Longtime industrial designer Christopher Stringer, who has been with Apple for 21 years, is leaving the company, reports The Information.
Stringer, who is part of Jony Ive's industrial design team and had a hand in designing the iPhone, notably testified in the ongoing Samsung v. Apple legal battle back in 2012. As he's been working alongside Ive for many years, Stringer has had a hand in designing everything from the iPhone and iPad to the Mac over the last 20 years.
Ive's industrial design team is notoriously private, so little else is known about Stringer, or where he might be going after Apple. His departure comes nearly two years after Jony Ive took on the role of Chief Design Officer and took a step back from the day-to-day management of the company's design team, a task that now falls to Richard Howarth.
Stringer is the second longtime Apple designer to have left Ive's team over the course of the last year. Daniel Coster, who was also on the team for more than 20 years, left in April of 2016 to join GoPro.
Despite the changes to the industrial design team, and some mid-2016 rumors suggesting Jony Ive might be on his way out, Apple's design chief is said to be as devoted and involved as ever.
Apple today debuted a new promotion for some of its older Beats products, dropping prices by as much as $50 depending on the item.
The Beats Solo2 On-Ear Headphones in the Luxe line of colors are available for $149.95, a $50 discount off of the regular $199.95 price. Beats Solo2 Headphones are the previous-generation model without wireless connectivity and Apple's new W1 chip. All Luxe colors are discounted, including Red, Silver, Blue, and Black, but other Solo2 models are not available for a lower price.
Along with the two sets of headphones, Apple is also discounting its Beats Pill+ Portable Speaker, dropping the price from $229.95 to $199.95. The Pill+ is available in Red, Black, and White.
Apple does not say how long the discounts on its Beats products will last, so customers hoping to get a deal on a speaker or a set of headphones should purchase right away. Discounts are also available in Apple's retail stores.
Just one week after releasing iOS 10.3, a major update that included Apple Filesystem and Find My AirPods, Apple has released iOS 10.3.1, which appears to be a minor update to address bugs and other issues that have popped up since the release of iOS 10.3.
iOS 10.3.1 is available as a free over-the-air update for all iOS 10 users, and it can also be downloaded via iTunes.
According to Apple's release notes, iOS 10.3.1 includes bug fixes and improves the security of your iPhone or iPad, and a security document suggests it fixes a Wi-Fi-related vulnerability. The release notes do not go into more detail about what bug fixes might be bundled into this release, so we'll update this post if and when we learn more about the content of the iOS 10.3.1 update.
Production on the 2017 iPhone is moving along, with Apple recently having placed orders for 70 million OLED panels, reports Nikkei. Samsung, as we already know, will be Apple's sole OLED supplier, and will provide Apple with the panels.
Demand for the 2017 iPhone, which is expected to feature a major design overhaul with an edge-to-edge display, glass body, and a premium price tag, is expected to be high as it typically is in a year when a new look is unveiled. Apple and Samsung are gearing up to meet demand with the large panel order.
Nikkei's info comes from a supply chain source and also matches with estimates provided by IHS Markit analyst David Hsieh.
"Apple has ordered 70 million units of OLED panels from Samsung this year, while Samsung is preparing to churn out as many as 95 million for Apple in 2017, in case demand exceeds expectations," Hsieh said.
There have already been rumors suggesting the OLED iPhone will be in short supply when it launches in September, with the majority of the stock unavailable until later in the year, and Hsieh also believes that could be the case. "It is also possible that some of these 70 million handsets will not be shipped to customers this year and be carried over to next year depending on demand," he said.
Nikkei's industry source, in addition to covering panel orders, also shared some details on the upcoming device that echoes many rumors we've heard in the past.
The site believes we will see a premium OLED iPhone with a 5.2-inch screen and no home button, which will be sold alongside standard 4.7 and 5.5-inch devices with LCD screens and home buttons. All three iPhones will include wireless charging functionality (lately said to be inductive) and waterproofing, while at least one model, presumably the OLED iPhone, will include a 3D sensor that supports facial recognition.
Other features rumored for the iPhone 8 not mentioned in Nikkei's report include camera improvements, a faster and more efficient A11 processor, Touch ID built into the display, True Tone ambient light adjustment, and perhaps augmented reality functionality enabled through the camera.
JEDEC, the organization that develops global standards for computer memory, has announced it will be previewing its next-generation DDR5 standard for RAM in June 2017. The standard is expected to be finalized by 2018, at which point chipmakers like Intel will be able to add support for the technology.
As noted by Ars Technica, DDR5 RAM will double the speed of current DDR4 RAM while offering greater power efficiency.
DDR5 memory will offer improved performance with greater power efficiency as compared to previous generation DRAM technologies. As planned, DDR5 will provide double the bandwidth and density over DDR4, along with delivering improved channel efficiency. These enhancements, combined with a more user-friendly interface for server and client platforms, will enable high performance and improved power management in a wide variety of applications.
It might be quite a while until DDR5 RAM goes mainstream, however, as the first computers with DDR4 RAM did not arrive until two years after that standard was finalized. Apple itself has yet to even adopt DDR4 RAM, with nearly every current Mac equipped with older LPDDR3 RAM, which maxes out at 16GB.
• MacBook: 8GB of 1866MHz LPDDR3 RAM • MacBook Air: 8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 RAM • MacBook Pro: 8/16GB of 1866/2133MHz LPDDR3 RAM • iMac: 8/16/32GB of 1867MHz LPDDR3 RAM • Mac mini: 4/8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 RAM • Mac Pro: 12/16GB of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC RAM
Apple said the 2016 MacBook Pro does not support DDR4 RAM because of battery life considerations. DDR4 memory's low-power variant LPDDR4 is not supported by Intel's Skylake processors powering the latest MacBook Pro models, and using regular DDR4 RAM would have reduced space for batteries.
The MacBook Pro uses 16GB of very fast LPDDR memory, up to 2133MHz. To support 32GB of memory would require using DDR memory that is not low power and also require a different design of the logic board which might reduce space for batteries. Both factors would reduce battery life.
The often reliable Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities said Apple will release a 15-inch MacBook with 32GB of desktop-class RAM later this year, but it is unclear which Intel processor the notebook would use.
Amazon today announced a new way for its users to add funds to their Amazon accounts, called Amazon Cash. By visiting a participating retailer, Amazon users will be able to show a barcode to a cashier, choose an amount between $15 and $500, and pay the amount in cash to see it transferred digitally and able to be spent on Amazon.com.
As TechCrunch reported, Amazon Cash is aimed at "cash customers" who don't shop online as consistently as everyone else, including people who are paid in cash, who don’t have a bank account or debit card, and who don’t use credit cards. The entire process doesn't require any sort of fee to be paid by the user.
This "cash customer" (the unbanked or "underbanked") accounts for around 27 percent of consumers, said a 2015 report from the FDIC.
While they may have money to spend online at times, there isn’t an easy way to do so. Until today, they would have to buy an Amazon Gift Card in a designated amount or add cash to prepaid payment cards, to be used at checkout.
More broadly, the service could appeal to anyone who just wants to deposit some cash in their Amazon.com account, without hassle.
These customers will be able to use the Amazon iOS and Android app to bring up their unique Amazon Cash barcode, which will be reused any time they want to add more money to their account. After telling the cashier how much they want added and scanning the barcode, the customer pays at the register with cash and the amount instantly appears in their Amazon account. Confirmation of the money's arrival will be sent to users via email, text, or push notification.
Amazon Cash will even let users print out their unique barcode at home and bring it into the store in lieu of using a smartphone. Those who have a smartphone with a cracked screen are also recommended to print out the barcode instead of using their phone.
Participating U.S. stores at launch include: CVS Pharmacy, Speedway, Kum & Go, D&W Fresh Market, Sheetz, Family Fare Supermarkets, and VG’s Grocery, with more coming soon. The service is launching now across the U.S.
ESPN today announced a redesign of its Apple TV app that brings live streaming auto-play and ESPN Video On Demand to Apple's fourth-generation set-top box. In addition, the app has been rebranded from WatchESPN to simply "the ESPN app."
With live streaming auto-play, users will be able to jump right into the network's stream of sports content with a live video playing immediately when authenticated users launch the app. The new Video On Demand feature will stockpile a collection of user-specific, curated videos that can be browsed and watched at any time, including content from World Series of Poker, X Games, Outside the Lines, and more.
Live Streaming Auto-Play: Upon launching the app, a live stream of one of ESPN’s networks will now automatically play for authenticated users.
ESPN Video On Demand: A new collection of curated on-demand videos including hundreds of hours of additional content from 30 for 30, E:60, Outside the Lines, SC Featured, World Series of Poker, X Games and more.
Sleeker, Simpler User Interface: In addition to visual graphic enhancements to Featured content, users can also browse videos by Sports & Events or Channels.
All of the new features are housed in a new UI that boasts "graphic enhancements" to the app's featured content, as well as tweaks to the way videos can be browsed, including search by sport, event, or channel.
“From replays to full episodes of on-demand content prior to their telecast premieres, ESPN’s tvOS app is now so much more than our live streaming networks,” said Ryan Spoon, senior vice president of digital product, design and audience development, ESPN. “With this latest update, authenticated users now have the full benefit of engaging with a wide range of live and on-demand video content from the very first click into what is now the ESPN App on Apple TV.”
ESPN is launching the new app today, ahead of the premiere of its new multiplatform original series "We the Fans." On April 9, four episodes of the eight-episode show will stream exclusively on ESPN's suite of mobile and tv-based apps two days before premiering on cable.
Danish hearing aid company GN Hearing today announced the newest iteration of its IoT hearing aid solution, called the ReSound LiNX 3D, as well as new apps for the iPhone and Apple Watch.
The major update to GN's new hearing care solution is a way for users to get their hearing aids remotely fine-tuned by their audiologist after an initial fitting at their local clinic, through a cloud-based infrastructure called ReSound Smart Fit. The original ReSound LiNX allowed users to adjust their own settings on the fly, but now they can request assistance wherever they are directly from the mobile app, and their doctor can make all the adjustments necessary "to provide a better hearing experience for the user."
ReSound LiNX 3D is the only device with complete remote fine-tuning capabilities that allows users to stay in touch with their hearing care professional wherever they are, receiving hearing care and getting new settings via the cloud without having to schedule and travel for a clinic appointment. The unique cloud integration enables hearing care professionals to stay connected with users no matter where they are.
Users will be able to share feedback about any hearing difficulty as the situation occurs, rather than trying to remember how to describe it during an adjustment visit to the clinic. Hearing care professionals will have the freedom to offer follow-up services remotely – saving time for both hearing care professionals and users, and creating opportunities for even higher user satisfaction.
The ReSound LiNX 3D includes GN Hearing's 5th generation 2.4 GHz wireless technology and 3rd generation binaural directionality, providing users with "clear, natural sound, exceptional speech understanding and the best sense of where sounds are coming from." The company said that the hearing aid's advantages lie in both quiet and speech-only situations, as well as times when surrounding sounds are loud and the aid optimizes audibility of speaking voices.
The original ReSound LiNX launched with a unique 2.4 GHz protocol as well, developed in careful conjunction with Apple as a way to create a specific link between the hearing aid and iPhone devices. This technology enabled the first LiNX -- and now the new LiNX 3D -- to support a smarter system that could turn off and on quickly to save battery life, as well as geofencing abilities to intelligently detect where a user is and adapt to the corresponding new environment change with no intervention from the user.
When connected to the new apps on iPhone and Apple Watch, users will be able to access custom control features for the hearing aid, built-in guidance steps to understand the hardware and software, and coaching assistance to get the most out of the system. When compared to competitors, the company said that the ReSound LiNX 3D and companion app are up to 50 percent better at identifying speech across various environments, enable users to hear up to 80 percent more of the sounds around them, and enable users to understand up to 40 percent more speech in noise.
GN Hearing will launch the ReSound LiNX 3D, as well as a hearing aid with similar features under its sister brand Beltone, around the world later in 2017. No more information was given in today's announcement, but the company encouraged anyone interested to keep track of announcements surrounding the ReSound LiNX 3D by visiting its website.
Signs of Facebook's silent testing of new features for its mobile app appear to be continuing apace, after some users noticed a rocket ship-shaped icon appearing at the bottom of their news feed.
The icon has been appearing from time to time at the bottom of the iOS app's main news feed icon and displays a different type of feed made up of posts, articles, photos, and videos from sources users haven't followed, like Facebook Pages or posts from news media organizations, for example.
A lot of the content that shows up in the rocket feed appears to be sourced locally, suggesting the feature may rely on live location information. Some posts have been spotted that are directly relevant to users' interests, such as content from pages that are similar to those users have liked, so it's possible the content stream is being selectively weighted by algorithms based on likes, friends, and groups.
It's unclear if the feature will ever get an official rollout to all mobile users – Facebook has a habit of trialing features just to see if they prove popular among a select few. Last month, the company began testing "Facebook Stories", a Snapchat feature clone that lets users post a time-limited photo or video at the top of the Facebook app.
Feral Interactive announced today that F1 2016 is coming to the Mac on April 6 and has been refined using Apple's new graphics API, Metal.
F1 2016 is Codemasters' official game for the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship and features extensive online multiplayer game modes that allow players to compete against up to 21 rivals on any of the 21 Grand Prix circuits.
"It's been three years since a new F1 game graced the Mac and a lot has happened since then," said David Stephen, managing director of Feral. "F1 2016 is a massive step forward for the franchise, greatly improving upon the fastest and most thrilling on-track racing experience in gaming."
At the heart of the game is an all-new career mode that Feral is calling the most immersive, in-depth mode ever featured in the franchise, and lets players pursue legendary status in the sport over up to ten back to back Formula One seasons.
The game includes the iconic Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car, the paddock, key figures from the world of F1 and all the drivers, teams and circuits. Players can also experience the height of the pre-race tension and feel the pressure of the all-important start with the introduction of the Formation Lap and manual starts.
The minimum system requirements for F1 2016 are a 2.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor running macOS 10.12.4, 8GB of RAM and a 2GB NVIDIA 680, AMD R9 280M, Intel Iris 540 or better. The recommended system requirements are a 3.3GHz Intel Core i7 processor running macOS 10.12.4, 16GB of RAM and a 4GB AMD R9 395X or better.
F1 2016 will be available through the Feral Store and Steam for $59.99 (£39.99) and available on the Mac App Store for $49.99 (£48.99).
SoundCloud has added support for Google Chromecast in the latest update to its iOS app, almost two years after support for the feature arrived on the Android version.
After updating the SoundCloud app, users of the music streaming service will also be able to cast songs from SoundCloud Go+, the company's paid subscription plan, to their TV and speakers.
Now users with a SoundCloud Go+ subscription can stream their complete catalog through Google Chromecast. We also enabled shared playback, so multiple users can control what’s playing. Finally, we upgraded both of the mobile apps and the receiver to provide a consistent and streamlined experience.
Whenever a song is played over Chromecast, SoundCloud offers up song and album suggestions for adding to the currently streamed track list.
A SoundCloud Go budget tier costs $4.99 per month, and includes access to over 120 million tracks, offline listening and no ads. SoundCloud+ costs $9.99, and includes access to a wider selection of 150 million songs and excludes previews from the library. Non-paying listeners can still listen to tracks with ads, but can't download songs for offline listening.
The SoundCloud app is a free download for iPhone and iPad available from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Shares in Imagination Technologies plunged by nearly 70 percent on Monday, after Apple informed the British firm that it plans to stop using its graphics technology in Apple consumer devices in up to two years' time.
Imagination said Apple had made the decision because the tech giant was developing its own independent graphics processing chips, which would reduce its reliance on the company.
The news delivers a major blow to Imagination Technologies, which traditionally provides the PowerVR graphics architecture found in Apple's full range of iOS devices and receives a small royalty on every sale, which amounts to up to half of the British firm's revenue.
In a press release posted on the company's website, Imagination said it doubted that Apple could go it alone without violating Imagination' patents, intellectual property and confidential information.
Apple has used Imagination’s technology and intellectual property for many years. It has formed the basis of Graphics Processor Units ("GPUs") in Apple’s phones, tablets, iPods, TVs and watches. Apple has asserted that it has been working on a separate, independent graphics design in order to control its products and will be reducing its future reliance on Imagination’s technology.
Apple has not presented any evidence to substantiate its assertion that it will no longer require Imagination’s technology, without violating Imagination’s patents, intellectual property and confidential information. This evidence has been requested by Imagination but Apple has declined to provide it.
The firm said that Apple's notification had triggered talks on alternative commercial arrangements for the current license and royalty agreement.
Apple has been a licensee and stakeholder in the company since at least 2008, and became a key investor in mid-2009 after raising its stake in the firm to 10 percent. Apple paid Imagination license fees and royalties totaling 60.7 million pounds for the year to end-April 2016 and is expected to pay about 65 million pounds for this year, Imagination said.
Late last year it was reported Apple was in "advanced talks" to acquire Imagination Tech after the British chip maker announced job cuts. Despite confirming the talks, Apple subsequently decided not to make a buyout offer, but several Imagination employees were recruited by Apple as part of its efforts to build an in-house graphics team.
Apple is considering offering HBO, Showtime, and Starz television channels in a combined "premium TV bundle" to be delivered to viewers via Apple TV and iOS devices, according to a new report on Sunday.
Apple already enables users to buy the named channels individually, but according to a source who spoke to Recode, Apple has approached the three networks about rolling them up into a single paid package similar to how conventional TV operators market their channels.
However, unlike paid TV operators like Charter, which usually require consumers to subscribe to a basic range of TV channels before offering a premium bundle, Apple wants to provide the package as an upfront standalone option for all its consumers.
Apple has yet to nail down a deal with any of the networks, according to industry sources, while representatives from HBO, Stars, and Showtime declined to comment on the report. Apple also didn't respond to requests for comment.
Apple currently offers HBO for $15 a month, Showtime for $11 a month, and Stars for $9 a month, but Recode had no information on the price of any possible bundle package.
Apple's attempts to set up a traditional streaming bundle of TV channels have come to nothing in recent years, despite rival companies like Google and Hulu announcing plans of their own.
The company's assertive negotiation tactics with cable providers have also been blamed, with Apple executives accused of making demands networks aren't prepared to meet. Content providers meanwhile have been reluctant to agree to Apple's terms for fear of potentially compromising their traditional revenue streams.
Apart from its TV subscription service ambitions, Apple is said to be building a "significant" business centered around creating original, scripted television shows and possibly even movies, for a possible launch by the end of 2017.
Apple, Amazon, and Google are actively engaged in the bidding war to acquire Toshiba's NAND memory unit, according to a report by Yomiuri Shimbun Daily on Saturday (via Korean Herald).
According to the Japanese newspaper, there are now 10 bidders looking to buy Toshiba's lucrative semiconductor operation, which accounts for 20 percent of the NAND market. Nikkei reported on Friday that U.S. private equity firm Silver Lake and U.S. chipmaker Broadcom offered Toshiba about 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) for the unit. Other bidders include frontrunner and world's largest NAND flash maker, Western Digital, with Apple suppliers Foxconn and TSMC having been named early on as potential suitors.
"The US tech firms -- Apple, Google and Amazon -- have become the next attractive bidders following Western Digital as Toshiba can have stable supply chains (for smartphones or data servers) from them," an industry source told The Korea Herald.
On Thursday, Toshiba shareholders agreed to split off the NAND flash unit and sell it, in order to raise at least $9 billion to cover U.S. nuclear unit charges that threaten the conglomerate's future. Both Apple and Samsung are major clients of the unit, while Google and Amazon want to buy the NAND maker to supply their own data servers, rather than having to rely on chipmakers.
Prices on the flash memory market remain high, while Apple's interest in acquiring the unit has only increased as it continues to boost the storage capacity of its iPhones and iPads. Buying the unit would not only provide Apple with the ability to design and make its own flash memory, but it would also mean Samsung losing its main client. How much Apple's offer amounts to remains unknown, however.
Today is April 1, 2017, otherwise known as April Fools' Day, and as you are likely aware that means over the next few hours you should be highly wary of anything you see, read, or hear online. As MacRumors has covered over the pastfew years, tech companies love to prank their customers with silly products, out-there announcements, and largely weird press releases meant to highlight the jovial holiday.
April 1, 2017 also marks the 41st anniversary of Apple, with Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne having solidified their partnership on this day all those years ago in 1976. Now, Apple itself has become a major target for April Fools' Day pranks, as well as various other companies, apps, services, and accessory makers that are well-known by Apple users.
We have collected some of the more interesting hoaxes and jokes into a list below, but remember that some contain mildly NSFW content and language, so you may want to use headphones or watch the videos in a private location.
Siri
Siri is recognizing April Fools' Day in some of its responses today, including refusing to flip a coin upon request.
iFixit's Micro Tech Toolkit
iFixit has announced an all-new toolkit that it says is aimed at the smallest devices on the market, including the Apple Watch and AirPods. The $19.95 Micro Tech Toolkit comes with a magnetized driver handle, easy-to-open tool roll, micro pliers, micro spudger, an iFixit micro opening tool, and three precision bits.
Thanks to the vast array of tools being sold on iFixit's online store, the Micro Tech Toolkit is at first a somewhat believable offering from the teardown site. For anyone not yet convinced of its status as an April Fools' Day prank, however, the accompanying launch video has testimony from iFixit's Micro Tech Tool Expert -- Howard the Hamster. Additionally, one repair story on the toolkit's storefront written by Ralph the Mouse appears to be a reference to Beverly Cleary's popular children's book The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
Ms. Pac-Man in Google Maps
Beginning yesterday, users discovered that Google has added a functioning version of the classic video game Ms. Pac-Man directly into its iOS Google Maps app. You can now control Ms. Pac-Man and hunt for ghosts and pellets in a re-skin of the game that turns the streets of your local neighborhood into a maze of Ms. Pac-Man corridors.
Netflix Live
Netflix launched an all-new streaming show it's calling "Netflix Live," allowing customers to receive fascinating tidbits of information about copiers, toasters, and pencil sharpeners from actor Will Arnett. The popular streaming company claims that the "live" show is a new addition to its ever-growing stable of original content, but -- as many have figured out since yesterday -- it's yet another one of Netflix's April Fools' Day pranks.
For the morbidly curious, you can watch the 48-minute, not-actually-live burrito commentary series right now on the Netflix streaming device of your choice. If it's anything like last year's John Stamos: A Human, Being "documentary," it probably won't be on the service for long.
AirRings
Twelve South has revealed "AirRings," which the company says will let you "effortlessly transform your AirPods into earrings." AirRings come in different styles for both men and women, including cuffs, bands and drop style earrings, so you can listen to your music on AirPods without sacrificing your style.
USB-Speed of Light by Moshi
If you're tired of the confusing array of USB-Type A and USB-Type C cables, Moshi today announced the one USB solution to end them all: USB-Speed of Light (USB-SL for short). The accessory manufacturer calls USB-SL "the next-next-generation in charging and connectivity," and should top off your MacBook Pro in mere seconds.
With the additional USB-SL to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter "the future is truly and literally at your fingertips," providing an internet connection so fast you can catch up on your email and other notifications that have yet to arrive. Similarly, the USB-SL to HDMI Adapter provides the ultimate, crystal clear video experience "from any point in time."
Other Pranks, Jokes, and Hoaxes:
The T-Mobile ONEsie - a full-body wearable that provides truly unlimited coverage
Google Gnome - a lawn gnome version of Google Home
Petlexa - Amazon Echo's Alexa now understands your pets
We Are Hu - Hulu's new service has episodes that last just 8 seconds long
Lyft Mono - hail a Lyft using the company's new wearable glove
Snapchat's Instagram filter - take a Snap today and toggle through filters to find a funny prank filter aimed at Facebook-owned rival Instagram
We'll update this post throughout April Fools' Day in the event that any new pranks surface.
The security of the facial recognition feature on Samsung's new Galaxy S8 smartphone has come into question, after a video was shared online that appears to show one of the handsets being unlocked by waving a photo of the user's face in front of the camera.
The YouTube video embedded below, recorded at the S8 launch event, shows the registered user of the device presenting a picture of himself to the phone's front-facing camera. After a couple of attempts, the phone recognizes the close-up selfie as the user's face, and the lock screen is subsequently bypassed.
Last month it was reported that Samsung had decided to add facial recognition to the Galaxy S8 because of late doubts about the speed and reliability of the iris scanning feature also included in phone, so it's possible that the software algorithms still require some fine-tuning. However, it's more likely that Samsung's cameras rely on standard 2D facial recognition technology, which past demonstrations have shown can be easily tricked with two-dimensional photos, suggesting use as a standalone authentication feature remains limited.
Indeed, in a statement given to ArsTechnica, Samsung explained that facial recognition cannot be used to authenticate mobile payments or to access the device's Secure Folder, both of which require the use of the phone's other biometric features.
The Galaxy S8 provides various levels of biometric authentication, with the highest level of authentication from the iris scanner and fingerprint reader. In addition, the Galaxy S8 provides users with multiple options to unlock their phones through both biometric security options, and convenient options such as swipe and facial recognition. It is important to reiterate that facial recognition, while convenient, can only be used for opening your Galaxy S8 and currently cannot be used to authenticate access to Samsung Pay or Secure Folder.
Apple is said to be including both iris scanning and a facial recognition feature in this year's high-end "iPhone 8" device. The OLED iPhone is rumored to have a "revolutionary" front-facing camera system with infrared 3D sensing capabilities, which may go some way to overcoming the facial authentication limitations such as those found in Samsung's device. Apple is also thought to be embedding its Touch ID fingerprint technology into a modified Samsung OLED display.
The ticket lottery for Apple's 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference ended this morning at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and it appears that developers who won tickets are now receiving confirmation emails.
Apple has said all developers who won the ticket lottery can expect to see their credit cards charged with the $1,599 ticket fee by Monday, April 3 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, but some developers are already being charged.
Apple has used a lottery system to dole out WWDC tickets in recent years because interest in the conference far exceeds capacity. Approximately 5,000 developers are expected to attend the event, along with more than 1,000 Apple engineers and executives.
The 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference will start on Monday, June 5 and will last through Friday, June 9. The conference dates were first announced in mid-February, as this year's event will take place at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, instead of in San Francisco.
At the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple will host a keynote event to introduce new software updates, and developers will be able to attend more than 100 technical sessions and hands-on labs.
Developers who are not selected to purchase a ticket will be able to watch both the keynote event and sessions with engineers through the Apple Developer website and through the WWDC app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
April is Autism Acceptance Month, and Apple plans to mark the occasion in several ways, including a dedicated section in the App Store and retail field trips.
According to Steven Aquino, a journalist who covers accessibility topics, Apple will offer field trips to retail stores that will host music events designed to include children with disabilities.
Kids will be able to participate in the events using the Skoogmusic Skoog 2.0 Tactile Musical Interface, one of the many accessibility-oriented accessories Apple sells in its online store. Skoog is a tactile cube that lets children with disabilities control sound through touch.
Along with special Apple Store events, Apple has created an Autism Acceptance App Store section that includes dozens of important accessibility apps organized into sections like Apps for Every Day, Apps for Learning, Books, Podcasts, and iTunes U courses.
Some of the apps included are Proloquo2Go, :prose, Keeble Accessible Keyboard, Assistive Express, TouchChat HD, RocketKeys, and more.
Accessibility has always been hugely important to Apple, and the company has aimed to make its devices accessible for everyone, with in-depth accessibility settings to meet a range of needs. Back in October, Apple launched a new Accessibility website that highlights accessibility features across all of its products.
Today is April 1, 2017, otherwise known as April Fools' Day, and as you are likely aware that means over the next few hours you should be highly wary of anything you see, read, or hear online. As MacRumors has covered over 
