MacRumors

When macOS High Sierra is released to the public next week, the new Apple File System (APFS) feature will be limited to Macs with all-flash built-in storage, which means it won't work with iMacs and Mac minis that include Fusion Drives.

Macs with Fusion Drives were converted to APFS during the beta testing process in the first macOS High Sierra beta, but support was removed in subsequent betas and not reimplemented.

With the release of the Golden Master version of the software, Apple has confirmed APFS will not be available for Fusion Drives and has provided instructions for converting from APFS back to the standard HFS+ format.

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Public Beta testers who had a Mac with a Fusion Drive converted to APFS will need to follow a long list of instructions to convert back to HFS+, including making a Time Machine Backup, creating a bootable installer, and using Disk Utility to reformat their Macs and reinstall macOS High Sierra.

Apple on September 5 published a support document confirming compatibility. When customers with an all-flash machine upgrade to macOS High Sierra install the update next week, their drives will be converted to AFPS. Apple explicitly says "Fusion Drives and hard disk drives aren't converted."

Apple says APFS will not be supported on Fusion Drives "in the initial release of macOS High Sierra," which suggests support could be added for Fusion Drives at a later date after lingering bugs are worked out.

Apple File System is a more modern file system than HFS+ and is optimized for solid state drives. It is safe and secure, offering crash protection, safe document saves, stable snapshots, simplified backups, and strong native encryption.

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It's also more responsive than HFS+ with features like instant file and directory cloning, fast directory sizing, high performance parallelized metadata operations, and sparse file writes.

Apple plans to release macOS High Sierra on Monday, September 25.

Related Forum: macOS High Sierra

Apple today confirmed that Apple Pay Cash will be released as part of a future update to iOS 11 and watchOS 4.

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Coming this fall with an update to iOS 11 and watchOS 4, Apple Pay users will be able to send and receive money from friends and family quickly, easily and securely. Pay and get paid right in Messages, or tell Siri to pay someone, using the credit and debit cards they have in Wallet. When users get paid, they receive the money in their new Apple Pay Cash card in Apple Wallet and can use the money instantly.

Apple added a "Coming This Fall" label to Apple Pay Cash on its website recently, so it was already likely the new feature won't be available on iOS 11 launch day tomorrow, and now we know for certain.

Apple Pay Cash is a new peer-to-peer payment service that enables iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users to send and receive money.


When the feature launches, users will launch the Messages app, tap on the App Store icon, select Apple Pay from the app drawer, set the dollar amount, tap pay, select a payment card, and securely authenticate with Touch ID or Face ID.

The payment card can be any debit or credit card linked to Apple Pay in the Wallet app, or the Apple Pay Cash card.

The recipient taps on the message to receive the funds, which are instantly added to the Apple Pay Cash card in the Wallet app. The card's funds can be used to make purchases using Apple Pay, or withdrawn to a bank account.

Apple Pay Cash will be free to use with the Apple Pay Cash card and debit cards, but it will have an industry standard three percent fee for credit card transactions to cover processing costs, according to Recode.

Apple Pay Cash will only be available in the United States at launch. Apple has yet to share details about a wider rollout.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

While the new Apple Watch Series 3 looks virtually identical to Series 2, the cellular models feature a red Digital Crown.

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Apple Watch Series 2 with green WatchDots stickers on right

Fortunately, for those who plan on upgrading but don't like the color choice, it can easily be changed with WatchDots.

WatchDots are tiny, vinyl stickers that cover the Digital Crown and Side button. They're available in a wide variety of colors, including white, black, midnight blue, yellow, orange, gold, sport green, sport blue, sport pink, fog, walnut, antique white, magenta, and other band-matching options.

MacRumors editor Juli Clover reviewed WatchDots a few years ago and was generally positive about the way they looked and held up:

My WatchDots have been on my Apple Watch for about two weeks now and they're looking as good as new. There's been no peeling, even when my watch has gotten wet, and using the Digital Crown and side button a lot hasn't affected them. Since this is a review, I put on and removed several sets of WatchDots, and I can safely say they're not going to cause any damage to your watch. You can peel them right off with a fingernail, but like most vinyl stickers, they're not reusable.

She did experience some residue left behind once, several months after removing the WatchDots, but your mileage may vary.

WatchDots come in sets of three for $9.99, with free shipping within the United States.

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

Sprint today announced that well-qualified customers can lease an iPhone 8 with 64GB of storage for $0 per month after bill credits with the trade in of an eligible smartphone, including the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Galaxy S8.

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With the trade in, Sprint will waive the regular $29.17 charge for 18 months. After at least 12 lease payments, all of which are covered by the promotion, customers can trade in the iPhone 8 and upgrade to a new iPhone.

The limited time offer appears to be available to both new and existing customers who activate at least one new line of service.

Sprint is also offering 50 percent off the 18-month lease of an iPhone 8 to customers who trade in an older smartphone, such as an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, Galaxy S7, or Google Pixel.

Until October 31, 2018, Sprint's unlimited talk, text, and data plan costs $50 per month for the first line, and $40 per month for the second line, with up to three additional lines for free with AutoPay and paperless billing.

"Unlimited" has some caveats, including a max of 1080p for streaming video, 1.5 Mbps for streaming music, and 8 Mbps for games. After 23GB of usage in a billing cycle, data deprioritization applies during times of congestion.

Sprint will waive its $30 activation fee for customers who order online or by phone. There may be additional taxes and fees.

Tag: Sprint

Apple recently shared a new trailer for its upcoming Apple Music exclusive documentary, Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives. The documentary is about the life of music producer Clive Davis and based on his autobiography of the same name that released in late 2013. Directed by Chris Perkel, the film catalogues the life of Davis from his start at Columbia Records in the 1960s, to his work at record companies like J Records and RCA Music Group in the 2000s.

The new trailer showcases a few of the artists that Davis discovered and mentored over the course of his career: Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, TLC, Usher, Billy Joel, Maroon 5, Whitney Houston, and more. Perkel's documentary offers interviews with some of these artists, as well as archival footage, as they gather to take a look back at Davis' life and career.

More than mere biography, The Soundtrack of Our Lives is a guided tour of cultural revolution from the ’60s to the rise of hip- hop, led by a man who consistently caught the next wave before everyone else—if he didn’t just create the wave himself. In Aretha’s words, Davis is “the greatest record man of all time,” and The Soundtrack of Our Lives is definitive, ceaselessly entertaining proof.

Apple originally bought the rights to Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives in April, around the time that the film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Apple Music has become home to a few music-related documentaries and films since the service launched in 2015, including Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour Live, the docu-series The Score, and Sean Combs hip-hop documentary Can't Stop Won't Stop.

In the trailer for the new documentary, it's announced that Apple Music subscribers will be able to watch Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives beginning Tuesday, October 3.

If you're a student, it's your last chance to get a free pair of Beats headphones with the purchase of a Mac or iPad Pro this year.

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Apple's annual Back to School promotion ends Monday, September 25 in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Singapore.

Apple is offering the choice of a free pair of Beats Solo3, BeatsX, or Powerbeats3 headphones to qualifying students, parents of students, and educators who purchase an eligible Mac, including any new MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, or Mac Pro. Refurbished models are ineligible.

The promotion also offers free BeatsX wireless headphones with the purchase of any new 10.5-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro, or students can pay $50 extra for Beats Powerbeats3 or $150 extra for Solo3 wireless headphones. Apple's latest 9.7-inch iPad and iPad mini 4 and refurbished models do not qualify.

The deal is available through Apple's online education store, retail stores, and authorized campus stores, or by calling 1-800-MY-APPLE. Apple's terms and conditions outline full eligibility requirements in each country:

The free Beats are in addition to Apple's education pricing.

The promotion ends Monday, October 2 in participating European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK.

In certain participating countries, students are required to verify their enrollment or acceptance in a higher education institution in order to qualify for the promotion. Not a student or looking for better deals? Visit our ongoing Apple Deals roundup for other discounts on Apple products and accessories.

Chinese mobile maker Huawei has taken to trolling Apple in a new Facebook ad that pokes fun at the iPhone X's neural engine and urges people to wait for "the real AI phone" – a reference to its upcoming flagship smartphone, the Mate 10, set to debut next month.

The short ad takes aim at Apple's Face ID feature on the new iPhone X, and uses a jaunty clown emoji animation on a smartphone display to imply that unlocking the device using facial authentication is prone to failure.

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The tagline accompanying the ad reads, "Let's face it, facial recognition isn't for everyone. Unlock the future with #TheRealAIPhone. 16.10.2017". Apple famously had to defend itself against doubts about Face ID after a live onstage demo of the technology appeared to backfire.

As reported previously, Huawei's Mate 10 is the first phone in the company's line-up to feature the Kirin 970 AI mobile chipset, which has a built-in neural processing unit that utilizes machine learning, making it "20 times faster" than a traditional processor, according to the company.

The Kirin 970 is based on the same 10-nanometer technology as Apple's latest A11 Bionic processor found in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Like the A11, the new Huawei chip is also said to be more energy efficient, especially when it comes to handling AI-related functions such as image and voice recognition.

Huawei surpassed Apple’s global smartphone sales for the first time in June and July, according to analysis by consulting firm Counterpoint Research, overtaking the U.S. tech giant as the world's second biggest smartphone brand. This appears to have boosted the Chinese mobile maker's confidence that its Mate 10 is the genuine frontrunner to rival Apple's $999 smartphone, particularly in a Chinese market dominated by inexpensive, high-spec alternatives.

Tags: China, Huawei
Related Forum: iPhone

Google today launched a new mobile payment app in India that allows users to connect their bank accounts directly to the service and employs ultrasound technology in lieu of an NFC chip to transfer money between devices.

Called Tez (Hindi for "fast"), Google's new payment platform links customers' bank accounts to Android and iOS via the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), a state-backed payments system. Google has partnered with State Bank of India, the country's biggest lender, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank, with 55 banks in total said to be supporting the service across India.

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Tez uses a technology called audio QR that allows mobile users to transfer cash between devices using an inaudible ultrasonic frequency to identify the payer and payee. The system works with any mobile device with a mic and speaker and the Tez app installed, and therefore doesn't require an NFC chip.

India is home to 300 million smartphone users, but most handsets in the country don't feature NFC, so Google's audio QR solution is being marketed as a secure mainstream alternative. Apart from typical mobile transactions to pay for everyday items, Google says small businesses can also use the app to accept payments into their bank accounts, with payments from mobile merchants supported, too.


According to Bloomberg, digital transactions have surged after the Indian Government banned high-value cash notes in 2016. Tez is available on both Android and iOS, and Google plans to release the app in other emerging countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. Apple has yet to launch Apple Pay in any of the aforementioned countries and is still negotiating with the Indian government about bringing its own mobile payment system to the country. Apple Pay Cash, Apple's peer-to-peer mobile payment feature, is set to launch in the U.S. with the official release iOS 11 this month.

Tags: Google, India, Tez

Waze and Spotify today announced that an update previously launched on Android smartphones is now making its way to iOS devices, bringing Spotify music playback controls right into Waze's crowd-sourced navigation app. Conversely, you'll also be able to start Waze's GPS navigation from within the Spotify iOS app.

As long as the two apps are installed and you agree to link both accounts together, you'll gain access to a subset of Spotify controls in Waze. At the top of the navigation screen there will be a small Spotify icon, which you can tap to access playback controls, change playlists, and jump directly to Spotify.

waze spotify update
Waze said that safety remains a priority with today's update, encouraging drivers to keep their iPhone docked with the app open nearby to focus on the road. Both Waze and Spotify mentioned that the new integration should help further combat distracted driving, thanks to a few streamlined features that reduce the need to toggle between multiple apps. These include automatic music playback when Waze navigation begins, only letting you browse playlists when the car is stopped, and more.

Finlay Clark, UK head of Waze, says: “We are delighted to team up with Spotify to create a new function that allows iOS Wazers to enjoy their favourite music, while being re-routed around traffic in real- time.

“Safety is our priority at Waze. By discouraging drivers from tapping their device to switch between apps while on the move, we believe this partnership presents a valuable way for drivers in the UK to use their favourite technologies whilst concentrating fully on the road ahead.”

Although the announcement came out of Waze's United Kingdom office, the company confirmed that its integration with Spotify is beginning to roll out globally today in markets that support both apps.

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Both Waze and Spotify are available to download on the iOS App Store for free.

Tags: Spotify, Waze

The first iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, Apple TV 4K, and Apple Watch Series 3 orders began shipping out to customers today ahead of a promised delivery date on Friday, September 22, the official launch date for all of the devices.

Apple hasn't updated its order statuses from "Preparing for Shipment" just yet, but packages shipping via UPS are already in transit and can be tracked using a UPS My Choice account or in some cases, by reference number on the UPS website after inputting a phone number associated with an order.

As MacRumors forum members have discovered, many iPhone 8 and 8 Plus devices are shipping from Pennsylvania, while some Apple Watch and Apple TV 4K orders are coming from China. Official shipment notifications from Apple should start going out soon. Not all orders are trackable just yet.

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Pre-orders for the three devices started on Friday, September 15 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, and initial orders shifted to preparing for shipment across Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

While newly released iPhone models often sell out following pre-orders, supplies of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are plentiful. SIM-free and some T-Mobile models are listing shipping dates of one to two weeks for home delivery, but are readily available for in-store pickup. Other models remain in stock.

Launch day supplies in retail stores around the world should also be largely available, and the traditional stock shortages and long lines that we generally see before an iPhone launch aren't likely to happen with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

As for the Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular functionality, that's harder to come by. LTE Series 3 Apple Watches have largely sold out at this point and won't ship out for a good three to four weeks. Non-LTE models remain in stock.

The new Apple TV 4K is also a bit more limited than the new iPhone models, and orders placed now won't be delivered until October, with the 64GB model harder to come by than the 32GB model.

The first Apple Watch Series 3, Apple TV 4K, and iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus orders will begin arriving to customers on Friday, September 22, with customers in Australia and New Zealand being the first to get their hands on the new devices.

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

A day after Apple began accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 3, the first orders have shifted to "preparing for shipment" ahead of a promised Friday, September 22 delivery date.

Apple began preparing Apple Watch Series 3 orders starting yesterday afternoon, while the order status of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus appears to have started changing this afternoon. Apple TV 4K orders have not yet updated to preparing for shipment, but that should happen soon.

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Pre-orders for all three devices started at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, September 15. While some SIM-free and T-Mobile iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models sold out relatively early for home shipping, supplies of other devices have remained strong. It should be no problem to pop into an Apple Store on launch day and pick up an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus.

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It may be more difficult to get one of the new Apple Watch Series 3 models with LTE connectivity, as several configurations did sell out and list shipment dates of a few weeks. In-store pickup is also unavailable for these models. Non-LTE models are, however, readily available.

Orders that have been updated to "preparing for shipment" status should begin officially shipping out over the course of the next day or two. The first orders will arrive on Friday, September 22, with customers in New Zealand and Australia being among the first to get their hands on the new devices.

Update: Apple TV 4K orders have now started shifting to Preparing for Shipment too.

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

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.

safaripreventcrosssitetracking

"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.

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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.

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