MacRumors

One of the biggest software changes on Apple's new iPhone X is the location of Control Center, the useful user interface that provides you with quick access to music playback controls, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles, the flashlight, calculator, and much more thanks to iOS 11's customizable layout. On pre-iPhone X devices, the Control Center is awoken by swiping up from the bottom edge of the device. Because that action is now the default "go home" gesture on iPhone X, Apple has moved Control Center to the top right edge of the smartphone.

This location change has removed the simplicity and ease-of-access to Control Center for many iPhone X users -- particularly those who are left handed -- who have been posting about the iPhone X-specific issue in the MacRumors forums, Twitter, and on Reddit. Some of these users have also provided interesting alternative locations and invoking gestures that Apple could potentially implement in future iOS updates, but it should be reiterated that these are simply community ideas and not in any way an indication that we'll see them added to the iPhone X.

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How to activate Control Center on iPhone X

Reddit has been the source of multiple ideas for new Control Center gestures on the iPhone X, with a few that replace existing gestures (so you'd have to choose between two options in Settings) and some that are new. One user theorized that the iPhone X's new Reachability gesture (swiping down on the Home indicator, which must be activated in Settings) could have an alternate option for invoking Control Center.

Further threads provided variations on this idea: 3D Touch on the Home indicator for Reachability and pulling down on the indicator for Control Center, or keeping Reachability as it is and using 3D Touch on the Home indicator for Control Center. The 3D Touch solution has been put forward by multiple people over the last few days and appears to be a favorite, particularly because Reachability's new swipe-down gesture on the Home indicator can be difficult to execute and could potentially be an even more frustrating location for Control Center.

Other ideas have been shared on the MacRumors forums, including one that could be an additional option for the swipe-down gesture that enacts Search anywhere on the Home Screen, but that would make Control Center impossible to call up within apps. iOS developer Guilherme Rambo posted his own idea on Twitter this week, suggesting that a 3D Touch edge swipe could house Control Center. Currently, this is used as an app switching gesture, which Apple at first removed from iOS 11 and then brought back in a later update, so it's another idea where you'd have to pick one setting over another.

While Rambo's idea appears to be focused on Control Center replacing an app switcher gesture, a few users have also had ideas where Control Center is added into the app switcher. In these, you'd swipe up and hold to access other apps as normal, and Control Center would potentially be the first app you see instead of the last-used app. Or, Apple could place it on the right side of the app switcher, as one Redditor posited. Another mockup by Twitter user @jwangARK placed buttons under the app switcher for easy access to both Notifications and Control Center.

Another iOS developer, Riley Testut, theorized a simple solution that would place Control Center at the bottom right edge of the iPhone X display instead of the top right edge, while swiping up from the center would still go Home. A few iPhone X users have also pointed towards Assistive Touch in Accessibility as a workaround for easier Control Center activation, but that comes with a permanent, virtual Home Button on your iPhone screen, which will be a hard trade-off for some iPhone X owners.

With the iPhone X out in the wild for one full week as of today, November 10, the location of Control Center is one of a few gripes that early adopters have had with Apple's newest smartphone. Another notable point of contention focused on the iPhone X keyboard's "wasted space", with users presenting a few potential solutions to that as well, including placing recently used emoji or punctuation in the empty field below the space bar.

Make sure to check out our iPhone X Roundup for more details on the smartphone's new features.

Related Forums: iOS 11, iPhone

A limited but increasing number of iPhone X owners have encountered a green line appearing on the smartphone's display.

iphone x green line

Photo via Twitter user mix0mat0sis‏

At least 25 customers have shared photos of the potential hardware defect across the Apple Support Communities, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and the MacRumors forums since the iPhone X launched a week ago. Of course, in a production run of millions of iPhone X units, it is a small percentage of devices affected so far.

"So I was playing with my new phone and all of a sudden, this happened," said one MacRumors forum member with the alias tmiles81. "It's a really bright line going down the entire right side of the phone."

iphone x green lines

Photos via Twitter users MACinCLE and Nate Heagy

The green line wasn't visible on any of the affected iPhone X units when they were first taken out of the box, but rather developed spontaneously after some period of usage in normal conditions. The devices involved also don't appear to have been dropped or damaged in any way.

"Day one and a bright green line has appeared down the right side of the iPhone X," said Apple Support Communities user benvolio1979.

Many of the user reports claim that restarting or even fully restoring the device doesn't remove the green line, which typically runs vertically along the right or left side of the display, but can show up elsewhere on the screen.

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Photos via MacRumors forum member irusli9‏

The issue doesn't appear to be limited to specific iPhone X models or locations. We've seen reports from owners of both 64GB and 256GB configurations in Silver or Space Gray in the United States, Canada, Poland, and Australia at a minimum. If you are affected, share a photo in the comments section below.

MacRumors hasn't been able to reproduce the issue. Apple declined to comment in an emailed response from a spokesperson.

Apple has been replacing affected iPhone X units free of charge, according to customers who contacted the company. Apple also appears to be collecting data from the incidents so that its engineers can investigate the matter, as it routinely does with any potential hardware or software issues.

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Photo via Apple Support Communities user tomek80

The green line could be an isolated defect with the iPhone X's OLED display. Samsung's Galaxy S7 also uses OLED and suffered from a similar issue last year in which a pink line appeared on some displays. Samsung acknowledged the issue as hardware failure and worked to replace affected devices.

If you experience this problem, we recommend booking a Genius Bar appointment or contacting Apple's support team via phone, email, or online chat. Apple is generally helpful in these situations.

Update: TechCrunch notes that the iPhone X display has a new diamond subpixel pattern and, as such, all green sub-pixels appear in lines. The report speculates that there could be an electrical fault in some of the devices that is causing voltage to flow to all of the green sub-pixels.

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iPhone X display's diamond subpixel pattern (DisplayMate via TechCrunch)

Related Forum: iPhone

Instagram is currently testing a new feature that allows users to follow hashtags on the picture-sharing social platform, according to reports.

Currently, Instagram users must rely on individual accounts to keep up with content they want to engage with. However the added ability to follow hashtags, first spotted by Twitter user @Social_Pip and The Next Web, could make it much easier for users to find the content they're interested in.

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For example, users interested in Formula 1 racing could follow the hashtag #formula1 and see the relevant content in their feed without having to actually follow the account holders who post the content.

Understandably, this could quickly become overwhelming, so Instagram appears to be limiting current hashtag follows to "top posts and recent stories", as per the overlay description that hovers over the option.

So far there's no indication if or when Instagram will roll out the hashtag following ability to everyone, but the feature's usefulness suggests it could make the cut sooner rather than later.

Google Chrome Material Icon 450x450Google this week revealed some upcoming enhancements to its Chrome browser that aim to protect users from encountering unwanted content on the web, such as when a site unexpectedly redirects them to another page when they click on a video play button.

Google says that incidents of users being redirected by websites to unintended destinations are mentioned in 1 of every 5 Chrome feedback reports it receives, and it's now intent on putting a stop to the "abusive" behavior.

One piece of feedback we regularly hear from users is that a page will unexpectedly navigate to a new page, for seemingly no reason. We've found that this redirect often comes from third-party content embedded in the page, and the page author didn't intend the redirect to happen at all. To address this, in Chrome 64 all redirects originating from third-party iframes will show an infobar instead of redirecting, unless the user had been interacting with that frame. This will keep the user on the page they were reading, and prevent those surprising redirects.

Another example that Google says causes user frustration is when clicking a link opens the desired destination in a new tab, but the main window navigates to a different, unwanted page. The behavior is designed to circumvent pop-up blockers, but Google is planning a clampdown.

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Staring in Chrome 65, the browser will detect this abusive behavior, trigger an infobar, and prevent the main tab from being redirected, allowing the user to continue on to their intended destination.

Lastly, starting in early January, Chrome's pop-up blocker will attempt put a stop to several other types of abusive experiences that are harder to detect, such as links to third-party websites disguised as play buttons or other site controls, or transparent overlays on websites that capture all clicks and open new tabs or windows.

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To help site owners prepare for the changes, Google is launching the Abusive Experiences Report alongside other similar reports in the Google Search Console. These can be used by owners to see to see if any of the abusive experiences have been found on their site and help them improve their user experience.

Tags: Chrome, Google

Logitech has announced in a blog post that it will offer Harmony Link hub owners a free upgrade to the more recent Harmony Hub before it bricks the older smart home controller in early 2018.

Previously, the company had offered owners who were out of warranty a 35 percent discount on the newer $100 hub to compensate for the six-year-old Harmony Link's deactivation in spring of next year, when the device's encryption certificate expires. But the news sparked an online backlash according to Wired, and Logitech has decided to reverse course.

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Logitech Harmony Link

If you are a Harmony Link user, we will reach out to you between now and March 2018 to make arrangements to replace your Link with a free Harmony Hub, a product with similar app-based remote control features to Link, with the added benefit of controlling many popular connected home devices plus, it works with popular voice assistants.

Additionally, Harmony Link customers that have already redeemed their 35% discount on a Harmony Hub will also be refunded the full amount they paid for the replacement. Again, we will be in touch with you regarding these updates between now and March 2018, before your Harmony Link will no longer function.

Logitech said it decided to end support for the Harmony Link "because we would be acting irresponsibly by continuing the service knowing its potential/future vulnerability".

As for why it couldn't just patch the device or extend the license, the company explained that the newer Harmony Hub has around 40 times as many users as the Link, so focusing support and services on the former was a better use of its resources.

Logitech has also responded to suggestions that it had been pressing the mute button on angry customers in its forums by censoring the phrase "class action lawsuit" in complaint threads.

Logitech said the removal was due to a list of auto-blocked keywords in its Community Terms of Service, which doesn't allow solicitation, including legal solicitation. The company has now unblocked the phrase and is in the process of reviewing all of its forbidden forum words and phrases.

As part of its newly updated App Store in iOS 11, Apple is introducing a new "This Weekend Only" feature for the "Today" section, which will see the company offering "new ways to save" with apps.

Apple will introduce an app with a special deal each Thursday, with discounts available through Sunday. To celebrate the launch of the feature, Apple this week is offering exclusive discounts within five apps.

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You can find the discounts by opening the App Store on an iOS device and navigating to the "Today" view. It's listed under "Introducing: This Weekend Only." This weeks deals are listed below.

- HotelTonight: With the HotelTonight discount, customers booking a last minute hotel room can receive up to 40 percent off of the original room price.

- Glasses by Warby Parker: With Warby Parker's new app, customers who place an order for glasses or sunglasses this weekend will receive a free geometric case, valued at $15.

- Under Armour: Purchases over $100 made within athletic apparel app Under Armour will be discounted by $20.

- Chipotle: When purchasing an entree at Chipotle, customers can get a free order of chips and queso.

- Shoptiques: Apparel and accessory app Shoptiques is providing 15 percent off all orders over $100.

Apple's new "This Weekend Only" App Store section is just one of the ways the company is using the new design of the App Store to highlight apps. Each day, there's an array of new content available in the Today section of the App Store, which is designed to surface a range of new apps and games.

Over the course of the last week, there have been a growing number of complaints from users who have discovered that the display of the iPhone X becomes unresponsive in the cold.

Users on both reddit and the MacRumors forums have noticed that their iPhones immediately refuse to recognize some touch input when exposed to cool outdoor temperatures. As it turns out, there is a software bug causing the issue, which Apple says will be addressed in an upcoming update. From a statement to The Loop:

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"We are aware of instances where the iPhone X screen will become temporarily unresponsive to touch after a rapid change to a cold environment. After several seconds the screen will become fully responsive again. This will be addressed in an upcoming software update."

Apple says its iOS devices operate best between temperatures of 0º and 35º C (32º to 95º F), but some of the people who are experiencing issues have seen display problems within these temperature parameters. Reddit user darus214, for example, had his iPhone X act up when it was 45 to 50ºF outside.

I've noticed that my iPhone X screen becomes very unresponsive as soon as I step outside. It literally takes 2 seconds from going inside to the cold outdoors and my screen stops being very responsive. I try swiping on websites and it doesn't register my finger. It's very noticeable. Is anyone else having this problem?

Not all iPhone X users are experiencing problems with the display in cold weather, and those that are see the problem occur as soon as cold exposure happens rather than after a period of time, which does indeed suggest a software issue. Most affected users have said that the problem clears up after a few minutes. From the MacRumors forums:

I have a space gray 256gb iPhone X and I really like the phone, except...

I live in Finland and here is cold (-30-5°C) about 6 to 7 months in a year. Yesterday I noticed that when I'm outside and temperature hits about -1°C (~30°F) my iPhone X's display becomes working incorrectly. Some touches aren't recognized and some are not accurate at all. Problem solves itself after about 3-5 minutes of use, or when I go back indoors.

This is driving me crazy. Anyone else having this kind of problem with the phone?

It's not clear when Apple will fix the cold weather bug, but a fix could come in iOS 11.2, which is currently in beta testing. Apple this morning released iOS 11.1.1, an update that addresses an autocorrect bug that caused "i" to correct to "A[?]" on some devices.

Related Forum: iPhone

The fourth case review in my iPhone X Review Roundup series focuses on Caseology, X-Doria, and MagBak. If you've missed my previous posts, I'm taking a close look at iPhone X cases from a range of manufacturers. We don't often feature case reviews on MacRumors, but with the launch of the iPhone X and its entirely revamped design, we felt it was worth exploring some of the available case options. My previous reviews are below:

For all of these reviews, I'm looking at the general usability of iPhone X cases. Extreme drop tests and in-depth testing aren't covered because those factors are less important than how a case works on an average day, and it's often fairly easy to tell from design how protective a case is going to be.

Factors like bulk, button accessibility, general protection, grip, thickness, and appearance are what I focused on. All of the cases that are in this review roundup work with wireless charging.

MagBak

MagBak cases are made from a soft, flexible rubber material that's easy to grip, so these cases are easy to take off the iPhone when desired. The case wraps around all of the edges on the iPhone X, and it does make the volume and power buttons somewhat harder to press. I don't like the amount of force needed to press the power button because it's going to make it irritating to activate Siri and confirm purchases.

magbakiphonex1
The case has a lip that comes up over the display of the iPhone to protect it when face down, and for those of you who don't like a lip that makes it harder to swipe up from the bottom of the device, this is not the case for you. The lip definitely makes swiping up that way more difficult, but since you don't need to swipe up from the very bottom (I swipe up at about where the dock is, personally), it's not something that's going to bother all users.

magbakiphonex4
I like the simple, no frills design of the MagBak, and the material the case is made from feels like it's going to be fairly protective should the iPhone X be dropped. This offers middle of the road protection, in my estimation. It's not as thin as some of the other cases I've looked at, but it's also not overly bulky and rugged.

➜ Click here to read more...

Related Forum: iPhone

Apple today shared its latest report on diversity and inclusion, detailing its hiring practices over the course of the last year.


According to Apple, from July 2016 to July 2017, half of all new hires were from "historically underrepresented groups in tech," including women, black, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Other Pacific Islander.

25% of new hires in 2016/2017 were Asian, 11% Black, 15% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, and 43% White. As of 2017, Apple employees, including retail and tech, are 68 percent male and 32 percent female. 21% are Asian, 9% are black, 12% are Hispanic, 3% are multiracial, and 54% are white. Apple's tech only and leadership only breakdowns continue to skew more heavily towards white and male, however.

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Female representation is "steadily increasing" and is up 5 percent since 2014. 36 percent of Apple employees under 30 are women, and 32 percent overall are women. Apple says that 29 percent of "leaders" at Apple are women, a one percent increase since July of 2016.

womenatapple
Apple says that "meaningful change takes time," but with 130,000 employees, even "small percentage point changes" have the potential to affect thousands of people. A two percent increase in female representation since 2014 equates to 37,000 female hires across the globe.

Further breakdowns of the diversity at Apple are available through Apple's updated Inclusion and Diversity website. Other topics on the site include education, programs for veterans, pay equity, accessibility, LGBTQ advocacy, and supplier programs.

Apple says it's proud of its current accomplishments, but there's "much more work to do." "As we strive to do better, Apple will remain open. As it always has been. And always will be," reads the diversity site.

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.

Apple design chief Jony Ive recently sat down for an interview with design, architecture, and fashion magazine Wallpaper* to discuss Apple Park, Apple's newest campus in Cupertino, California which he had a hand in designing, and the iPhone X, Apple's newest device.

The iPhone X, Ive says, was designed to serve as a vessel for software, with a design that melds into the background. Apple's design team has always aimed to "get design out of the way." "We try to define a solution that seems so inevitable that it does recede," he said. In the future, Ive believes the iPhone X will offer capabilities it doesn't have now because software is always evolving, something he finds intriguing and fascinating.

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What I think is remarkable about the iPhone X is that its functionality is so determined by software. And because of the fluid nature of software, this product is going to change and evolve. In 12 months' time, this object will be able to do things that it can't now. I think that is extraordinary. I think we will look back on it and see it as a very significant point in terms of the products we have been developing.

Ive declined to comment on Apple's future product plans, but he said his design group is "absurdly curious and constantly looking for alternatives." Some ideas are "beyond the technology" at the moment, but exist to "galvanise the development of technology." Reflecting on the past, Ive says that looking back on the past 25 years, what Apple has learned is more important and precious than what's been designed.

I always think that there are two products at the end of a programme; there is the physical product or the service, the thing that you have managed to make, and then there is all that you have learned. The power of what you have learned enables you to do the next thing and it enables you to do the next thing better.

Ive is described as "giddily excited" about the new campus and its enormous ring-shaped main building and the potential it has to change the way Apple employees work by bringing them together. Design studios that are currently physically disconnected will be able to come together, so industrial designers can work with font designers, sound designers, motion graphics experts, and so on.

Ive says Apple Park has been designed to be inherently flexible and reconfigurable, with Apple able to "very quickly" create large open spaces or lots of smaller private offices. "The building will change and evolve," says Ive. "I'm sure in 20 years' time we will be designing and developing very different products, and just that alone will drive the campus to evolve and change."

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Wallpaper*'s latest cover, designed by Ive

There were rumors suggesting some Apple Park employees were dissatisfied with the open office design at Apple Park, so much so that Apple vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji insisted his team work at a different location, but the Wallpaper* piece mentions several times that office space within the main building is configurable, with teams able to choose individual offices or open spaces.

Apple will, however, maintain its culture of secrecy. "The way that we work is quietly," said Ive. "We are conspicuously different in that and it is an important part of who we are."

Ive's full interview with Wallpaper* is well worth reading and offers further discussion about the Apple Park campus and the attention to detail that went into its design. It also looks further at the various elements of Apple Park, including the Steve Jobs theater, the landscaping, and the configuration of the building.

Apple and Hermès have partnered up to launch a new Hermès-branded band for the Apple Watch, called Médor. Available in a "Noir Swift" black leather, the Médor band comes in Double Tour (38mm) and Single Tour (42mm) variations and joins the existing Hermès Apple Watch band lineup.

The design of the new Médor band is based on dog collars, according to Hypebeast, with pyramid-shaped studs that protrude from each end of the band. Dog collars were one of the first objects that Hermès produced.

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Apple plans to release a new Apple Watch Series 3 Hermès model that features the Médor band and a new exclusive Hermès watch face inspired by the Carrick font.

The 38mm Double Tour Médor band will be priced at $589, while the 42mm Single Tour Médor band will be priced at $439, both of which are $100 more than standard Double and Single Tour bands. The Médor bands will be available from both Apple and Hermès stores starting on November 14.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Apple today updated its Clips video app with a promised "Selfie Scenes" feature that's designed to use the front-facing TrueDepth camera on the iPhone X to immerse users in 360-degree animated landscapes.

Available Selfie Scenes transport users to "bustling cities, serene landscapes, abstract paintings" and, through a Disney partnership, the Millennium Falcon and Mega-Destroyer from the upcoming film "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." There are a total of 10 Apple-designed scenes along with two Star Wars scenes, all of which offer an immersive 360-degree experience.

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"Clips users love how quick and easy it is to create amazing videos on iPhone or iPad," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Apps Product Marketing. "And we're making it even more fun with Selfie Scenes. By harnessing the incredible new TrueDepth camera system on iPhone X, users can now record selfies against a variety of fun and whimsical backdrops with just a tap."

Clips now features a redesigned interface that Apple says puts frequently used controls "easily within reach." There's a new Effects browser for choosing filters, labels, stickers, and emoji, and labeled buttons make it easier to add Live Titles, change filters, and edit clips. All Clips are also now stored in iCloud and can be accessed across multiple devices.

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Along with new Selfie Scenes and a redesigned interface, the updated version of the app adds new effects for turning a photo or a video into an oil painting, a watercolor, or a pencil sketch, all effects that can be applied in real time while recording.

There's also more Disney content in the form of full-screen posters featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse and an array of animated Star Wars stickers. There are additional Apple-designed stickers and 21 new soundtracks from indie artists that can be applied to videos created with the app.

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For those unfamiliar with Clips, it's a video editing app that was released earlier this year. It's designed to let users combine several video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, music, filters, and graphics to create enhanced videos that can be shared on social media sites.

Clips can be downloaded from the App Store for free. Selfie Scenes are limited to the iPhone X, and style transfer effects are available on the iPhone 7 and later and the 2017 iPad Pro models. [Direct Link]

Tag: Clips

Apple today released iOS 11.1.1, the sixth official update to the iOS 11 operating system. iOS 11.1.1 comes a week and a half after Apple released iOS 11.1, the first major update to iOS 11. iOS 11.1 introduced new emoji and included several important bug fixes.

The iOS 11.1.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update.

Today's update addresses bugs and issues that have been discovered since the release of iOS 11.1. The update fixes an irritating autocorrect bug that has been plaguing a growing number of users. The bug causes "i" to autocorrect to A[?], and is a problem that has been affecting users since the beginning of November.

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Apple addressed the autocorrect bug in the iOS 11.2 beta, but it has been spreading to more and more users and is not an issue that the company could wait to fix with iOS 11.2. Today's update also fixes a bug that could cause "Hey Siri" not to work.

iOS 11.1.1 includes bug fixes for your iPhone or iPad. This update:

-Fixes an issue with keyboard auto-correct
-Fixes an issue where Hey Siri stops working

Apple's iOS 11 update, first introduced in September, brings a redesigned Lock screen experience, a customizable Control Center, a more natural Siri voice, a redesigned App Store, new HEVC and HEIF codecs for better photo and video efficiency, and an entirely overhauled interface for the iPad. For more info on all the new features in iOS 11, check out our iOS 11 roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Apple shares are currently trading for around $175, giving the iPhone maker a market cap of roughly $900 billion. The valuation puts Apple within $100 billion of becoming the world's only trillion dollar company.

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Apple shares will have to rise to around the $195 mark for the company to reach a trillion dollar valuation, depending on the rate of its share buybacks, and an increasing number of Wall Street analysts think that will happen.

Drexel Hamilton analyst Brian White, who is extremely bullish about Apple, has a lofty 12-month price target of $235 for the company's stock. In other words, he forecasts that Apple could be a $1.2 trillion company within a year.

With a market cap of over $900 billion, we believe Apple is on its way to becoming a "trillion dollar baby" as reflected in our price target. We were the first on Wall Street to project that Apple would reach a $1 trillion market cap as reflected by a price target; our current price target of $235.00 equates to approximately a $1.2 trillion market cap.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani has also said Apple has the potential to achieve a trillion dollar market cap, and even surpass that valuation, by the end of 2018. His current price target for Apple shares is $190.

Apple could be the world's only trillion dollar company, but it wouldn't be the first. The spice trading Dutch East India Company, founded in 1602, was the first to go public and at one point was valued at over $7 trillion when adjusted for inflation.

Wall Street analysts, including White, have been prognosticating Apple becoming a trillion dollar company since as early as 2012.

Just over one year after Facebook replaced the Messenger tab in its iOS app with "Marketplace," the company today announced that the tab will now support an expanded section for listings related to house and apartment rentals. United States users looking to rent will be able to browse "hundreds of thousands" of listings in Marketplace thanks to Facebook's partnership with real estate sites Apartment List and Zumper (via Engadget).

To begin with, the rollout will feature filters for location, price, amount of bedrooms and bathrooms, type of rental, pet friendliness, and square footage. Landlords renting the locations will be able to add 360-degree photos to each listing so interested renters can get a better view of the inside of each unit.

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"Marketplace is a popular place for people to look for a home to rent," said Facebook's Bowen Pan. "Now that we're adding listings from Apartment List and Zumper, people can search even more options in the U.S. to find a place to call home. First with vehicles and now with housing rentals, we're partnering with businesses to bring more ease and convenience for consumers."

Before today's update, house and apartment listings on Marketplace were exclusive to those posted manually by Facebook users, so the partnership with Apartment List and Zumper will allow Marketplace to automatically populate with nearby listings from local real estate agents.

Facebook has been releasing frequent updates to its iOS app that aim to keep users on the social network, most recently adding in mobile food ordering and a "Work Histories" feature to profiles. A few weeks ago the company introduced another Marketplace expansion in the form of vehicle listings through partnerships with automotive dealerships.

Apple will dethrone Samsung as the world's largest smartphone maker in the fourth quarter of 2017, on the strength of strong iPhone X demand, according to Taiwanese market research firm TrendForce.

iphone x vs samsung galaxy
TrendForce estimates Apple will record 19.1 percent market share in the quarter, encompassing the busy holiday shopping season, which would be slightly ahead of Samsung's estimated 18.2 percent market share. Chinese vendors Huawei, OPPO, and Xiaomi are expected to round off the top five.

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The feat would be impressive as always given that Samsung sells over a dozen different smartphone models, including some as cheap as $200, whereas Apple primarily caters to the high-end market beyond the iPhone SE for $349.

Samsung is expected to slightly scale back the production of its high-end models in the fourth quarter as the brand is seeing the sales of its smartphones being squeezed by the strong demand for Apple's latest iPhone devices. TrendForce estimates that Samsung's fourth-quarter total volume will come to 77 million units, a 5% drop from the third quarter.

The fourth quarter has always been the strongest for Apple, given it launches new devices in the fall, allowing it to surpass Samsung in the year-ago quarter as well. Samsung's Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were released back in April, so sales momentum is likely beginning to decline for those devices.

Meanwhile, market research firm Canalys estimates the iPhone 8 Plus outpaced the iPhone 8 last quarter with shipments of 6.3 million units and 5.4 million units respectively. Canalys said the iPhone 8 Plus is the first Plus-sized iPhone to out-ship its smaller 4.7-inch sibling in a single quarter.

Apple doesn't disclose iPhone sales on a model-by-model basis, but chief Tim Cook said the iPhone 8 Plus has "gotten off to the fastest start of any Plus model," which came as "a bit of a surprise" to the company.

As far as iPhone X sales are concerned, Apple's guidance of $84-$87 billion revenue for the holiday quarter suggests that demand for the device will be significant. Apple should easily beat its all-time record for revenue in a single quarter of $78.4 billion, achieved in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Related Forum: iPhone

Following an announcement earlier this year during E3, South Park: Phone Destroyer is launching today on iOS and Android devices. The game was developed by Ubisoft studio RedLynx in collaboration with South Park Digital Studios, and combines real-time strategy and collectible card mechanics with the world of South Park.

Similar to the console games South Park: The Stick of Truth and South Park: The Fractured But Whole, players will take on the role of the New Kid in the midst of turmoil rising in the town of South Park. However, in the mobile game users have to collect, upgrade, and master card decks of iconic characters, which are then used in the game's combat.


There are more than 80 unique cards to discover across Phone Destroyer's single-player campaign, which includes 60 levels. There's also a real-time, player versus player multiplayer mode with leaderboards and special character unlocks. Although the game is free-to-play, the developers clarified on the website that it "avoids the pitfalls" of traditional F2P apps:

The game is free to play. Everything can be earned in the game without paying, but you can choose to spend real world money if you wish. The game is designed so that nothing is ever locked behind a paywall. Everything in the game is available to all players as they progress, whether they choose to spend real-world money or not. Remember, you can always disable in-app purchases in your iOS device settings.

There will be ongoing updates coming to South Park: Phone Destroyer, including new characters, cards, and more. The game's audio is also true to the original show, with character voices provided by creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The game also comes with an iMessage app that includes 14 animated stickers of Cartman.

south park cartman stickers
South Park: Phone Destroyer is rolling out worldwide beginning today, and you can download it for free on the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]

Screen Shot 4Feral Interactive today announced ROME: Total War Collection for iPad, a bundle set containing acclaimed historical strategy game ROME: Total War and its expansions Barbarian Invasion and Alexander. The release marks the first anniversary of the original ROME: Total War on iPad.

The collection brings the tactics and battles of the acclaimed strategy title to Apple's tablet devices with the added advantage of three historical campaigns in one purchase:

  • ROME: Total War invites you to build and rule the ancient world’s greatest empire by fighting spectacular real-time battles in huge turn-based campaigns.
  • Barbarian Invasion brings the action into the final years of Rome. Take up arms to defend the Empire, or lead the forces trying to bring it down.
  • Alexander is the ultimate challenge for seasoned commanders. Lead the Macedonian faction as Alexander the Great and embark upon a daring conquest of the all-powerful Persian Empire.

All three games include all of the popular franchise's classic features tailored to mobile gaming, including touch controls and mid-battle autosaves, as well as high-resolution visuals optimized for the iPad's Retina Display.

The ROME: Total War Collection is available now from the App Store for $16.99. Players who already own part of the bundle may complete it by paying the difference between the bundle price and what they have already paid.

Supported iPads include the iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad (5th Generation), iPad Pro (1st Generation: 9.7", 10.5", 12.9"), and iPad Pro (2nd Generation: 12.9").

Tag: Feral