Despite the objections of some cinema chains, the largest Hollywood studios are considering pushing ahead with a plan to offer digital rentals of films just weeks after they appear in theaters, according to Bloomberg.
The report, citing people familiar with the matter, claims Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. remain in talks with potential distributors such as Apple and Comcast on ways to push ahead with the project even without theater chains.
A deal with Apple, which reportedly could happen as soon as early next year, means iTunes could supposedly offer major films as early as 17 days after their theatrical debut for about $50, or four to six weeks from release for $30.
That timeframe would be significantly shorter than the current average of three months between a major film's theatrical release and availability in DVD and digital formats, but it would also cost viewers more than an $8 to $15 movie ticket.
The revenue from the premium video on demand, or PVOD, product would help offset a continuing decline in DVD sales, which were down 10 percent in the first half of 2017, according to research firm The Digital Entertainment Group.
Disney, which plans to remove its movies from Netflix and launch its own streaming service by 2019, reportedly isn't interested in the PVOD talks.
Bloomberg first reported on the discussions in December, when it claimed 21st Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. were all seeking deals with Apple to create a $25 to $50 premium movie download product.
Images purporting to show the A11 series chip that will power the upcoming "iPhone 8" emerged online today, suggesting that Apple's processor is already making its way through iPhone assembly plants.
All iPhone models coming in the fall are expected to use the A11 chip, including the iterative "S" cycle upgrades to Apple's existing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones. The processor relies on a new 10-nanometer FinFET manufacturing process introduced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the sole supplier of the new chip.
TSMC was said to have reached the exclusive deal with Apple last year thanks to its advanced device packaging techniques, capable of higher-width memory buses and lower-power operation.
As such, the A11 processor will be faster and likely more power efficient than the current A10 found in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, translating to speedier overall performance and better battery life for the upcoming devices.
Apple has a major redesign in store for the iPhone 8, which will feature a glass body and edge-to-edge OLED display that does away with the Home button, and a new facial recognition system that may well replace its Touch ID fingerprint authentication.
A hacker released what he claimed to be a firmware decryption key for Apple's Secure Enclave on Thursday, initially sparking fears that iOS security had been compromised.
Apple's Secure Enclave Processor (SEP) handles all cryptographic operations for the Apple Watch Series 2, the A7 processor that powers the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air, the iPad mini 2 and 3, and subsequent A-series chips. The encrypted SEP is completely isolated from the rest of the system and handles Touch ID transactions, password verifications, and other security processes on a separate OS to maintain data protection integrity even if the kernel has been compromised.
One of the ways the SEP does this is by generating a Unique ID (UID) for each device for authentication purposes. The UID automatically changes every time a device is rebooted and remains unknown to other parts of the system, further enhancing its security.
Beyond that, little is known about how the SEP actually works outside of Apple, but that's by design – the enclave's isolation serves to obfuscate it from the rest of the system, preventing hackers from rifling through its code to make it as secure as possible.
The decryption key posted on GitHub yesterday would not enable hackers to access data stored inside the Secure Enclave, but it could allow hackers and security researchers to decrypt the firmware that controls it and potentially spot weaknesses in the code.
Speaking to TechRepublic, the hacker that released the key claimed that Apple's effort to obfuscate the code was itself cause for concern.
"The fact that the SEP was hidden behind a key worries me," said xerub. "Is Apple not confident enough to push SEP decrypted as they did with kernels past iOS 10?" He added that while SEP is amazing tech the fact that it's a "black box" adds very little, if anything to security. "Obscurity helps security — I'm not denying that," he said, but added that relying on it for security isn't a good idea.
"I think public scrutiny will add to the security of SEP in the long run," xerub said, noting that was also his intention with releasing the key.
Xerub claimed it's theoretically possible that the decryption key could be used to watch the SEP do its work, which could potentially allow hackers to reverse-engineer its process and gain access to its contents, including passwords and fingerprint data. However, he admitted that a lot of additional work would need to go into exploiting the decrypted firmware.
It's still unclear what the longer term repercussions could be, but an Apple source who wished to remain anonymous told TechRepublic that the release of the SEP key doesn't directly compromise customer data.
"There are a lot of layers of security involved in the SEP, and access to firmware in no way provides access to data protection class information," they said. "It's not an easy leap to say it would make getting at customer data possible."
More accurately, it makes research into the structure of the SEP possible, which could allow hackers to find flaws in its workings. Apple said it did not plan to roll out a fix at this time.
Overall Apple Watch shipments are expected to rise to 4.5 million units in the fourth quarter of this year and could reach 15 million for the whole of 2017, according to sources in the upstream supply chain (via DigiTimes).
Those predictions bode well for Apple as it prepares to launch its third-generation smartwatch, but the figures stand in stark contrast to other vendors of wearable devices, who are seeing increasingly weakening demand.
Xiaomi and Fitbit are both experiencing dropping sales for their current smartwatch ranges, while wearable shipments from Samsung, LG, Huawei, and Motorola remain weak overall. Asustek has already decided to leave the market completely and Intel has been cutting staff and R&D resources involved in its wearable platforms.
High prices, weak battery life, overlapping functionalities with smartphones, and poorly integrated ecosystems are among the reasons cited for the less-than-impressive demand for rival wearables.
Meanwhile Apple's smartwatch continues to ride a wave of popularity, with supply chain sources expecting Apple Watch volume to rise to up to 20 million units in 2018. By contrast the first-generation Apple Watch shipped less than 5 million units in 2015, while the second-generation model has maintained strong sales since its launch in September 2016.
Set to launch next month, the Apple Watch Series 3 is said to be coming in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + LTE models in 38mm and 42mm sizes, according to KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo reckons the cellular-enabled model will have an embedded SIM, but it might support VoIP calling only. Apple Watch Series 3 models will also reportedly have improved performance and longer battery life.
Rumors of a design change for the third-generation watch can't be confirmed, but it's possible some small tweaks to the form factor could be revealed in September, alongside new iPhones and possibly a 4K-capable Apple TV.
Each week, Apple chooses an "App of the Week" to highlight, which means it can be downloaded for free. This week's pick is a board game named Tsuro: The Game of the Path, which is normally priced at $2.99. Since its launch in February of 2016, Tsuro has not been made available for free.
Tsuro is tile-based board game where the objective is to slide your stone along the pathway, avoiding obstacles and other players' paths to be the first one to journey across the board. The game is based on the physical Tsuro board game.
This gorgeous digital board game couldn't be any simpler to learn, but true mastery lies at the end of a long and winding path. As fans of Tsuro's tabletop incarnation, we love how faithfully--and beautifully--the experience is re-created here. App-exclusive ways to play add new layers of depth, lessing us get lost for hours among these tricky, twisty trails.
Designed primarily for two to eight players, the game has been lauded for its artwork and its intuitive controls. Our sister site TouchArcade called it a "fun game that trades complexity and challenge for introspection and relaxation."
Tsuro can be played like the classic board game or in one of three new modes: solo, loop battle, and longest path. Both local and online multiplayer games are supported, and there are no in-app purchases.
Tsuro can be downloaded for free for the next seven days, and after that, a new App of the Week will be chosen. [Direct Link]
YouTube's streaming television service, YouTube TV, today expanded to an additional 14 markets, making it available to approximately 50 percent of the homes in the United States.
Areas gaining access to YouTube TV today include Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Columbus, OH, Jacksonville-Brunswick, Las Vegas, Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Seattle-Tacoma, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, and West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce.
According to YouTube, the YouTube TV service offers the most markets with access to four live local broadcast feeds from ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Along with these live local feeds, YouTube TV features more than 50 networks like ESPN, AMC, USA, and FX, plus it includes cloud DVR support and multi-person access.
Along with expanding to additional markets, YouTube TV is also gaining support for Newsy and the Tennis Channel, new channels that are available to all subscribers at no additional cost.
YouTube TV first launched in April, but it was initially limited to the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. It expanded to additional cities in July, and will expand again "in the coming weeks" to 17 markets like San Diego, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Denver.
Apple today uploaded several iPad Pro how to videos to its YouTube channel, focusing on new features that are coming to the iPad in iOS 11. Each video is just under a minute in length and all of the videos were made in the same style -- with two hands demonstrating new iPad functionality.
iOS 11 brings a ton of new features to the iPad, essentially introducing a whole new user interface, so it's no surprise that Apple has designed a series of videos to show off its capabilities. Some of these features, like the ones that require Apple Pencil, are limited to the iPad Pro, but others will be available on a wider range of iPads.
Apple's new operating system update is currently available to developers and public beta testers, but should be launching to the public soon. We expect Apple to release the update in September alongside new iPhones.
Instagram today announced the addition of new ways to reply to photos and videos to improve Direct conversations with friends.
When replying to a direct message of a photo or video sent from a friend, Instagram users can now reply with a photo or a video of their own. Hit the "Reply" button on a message to open the camera and create a photo to send. All replies include a sticker of the image or video you're replying to.
Now you can reply with a photo or video to specific photos, videos, and reshared posts in Direct. Your reply will automatically include a sticker of what you're replying to. Just hit "reply" to open the camera, take a selfie, and send.
Instagram is also adding an option to send a split-screen reply to a friend by tapping on the sticker that's automatically included with every reply. When tapped, the sticker will appear at the top of the screen and your own photo will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Instagram's new features are available in Instagram version 10.34, available immediately from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Apple has leased additional office buildings in Santa Clara, California, and has started "a significant reconstruction" of the interior space, reports the San Jose Mercury News.
The two buildings under construction are located near the southeast corner of Kifer Road and Uranium Drive in Santa Clara, approximately six miles away from 1 Infinite Loop and five miles away from its new Apple Park campus.
The technology titan wouldn't disclose the purpose of the work, but some industry watchers believe the company needs the space because it continues in hiring mode, which in turn requires more space.
"Apple is bursting at the seams," said Tim Bajarin, principal analyst with Campbell-based Creative Strategies, a market researcher.
The leases and construction were discovered in documents filed in early August with the Santa Clara County Recorder's Office, and an Apple spokesperson confirmed that Apple has leased the buildings.
One building measures in at 43,000 square feet, while the other comes in at 30,000 square feet, for a total of 73,000 square feet of office space.
Along with its two main campuses in Cupertino, Apple occupies many other office buildings in the surrounding areas in Santa Clara, San Jose, and Sunnyvale and has been expanding rapidly in recent years to accommodate its growing workforce.
In iOS 11, Apple has added an "Emergency SOS" feature that's designed to give users a quick and easy way to summon emergency services should the need arise. As it turns out, there's a secondary benefit to Emergency SOS - it's also a way to quickly and discreetly disable Touch ID.
Emergency SOS is activated by pressing on the sleep/wake button of an iPhone five times in rapid succession. When the requisite number of presses is complete, it brings up a screen that offers buttons to power off the iPhone, bring up your Medical ID (if filled out) and make an emergency 911 call.
Along with these options, there's also a cancel button. If you hit the sleep/wake button five times and then hit cancel, it disables Touch ID and requires a passcode before Touch ID can be re-enabled. Touch ID is also disabled if you actually make an emergency call.
This is a handy hidden feature because it allows Touch ID to be disabled discreetly in situations where someone might be able to force a phone to be unlocked with a fingerprint, such as a robbery or an arrest. With Touch ID disabled in this way, there is no way to physically unlock an iPhone with a finger without the device's passcode.
It's also worth noting that there's no real way to tell that Touch ID has been disabled in this manner. Once you hit the sleep/wake button and then tap cancel, it's locked in the same way and with the same message that the iPhone uses when it's been more than 48 hours since a device was last unlocked with a fingerprint.
Apple's Emergency SOS feature will be available on all iPhones that run iOS 11. Along with disabling Touch ID, SOS can also be used to summon emergency services and alert your emergency contacts when an accident occurs.
iOS 11 is available to developers and public beta testers at the current time and will be released to the public in September alongside new iPhones.
Apple and insurance provider Aetna met last week to discuss ways to offer discounted Apple Watch models to Aetna's 23 million subscribers, and CNBC has shared details on some of the topics that were discussed at the meeting, attended by Aetna employees, Apple executives, and health providers from major hospitals.
Aetna is aiming to determine whether the Apple Watch can be used by subscribers to improve health outcomes by encouraging them to exercise, eat better, and better manage health issues. Info on the meeting came from Mandy Bishop, an attendee who founded startup Lifely Insights. Much of the meeting consisted of feedback from Aetna employees who have been testing the Apple Watch.
Data privacy, including who had access to what data, was a major topic of discussion, with Apple explaining that Apple Watch health data can only be shared with third-party apps and companies with express user consent.
The Apple Watch's lack of situational awareness was brought up as a pain point, such as when the device delivers a stand notification when a user is on a plane or in another environment that makes standing difficult. Cost was also a significant topic of discussion.
One theme that emerged during the event, she said, is that many of those who were enrolled in the program wanted to get healthy alongside their families. But many couldn't afford to spend upwards of $1,000 on devices for their spouses and children.
The cost issue wasn't entirely resolved, she said, but it proved to be a sticking point. It remains unclear whether Aetna will extend its discounts from employees and/or members to their family-members.
Apple and Aetna are said to be planning to implement some kind of Apple Watch program in early 2018, which would see the company offering free or discounted Apple Watches to its subscribers.
Aetna already has a program that provides a free Apple Watch to its 50,000 employees and it already subsidizes the cost for some subscribers, with data from that program being used to determine if an expansion is worth it.
Apple today updated its online store for refurbished products to add the new 27-inch iMac models that were first released in June of 2017.
This is the first time those particular machines have been available through the refurbished store since their introduction at the 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference. The iMacs feature Kaby Lake processors, faster SSDs, and AMD discrete graphics.
Apple has a dozen refurbished iMac models available at the current time, with prices discounted by approximately 15 percent. An entry-level model with 8GB RAM, a 1TB Fusion Drive, a 3.5GHz i5 processor, and a Radeon Pro 575 is priced at $1,699, for example, a $300 discount off the standard price.
Apple has a range of configurations available, from low-end to top-of-the-line. As with all refurbished products, stock will fluctuate regularly based on the machines Apple is getting in for repair.
All of Apple's refurbished products go through a rigorous refurbishment process before being offered for sale, which includes inspection, repairs, cleaning, and repackaging. Refurbished Macs come with a one-year warranty that can be extended with an AppleCare+ purchase. For more tips on purchasing a refurbished product, make sure to check out our guide.
Skype today announced the release of a preview version of its next-generation desktop software, which is designed to emulate the redesigned mobile experience that it released in June.
The new version of Skype shares design elements with the mobile version, but it has been created for the desktop's larger screen. Microsoft calls it the "most expressive Skype ever" with livelier group chats, real-time screen and photo sharing, and more.
Skype's redesign features a new notification panel that displays mentions and message reactions, allowing users to better keep up with conversations.
There's a new chat media gallery for keeping track of photos and documents shared in a chat, and group calls feature in-call reactions with emoji that can be shared.
Apple Watch Series 3 models have entered the "final testing phase" in the manufacturing process, with mass production set to begin soon, according to a new Chinese-language Economic Daily News report [Google Translate].
The report, citing unnamed supply chain sources, said Taiwan-based manufacturer Quanta Computer will begin shipping Apple Watch Series 3 models to Apple in the fourth quarter, lining up with the smartwatch's widely rumored September launch, alongside new iPhones and possibly a 4K-capable Apple TV.
Apple Watch Series 2 models and slightly upgraded Series 1 models launched last September alongside the iPhone 7, so it's reasonable to assume that Series 3 models could launch this September as well. The original Apple Watch, now unofficially dubbed Series 0, launched in April 2015.
The rest of the report cites KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who recently claimed Apple Watch Series 3 will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + LTE models in 38mm and 42mm sizes. Kuo said the cellular-enabled model will have an embedded SIM, but it might support VoIP calling only.
Apple Watch Series 3 models will also reportedly have improved performance and longer battery life, at least for the Wi-Fi-only version.
What's less certain is whether the Apple Watch will be significantly redesigned for the first time since being unveiled in September 2014.
Apple blogger John Gruber recently said he heard Apple Watch Series 3 models could have an all-new form factor, but he stressed that the tidbit came from an unconfirmed source who could be wrong. Kuo, meanwhile, said Apple Watch Series 3 models won't have any "obvious" form factor changes.
"It could also be that both my birdie and Kuo are correct," said Gruber, in a follow-up post yesterday. "The phrase 'will not feature an obvious new form factor' leaves a lot of wiggle room with the word 'obvious'," he added.
Few other details are known about the next Apple Watch at this point, and no components have leaked from the supply chain yet.
Matthew Roberts has shared his latest drone tour of Apple Park, providing a closer look at Apple's new headquarters as construction wraps up.
There aren't many notable changes since the July video, but August's edition reveals further landscaping efforts, including more trees — there will be over 9,000 in total — planted within the inner circle of the main building.
Apple has also begun paving certain areas of Apple Park, including the walkway to Steve Jobs Theater. Many areas of the campus remain covered in dirt, however, so it's clear there is still a lot of landscaping work to be completed.
Some of Apple's employees have already moved into the new headquarters, while others like design chief Jony Ive and his team will follow suit later this year. The new campus will eventually house around 12,000 employees.
Apple will still use its Infinite Loop headquarters as an ancillary campus, along with a handful of other offices in the Cupertino and Sunnyvale area.
Best Buy today announced the upcoming launch of a 50-hour sale filled with Black Friday-like deals in celebration of its 51st anniversary. The sale will kick off this Friday and will last through Sunday night.
Best Buy's sale will see the company offering discounts on a wide range of Apple products, from the MacBook to the iPhone.
Best Buy's sale kicks off at 10:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday, August 18 and ends at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, August 20. Deals will be available both online and in retail stores, and students can get additional discounts by visiting Best Buy's student site.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner of Best Buy and may earn a small commission if you purchase a product using one of these links. The money earned goes towards supporting the site.
McDonald's is generating lots of buzz today after it used an iPhone 8 mockup in an ad promoting its mymacca's mobile ordering app in Australia.
McDonald's promotional email courtesy of MacRumors reader Amir T.
The ad, emailed to many customers on Thursday, clearly shows a rendered iPhone with a nearly full front display, beyond a notch for the front-facing camera, earpiece, and sensors for expected facial recognition functionality.
Needless to say, this isn't an official iPhone 8 image. Benjamin Geskin tweeted that the render is his. McDonald's poorly cropped the image, and used circles for the signal strength indicator, which Apple switched to bars in iOS 11.
However, whether it was intentional, by mistake, or simply a McDonald's graphic designer being clever, the ad has proven to be an effective publicity stunt, as several users have shared it on social platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and the MacRumors forums.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone 8 will be available in September in extremely limited quantities.
A hacker released what he claimed to be a firmware decryption key for Apple's Secure Enclave on Thursday, initially sparking fears that iOS security had been compromised. 
