Apple today shared a new advertisement on its YouTube channel, this time designed to promote both the iPhone 7 and the iMessages sticker feature that was introduced in iOS 10.
The video features people running around putting a variety of bright, animated stickers on objects, food, other people, and more, mimicking the kind of stickers that are available on iOS.
"Say it with stickers on the iPhone 7," reads the tagline at the end of the video. The video's description also includes a link where all of the stickers used in the ad spot can be downloaded. A huge number of sticker packs are featured, including those from indie artists and those from major companies like Disney.
Introduced in iOS 10, sticker packs are part of the Messages App Store, which lets developers create apps that can be used in iMessages. Stickers can be resized, put on top of chat bubbles, added on photos, or stuck on top of other stickers, with simple controls for dragging.
While Apple has promoted other Messages features available in iOS 10, this is its first ad spot that focuses primarily on stickers, which still don't seem to have caught on with iPhone users.
Mazda is planning to add CarPlay and Android Auto support to its lineup of cars and SUVs according to an announcement made at a launch for its upcoming 2017 CX-5 (via Cars.com).
There's no word on when CarPlay will be added to Mazda vehicles, nor is there info on which vehicles will be the first to support CarPlay, but Mazda spokesperson Jacob Brown said the feature "should be retroactively upgradeable onto all Mazda Connect systems with a potentially minimal hardware addition needed."
Mazda Connect has been available in Mazda vehicles since 2014, which, coincidentally, is the year that Mazda first pledged support for CarPlay. Mazda has been listed as a CarPlay partner since shortly after CarPlay first debuted, but it has yet to release a CarPlay-compatible vehicle.
For a couple of years after CarPlay was announced, availability was highly limited as it required the cooperation of both automobile makers and third-party hardware companies, but as of late 2015, CarPlay availability has expanded rapidly.
Apple's CarPlay platform is now available in more than 200 2016 and 2017 vehicles from a range of manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and more.
Multiple new iPad models are being tested in Cupertino and the nearby Bay Area, potentially confirming rumors suggesting several refreshed iPads are launching in the near future.
New iPad model identifiers have been spotted in device data collected by mobile marketing company Fiksu and were shared by TechCrunch this morning. Four identifiers have been popping up in data logs, but that doesn't necessarily correspond to four new devices as WiFi and WiFi + Cellular iPads historically have different model numbers. Fiksu believes the numbers correspond to between two and four new iPads.
Below are the iPad identifiers that have been found along with their corresponding count, as provided by Fiksu. Only a small number of visits have been seen, which Fiksu says is "about the same number we see being tested about a month before release."
These identifiers are similar to identifiers for existing iPad Pro models, which are as follows:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi) - iPad 6,7 - 12.9 inch iPad Pro (Cellular) - iPad 6,8 - 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi) - iPad 6,3 - 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Cellular) - iPad 6,4
At the very least, the presence of these identifiers suggests there are a minimum of two new iPad models in the works, in line with rumors suggesting Apple is working on both a revamped 10.5-inch iPad Pro that will effectively replace the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and a new 12.9-inch model.
The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is said to feature a nearly bezel-free edge-to-edge display that allows Apple to fit a larger screen in the same 9.7-inch form factor, and it is said to include an A10X processor and Touch ID built directly into the display.
Rumors sourced from reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have suggested there are supposed to be three new models on the horizon, including a 12.9-inch tablet, a lower-cost 9.7-inch tablet (priced as low as $299), and the flagship 10.5-inch tablet, while Japanese site Mac Otakara has claimed Apple could be working on four iPads, the three mentioned by Kuo along with a 7.9-inch iPad mini Pro model.
Though Fiksu is seeing only four identifiers, it's possible additional iPads are in development but haven't been found in device logs as of yet.
On the other hand, it potentially indicates we're going to get a new 10.5-inch model and a new 12.9-inch model, with no new iPad mini or refreshed lower-end 9.7-inch model. This scenario doesn't fit Mac Otakara's prediction, but should Apple lower the price of the existing 9.7-inch iPad Pro, it does fit in with what Kuo has predicted.
Apple's new iPads could debut as soon as later this month, according to supply chain analysts who shared the information with MacRumors this morning. Apple may be planning an event or a release for late March, perhaps even as early as next week.
Update: Fiksu has released an additional chart that displays the count of new iPad models in its data starting in September. The number of iPad Pro models have been steadily ramping up, leading Fiksu to predict an "imminent" release date within a month.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.4 update to developers, just under one week after seeding the fifth macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta and over a month after releasing macOS Sierra 10.12.3.
The sixth macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta is available for download through the Apple Developer Center or the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who have previously installed a beta.
macOS Sierra 10.12.4 brings iOS's Night Shift mode to the Mac for the first time. First introduced on iOS devices with iOS 9.3, Night Shift is designed to gradually shift the display of a device from blue to yellow, cutting down on exposure to blue light. Blue light is said to disrupt the circadian rhythm and is believed to interrupt sleeping patterns.
Night Shift can be activated through the Displays section of System Preferences, where a setting to have it come on at sunset and turn off at sunrise is available. Night Shift can also be toggled on manually through the Notification Center or via Siri.
The 10.12.4 update focuses mainly on Night Shift, but also includes dictation support for Shanghainese, cricket scores for Siri, improved PDFKit APIs, and iCloud Analytics options.
Update: Apple has also made the sixth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.4 available for public beta testers.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming iOS 10.3 update to developers, just under one week after seeding the fifth beta of iOS 10.3 and three months after the release of iOS 10.2, the last major update to the iOS 10 operating system.
Registered developers can download the sixth iOS 10.3 beta from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile installed.
iOS 10.3 is a major update, introducing significant new features and changes to the iOS 10 operating system. The biggest consumer-facing feature in iOS 10.3 is "Find My AirPods," which is designed to help AirPods owners locate a lost earphone. Find My AirPods records the last known location of when an AirPod was connected to an iOS device via Bluetooth and can play a sound on a lost AirPod.
Apple's latest update also introduces a new Apple File System (APFS), installed when an iOS device is updated to iOS 10.3. APFS is optimized for flash/SSD storage and includes features like strong encryption.
Apple plans to introduce some App Store changes in iOS 10.3, allowing developers to respond to customer reviews for the first time. iOS users are also able to label reviews in the App Store as "Helpful" or "Not Helpful," which should help surface the most relevant review content.
Apple also plans to limit the number of times developers can ask for a review, allow customers to leave app reviews without exiting an app, and provide a "master switch" that will let users turn off all app review request prompts.
Also new in iOS 10.3 is a redesigned app open/close animation, an Apple ID profile in Settings, a better breakdown of iCloud storage usage, warnings about outdated apps that won't work with future versions of iOS, HomeKit support for programmable light switches, improvements to SiriKit (bill paying, bill status, and scheduling future rides), CarPlay interface improvements, iCloud analytics options, and more.
Update: iOS 10.3 beta 6 is also available for public beta testers.
Apple is expected to announce new products later this month, most likely between Monday, March 20 and Friday, March 24, according to reputable supply chain analysts we spoke to who wish to remain anonymous. The analysts said the information is from its own sources and not based on other reports.
The research firm did not disclose which products it expects Apple to announce, but rumors have widely suggested at least a trio of new iPad Pro models will be unveiled as early as this month, including an all-new 10.5-inch model with slimmer bezels and updated 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch versions.
Last month, Mac Otakara said Apple will host a March event where it will debut its new iPad Pro lineup, a larger iPhone SE model with 128GB storage, and new Apple Watch bands. The report also claimed Apple will add a red color option for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which could be part of (PRODUCT)RED.
Apple has yet to invite the media to an event this month, however, and those invites would be on shorter notice than usual if it is indeed planning to announce new products this way as early as next week.
There are three plausible scenarios if new products are in the cards: Apple is planning a March event, and invites will go out soon; Apple is planning a Spring event, but not this month; or Apple will share its announcements through a press release as it did when it dropped the price of the fourth-generation iPad to $399 in March 2014.
A few reports have suggested the 10.5-inch iPad Pro could face shipping delays, so perhaps Apple will delay announcing it entirely.
Apple has hosted March events four times in the past six years. In 2011 and 2012, it introduced new iPad models at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In 2015, it revealed Apple Watch pricing and release date information. Last year, Apple debuted the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPhone SE at its Town Hall.
One rumor suggested Apple could be planning an event on April 4, but this date was based on Personal Pickup for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is generally not a reliable indicator of an event. The in-store pickup date for 12.9-inch iPad Pro models is a rolling target, as evidenced by the April 10 date now shown.
The all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro is expected to have slimmer bezels, and possibly no Home button, allowing it to have the same overall footprint as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. This design could foreshadow the rumored 5.8-inch iPhone. The tablet is also rumored to have a higher-resolution display and quad microphones.
The updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro is said to feature a 12-megapixel rear camera and True Tone display like the current 9.7-inch model, using advanced four-channel ambient light sensors to automatically adapt the color and intensity of the display to match the light in the surrounding environment.
iOS hacker qwertyoruiop has discovered that an old iOS 9.3 WebKit vulnerability lies hidden within Nintendo's latest home console/portable hybrid, the Nintendo Switch (via SlashGear). The exploit lies in the Switch's limited web browser functionality, which allows users to sync up with Twitter and Facebook as well as connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots, and is all run by Apple's open source browser engine WebKit.
The Switch's version of WebKit is older than the one currently running on up-to-date iOS and macOS devices, however, allowing Nintendo's device to become vulnerable to a collection of critical exploits that plagued iOS 9.3 last summer. One, named "Pegasus," was a highly sophisticated exploit that installed itself within an iOS device through a link sent via a text message. Apple eventually addressed and fixed these issues with iOS 9.3.5.
For unknown reasons, Nintendo opted to include a version of WebKit that doesn't have these fixes, allowing qwertyoruiop to use an existing iOS WebKit jailbreak, remove any iOS-specific code, and tweak it so it runs on the Switch. The existence of a known exploit running on Switch points towards a rushed release, which was already believed to be the case since the company's fiscal year ends March 31, 2017 and the Switch launched March 3.
Developer LiveOverflow yesterday published a proof of concept video on the Switch WebKit exploit, further detailing how the bug originating on Apple's devices can be used to hack a Nintendo Switch.
The userland exploit "doesn’t mean much for the end user," according to Wololo, because it hasn't revealed any detailed information on the Switch yet, nor does it hand over full kernel access to hackers. As the news slowly makes the rounds online, it's most likely that Nintendo will add in a patch to the old WebKit exploit in a future update to the Switch.
Unlike in the base Pandora app, Pandora Premium allows its subscribers full, on-demand control of what they listen to thanks to the inclusion of playlists and a personalized search feature, which surfaces unique items based on each user's own listening history instead of what's most popular at the time. The service includes learning algorithms that can auto-fill playlists after adding a few songs to match the previous tracks' genre of music.
Users will also be able to download songs to listen offline, browse content they've previously thumbed up, and view Pandora Premium's Browse section to see curated artists aimed specifically at their own music tastes. Those with Pandora Plus will get six months of Pandora Premium for free, and following the small launch of invite-only users, Pandora Premium will open up for all users in the next few weeks.
Playlists, not worklists: Start a playlist with one or two songs of your choice, tap “Add Similar Songs” and put the power of Pandora’s Music Genome Project to work to create the perfect playlist for any activity, mood or party. All your thumbs up: Every song you’ve thumbed up on Pandora is immediately available in your “My Thumbs Up” playlist. Thumb up a few tracks on any Pandora radio station and Premium will automatically create a new playlist of these songs too. New music for you… and only you: Browse is stocked with personalized suggestions for the latest releases from current and soon-to-be favorites whether you listen to classical, metal, jazz, hip hop, country, and everything in between. Offline mode: Download albums, songs stations or playlists you want and bring an end to those moments of deafening silence when you lose a signal. Search that knows you: Pandora’s team of curators, music analysts and data scientists have sifted through tens of millions of tracks to help you quickly find what you really want. No more wading through covers, karaoke versions or tribute tracks to get to your favorite tune.
A few members of the press have had the chance to use Pandora Premium and shared their thoughts online today. Wired said that the new service offers features expected of modern paid streaming services, but "there’s really no reason for a Spotify or Apple Music user to switch to Pandora Premium." In an interview with The Verge, Pandora CEO Tim Westergren said that he wants Pandora Premium to be the number one streaming service -- above Spotify and Apple Music -- within five years.
“We have very grand ambitions for what this can be,” Westergren said. “If we look around at the space right now, we just don’t think that there’s a product that’s done it right. No one has solved the ease of use and personalization part of the on-demand world. I don’t think there’s really a true premium product out there yet… we think we’re bringing something really different here.”
In an update last December, Apple Music topped 20 million subscribers after 18 months on the market. Apple's and Pandora's rival, Spotify, announced that it reached 50 million paid subscribers earlier this month.
To get on the invite list for Pandora Premium's free trial, visit the company's website here. Invites will be sent out on March 15.
Google has created a new app called "Uptime" [Direct Link] that allows users to watch YouTube videos in real time along with their friends (via The Verge). The iOS-only app is available in the United States and was created through Google's internal incubator program known as Area 120, which continues the company's famous workplace perk that encourages employees to take 20 percent of their week to focus on independent side projects.
With Uptime, the company has added live-watching features -- similar to apps like Periscope -- on top of video watching. When friends join in on the same video, they can comment, react, add stickers, and more. When users start a video, their avatar will move along a progress bar to note where they are in it, and they'll be able to see their friends' progress in the same way.
Uptime is a place to share and watch videos together with friends no matter where they are. Easily share your favorite YouTube video and bring friends together to watch, chat, and have fun in real time.
The app will also act as a sort of social hub for YouTube, with users able to follow one another to see their watch history, and share clips from YouTube without leaving the app. Given Uptime's nascence, its makers at Google are encouraging users to provide feedback through email and on the app's official twitter account so that any problems can be addressed in future updates.
Users who are interested and download Uptime on the iOS App Store [Direct Link] can gain access by using the invite code "PIZZA."
Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams have announced via Twitter that they are filming for Apple Music's upcoming Carpool Karaoke: The Series. The two revealed their involvement with Apple's new television series while they were at South by Southwest to discuss Game of Thrones.
Carpool Karaoke: The Series will feature 16 celebrity pairings "riding along in a car together as they sing tunes from their personal playlists" and "surprise fans who don't expect to see big stars belting out tunes one lane over." Other than the newly announced Game of Thrones stars, the show will include James Corden, Will Smith, Billy Eichner, Metallica, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Ariana Grande, Seth MacFarlane, Chelsea Handler, Blake Shelton, Michael Strahan, John Cena, Shaquille O’Neal, and more.
Over the course of 16 half-hour episodes, Apple hopes that the show will drive interest and new subscribers to its Apple Music streaming service with original content they can't find anywhere else. In addition, Apple is also working on Dr. Dre's Vital Signs and the reality competition show Planet of the Apps, which recently launched its first trailer.
Apple is widely expected to launch an iPhone with a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED display later this year, made possible by slimmer bezels and no Home button. And while some reports have claimed the screen will be curved like the Galaxy S7 edge, a growing number of sources expect a flat display.
"We anticipate Apple will adopt a flat implementation of OLED design on their special iPhone model, which is analogous to the current 2.5D glass design," IHS Markit analyst Wayne Lam told MacRumors today.
"Much like the recently announced LG G6, we anticipate a touchscreen with a new longer aspect ratio design to take advantage of higher coverage area of the iPhone in its entirety. This new design language is expected to become the trend for 2017, as we all anticipate Samsung's reveal later this month," he added.
Lam is referring to the LG G6's 5.7-inch LCD display with a 2:1 aspect ratio, meaning the screen's length is double the size of its width. iPhones have a 16:9 aspect ratio. Leaked pictures of Samsung's Galaxy S8 reveal a similarly longer OLED display with slim bezels and no physical home button.
Last month, he noted that the LG G6 achieves a large screen while remaining holdable and pocketable:
LG’s G6 is a study in creating large immersive screen designs that do not break the ergonomic requirements of the average human hand. By addressing dueling consumer demands for larger screens but yet more pocketable device, LG took on the challenge of re-imagining what a modern smartphone should look like and function ergonomically.
While he ruled out having any insider information, display expert Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate told MacRumors that flat OLED displays using a glass substrate "cost considerably less" and are "available in much higher production volumes" than curved OLED displays using a flexible plastic substrate.
"The existing iPhone 7 has 2.5D cover glass with a flat glass LCD display, so Apple could make a similar 2.5D OLED display using a glass substrate OLED display at lower cost and much higher production volumes," he said.
Soneira has been tracking OLED displays in smartphones since 2010, and after a span of just seven years, he believes OLED display technology is now exceeding the performance of the best LCDs for smartphones.
He said OLED displays provide a number of significant advantages over LCDs for smartphones, including being thinner, lighter, and more power efficient for most image content. OLED displays also have a very fast response time, better viewing angles, higher peak brightness, and often better color accuracy.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Chinese research firm TrendForce have also recently said they expect Apple's next flagship iPhone to have 2.5D cover glass, which refers to the slightly curved edges that the front of iPhones have had since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2014.
Conversely, The Wall Street Journal recently said Apple's next high-end iPhone will have a curved screen, but the report did not divulge any specific details. The Korea Herald also said the device will have a curved OLED display using a flexible plastic substrate, rather than a flat display based on glass.
Japanese website Nikkei Asian Review and Barclays analysts have also outlined expectations for an iPhone with a curved display in the past, so there is clearly a divide between the rumors that might not clear up until "iPhone 8" part leaks likely begin to surface over the coming weeks and months.
One possibility is that reports calling for a "curved" screen are actually referring to the 2.5D cover glass, which would make an edge-to-edge display appear slightly curved. Or, given the flexible properties of OLED, some reports might be simply assuming the next iPhone will have a curved display, when a flat design is still an option.
Samsung is expected to supply Apple with OLED displays in 2017. IHS Markit and other sources expect Apple to use OLED on a larger number of iPhone models in the future. IHS noted the longer aspect ratio will afford Apple new uses of the display, such as Touch Bar-like functionality.
WeberHaus, a German company that specializes in pre-fabricated connected homes, today announced plans to support HomeKit in its SmartHomes starting in 2017, making it the first homebuilder in Europe to officially support Apple's home automation system.
WeberHaus does not name which products will be included in its HomeKit packages, but underfloor heating, blinds, light systems, smart plugs, radiator valves, sensors, and more, are mentioned as possibilities. With HomeKit, customers who purchase a SmartHome from WeberHaus will also be able to add new accessories over time.
WeberHaus already has experience with intelligent homes, having previously used WeberLogic 2.0 and the MyHomeControl app from BootUp for home control, but will pivot to Apple's HomeKit, introducing features like Siri control and Apple TV support for controlling devices when away from home.
"Apple HomeKit is the control solution of choice for home manufacturers around the world, delivering a simple and secure smart home solution for new home buyers," says Klaus-Dieter Schwendemann, marketing manager at WeberHaus. "We are excited to work with Apple to bring these turnkey smart home packages to home buyers this year."
The first WeberHaus homes with Apple HomeKit integration will be available later this year, but an official timeline and pricing information is not yet listed. WeberHaus has a demo home that shows off how HomeKit will be integrated into its SmartHomes, which can be viewed at the "World of Living" exhibition at WeberGaus in Rheinau-Linx, Germany.
Several homebuilders in the United States have already announced support for HomeKit, including Lennar, KB Home, and Brookfield Residential. R&F Properties has also begun incorporating HomeKit devices into homes it builds in China.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Grovemade to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an enormous desktop accessory package that features Grovemade's entire lineup of quality-crafted desk products.
A Laptop Stand ($139) and a Monitor Stand ($119) are the centerpieces of Grovemade's desktop setup, with the former able to hold any Mac notebook and the latter able to hold an iMac, LG 5K UltraFine Display, or any other monitor.
Grovemade also makes a Keyboard Tray ($99) that's appropriate for the iMac keyboard, a Trackpad Tray ($59), a Wrist Pad with leather accents ($49), and a matching leather Mouse Pad ($99), all of which can be used with Apple accessories.
To go along with the Apple-related accessories, Grovemade makes additional desktop products that include a Pen Cup ($39), a Dish for small odds and ends ($29), a Planter that holds a succulent or other small plant ($29), and even a little Desk Lamp ($99).
All of Grovemade's products are made from a dark walnut wood or a light maple wood, so everything matches and can be ordered in a color that best matches existing decor. The entire set includes everything you might need for the perfect organized desk setup, and the whole shebang looks great on a desk or table.
For our giveaway, Grovemade is including a Laptop Stand or Monitor Stand, Mouse Pad, Pen Cup, Trackpad Tray, Keyboard Tray, Wrist Pad, Lamp, and Dish.
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 MacRumorsFacebook 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 (March 10) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 17. The winners will be chosen randomly on March 17 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
AT&T today introduced a new GoPhone prepaid plan with unlimited talk, text, and data at a max speed of 3 Mbps for $65 per month, or $60 with AutoPay enabled. However, unlike AT&T's new $90 Unlimited Plus plan with up to 10GB of 4G LTE tethering, the GoPhone plan does not include Mobile Hotspot capabilities.
Each line that exceeds 22GB of data usage may experience reduced speeds to a max of 128 Kbps on that line for the remainder of the 30-day term, but only at times and in areas where there is network congestion, which is similar to 22GB and 23GB soft cap policies from Verizon and Sprint respectively.
A cheaper GoPhone plan is available for $45 per month, or $40 with AutoPay, and includes unlimited talk, text, and up to 6GB of data at a max speed of 3 Mbps. After 6GB, data speeds are slowed to a max of 128 kbps for rest of the 30-day term. Unused data rolls over to the next month. No tethering is included.
Both plans have Stream Saver mode enabled by default, which reduces streaming video to 1.5 Mbps or around 480p quality, but it can be turned off through AT&T's website to stream video in HD quality. Both plans also include talk, text, and data roaming in Canada and Mexico at no additional charge.
The new GoPhone plans are ideal for customers that do not need tethering and are looking to avoid credit checks, activation fees, and deposits, but otherwise AT&T's new Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Choice plans and competing options are worth considering for better features or value.
AT&T's pricing includes monthly access charges, but the plans are not inclusive of taxes or additional fees. Comparatively, Verizon Unlimited starts at $80 per month, Sprint Unlimited starts at $50 per month for a limited time, and T-Mobile ONE, which includes all taxes and fees, starts at $70 per month.
The new prepaid plans are available now. Additional lines can be added to each plan, with multi-line discounts ranging between $5 and $20 per month.
Jonathan Blow's console and PC puzzle game The Witness has launched on the Mac App Store a little over a year after first debuting on PS4 and Windows PCs. Like other platforms, the game costs $39.99 [Direct Link] and tasks players with deciphering hundreds of puzzles set on a mysterious island.
Since its release early last year the game has received critical acclaim for its puzzle design, graphics, and secrets-filled backstory. The macOS version ports the same game and experience over to Apple computers running macOS 10.11.6 or later with 4GB of RAM and 5GB available storage space. The game also requires Apple's new Metal graphics technology to run.
You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.
You don't remember who you are, and you don't remember how you got here, but there's one thing you can do: explore the island in hope of discovering clues, regaining your memory, and somehow finding your way home.
The Witness is a single-player game in an open world with dozens of locations to explore and over 500 puzzles. This game respects you as an intelligent player and it treats your time as precious. There's no filler; each of those puzzles brings its own new idea into the mix. So, this is a game full of ideas.
An iOS port of the game has long been in development, and a few developers at Thekla -- the game's creators -- mentioned in passing recently that the game is still being worked on for iOS, but a launch date is unspecified. Since The Witness is so graphically intensive, the iOS port will require a longer gestation to pare down the visuals in order to run properly on Apple's smartphones and tablets.
The Witness is available today for $39.99 on the Mac App Store [Direct Link]. A Mac version of the game on Steam is also said to be coming in the next few weeks.
Microsoft today updated Cortana for iPhone with a significant redesign that has been available to Android users since December. As noted by Paul Thurrott, version 2.0 of the app is more responsive with redesigned calling, texting, and reminders and more immersive full-page answers with quicker page transitions.
Cortana's mobile redesign launched on Android in December
Cortana is Microsoft's equivalent of Siri for Windows PCs and smartphones, Xbox, iOS, and Android. The personal assistant enables users to ask questions, check the weather, schedule calendar appointments, set reminders, track packages, look up sports scores, and many other tasks that Siri is capable of.
Apple has topped Laptop Mag's Tech Support Showdown list for the third year in a row, receiving praise as "the best tech support in the business," and beating out nine other computer-making companies in the process. Laptop Mag said that its list is aimed at helping customers see who has the most reliable and clear customer service in the tech industry.
To conduct the research, the magazine sent reporters undercover to make calls, query support chat online, and ask questions on social media, and accumulated data on the following top ten notebook makers: Apple, Microsoft, Acer, Razer, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Asus, Samsung, and MSI. Each company was given a grade on a 100-point scale, and Laptop Mag weighted 60 points towards online support and 40 points toward phone support.
For Apple's winning spot, the company received a 56 for its web support score and a 37 for its phone support score, resulting in an overall mark of 93 for the Cupertino company's tech support in 2017.
Laptop Mag went more in-depth about its experience with Apple support in various forms, discussing a six minute response time from the @AppleSupport Twitter account and a positive, snappy experience with the new Apple Support iOS app. The site also put Apple to the test by calling three separate customer service reps to test their knowledge of the newest changes to macOS and the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro.
Call 1: Hayley then instructed me to disable iCloud Drive, and explained how to keep a local copy of the files. During the 2 minutes it took to download the files, I chatted with Hayley about the weather down in Florida, as he was positive and easy to talk to.
At the end of our chat, I asked if there was some way to turn iCloud Desktop and Documents off without disabling iCloud Drive. Hayley said there was not, which is, unfortunately, not the case. The call took 8 minutes in total.
Call 2: My next call connected me to Frank in Oregon, who explained that the physical fn key makes the Touch Bar show the Function keys. Frank also showed me how to set specific apps to use the Function keys in the Touch Bar, and he needed to place me on hold to ask colleagues if I could do the same for Finder.
After telling me that there was no such option, Frank directed me to a feedback page where I could ask Apple to add this option in a future version. In total, the call took 15 minutes, but Frank solved my main question in only 3 minutes.
Call 3: My last call connected me with the upbeat and chipper Letasha, who showed me the icon in the dock and menu bar that you click to activate Siri. Before we concluded, Letasha explained how to change the keyboard command used to start Siri. The call lasted 7 minutes.
On average, it took Apple's reps 6 minutes per call to get answers — a minute less than its time last year.
Ultimately, Laptop Mag noted that while the customer service reps might have a few spots of incorrect knowledge about Apple's software and hardware, they still "provided solutions in a speedy and positive manner." While Apple's web score was unrivaled at 56, the company's phone score of 37 was beat out by Acer at 38 points. In total, Acer came in second with a total score of 88 points, making it the "top-rated Windows PC vendor for support" and gaining ground on Apple's number one spot.
If Apple wants to improve its support, it should ensure support techs learn about all of the new features so that they can give completely accurate answers to questions on topics such as iCloud Documents. Its Twitter account could also improve by providing answers directly, instead of linking to posts where the content is found. Overall, though, Apple offers the best support of any laptop manufacturer, as it has for many years.
Last November, Apple won the "Gold" #Customer award for its helpful responses from @AppleSupport on Twitter. According to Twitter, Apple ranked #1 among support accounts for average engagements and average engagements for followers, racking up 150,000 likes and retweets since its launch in March 2016.
On Twitter, users can ask Apple questions between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and the company's support team normally responds within a few minutes. Although Laptop Mag said that it didn't award Apple "any points for finally creating a Twitter support account," the site noted that it's one of the best parts of Apple's expansive customer support system and it applauded "the team running that account for the timely, helpful replies."
Check out Laptop Mag's full report on Apple's customer service performance right here.
Globally popular messaging platform Viber will add a new self-destructing chat feature to its iOS app later this week (via The Verge).
The new feature, called "Secret Chats", gives users the option of starting entire conversations that self-destruct after a certain time limit.
Users can prevent messages within the secret chat threads from being forwarded to other conversations. The feature also notifies users on iOS when someone takes a screenshot, and blocks screenshots altogether when chat threads are viewed on an Android smartphone. As with all Viber chats, the messages are end-to-end encrypted, while users can also opt to hide Secret Chats behind a PIN code.
The feature comes hot on the heels of the "Secret Messages" feature the company introduced earlier this year that lets users specify how long individual messages can be accessed for after being viewed by the recipient.
Viber has more than 800 million registered users worldwide, with particularly strong followings in parts of Asia and across eastern Europe and northern Africa.
