MacRumors

We normally host our giveaways on Friday, but this week, we've teamed up with Hadoro for what may be our most unique giveaway to date -- custom black AirPods with an AirPods Charging Case covered in alligator leather.

There are a sea of plain old AirPods out in the wild, but the AirPods with an alligator leather case from Hadoro are like no other AirPods you've seen before.

Priced at €590 (~$705) these AirPods are aimed at customers who want to stand out from the crowd and are looking for the most luxurious, high-end AirPods option available for purchase.

Each alligator AirPods charging case is made by hand in Besançon, France, using premium grade American alligator leather, chosen for its quality and its attractive pattern. Given the natural variations in alligator leather, each and every charging case is unique.

Alligator leather is naturally expensive and scarce as it is a limited resource due to strict conservation principles enforced in the United States to make sure it's sustainably harvested. Like all leathers, alligator leather will develop a patina over time for an attractive, one of a kind look.

Hadoro's black alligator leather AirPods charging case, which is what we're giving away, comes equipped with custom-painted matte black AirPods, so not only do you get the unique case, you get AirPods in a color no one else has.

Hadoro is using a durable black paint that is resistant to scratches and wear and tear. Hadoro also makes alligator leather charging cases in a wide range of other colors, including green, blue, brown, burgundy, red, and navy blue, with these shipping with standard white AirPods inside.

Both the AirPods and the AirPods charging case retain full functionality just like standard AirPods you can get from Apple, with a W1 chip for easy pairing, a long battery life, a built-in accelerometer for ear detection, iCloud integration for quick device switching, and gesture support.

All of the Hadoro AirPods charging cases feature an unassuming "H" emblem at the front made from stainless steel, and the alligator leather exterior of the charging case does not interfere with normal operation.

If you want to go full-on fancy, Hadoro also sells matching alligator leather iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands, as well as iPhones and Apple Watches made from custom materials.

We have one set of alligator leather AirPods to give away. 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 (May 15) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 22. The winner will be chosen randomly on May 22 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Google has offered an Incognito Mode in its Chrome web browser for nearly ten years now, offering users the chance to disable their browsing history and web cache while the mode remains active. Features like Incognito Mode offer peace of mind since users can navigate to any website without being tracked and without cookies being stored, all while maintaining the same features as a normal web browsing experience.

Today, AndroidPolice reports that Google might extend this feature into its mobile YouTube applications, following the discovery that Google is testing an Incognito mode in the Android YouTube app. For users in the test, Google has combined "Switch account" and "Sign out" into one menu item behind account settings, leaving a new slot for "Turn on Incognito."

When this is on, it appears to act similar to Incognito in other Google products, with a pop-up box explaining that all activity from the Incognito session "will be cleared" and the user will go back to the last-used account when they decide to exit the mode. At the bottom of the screen a small bar reminds users that "You're incognito," and AndroidPolice discovered that subscriptions are hidden as well during this time.

However, YouTube warns that "your activity might still be visible to your employer, school, or internet service provider." Otherwise, the mode in testing acts similarly to Google Chrome's Incognito feature and will prevent any video searches and watched videos from being saved to the account history. Notably, this means the service's recommendations would not be affected by anything watched while a user is Incognito.

Apple's Incognito alternative for Safari is called Private Browsing, which prevents a user's browsing history from being saved, while also asking websites not to track users. If you're wondering how to activate Private Browsing on an iOS device, be sure to visit our How To guide on the topic.

Facebook-owned chat app WhatsApp today updated its iOS and Android applications with a collection of new features aimed at making group chats more in-depth and easier to catch up with. The update also introduces revamped administrator controls to enhance a group's privacy during chats.

To start, users can set a short blurb under their group info to highlight the "purpose, guidelines, or topics" that will be the main focus of the discussions. This way, when a new member joins the blurb will appear at the top of the chat and they'll understand the general goal of the group.

When users have been away from a group chat for a period of time, they can now catch up on any messages that specifically mentioned them, in a similar vein to Discord and Slack. Users can find the catch-up feature behind a new @ button at the bottom right corner of chat. Additionally, a new participant search lets users find anyone in their group through a search bar on the group info page.

Groups have been an important part of the WhatsApp experience, whether it's family members connecting across the globe or childhood friends staying in touch over the years. There are also people coming together in groups on WhatsApp like new parents looking for support, students organizing study sessions, and even city leaders coordinating relief efforts after natural disasters. Today, we're sharing improvements that we've made to groups.

For admins, there is a new control to restrict which members can change the group's subject, icon, and description. Admins can also now remove admin permissions of other group participants, while group creators can no longer be kicked out of the group they started. The company said that it has also introduced a safeguard that will protect users from repeatedly being added to groups they have already left.

The updates are rolling out today for WhatsApp on iOS [Direct Link] and Android.

Apple News now lets all publishers use Google's industry standard ad-serving tool DoubleClick, after limited testing last year.

Apple told Digiday that DoubleClick can now be used to serve traditional banner ads on Apple News, including animated GIF ads, but it can't yet be used to serve HTML5-based ads or pre-roll video ads in the app.

The rollout should make it easier for publishers to sell and fill ad space next to their articles on Apple News. Apple lets publishers keep 100 percent of the revenue from the Apple News ads they sell directly.

"We're thrilled with the results we've seen from the Apple News DFP beta," said Beth Lawrence, executive vice president of digital sales for Discovery. "We've seen strong fill rates across our Apple News channels for Food Network, HGTV and Travel Channel, with a peak fill rate over 90 percent."

DoubleClick-served ads in Apple News have limited targeting options, in line with Apple's commitment to user privacy:

The ad-targeting options break down into two categories: context-based targeting and audience-based targeting. Contextual ads can be aimed based on the article's publisher, its content category within Apple News and the tags a publisher appends to the individual article as well as according to whether it appears on an iPhone or iPad. Audience-wise, the ads can be targeted by a person's location (though only at the designated market area level), their gender and their age group.

Apple previously used its now-defunct iAd platform to fill unsold ad space in Apple News, but it later outsourced the job to NBCUniversal.

Adonit today announced the launch of the Snap 2, an accessory that melds a traditional stylus with selfie stick functionality.

Designed for customers who use social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat, the Bluetooth-enabled Snap 2 offers a PixelPoint tip for taking notes, making sketches, drawing, and other purposes, along with a built-in Bluetooth camera shutter remote.

The remote feature can be used to snap photos using the built-in camera app on the iPhone or within photography apps. Adonit has added a new 1.9mm PixelPoint tip to the Snap 2 for better precision with less offset, and there's a new triple burst photo capture mode that joins the standard single shot photo mode.

Our vision behind Snap 2 is to improve the way we share our experiences with friends," said Jasper Li, CTO for Adonit. "Today, Snapchat and Instagram play a big part in how we communicate. From selfies to doodles, Snap 2 powers users to take sharing to the next level. We introduced the triple burst feature for capturing the perfect moment with three continuous shots. The slim design and built-in magnetic makes it easy carry wherever your day takes you."

The Snap 2 has a 12-hour battery life and it can be charged via micro USB, and for portability, it attaches magnetically to the back of the iPhone. The thin body is designed to add little bulk to an iOS device.

This is a niche stylus that isn't going to appeal to all users, nor is it a replacement for something like the Apple Pencil on the iPad, but for those who want a tool for taking photos and then annotating them with drawings and other designs, the Snap 2 may be worth checking out.

The Snap 2, which is compatible with the iPhone 6 and newer, can be purchased from the Adonit website or from Amazon.com for $34.99.

Twelve South today announced the launch of the AirFly, a new adapter accessory that's designed to let you use your AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones in situations where only wired headphone jacks are available, such as on an airplane or at the gym.

When you fly, in-flight entertainment systems often require you to plug wired headphones into the headphone jack to hear sound, preventing you from using AirPods or Bluetooth headphones. The AirFly connects to these kinds of systems, allowing you to listen wirelessly using your AirPods.

AirFly is a small Bluetooth device that's about the size of the AirPods themselves. You connect them to the AirPods over Bluetooth and then use a small cable to plug the AirFly into any headphone jack that requires a physical connection.

This is a bit of a niche product because this likely isn't a situation most people run into on a daily basis, but for long-haul flights where in-flight entertainment is essential, the AirFly is a useful little addition to your carry-on. It's also handy for workout equipment at the gym that requires a physical connection to listen to the gym's entertainment offerings, or in a car that doesn't have native Bluetooth support.

As previously mentioned, the AirFly is similar in size to the AirPods, and it comes with a travel pouch, so it's easy to take with you. Along with the pouch, a 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo audio cable is included, plus there's a micro-USB to USB-A cable for charging the AirFly.

The AirFly has a built-in battery that will last for approximately eight hours, and it can charge from any USB port.

You can purchase the AirFly from Twelve South's website or from Amazon.com for $39.99.

Apple Music now has over 50 million users on either paid subscriptions or free trials, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Cook revealed the updated total in an interview with Bloomberg Television, nearly five weeks after Apple's services chief Eddy Cue said Apple Music had 48 million users, including 40 million paying and eight million on a trial.

Apple Music remains the world's second most popular streaming music service, behind Spotify, which disclosed that it had 75 million paying subscribers as of March 31, 2018. Spotify has a much larger total of at least 170 million active users, however, due to the free, ad-supported tier that it offers.

Apple Music has been a key contributor to the continued growth of Apple's services category, which brought in $9.1 billion revenue last quarter, an increase of 31 percent on a year-over-year basis. Other service-related revenue includes App Store and iTunes Store sales, paid iCloud storage, licensing, and more.

Google has announced a new series of cloud storage plans arriving for Google Account holders, including a new family option for divvying up a single storage plan amongst up to five members.

Called Google One, the new plans will replace existing Google Drive paid storage plans and include 100GB storage for $1.99 a month, 200GB for $2.99 a month, and 2TB for $9.99 a month (down from $19.99).

As a result, Google is removing its 1TB/$9.99 plan, but will continue to offer 15GB storage for free to all Google Drive users. The other existing tier that will continue to be offered is 30TB for $300 a month.

As before, the new storage plans provide users with space for Google Drive, Gmail, and original quality photos and videos (including 4K) in Google Photos.

All the paid plans come with access to live chat support, a feature that was previously limited to G Suite business account holders. The changes will be seen first by paying Google Drive users in the U.S. "in the coming months", with rollout to users in other countries shortly after.

For the sake of comparison, Apple's iCloud monthly storage plans are 50GB for $0.99, 200GB for $2.99, 2TB for $9.99, and 5GB free storage for non-paying users.

Most Apple Watch owners will recognize the "Now Playing" app – it automatically launches by default whenever you play audio through the Music or Podcasts app on your iPhone. A similar screen shows when you play audio through any third-party iPhone app that also has an Apple Watch extension, like Overcast, for example.

The Now Playing app provides quick access to playback controls on your wrist, as well as track options like Love/Dislike and Delete From Library. You can also turn the Crown on your Apple Watch to adjust volume, which is handy when you're listening on AirPods or other headphones that don't have built-in volume controls.

You might not like the way the Now Playing app automatically appears when you play audio on your iPhone. If you just want to see your watch face when you raise your wrist during audio playback, you can turn off the default behavior by following the first set of steps below.

You can still make it easy to access the Now Playing app without it automatically taking over the screen whenever you play audio. One solution is to add the Now Playing app to your Apple Watch's Dock, accessed with a press of the Side button. Another option is to enable the Now Playing watch face complication. Click the links to find out how.

How to Disable Auto-Launch Audio Apps on Apple Watch

1. Press the Crown on your Apple Watch to invoke the app launcher.
   

2. Launch the Settings app.
   
   

3. Tap General.
   

4. Tap Wake Screen.
   

5. Toggle off Auto-Launch Audio Apps.

How to Disable Auto-Launch Audio Apps via iPhone

1. Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
   

2. Tap General.
   
   

3. Scroll down and tap Wake Screen.
   

4. Toggle off Auto-Launch Audio Apps.

How to Add 'Now Playing' to Your Apple Watch's Dock

1. Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
   

2. Tap Dock.
   

3. Tap Favorites in the Dock Ordering section if it isn't already selected.
   
   

4. Tap Edit in the upper right corner of the screen.
   

5. Scroll down to the Do Not Include section and tap the plus (+) symbol next to Now Playing to add it to the list of docked apps. Alternatively, drag the app into the Favorites list via the three-line button at the far right of the entry. (Note you can also use these buttons to control the arrangement of apps in the Dock.)
   

6. Tap Done in the upper right of the screen.

How to Enable the 'Now Playing' Complication

Before following these steps, make sure you're using a watch face that accepts text-based complications (Modular and Activity Digital are two such examples.)

1. Hard press the watch face on your Apple Watch.
   

2. Tap Customize.
   
   

3. Swipe left until the large text-based complication space is highlighted.
   

4. Turn the Crown to scroll through the options until you get to the Now Playing complication (also shown as 'Tap to Open' in the text space).
   

5. Press the Crown twice to set the complication and exit Customize mode.