MacRumors

While most of the Apple community spent this week glued to any news about the keynote and the since revealed new iPhones, as usual, the world of iOS gaming was packed to the gills with all sorts of new and upcoming games. Of course we're super excited for all the augmented reality games that were demonstrated, as well as Sky, but there's way more noteworthy gaming happenings than those few titles.


While the name Ron Gilbert might not be immediately recognizable to you, I bet some of the games he's been responsible for are. Gilbert was instrumental in both Maniac Mansion as well as the first two Monkey Island games. Following a successful Kickstarter in late 2014, the Thimbleweed Park team has been hard at work at crafting a point and click adventure game which has since resonated with fans of the genre to an extent that's hard to believe. The game has been available on Steam for a while now, with "very positive" reviews. It's finally coming to mobile on September 19th. I've heard absolutely nothing but phenomenal things about the game and have been waiting to play it on my iPad. Next week can't come soon enough.


The iPhone has been a great platform for racing games, but it feels like ever since EA dominated that particular sector with Real Racing 3 there's been a distinct lack of competition. Well, soon GRID Autosport will hit the App Store. (Soon, as in, this year.) If the freemium shenanigans of Real Racing 3 tired you out, you'll be happy to hear that GRID is going to be a premium priced racing game. It also is quite a looker, and is likely going to be one of the few titles that'll really put the GPU inside of the A11 Bionic processor to the test. If you'd like to follow the progress of the game a little closer in the meantime, we've got a vibrant thread in our forums.


Earlier this year, A Normal Lost Phone was released. It's a voyeuristic puzzle game of sorts that is set in the basic premise of the player finding someone else's phone and exploring the mysteries found inside. The game was received incredibly well, and a sequel titled Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story will be released on September 21st. There's not a ton of details available just yet on the game, but I think a lot of people will be happy with simply more of the same as the original game was so interesting. In the meantime, we've got a thread on our forums filled with other folks excited to explore another stranger's phone again.


As we get closer to the launch of iOS 11 and ARKit being accessible to everyone, developers have been teasing all sorts of cool things coming down the pipeline. This week we got another look at the upcoming augmented reality mode of Splitter Critters which approaches things in a really cool way: The game is rendered on your desk as if it were a diorama, and all the platforms and other elements inside of the game have depth which you can see by moving the camera. Splitter Critters is a super fun game by itself, and this AR mode really just adds another wrinkle to a already fabulous title.


We've mentioned the changes to the Minecraft convention Minecon before, but the basic gist is they're moving away from a conference only a few people can attend to a global event that everyone can participate in that's streamed in real time. There's now a massive list of viewing parties, all sorts of exclusive swag, and there's even going to be a costume contest. If you've got kids that are into Minecraft, this seems like a great way to spend November 18th.


Blizzard has been doing the whole virtual conference thing for a few years now, and virtual tickets for Blizzcon are now available. You get all the digital goodies that anyone attending the conference gets, as well as the ability to stream all the different panels and events. A digital ticket will run you $39.99, which is quite a bit cheaper than heading to Blizzcon in real life. Also, if all you care about is watching the Blizzcon streams, chances are you can sell your code for the various digital unlocks for close to what you paid for the ticket after the event.


As far as games you can download now now are concerned, my first impressions of Ironhide's Iron Marines are overwhelmingly positive. It's strange to say, but Iron Marines is the closest thing to StarCraft that you can get on the App Store. You control Space Marine-like forces in a clever hybrid between tower defense and real time strategy gameplay and fight against a Zerg-like enemy. It's a bit on the nose, but as far as a touch-based RTS game is concerned, it is unbelievably good. While it's premium priced, there are a few optional IAP unlocks inside the game as well additional characters, buying more in-game currency, and other things you really don't need to enjoy playing. I was really surprised by how good this game is. It has turned into my favorite release this week.

That's about it for things that I feel like the MacRumors audience might be the most interested in this week, but as always, if you want to dive deeper into the world of iOS gaming be sure to visit TouchArcade.com where we post this sort of thing day in and day out. Also, if you're at all into Twitch, be sure to follow us over there where we're streaming all sorts of things (including even writing this post).

Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi today joined Daring Fireball's John Gruber on an episode of The Talk Show, where he likened uncertainties over Face ID to the concerns that customers expressed when Touch ID first launched in 2013 in the iPhone 5s.

Honestly, we're just all counting the days that customers can finally get their hands on these. Because I think just like with Touch ID, initially people thought oh, 'Apple's done something that's totally not going to work and I'm not a believer and I'm not gonna use this feature.'

Now everyone's worried because they can't imagine life without Touch ID. We're going to see exactly the same thing with Face ID.

In a discussion that revisited the on-stage gaffe that saw Face ID fail to authenticate his face during Tuesday's event, Federighi said he was shocked when it happened because the feature normally "just works." He went on to say he understands the uncertainty, but that it will "melt away" once people experience the product. "You don't even think about it," he said.

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Federighi went on to say that as much as Apple loves Touch ID, Face ID is "that much better." He confirmed that Apple believes Face ID is the future of biometric authentication, with the caveat that there are settings where different biometric techniques or combinations of biometrics could make sense.

Much of the rest of the discussion covered the same topics that were discussed in Federighi's earlier interview with TechCrunch. Federighi reiterated that most sunglasses work with Face ID, aside from some that have coatings that block infrared. One way around that, he says, is to turn off the "attention aware" feature that requires eye contact for Face ID to unlock.

He also explained why users need to swipe to get past the lock screen of the iPhone X, rather than it opening directly with a facial scan - it's so you can still glimpse at the time, check your notifications, or get to the flashlight without the iPhone opening up to the Home screen. The swipe and scan are simultaneous with no real waiting period or delay.

One last little tidbit -- with the feature that allows you to disable Face ID temporarily by pressing the side button and the volume buttons, it also takes a screenshot because the gestures are the same. Apple's looking into fixing that by deleting the screenshot when a press and hold gesture is detected.

Federighi's full interview with John Gruber can be listened to on The Talk Show.

Related Forum: iPhone

Six trade and marketing organizations this morning published an open letter to Apple asking the company to "rethink" plans to launch new versions of Safari in iOS and macOS that block cross-site tracking, and this afternoon, Apple offered up a response, which was shared by The Loop.

According to Apple, ad tracking companies are essentially able to recreate a person's web browsing history using cross site tracking techniques sans permission, something it's aiming to stop.

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"Apple believes that people have a right to privacy - Safari was the first browser to block third party cookies by default and Intelligent Tracking Prevention is a more advanced method for protecting user privacy," Apple said in a statement provided to The Loop.

"Ad tracking technology has become so pervasive that it is possible for ad tracking companies to recreate the majority of a person's web browsing history. This information is collected without permission and is used for ad re-targeting, which is how ads follow people around the Internet. The new Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature detects and eliminates cookies and other data used for this cross-site tracking, which means it helps keep a person's browsing private. The feature does not block ads or interfere with legitimate tracking on the sites that people actually click on and visit. Cookies for sites that you interact with function as designed, and ads placed by web publishers will appear normally."

In the open letter, signed by the Data and Marketing Association and the Network Advertising Initiative, among others, the collective "digital advertising community" said it is "deeply concerned" because the update "overrides and replaces existing user-controlled cookie preferences" before going on to suggest that customers prefer targeted ads.

"Apple's unilateral and heavy-handed approach is bad for consumer choice and bad for the ad-supported online content and services consumers love," reads the letter. "Blocking cookies in this manner will drive a wedge between brands and their customers, and it will make advertising more generic and less timely and useful."

In both macOS High Sierra and iOS 11, the Safari web browser is gaining new privacy features to prevent companies from tracking customer web browsing habits across websites. "The success of the web as a platform relies on user trust," Apple says on the WebKit blog. "Many users feel that trust is broken when they are being tracked and privacy-sensitive data about their web activity is acquired for purposes that they never agreed to."

In iOS 11, the toggle to turn off cross-site tracking is available by going to Settings --> Safari --> Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. With macOS High Sierra, the feature can be accessed by going to the Preferences section of the Safari app, choosing Privacy, and then checking "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking."

iOS 11 will be released to the public next Tuesday, September 19, while macOS High Sierra will be released on the following Monday, September 25.

Tag: Safari

Customers who want to purchase an LTE Apple Watch Series 3 model will need a postpaid plan to enable LTE connectivity, meaning it won't be available to those who use prepaid cellular plans. Prepaid plans are often more affordable, but don't support the number sharing features the Apple Watch Series 3 requires.

On AT&T's website, for example, the company says Apple Watch Series 3 connectivity requires the NumberSync feature. NumberSync, which allows one phone number to be used for multiple devices, requires a postpaid wireless account.

apple watch series 3
Apple Watch Series 3 models on Verizon use the NumberShare feature to allow Apple Watch users to accept calls on either device. NumberShare requires a "standard monthly plan" to work. On T-Mobile, the Apple Watch uses the DIGITS number sharing feature, not available to prepaid customers.

Sprint's website only lists an "active handset" as a requirement, but Fortune this week received word that all four carriers will require a standard monthly plan, including Sprint. Regular monthly plans will be needed for all customers who want an LTE Apple Watch.

Because the Apple Watch Series 3 does not get its own phone number, there's a second requirement on all carriers -- a cellular plan that already includes an iPhone 6 or later.

Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all plan to charge customers $10 per month to add an LTE Apple Watch to their accounts. Three of the four, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon will be waiving their activation fees, and all are offering three free months of connectivity either up front or through service credits.

The LTE Apple Watch became available for pre-order last night, and the first orders will begin arriving to customers on Friday, September 22, the official launch date for the device. Pricing on the LTE Apple Watch Series 3 starts at $399.

newappstorelogoApple this week updated its App Store Review Guidelines for developers, tweaking some existing rules and adding new rules that dictate what developers can and can't include in their apps. Most of the changes introduced are modest and reflect policies that Apple has already put in place, but there are some notable additions.

Rule 2.3.1, which says developers should not include hidden or undocumented features in apps, has been updated with new language that expressly prevents developers from creating iOS-based virus and malware scanners.

Similarly, you should not market your app on the App Store or offline as including content or services that it does not actually offer (e.g. iOS-based virus and malware scanners). Egregious or repeated behavior is grounds for removal from the Developer Program. We work hard to make the App Store a trustworthy ecosystem and expect our app developers to follow suit; if you're dishonest, we don't want to do business with you.

Apple has been removing anti-virus and anti-malware apps from the App Store since 2015, in an effort to prevent customers from believing that it's possible for iOS devices to contract viruses and malware. Popular anti-virus app VirusBarrier, for example, was pulled from the App Store in March of 2015. Though there's been an unspoken ban on many of these apps, it's now official.

Apple's new App Store rules also make it clear that children under 13 will not be permitted to use the Face ID facial scanning feature in the iPhone X. Rule 2.5.13 says apps using facial recognition for account authentication must offer an alternate authentication method for users under 13 years old.

Furthermore, Apple requests that all apps using ARKit provide "rich and integrated augmented reality experiences," preventing apps from misusing the feature for simple implementations.

Apps using ARKit should provide rich and integrated augmented reality experiences; merely dropping a model into an AR view or replaying animation is not enough.

Apple's newly updated App Store Guidelines are available on its developer website.

iOS 11, which introduces ARKit, a revamped App Store, and a long list of other features and design changes will be released to the public next Tuesday, on September 19.

Apple today uploaded a new Apple Watch Series 3 ad to its YouTube channel, highlighting the Apple Watch Series 3 and its upcoming Apple Music integration. The video was first shown on stage during Apple's iPhone-centric event earlier this week.

The ad features a skateboarder listening to music streamed from his Apple Watch to the AirPods while he performs a series of skateboard tricks.


With Apple Watch Series 3 models that feature cellular connectivity, Apple Music songs will be able to be streamed directly to the device over an LTE connection, no iPhone needed.

An Apple Music subscription and an iPhone 6 or later with the same service provider and wireless service plan are required to enable the Apple Music streaming feature on the Apple Watch Series 3.

Apple has not revealed how streaming music will affect the battery life on the Apple Watch. With most tasks over LTE, battery life is impacted. A phone call over LTE, for example, will drain the Apple Watch's battery in just an hour.

Apple says the Apple Music streaming feature is coming soon to the Apple Watch Series 3.

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

Face ID, Apple's new facial recognition feature in the iPhone X, has left users with a lot of questions about how it works. While Apple has offered detailed explanations of Face ID on its website, there continue to be questions and concerns given that this is a new biometric system.

To answer some of those questions, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi did a telephone interview with TechCrunch, where he covered topics on privacy, security, and functionality.

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TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino, who spoke to Federighi, says he's heard Face ID is "incredibly reliable" and "very fast," worth noting because many people have wondered how quickly it works.

According to Federighi, Face ID needs to see your eyes, nose, and mouth, so there are some situations where it won't work and a passcode will need to be used instead. The limitations are similar to the limitations with Touch ID, which, for example, prevent it from being used with gloves.

"If you're a surgeon or someone who wears a garment that covers your face, it's not going to work," says Federighi. "But if you're wearing a helmet or scarf it works quite well."

Panzarino asked Federighi to expand on how the feature works with sunglasses and whether polarization is an issue, following confirmation earlier this week that Face ID is compatible with most pairs. Federighi says polarization isn't a problem, but there are some lenses that have a coating that blocks IR, and if that's the case, a customer will need to use a passcode or take them off.

Face ID will work from multiple angles and distances when a device is held at a natural angle, but it needs to see your face.

"It's quite similar to the ranges you'd be at if you put your phone in front facing camera mode [to take a picture]," says Federighi. Once your space from eyes to mouth come into view that would be the matching range - it can work at fairly extreme angles -- if it's down low because your phone is in your lap it can unlock it as long as it can see those features. Basically, If you're using your phone across a natural series of angles it can unlock it."

When it comes to security, Apple says that all Face ID processing is done on device with nothing uploaded to the cloud or Apple's servers, a point Federighi reiterated in the interview. Apple collects no data when the TrueDepth camera in the iPhone X scans your face, and the feature that allows Face ID to adapt to appearance changes is done entirely on device.

"We do not gather customer data when you enroll in Face ID, it stays on your device, we do not send it to the cloud for training data," he said.

When it comes to law enforcement requests for Face ID data, Apple has no data to provide. Your Face ID scan is converted into a mathematical model in the Secure Enclave on the iPhone X, and it can't be reverse engineered back into a face. As with Touch ID, none of that data is ever sent to Apple. Third-party developers don't have access, either.

Federighi also expanded a bit on the method Apple implemented to discreetly disable Face ID in a situation where someone might steal your phone and attempt to unlock it with your face. On the iPhone X, holding down on the buttons on either side of the device goes to the power down screen, which also disables Face ID. If someone demands your phone, squeeze the buttons to disable Face ID, Federighi suggests.

Face ID will also disable itself after five failed attempts at recognition. Earlier this week, Apple documentation suggested it would be disabled after two failed recognition attempts, but Federighi has clarified that it's five, just like Touch ID. Apple's documentation has now been updated accordingly. Also, when the iPhone reboots or Face ID hasn't been used in 48 hours, a passcode will be required. Additionally, if you haven't entered a passcode for 6.5 days and Face ID hasn't been used in the last four hours, Face ID will also be disabled until a passcode is entered.

Federighi's full interview, which includes more details on how Apple trained Face ID and how it works, can be read over at TechCrunch.

Related Forum: iPhone

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders began at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time or 3:01 a.m. Eastern Time today, and hours later, shipping estimates for select models have slipped to late September or early October for some models.

iphone 8 plus space gray
Fortunately, if you weren't willing to wake up at those hours or haven't yet pre-ordered for another reason, there's still a chance to get an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus in your hands when they launch next Friday.

In the United States and other countries where Apple retail stores operate, such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, many iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models remain available for in-store pickup on September 22.

Even if a particular iPhone model isn't estimated to be delivered on launch day, it appears some units will still be reserved for in-store pickup.

iphone 8 plus pickup
An iPhone 8 Plus in Space Gray with 64GB of storage on T-Mobile, for example, is currently estimated to ship in 3-4 weeks on Apple's online store. Yet, the device is available for pickup on September 22 at multiple Apple retail stores.

Once you proceed to the checkout and click the blue "check out" button, select "pick up" and change the store location if necessary. Then click "continue" and select a 30-minute check-in window for your pickup.

iphone 8 pickup
If you will be picking up the iPhone personally, enter your phone number. If someone else will be arranging the pickup, enter his or her contact information. The person making the pickup must be carrying a valid photo ID.

Then, proceed with the checkout process as usual. Once payment has been made, wait until you receive a pickup notification email or text message by September 22 before picking up the iPhone. If you don't receive one, call the store.

Since the iPhone is paid for ahead of time, the store should presumably hold the device in its back room until you arrive.

Of course, another option is to simply wait until next Friday and walk into an Apple store, preferably right when they open. You may have to wait in line, but the queues have typically been shorter in recent years.

You can use the pickup tool on Apple's website on launch day to check if stores in your local area have stock, or call the store directly.

All in all, there are more than a few days to ensure you get your new iPhone on launch day, even if you missed the pre-order boat. In fact, select color, storage, and carrier combinations are still available for delivery by September 22.

If you would rather wait for the iPhone X, pre-orders of that device start October 27.

Related Forum: iPhone

With the LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 only available in a handful of countries at the current time, it might be tempting to purchase one in another country, but it won't work. Series 3 models appear to be limited to connectivity in their original country of purchase.

An Apple support representative who spoke to MacRumors reader Thomas said that an Apple Watch purchased in the U.S. online store will only work with the four carriers in the United States, perhaps due to hardware limitations.

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"If you purchased one (an Apple Watch S3 GPS + Cellular) through the US Apple Online Store, it'll only work for the 4 US carriers. It wouldn't work internationally unfortunately. I'm not entirely sure what type of error it would show if you took a US Watch to Germany, but it wouldn't be compatible with Telekom".

Additionally, Apple Watch Series 3 models do not support roaming outside of a provider's network coverage area, according to Apple's fine print, so roaming when traveling to another country is not supported.

Unlike iPhones, Apple Watch Series 3 models also support a limited number of LTE bands, another factor that contributes to no support between countries. In the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, for example, only bands 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26, and 41 are supported.

LTE Apple Watch models are currently only available in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, the UK, and the United States. Apple says availability will expand to other countries next year.

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

Last night, pre-orders opened up for the new Apple Watch Series 3, which has a 70 percent faster dual-core processor, new Apple W2 chip, a barometric altimeter, and LTE capabilities on supported models. The base Apple Watch Series 3 models without LTE are now $329 (38mm) and $359 (42mm), rising from there for Stainless Steel and Ceramic.

If you aren't interested in the speedier processor or cellular capabilities, B&H Photo has a sale going on right now that offers discounts on select models of last year's Apple Watch Series 2. In the lists below, Series 2 prices (bold) are compared to current prices of similar Series 3 collections on Apple.com.

Series 2 Aluminum

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Series 2 Stainless Steel

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If you're willing to buy refurbished, Best Buy has a few Series 2 models sold at a discount. Some of the notable mark downs include $94 off the 38mm Silver Aluminum Case & White Sport Band ($274.99), $99 off the same model in 42mm ($299.99), $129 off the 42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case & Space Black Sport Band ($469.99), and $144 off the 38mm Stainless Steel Case & Milanese Loop ($504.99).

deals pad and quill beats
A few other discounts this week include $10 off any orders from Pad & Quill that exceed $50 with the promo code ThankYou10. Gazelle is automatically marking down all certified pre-owned MacBooks by $50 on its reseller storefront, but the offer only lasts until Sunday, September 17. There are a few Beats on sale at Best Buy, including BeatsX for $109.99, down from $149.99.

If you're looking for some new gaming apps, there have been a few sales this week on the iOS App Store. Here are the most recent:

Additionally, this week MacRumors has partnered with RAVPower to offer our readers an exclusive 20 percent off discount code on a 22,000mAh Power Bank for charging iPhones, iPads, the Apple Watch, and more. When ordering from Amazon, use promo code MacRumo1 to get it for just over $30.

Our Deals Roundup has even more information on the latest sales currently running for Apple products and accessories, so be sure to check back frequently for more updates. If you're preparing for the wireless charging features of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone X, our recent roundup of the best (and cheapest) Qi inductive chargers on the market should help out.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 10, Apple Deals
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

tsmc logo newAt the Open Innovation Platform Ecosystem Forum in Santa Clara on Wednesday, chip foundry TSMC provided an update (via EE Times) on the progress of its forthcoming technology nodes, several of which would be candidates for upcoming Apple chips. Most notably, the company's first 7-nanometer process node has already had several tape-outs (finalized designs) and expects to reach volume capacity in 2018.

TSMC's 10 nm node, which first showed up in Apple's A10X chip in the iPad Pro, followed by the A11, has been fraught with issues (paid link) such as low chip yield and performance short of initial expectations. TSMC looks to change its fortune with the new 7 nm node, which would be suitable for the successor to the A11 chip given current timelines.

In addition to the 7 nm node, TSMC also shared information on the follow-up revision to this node, dubbed, N7+. Featuring the long-beleaguered Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV), the revision would promise 20 percent better density, around 10 percent higher speeds, or 15 percent lower power with other factors held constant.

While EUV has faced delays for over a decade at this point, it seems to finally be coming to fruition, and a 2019 volume availability update would allow Apple to update its chip process in subsequent years yet again. Apple had previously updated process nodes with every iPhone since the transition to 3GS before being forced to use TSMC's 16 nm node in consecutive years with the A9 and A10. Moving forward, that annual cadence is again in jeopardy as chip foundries deal with the realities of physics and minimum transistor geometry sizes.

TSMC also unveiled some low power and low leakage processes that are suitable for Apple's other custom designs, such as its line of wireless chips like the W1 and successor W2. TSMC is targeting availability next year of a 22 nm ultra low leakage node, which is suitable for analog and RF designs such as cellular basebands or Wi-Fi chips.

This will ultimately help Apple further lower power consumption on the Apple Watch and headphones featuring the W line of wireless chips. It is also likely to be adopted by Qualcomm for its line of modem products. The W1 and W2 manufacturing processes are not currently publicly known, but it is likely that one of TSMC's RF-focused processes powers the Apple chips.

Finally, TSMC announced a revision of its integrated fan-out packaging process (InFO) that is targeted at integrating high bandwidth memory (HBM) into the assembly, dubbed InFO-MS. HBM has generated a lot of interest from applications where very high sustained memory bandwidths are desired, such as consumer graphics cards.

HBM and similar standards such as Wide I/O promise not only to improve memory bandwidth, but also improve power consumption for a given bandwidth, making it a suitable evolution for mobile SoC designs. This type of memory interface has yet to appear in a mobile design, though it should be considered a near-term eventuality. Despite advances in mobile memory, it still lags behind desktop and laptop systems in total bandwidth, which can be important in some tasks such as graphics rendering.

Tags: A12, TSMC, W1, W2
Related Forum: iPhone

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with RAVPower to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a 22,000mAh Power Bank for charging iPhones, iPads, the Apple Watch, and more.

In addition to offering several Power Banks for us to give away, RAVPower has also provided MacRumors with an exclusive 20 percent off discount code on the power bank. When ordering from Amazon, use promo code MacRumo1 to get it for just over $30.

RAVPower is mainly known for a whole line of power banks that are known for being reliable, affordable, and fast.

ravpowerpowerbank
The 22,000mAh Power Bank features three 2.4A USB-A ports that are capable of charging three devices at the same time. At 2.4A, an iPhone will charge more quickly than with a standard 1A power adapter. There's a total current output of 5.8A, and RAVPower says its Power Bank detects the connected devices and adjusts output accordingly to provide adequate power to each one, and there's an "iSmart 2.0" feature that adjusts voltage to minimize charging time.

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RAVPower says that the Power Bank can be fully recharged in approximately 11 to 12 hours using a the 2.4A input. It comes with microUSB charging cables and a carry pouch, but to charge iOS devices, you'll need to supply your own cables.

Power banks are generally built for functionality over looks, and the RAVPower model is a simple black (or white) rectangular power bank that is about as tall as an iPhone 7 Plus and as wide as an iPhone 7. It measures in at 6.5 inches by 2.8 inches. It's not quite pocketable, but ideal for a purse or a backpack. Four LEDs on the front let you see power level at a glance.

ravpowerpowerbank3
22,000mAh is enough to charge an iPhone 7 to full approximately eight times and an iPhone 7 Plus approximately four and a half times.

RAVPower normally charges $40 for the Power Bank, but we have six to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. 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 of age or older 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 (September 15) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 22. The winners will be chosen randomly on September 22 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Apple's new Apple Watch Series 3 models support LTE and UMTS connectivity, but on T-Mobile, LTE connection speeds won't be available. The carrier is limiting the Apple Watch to a maximum speed of 512kb/s, which is more like a 3G connection than an LTE connection.

The speed limitation is noted in T-Mobile's fine print, which says the maximum wearables speed is 512kb/s. It's also noted on the pre-order page when adding an Apple Watch Series 3 to your cart.

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At issue is T-Mobile's ONE plan, which limits both tethering and all wearable devices to 512kb/s. While most users are unlikely to be streaming video or doing other tasks that require high connectivity speeds on the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch is also unlikely to be a data hog, so it's unclear why T-Mobile has this limitation in place.

A T-Mobile representative told MacRumors reader Tony that its "High Speed Data with paired DIGITS" plan would provide 4G LTE data. DIGITS is priced at $25 per month without autopay, and $20 per month with Autopay.

No other major carrier in the United States, including Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T appears to be throttling Apple Watch speeds with their standard unlimited plans.

All four of the carriers are charging the same $10 per month fee to add an Apple Watch to an existing iPhone plan, and each one is offering a limited time promotion that waives monthly fees for the first three months.

The LTE Apple Watch Series 3 models became available for pre-order early this morning, with new devices slated to arrive on Friday, September 22, the official launch date for the device.

Update: T-Mobile CEO John Legere says T-Mobile has changed its policy. The company will now offer unlimited 4G LTE on the Apple Watch Series 3.

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

Virgin Mobile USA today announced that it will begin shipping iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders on Friday, September 29, the same day the devices launch in 29 additional countries around the world.

virgin mobile usa iphone 8
Virgin said its Inner Circle members will be able to pre-order the devices on Friday, September 22, but it's unclear if Apple will be accepting pre-orders on that date as well in the second wave of launch countries.

Apple began accepting iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time for major carriers AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint, in addition to SIM-free models. Virgin's date is one week later, but for the iPhone X, it will accept pre-orders starting Friday, October 27, the same day as Apple.

The next countries include Andorra, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, India, Isle of Man, Israel, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Apple's online store doesn't operate in all of those countries, but iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus should be available in limited quantities through authorized resellers and carrier partners where available.

Virgin operates on the Sprint network. Inner Circle members get unlimited talk, text, and data for $50 per month, with a few caveats: video quality is limited to up to 480p, music streams at up to 500 kbps, and games stream at up to 2 Mbps. Virgin promises 4G LTE speeds for "practically everything else."

Customers who use more than 23GB of data in a billing cycle will be de-prioritized during times and places where the network is constrained.

Until September 28, customers who buy a new iPhone, or bring their existing iPhone and transfer their phone number from another carrier, will receive one year of unlimited talk, text, and data for just $1 with AutoPay enabled. The device must be a CDMA model, and the same caveats mentioned above apply.

Update: Sprint subsidiary Boost Mobile has also announced that it will launch the iPhone 8 on September 29, although the carrier is accepting pre-registrations as of today.

Related Forum: iPhone

Johny Srouji, Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies at Apple, will speak at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh next week.

johny srouji
The university's School of Computer Science today announced that Srouji will attend a distinguished industry lecture on Monday, September 18 at the Rashid Auditorium, where he will speak at 5:00 p.m. local time.

Carnegie Mellon didn't reveal what Srouji will be talking about, but at Apple, he leads the team responsible for custom silicon and hardware technologies like batteries, storage controllers, and application processors, including its new A11 Bionic chip in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

An excerpt from his executive profile on Apple's website:

Johny has built one of the world’s strongest and most innovative teams of silicon and technology engineers, overseeing breakthrough custom silicon and hardware technologies including batteries, application processors, storage controllers, sensors silicon, display silicon and other chipsets across Apple's entire product line.

Johny joined Apple in 2008 to lead development of the A4, the first Apple-designed system on a chip. Prior to Apple, Johny held senior positions at Intel and IBM in the area of processor development and design. He earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in Computer Science from Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology.

In a recent interview with Mashable, Srouji revealed that Apple began exploring and developing the core technologies in the A11 chip three years ago, when the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launched with A8 chips.

The A11 Bionic is a six-core chip with two performance cores that are 25 percent faster, and four high-efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster, than the A10 chip in iPhone 7 models. Geekbench scores suggest the A11 Bionic is even on par with the performance of Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Pro models.

(Thanks, Benedict Evans!)

While the iPhone X launches November 3, with pre-orders beginning October 27, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple's high-end smartphone won't achieve complete supply-demand equilibrium until next year.

iphonexcameradesign
In his latest research note with KGI Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said customer demand for the iPhone X won't be fully met until at least the first half of 2018 due to supply constraints.

We believe the fullscreen design and facial recognition features will drive replacement demand for the iPhone X. However, due to supply constraints, we expect market demand won't be fully met before 1H18. We revise down our forecast for 2017F iPhone X shipments from 45-50 million to around 40 million units, but we therefore revise up our 2018 iPhone X shipment estimate to 80-90 million units.

In fewer words, getting an iPhone X in your hands may prove especially challenging this holiday shopping season.

In addition to supply constraints, Kuo said the reason why iPhone X pre-orders won't begin for another six weeks is likely because Apple doesn't want to cannibalize sales of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders began at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time today. The devices launch Friday, September 22.

Earlier this week, Kuo said Apple's iPhone X production was less than 10,000 units per day, but the yield may be increasing as Apple ramps up mass production. He anticipated the iPhone X will remain in "severe short supply for a while."

Kuo also anticipated that a gold iPhone X would encounter some production problems and initially be available only in "extremely low volume," or launch at a later date, but Apple said the iPhone X comes only in Silver and Space Gray.

In today's research note, he said the lack of a gold color echoes his production concerns, but he didn't elaborate if he still thinks the iPhone X will eventually be released in gold like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Related Forum: iPhone

Shortly after Apple's iPhone X event this week, the company's silicon chief Johny Srouji and marketing chief Phil Schiller sat down for an interview about its new A11 Bionic chip with Mashable's editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff.

a11 bionic iphone x
One interesting tidbit mentioned was that Apple began exploring and developing the core technologies in the A11 chip at least three years ago, when the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launched with A8 chips.

Srouji told me that when Apple architects silicon, they start by looking three years out, which means the A11 Bionic was under development when Apple was shipping the iPhone 6 and its A8 chip. Back then we weren't even talking about AI and machine learning at a mobile level and, yet, Srouji said, "The neural engine embed, it’s a bet we made three years ahead."

Apple's three-year roadmap can change if new features are planned, like the Super Retina HD Display in iPhone X.

"The process is flexible to changes," said Srouji, who’s been with Apple since the first iPhone. If a team comes in with a request that wasn't part of the original plan, "We need to make that happen. We don't say, 'No, let me get back to my road map and, five years later, I'll give you something."

johny srouji phil schiller

Apple senior executives Phil Schiller, left, and Johny Srouji

In fact, Schiller praised Srouji's team for its ability to "move heaven and earth" when the roadmap suddenly changes.

"There have been some critical things in the past few years, where we've asked Johny's team to do something on a different schedule, on a different plan than they had in place for years, and they moved heaven and earth and done it, and it's remarkable to see."

A11 Bionic six-core chip has two performance cores that are 25 percent faster, and four high-efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster, than the A10 chip in iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Early benchmarks suggest the A11 Bionic is even on par with the performance of Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Pro models.

The A11 chip is more efficient at multi-threaded tasks thanks to a second-generation performance controller that is able to access all six of the cores simultaneously if a particular task demands it.

Gaming might use more cores, said Srouji, but something as simple as predictive texting, where the system suggests the next word to type, can tap into the high-performance CPUs, as well.

The A11 chip also has an Apple-designed neural engine that handles facial recognition for Face ID and Animoji, and other machine learning algorithms. The dual-core engine recognizes people, places, and objects, and processes machine learning tasks at up to 600 billion operations per second, according to Apple.

“When you look at applications and software, there are certain algorithms that are better off using a functional programming model,” said Srouji.

This includes the iPhone X’s new face tracking and Face ID as well as the augmented-reality-related object detection. All of them use neural networks, machine learning or deep learning (which is part of machine learning). This kind of neural processing could run on a CPU or, preferably, a GPU. “But for these neural networking kinds of programming models, implementing custom silicon that’s targeted for that application, that will perform the exact same tasks, is much more energy efficient than a graphics engine,” said Srouji.

Apple's new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X are all equipped with an A11 chip.

In related news, Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science has announced that Srouji will take part in a distinguished industry lecture on Monday, September 18 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. local time.

Full Interview: The Inside Story of the iPhone X 'Brain,' the A11 Bionic Chip

Related Forum: iPhone

safari iconIn the upcoming version of Safari 11 on macOS High Sierra, Apple will implement a new "Intelligent Tracking Prevention" feature that builds upon Safari's default blocking of third-party cookies. ITP will greatly limit advertiser reach by placing new safeguards into Safari that use machine learning to suppress cross-site tracking and purge ad retargeting data after 24 hours.

In response, six trade and marketing organizations have written an open letter to Apple asking for the Cupertino company to "rethink" its plan to launch Safari with these new "arbitrary" cookie standards (via AdWeek).

The organizations argue that the Internet's infrastructure depends on consistent standards for cookies, saying that Apple's new ruleset could "sabotage the economic model for the Internet."

On the consumer side of things, the organizations stated that the blocking of cookies in Apple's manner will result in ads that are "more generic" for users, while also being "less timely and useful." The signed organizations include: American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Advertising Federation, Association of National Advertisers, Data & Marketing Association, Interactive Advertising Bureau, and Network Advertising Initiative.

We are deeply concerned about the Safari 11 browser update that Apple plans to release, as it overrides and replaces existing user-controlled cookie preferences with Apple’s own set of opaque and arbitrary standards for cookie handling.

Apple’s unilateral and heavy-handed approach is bad for consumer choice and bad for the ad-supported online content and services consumers love. Blocking cookies in this manner will drive a wedge between brands and their customers, and it will make advertising more generic and less timely and useful. Put simply, machine-driven cookie choices do not represent user choice; they represent browser-manufacturer choice. As organizations devoted to innovation and growth in the consumer economy, we will actively oppose any actions like this by companies that harm consumers by distorting the digital advertising ecosystem and undermining its operations.

On Apple's WebKit site, the company explains that Intelligent Tracking Prevention is meant to ensure user trust is kept during the web browsing experience on Safari, because "the success of the web as a platform relies on user trust." Also coming in Safari on High Sierra is an autoplay blocking feature, which will prevent videos from automatically playing when you open up a web page. This morning, Google announced a similar feature is coming to Chrome in January 2018.

The new Safari will launch when macOS High Sierra becomes available for download on Monday, September 25.

Tag: Safari