesks can be purchased from the iSkelter website, but we also have four to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, 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 MacRumors Facebook 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 (December 8) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 15. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 15 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Accessory makers Incipio and Incase are offering 15 percent off sales across each of their respective online storefronts, so if you're still on the hunt for holiday tech gifts this could be the right time to make a purchase. Incipio and Incase offer a variety of items, including iPhone X and iPhone 8 cases, wireless chargers, battery packs, MacBook bags and sleeves, Apple Watch bands, and more.

On both sites, enter the promo code AFF151 during checkout to apply the discount to your order. Incipio is offering free USPS shipping on all orders placed within the United States, and Incase has a similar holiday offer with free shipping and returns on all U.S. orders.

We've listed a few ideas below, all of which represent the best prices for each accessory when compared to retailers like Amazon. For many other accessories, Incipio's and Incase's Amazon stores typically have solid deals that could beat out the 15 percent off discount price, depending on the product.

Incipio

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

iPhone X Cases

• Slim Case, Esquire Series - $21.24, down from $24.99
• Octane Lux - $38.24, down from $44.99
• Carnaby Folio - $42.49, down from $49.99

Accessories

• Ghost 110 Qi Wireless Charging Base - $33.99, down from $39.99

Incase

iPhone X Cases

• Protective Lattice Cover - $21.21, down from $24.95
• Lite Case - $25.46, down from $29.95
• Pop Case - $29.70, down from $34.95
• Textured Snap Case - $33.96, down from $39.95

Accessories

• ICON Sleeve with Diamond Ripstop for 13-inch MacBook Pro - $59.46, down from $69.95
• ICON Lite Pack - $84.96, down from $99.95

If you're planning on spending a lot on Apple accessories for the holidays, Pad & Quill has a deal going on through December 17 where you can get gift codes to use on the site after you first make a purchase of over $125. Specifically, purchases over $125 get a $25 special gift code; purchases over $250 get a $50 code; and purchases over $400 get a $100 code. Pad & Quill will automatically email a code to you if your order qualifies for the promotion, and all codes must be redeemed before January 31, 2018.

For those keeping track of ongoing iTunes gift card discounts, the latest is a $50 card for $42.50 over at Amazon. One card is available per customer, and they will be delivered via email -- simply enter the promo code ITUNES during the checkout process. Amazon had a similar deal yesterday, but that one was for the physical version of Apple's App Store & iTunes gift card.

For more on the latest sales, be sure to visit our Deals Roundup.

A handful of popular apps have been optimized for the iPhone X over the past few days. We've rounded up some of the notable ones below.

Each of these apps now support the iPhone X's new screen size, rather than having a letterboxed design with black bars at the top and bottom.

• Skype
  

• VLC
  

• Tidal
  

• Feedly
  

• LINE
  

• Viber
  

• PlayStation Vue
  

• Bank of America

If you have an iPhone X and use any of these apps, check the App Store's Updates tab to ensure you have the latest version installed.

BBC's iPlayer app received an update this morning that is fueling speculation online that Apple's TV app will hit U.K. shores imminently.

iPlayer's changelog for version 4.35.0 of the app simply lists "support for the new Apple TV app, available to users with devices running iOS 11.2 and above".

Apple's TV app – billed as an easy way to watch your favorite movies and TV shows in a single place – has been available in the United States since December of 2016, but remains absent from Apple TVs and iOS devices in the United Kingdom and across the rest of Europe.

In September, Apple released the Apple TV app in Canada and Australia, and announced that it would be bringing the app to France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the U.K. by the end of the year.

The BBC's mention is just the latest indication that the TV app should make an appearance very soon, in the U.K. at least.

Channel 5 was another British broadcaster Apple said it would be adding to its TV app, and last week the My5 app began appearing on Apple TVs. On Tuesday, ITV announced its ITV Hub was available on Apple TV, while Wednesday saw the global rollout of Amazon Prime Video on Apple TV, which also supports the native TV app.

The surge in component orders for the iPhone X over the last couple of months appears to be coming to an end, based on information coming out of the upstream supply chain. Component shipments for the iPhone X weakened in November, according to sources on Friday, following strong demand in September and October.

With demand for key component not growing as strong as expected, the sources are concerned that Apple may reduce its iPhone X shipment target for the first quarter of 2018. The sources pointed out that Apple's component orders for the iPhone X in November were around 30% lower than its earlier forecast.

The weakened component demand reflects improved yield rates for iPhone X production, which saw Apple's global shipping estimates continue to improve in November, dropping from between 3 and 4 weeks, to 1 and 2 weeks. In the United States and in Europe, iPhone X models ordered today arrive in around a week.

Apple suppliers such as Largan Precision and Catcher Technology have seen revenues slow or begin to decline month on month, respectively. Touch panel supplier General Interface Solution (GIS), which originally expected its sales momentum to continue into 2018, also suffered a sequential decline in November revenues.

Sources expect iPhone X shipments in January and February to be similar as that seen in November 2017, before declining sharply in March. Overall, shipments are expected to be down by around 30 percent sequentially in the first quarter of 2018 because of seasonality and fewer working days caused by the Lunar New Year holidays.

At the same time, DigiTimes' sources believe Apple's iPhone shipments in the first quarter of 2018 may still be better than those recorded in the same period of 2017.

Bitcoin exchange Coinbase watched its iOS app surge to the top of the free apps chart in Apple's App Store yesterday, amid a speculative frenzy surrounding the blockchain cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin prices on Coinbase's GDAX exchange flew past $16,000 to almost $20,000 in around 90 minutes on Thursday, reported Bloomberg, extending its record-breaking run and causing the software to crash and the service's website to go down intermittently in the process. The digital currency fluctuated during a turbulent Asian session, before falling back to about $16,000.

The rise and rise of bitcoin has brought it into the mainstream in the last few weeks, but many observers are warning that the cryptocurrency could be a bubble. Investors have also been reminded of the dangers of hackers, after bitcoin mining marketplace NiceHash lost $64 million in BTC following a "sophisticated and professional attack".

Apple has had its own problems with cryptocurrencies in the past. In August 2016, the tech giant had to remove several fake bitcoin wallets from the App Store after users of the digital currency were scammed out of thousands of dollars.

For anyone interested in observing the hourly fluctuations of bitcoin while maintaining a safe distance, free app CoinHub offers real-time quotes and up-to-date cryptocurrency news all within an impressive-looking dark-themed dashboard. [Direct Link]

Apple's streaming music service will soon face another major competitor, as YouTube prepares to launch a paid music service in March of 2018, reports Bloomberg.

YouTube has already inked a deal with Warner Music Group and is in talks with Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Merlin, a group of independent labels. The service will allow YouTube to better compete with Spotify and Apple Music, and it will provide more revenue to music labels that have been pushing for more money from the video site.

Yet major record labels say the growth would be even more significant if not for YouTube, which they criticize for not compensating them enough, considering how much people use the site to listen to tunes. Music is one of the most popular genres of video on YouTube, which attracts more than a billion users a month.

YouTube is referring to its new service as "Remix" internally, and it is said to include Spotify-style on-demand streaming along with YouTube-only elements like video clips. YouTube has already been contacting artists for help promoting the service.

According to Bloomberg, YouTube will need to overcome "several hurdles" to meet its March 2018 launch date. YouTube has been stuck in negotiations with Universal and Sony for more than a year.

Hilton today announced the upcoming debut of the "Connected Room," a high-tech guest room that will enable hotel guests to control the temperature, lighting, TV, window coverings, and more from their smartphones using the Hilton Honors app.

Guests will also be able to personalize their rooms using technology that loads popular streaming media and other accounts to their in-room TVs. Eventually, guests will also be able to use voice commands to access content and upload artwork and photos to display in their rooms.

Hilton already allows guests to use the Hilton Honors app to check into their rooms and open their room doors using their smartphones, but with the Connected Room expansion, additional in-room controls will be available.

"At Hilton, almost all digital products are born out of necessity and shortcomings in the marketplace - and Connected Room is no exception," said Joshua Sloser, senior vice president of Digital Product, Hilton. "The technology we put in hotel rooms has to be intuitive, simple and quick to pick up because guests typically spend a limited amount of time in their rooms and we want them to spend that time enjoying the experience instead of adapting to new technology."

The Connected Room is live in one Hilton hotel and will deploy "in the coming weeks" to several more before rolling out on a wider scale in 2018.

Starting in early 2018, Apple users in Brazil will pay for purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store, and iBooks Store using the Brazilian real instead of the dollar. The Brazilian real will also be used for Apple Music subscriptions and iCloud storage charges.

Apple began notifying users about the change in emails that were sent out today. Once the currency change happens, all new purchases and subscriptions will be charged in reais rather than dollars.

Since the iTunes Store became available in Brazil in 2011, customers have been required to pay in dollars using an international credit or debit card payment.

At one point, the Brazilian government looked into Apple's payment scheme, leading to speculation at the time that Apple was using dollars instead of reais to avoid software taxes that would negatively impact developers.

(Thanks, João!)

SiriusXM today announced the launch of a new SiriusXM Radio app for the Apple TV, designed to allow SiriusXM subscribers to listen to more than 200 commercial-free radio channels.

The new app is available on the fourth-generation Apple TV and the Apple TV 4K with an interface that has been optimized for the two set-top boxes.

SiriusXM Radio for Apple TV offers customizable music and comedy channels, access to a library of archived SiriusXM On Demand content, easy access to preferred channels and shows, and a syncing feature for resuming shows from SiriusXM On Demand across devices. There's also an integrated screen saver for viewing currently playing content.

"Apple TV is one of the leading and most innovative devices in the burgeoning world of in-home audio and video entertainment. We are excited to bring our extensive programming lineup into homes nationwide with Apple TV," said Jim Cady, SiriusXM's Executive Vice President of Products, Operations & Connected Vehicle.

The SiriusXM service offers access to a wide range of music genres, exclusive channels from Howard Stern, live games and events from professional and college sports, news broadcasts, comedy shows, and more.

Pricing for access to SiriusXM starts at $10.99 per month for a music package and goes up to $20.99 per month for an all access package that includes access to sports channels.

Best Buy this week launched a new Apple sale event, running concurrently with the retailer's existing 20 Days of Doorbusters event this December. The new sale includes promotions and deals on iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Beats by Dre devices, Apple Pencil, and more. We've listed some of the best deals and promotions below, so be sure to check out anything you're interested in before the discounts end on Saturday, December 9 at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

• iPhone X - Trade in select iPhones towards the purchase of an iPhone X and get a Best Buy gift card worth up to $250

• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus - Save up to $200 when buying and activating with a monthly installment plan

• iPhone 6s - Save $150 when buying and activating with a monthly installment plan

• 10.5-inch iPad Pro - Save $100 on 64GB, $125 on 256GB, and $150 on 512GB Wi-Fi models

• iPad mini 4 - Save $125 on the 128GB model

• MacBook - Save up to $200 on the latest models of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

• iMac - Save up to $200 on the latest 27-inch and 21.5-inch models

• iTunes Gift Cards - Buy one, get one 20 percent off

In other deals, Amazon's $50 iTunes gift card for $42.50 from this morning is still ongoing, but as of writing it has reached a 49 percent claim rate so it will be ending shortly. Also of note is Day 7 of Best Buy's 20 Days of Doorbusters event, with today's discount focusing on the WD easystore 8TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive for $139.99, down from $299.99.

Head over to our Deals Roundup for more of the latest discounts, including savings of up to $850 on Vizio's SmartCast TV set and sound bar bundles.

LIFX, a company that makes a range of smart light bulbs and other lighting products, recently embraced HomeKit and introduced several HomeKit-compatible lights that are an alternative to the popular Philips Hue line of smart lights.

One of the new products that's been updated with HomeKit support is the LIFX Z, a $90 light strip that's comparable to the LightStrip Plus from Philips, which I was able to test this week. The LIFX Z is a multi-zone light strip that supports up to 16 million colors, and like the Philips Hue LightStrip Plus, it measures in at 6.6 feet. You can buy extensions to make it longer.

I'm deep in the Hue ecosystem with seven Hue lights in my office alone, so it was interesting to try an alternate solution. LIFX products, unlike Hue, connect directly to WiFi and thus don't require a bridge for functionality. This is nice because it means there's nothing to connect to your home router, but I did notice that the LIFX Z can be slower to respond to input than the Hue products.

Design wise, the LIFX Z looks a lot like the Hue LightStrip Plus. It's a strip of LED lights with an adhesive backing that can be attached to cabinets, desks, walls, and more. At one end, there's what I assume is a controller for HomeKit, which can also be attached next to the lights with adhesive, and a power adapter that needs to be plugged in.

The LIFX Z light strip is thinner than the Philips version, and it comes in two pieces that attach together with thin metal prongs. The Hue LightStrip is all one piece and is thicker, so it feels sturdier. I'm worried about the longevity of the LIFX Z, especially if I choose to move it sometime in the future because of the delicate prongs and the thinner design.

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Following in the footsteps of parent company Facebook, Instagram is beginning a test in six countries today that will see the launch of a new standalone app called "Direct," which will be solely focused on direct messaging friends and family members. As reported by The Verge, this could be the "first step" toward potentially removing messaging features from the main Instagram app.

Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and Uruguay will get Direct on iOS and Android today, and if you download the app there and link it to your Instagram account, then your inbox in the core Instagram app "disappears" and can then only be accessed in Direct. Instagram currently has "no timeline" for a global launch outside of these countries, but said that its reason for segmenting off Direct in a test is to create a "best-in-class" experience for private messaging, which could not be possible inside a social-sharing application.

“We want Instagram to be a place for all of your moments, and private sharing with close friends is an important part of that,” Hemal Shah, an Instagram product manager, told me. “Direct has grown within Instagram over the past four years, but we can make it even better if it stands on its own. We can push the boundaries to create the fastest and most creative space for private sharing when Direct is a camera-first, standalone app.”

Direct is said to open to a camera like Snapchat, encouraging you to send photo messages to friends, and then you can swipe to go left to see your profile and settings, or right to navigate to your list of recent contacts. Direct also includes all of the usual filters, doodle tools, and photo effects Instagram has launched in stories and picture editing over the past year, as well as four new exclusive filters. "That's the whole app," according to The Verge, which also reported on a new way to easily jump between Direct and Instagram.

Still, there are some nice touches. Designers built what might be the niftiest app transition I’ve ever seen: If you start swiping to the right of the Direct inbox, an Instagram logo pops begins to peak out from the side of the app. Swipe all the way to the right and Direct will open Instagram. Similarly, you can swipe right in Instagram to reveal the Direct logo — a modified version of the paper-plane logo Instagram has long used for messages — and completing your swipe will take you back to Direct.

Since Facebook broke off Messenger into its own app in 2014, the company has added in chat bots, games, location sharing, ephemeral stories, online friend statuses, group video chat, and more. It's expected that Direct will also expand in a similar way if Instagram goes through with a global launch of the new app, which is starting off barebones in its test, leaving room for the company to "make it even better," according to Instagram product manager Hemal Shah.