MacRumors

Walmart's streaming movie service VUDU will be available on Apple TV starting on Tuesday, August 22, following the official launch of the new VUDU app, reports Variety.

With the launch of a dedicated Apple TV app, VUDU users will no longer need to AirPlay content from an iOS device in order to watch VUDU content on the Apple TV.

VUDU first confirmed work on an app for the fourth-generation Apple TV in March, so the app has been in development for some time. Prior to the announcement of an Apple TV app, a VUDU engineer said the company had not been able to develop an app because of Apple's policies preventing third party services from selling movies within their apps.

The current VUDU iOS app adapts to those restrictions by allowing users to download movies and TV shows that have been previously purchased on the VUDU website, and the Apple TV app presumably works in the same way.

VUDU allows customers to rent and purchase a wide range of movies and television shows, including new releases, and it offers services like a disc to digital conversion, digital copies of Blu-rays and DVDs purchased within stores, and free ad-supported movies. VUDU is already available on a range of other platforms, like Roku, Chromecast, consoles, and more.

Popular Facebook-owned image sharing site Instagram is today being updated with comment threads, a small but long-awaited feature that will bring better organized comments for the first time.

With comment threads, comments on Instagram will more closely resemble comments on Facebook, with replies clearly listed under top-level comments. Prior to comment threading, all comments, even those that were replies to existing comments, were listed in one general thread with no organization.

Comment threads help you keep track of conversations and make it easy to respond to a specific thread. This update will make your feed an even better place to share interests, get inspired and connect with others.

Now, when you hit reply underneath any comment, your response will automatically be grouped right underneath it in a thread.

Instagram says these updates are part of Instagram version 24, available from the App Store today.

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

Apple, Twitter, Snap, Facebook, Microsoft, and a collection of other technology companies have filed a legal brief this week, aimed at the Fourth Amendment and its "rigid analog-era" protections that lag behind protecting users in the modern age (via Reuters).

The brief was filed in regards to the case Carpenter v. United States, which is a Supreme Court case focusing on the warrantless search and seizure of historical smartphone records, and whether or not such data collection by the government is prohibited by the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable search and seizures.

Carpenter v. United States specifically ties to smartphone data held by a third party -- or any company that has access and can store personal user data -- and includes information revealing the "location and movements" of the user over 127 days.

With the new filing, which is in support of neither party, the companies state that customers should not be "forced to relinquish Fourth Amendment protections" against intrusion by the government, simply because they choose to use modern technology.

"To resolve this case, the Court should forgo reliance on outmoded rules that make little sense when applied in the digital context. In particular, the third-party doctrine and the content/non-content distinction should not operate to categorically foreclose Fourth Amendment protection; instead, Fourth Amendment law should favor a more flexible approach that assess reasonable expectations of privacy in light of new and evolving technologies and the highly sensitive data they implicate."

Other companies included in the brief included Airbnb, Google, and Dropbox. The case in question dates back to 2011, when Timothy Carpenter was convicted on robbery charges after investigators uncovered smartphone data with his past location information without a warrant. The Supreme Court agreed to review the case in June 2017, and it's now on the Court's term docket for October 2017.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

In its ongoing push into retail, Amazon today announced the opening of five "Instant Pickup" locations in the United States, allowing Prime subscribers to choose from a selection of "daily essentials" that are made available for pick up in two minutes or less (via Reuters). The essential items include snacks, drinks, electronics, and Amazon's own devices.

The Instant Pickup process begins with Prime and Prime Student users visiting Amazon's iOS or Android app to browse through hundreds of essential and daily care items. Users can then place an order, decide on an Instant Pickup location, and then go to the retail store to pick it up from a self-service locker.

On the employee side of things, when users place an order someone at the Instant Pickup store gathers the items in a back room, and then places them within one of the numbered lockers. After customers place their order, they're given the number to the locker and a barcode to access its contents at the Instant Pickup store.

“Instant Pickup is another way Amazon is making life more convenient for Prime members,” said Ripley MacDonald, Director, Student Programs, Amazon. “As shopping behaviors continue to evolve, customers consistently tell us that they want items even faster. Whether it’s a snack on-the-go, replacing a lost phone charger in the middle of a hectic day or adding Alexa to your life with an Echo, Instant Pickup saves Prime members time. While Instant Pickup is available at select pickup locations today, we’re excited about bringing this experience to more customers soon.”

Amazon is launching Instant Pickup as an expansion to five of its established pickup locations in Los Angeles; Atlanta; Berkeley, California; Columbus, Ohio; and College Park, Maryland. More pickup shops will be getting Instant Pickup in the coming months.

For those near one of the locations who want to try out Instant Pickup, Amazon advises users to update their Amazon iOS app to version 9.15 [Direct Link], and then look for Instant Pickup in "Programs and Features." The new service is a free addition to any Prime or Prime Student membership.

Schlage today released a new Wi-Fi adapter that enables iOS and Android users to control the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt away from home.

Schlage Sense is a Bluetooth-enabled smart deadbolt compatible with HomeKit, allowing homeowners to control it using Siri voice commands or the Home app on iOS 10 or later. The lock has a touchpad and comes in various finishes.

The adapter plugs into a wall outlet, connects to a home's Wi-Fi network, and allows the lock to be controlled remotely with the Schlage Sense app, which is free to download on the App Store [Direct Link] or Google Play.

With the Wi-Fi adapter, Schlage Sense owners can check on and change the lock's status from anywhere in the Schlage Sense app. The app also provides push notifications when the adapter detects that the lock has been used.

It was already possible to remotely control a Schlage Sense lock with a third-generation Apple TV or newer and, in terms of price, that may remain the less expensive or more worthwhile option for many homeowners.

Schlage's Wi-Fi adapter costs $70, the same price as the third-generation Apple TV at many retailers, in the United States. In fact, many new or used third-generation Apple TVs are considerably cheaper by this point.

At $149, even a fourth-generation Apple TV is worth considering, as it can be configured as a Home Hub to control other HomeKit-enabled smart home accessories. Needless to say, it's also an entire Apple TV.

Schlage said the Wi-Fi adapter is available today at Amazon, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, and Build.com. The Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt is sold by Apple, Amazon, and select Lowe's and Home Depot stores for $229.95 or less.

Drone company DJI this week announced a new "local data mode" that breaks any internet connection between the DJI drone and a user's smartphone, which the company said will greatly enhance security and data privacy when users enable the mode (via Reuters).

The announcement comes a few weeks after the United States Army ordered its members to stop using DJI drones due to "cyber vulnerabilities," believed to be related to the drones' ability to save flight logs, photos, or videos onto a smartphone app, and then onto DJI's servers if the user chose to do so.

Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at DJI, said that business and government customers in particular have since raised concerns about sensitive content -- "such as movie footage or images of critical infrastructure" -- potentially leaking out.

DJI said it does not collect images, video or flight logs from users unless they share them. But turning on the new "local data mode" will prevent accidental syncing with DJI's servers. Its drones do not rely on an internet connection to fly.

Cutting the link between the internet and DJI's controller apps that run on tablets and mobile phones will disable updates of maps, flight restrictions and other data that the controller application receives from the internet while the drone is in use, he said.

Because of the Army's memo, DJI sped up work on local data mode, which it says has been in the works for several months. When activated, the new mode blocks all internet data, so DJI apps will not update maps, geofencing information, newly-issued flight restrictions, "and may result in other performance limitations." But, even without an internet connection, the company's drones can still be piloted as normal.

While the mode will be available for everyone, DJI is focusing on "professional, commercial, government, and educational users" who might fly a DJI drone to capture critical infrastructure, commercial trade secrets, or governmental functions.

“We are pleased about how rapidly DJI’s customer base has expanded from hobbyists and personal drone pilots to include professional, commercial, government and educational users,” said Jan Gasparic, DJI head of enterprise partnership. “As more of these customers have asked for additional assurances about how their data is handled, DJI has moved to address their needs by developing local data mode to provide enhanced data management options for customers who want to use them.”

Local data mode will arrive in an update to DJI's suite of apps by the end of September. If any location has regulations that require drone pilots to fly with the most updated maps and information, the offline mode "may not be available" in those areas.

Google is set to pay Apple nearly $3 billion this year to remain as the default search engine on iPhones and iPads, according to U.S. research and brokerage firm Bernstein (via CNBC).

According to the investor note, Google is paying out three times as much to Apple as it did in 2014 for the same privilege, with Google's licensing fees making up a large bulk of Apple's services business.

"Court documents indicate that Google paid Apple $1B in 2014, and we estimate that total Google payments to Apple in FY 17 may approach $3B," CNBC quoted analyst A.M. Sacconaghi Jr. as saying.

"Given that Google payments are nearly all profit for Apple, Google alone may account for five per cent of Apple's total operating profits this year, and may account for 25 per cent of total company OP growth over the last two years," he added.

Apple has increasingly highlighted its services business as a core component of its continued growth. In a recent conference call, for example, CEO Tim Cook said the company's services had become as large as a Fortune 100 company over the last 12 months.

Apple's iOS devices contribute about 50 per cent to Google's mobile search revenue, according to Sacconaghi, suggesting Google would be unlikely to walk away from the licensing deal even if it suspected Apple would stick with Google as the default search engine anyway, given its huge popularity.

Snapchat is currently trialling a new concert-related feature on the platform that stitches together individual video clips from different users to create one seamless video.

Called Crowd Surf, the feature uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to work out when multiple users are actively recording the same event.

By combining the two technologies, Crowd Surf is able to match clips from various users filming at different angles in close proximity, and then overlay the environmental audio seamlessly, creating what's essentially a multi-camera video clip.

Users who later watch the video can then tap a button in the lower right of the clip to switch between angles, or simply sit back and let the transitions take place automatically as the action unfolds.

According to TechCrunch, the feature made its debut on the platform during a Lorde concert in San Francisco on Monday, the results of which can be viewed in the Featured section below the list of stories.

Snapchat says the Crowd Surf feature is still being tested, but will gradually be rolled out to coincide with more high profile events such as concerts and public speeches going forward.

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

Sony today introduced its new XAV-AX200 in-car audio receiver, which doubles as an aftermarket CarPlay system.

The double-DIN XAV-AX200 has a 6.4-inch touchscreen, but Sony didn't specify if its capacitive, or resistive like its XAV-AX100 predecessor.

Other key features include both CarPlay and Android Auto support, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio compatibility, a built-in four-channel amplifier, three external camera inputs, and a built-in DVD player.

Sony also unveiled a MEX-GS820BT receiver that can pair with two smartphones at once via Bluetooth. It doesn't appear to support CarPlay, but it does feature Siri Eyes Free, and similar voice controls on Android smartphones. Sony said the unit has a high-contrast vertical-alignment LCD of an unspecified size.

Siri Eyes Free helps minimize driver distraction with Siri voice recognition, allowing drivers to interact with an iPhone 4s or later without needing to look at the in-dash screen. The feature can be used to make calls, play music, hear and compose text messages, read notifications, use Apple Maps, and more.

Sony said the XAV-AX200 and MEX-GS820BT will be available across North America by the end of the year. Pricing wasn't disclosed. The older XAV-AX100 generally retails for between $499 and $549 in the United States.

Other aftermarket CarPlay systems are available from Alpine, Clarion, Kenwood, JBL, JVC, Pioneer, Sony, and other manufacturers.

Workflow, the automation app that Apple purchased back in March of this year, was today updated to version 1.7.5, introducing a long list of bug fixes.

There are fixes for a range of third-party apps like Trello, Google, Dropbox, and Evernote, along with updates to address issues in iOS 11. For example, Open In, Post to Instagram, Create Note, and Save with Transmit were all actions that were broken in the iOS 11 beta, but have now been fixed.

A full list of the bugs and issues that have been fixed in the update can be found on the Workflow website.

For those unfamiliar with Workflow, it's an automation tool that can essentially do anything. It allows users to create workflows to accomplish tasks like creating GIFs from a series of photos, pulling images from a web page, translating an article, posting photos to multiple social networks at once, calculating a tip, and more.

Since Apple acquired the app, it has been free to download. Regular improvements have been introduced, including bug fixes and new actions.

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

Chris Lattner, once responsible for leading the teams behind Xcode and Swift, made headlines earlier this year when he left Apple to work at Tesla.

At the time, Lattner told MacRumors the opportunity to work on Tesla's self-driving project with the Tesla Autopilot team was "irresistible." Lattner lasted just six months at Tesla, however, and left the company in June.

"Chris just wasn't the right fit for Tesla and we've decided to make a change," the company told The Wall Street Journal after Lattner exited. Lattner went on to announce on Twitter that he was seeking companies interested in a "seasoned engineering leader," which has apparently led to a new role at Google.

Lattner today announced that he has joined the Google Brain team to work on artificial intelligence. Google Brain is Google's research unit, and Lattner is expected to work on TensorFlow, Google's open-source machine learning software.

Facebook is introducing a new "Trending News" section to the Facebook app on iOS and Android devices, designed to make it easier for Facebook users to access current and trending news stories, reports TechCrunch.

Trending News aggregates news stories from a wide range of sources and ranks them by the number of publications that are sharing a particular story. The Trending News section can be accessed by going to the "Explore" tab and then scrolling down to the specific "Trending News" section, which Facebook began introducing on iOS a few weeks ago.

From there, news stories are displayed in a list, and tapping a story allows users to read headlines from a range of sources, watch videos, see photos, and view top Facebook posts about the topic. Trending Topics that are seen in the Facebook search feed also share a similar design when tapped.

Facebook first announced plans to redesign its Trending Topics section back in May, with the update aimed at allowing users to see how publications are covering a particular topic as well as relevant discussions from friends and public figures.

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