MacRumors

Many iPhone and iPad users appear to be experiencing issues with Apple's iMessage service, which seems to be down for some people. Those who are having problems are unable to send iMessages and are instead being forced to communicate via standard green bubble text messages.

According to user reports on Twitter, the problem started for some users last night. Not all iPhone and iPad owners are affected by the issue, but based on reports we're hearing, a decent number of people are having trouble with iMessage.

Apple's System Status page is not currently reporting a service outage, so it's not clear what's going on or when the problem will be fixed. We'll update this post with any new information we receive.

Starting later this week, popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go will gain tons of new content in the form of 80 new Pokémon that are being introduced to the game.

The Pokémon come from the Johto region in the Pokémon Silver and Pokémon Gold games, and will include both new Pokémon and new evolutions. Gender-specific variations are also being implemented.

Some Johto region Pokémon have been previously added to the game through various holiday updates and promotions, but this will be the biggest update to the Pokémon Go since it was first released last summer.

New berries are being added to the game, along with new items that are required for some of the Johto Pokémon evolutions. Both will be available from PokéStops. The berries will include the Nanab Berry, which will slow a Pokémon's movements to make it easier to catch, and the Pinap Berry, which doubles the amount of Candy received if the next capture attempt is successful.

Pokémon Go is also gaining new encounter gameplay, and Niantic says Pokémon encountered in the wild may "react in new ways" when you're attempting to catch them. A new item carousel will also allow users to select berries and Poké Balls without needing to open the backpack.

The final new feature coming this week is an expanded wardrobe and new outfit options for a player's avatar. A new selection of hats, shirts, pants, and other items are being added to the game.

Excitement for Pokémon Go has died down in the months since its release, but the game continues to have a loyal fan base and Niantic has been committed to making regular feature updates to keep players engaged.

Pokémon Go can be downloaded from the App Store at no cost. [Direct Link]

Update 4/16: The Pokémon Go update that adds 80 new Pokémon is now live.

D-Link today announced that its new Omna 180 Cam HD camera, unveiled at CES 2017 last month, is now available to purchase at Apple.com for $199.95.

The cylindrical Omna 180 Cam HD features a 1080p camera with a 180-degree field of view, a built-in microphone and speaker with two-way audio, infrared night vision up to 16 feet, and motion detection with the option to record motion-triggered video clips directly to a microSDXC card up to 128GB with no subscription costs.

HomeKit support enables users to control the Omna 180 Cam HD with an iPhone or iPad through Apple's Home app on iOS 10. When the camera detects motion, users can receive Lock screen notifications to get a snapshot of what's happening in their homes. The camera can also trigger Scenes with other HomeKit products.

D-Link said the Omna 180 Cam HD camera will also be available to purchase at Apple retail stores around the world later this month.

A few Apple executives have had meetings with South Korean financial authorities, spurring a rumor that the Cupertino company is beginning to make headway in its attempt to launch Apple Pay in the country. Sources speaking with The Korea Herald said that Apple's legal director and senior counselor met with the country's financial authorities back in November to discuss Apple Pay, but the company has yet to have another meeting with the government.

As it stands, Android Pay is believed to launch in South Korea ahead of Apple Pay. According to an anonymous source from a local card company, "the technology development with Google for Android Pay is in full swing," with Google having already partnered with card companies like KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Lotte and Hyundai in order to develop online and offline payment systems.

For Apple, the country's involvement and work on Apple Pay "is still in an early stage," potentially due to South Korea's lack of wide NFC terminal adoption in retail stores. Google is said to be developing an online payments feature for Android Pay that could circumvent the need of an NFC terminal. For Apple Pay to be widely adopted, the company may have to wait for more NFC support -- which its mobile wallet requires -- in the country.

Apple’s executives recently held a meeting with South Korean financial authorities, a move that can be viewed as the company testing the waters before fully reviewing a potential launch here, sources said Wednesday.

“Apple said they will partner with local credit card companies in the future but did not elaborate on the specific details,” the source said.

To start such a mobile payment service in Korea, the company should have another meeting with the financial authorities to decide whether it will be registered as an electronic financial business operator. Apple is not yet scheduled to have such a meeting with the government.

In participating retail locations and apps, Apple Pay is currently available in the U.S., UK, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, and Spain. Apple previously had trouble introducing another of its services, Apple Music, in South Korea due to the country's strict copyright laws.

AppGratis today announced that, after seven years of operations and more than 50 million app installs globally, it has shut down.

The service offered hand-picked apps for free or up to 90% off on a daily basis through its website and Android app, and formerly through its iPhone app, but its popularity had seemingly faded over the years.

Apple removed AppGratis from the App Store in April 2013 as part of a broader crackdown on apps which might be "similar to or confusing with the App Store." AppGratis said it was "far from finished" despite the huge blow, and it went on to last nearly four more years until its shutdown today.

App discovery remains an issue on the App Store, which has some two million apps according to our sister website AppShopper. Last year, Apple introduced search ads on the App Store to help developers promote their apps, but the feature is not particularly helpful to those with limited marketing budgets.

(Thanks, Joe!)

Carmaker Jaguar today announced that a collection of its vehicles will support a new in-car cashless payment app that allows drivers to use Apple Pay to pay for fuel at Shell stations without having to use a traditional card payment at a pump. Drivers of the enhanced Jaguar F-PACE performance SUV, F-TYPE, XF and XE sports saloon model ranges -- and the latest Land Rover models -- will be able to take advantage of the app.

When drivers open the Shell app through Jaguar's InControl infotainment system, it can guide them to the nearest station. Once they get there, they can type in which pump station they're at, select how much fuel they need, and choose between Apple Pay and PayPal to complete the process. Although unconfirmed by Jaguar and Shell, drivers will still have to use a connected iPhone to authorize Apple Pay payments with Touch ID.

An email will automatically be sent so accounting expenses can be tallied up at a later date. Support is currently focused only in the United Kingdom, but the company said that the app will be rolling out globally soon.

"In a world where cash is no longer king, customers are increasingly using electronic payments and contactless cards. Making a payment directly from a car’s touchscreen will make refuelling quicker and easier. With this new system you can choose any pump on the forecourt and pay for the fuel even if you’ve forgotten your wallet or can’t find your credit or debit card.

You will save time because there’s no more queuing to pay in a shop, and for drivers with children, it won’t be necessary to wake them up, or unstrap them from their seats to take them into the shop. Expenses and tax returns will also be made much simpler, with no receipts to lose as these will all be sent electronically," said Peter Virk, director of connected car and future technology

The Shell app is part of a few enhancements that Jaguar announced to its F-PACE, XE, and XF models today, including new gesture technology to make it easier to open the vehicle's trunk, as well as the latest efficient Ingenium petrol and diesel engines. Jaguar's announcement focused on Apple Pay and PayPal, but the company confirmed that it's working on adding Android Pay support for fuel payments "later in 2017."

Amazon has silently updated its Alexa assistant to include Outlook.com calendar support, reports The Verge.

Amazon's Echo family of connected smart speakers have always supported Google calendars, but now Outlook users can ask Alexa to add or review upcoming events in their schedule using voice commands like "What's on my calendar?" or "Add an event to my calendar."

Outlook.com calendars can be added via the iOS Alexa app under Settings -> Calendar, which will activate the support on any connected Alexa-powered devices. Alexa still doesn't officially offer support for Apple Calendar, but a basic skill has recently been developed and made available on Github that allows the assistant to read upcoming events from the native Apple app.

In related news, Amazon has added hands-free Alexa support to its Tap portable speakers via an over-the-air software update. Originally, Amazon Tap users wishing to activate Alexa had to press a physical button on the Bluetooth speakers, but the latest update means Alexa can now be invoked via voice alone.

Amazon says that even with the hands-free function, Tap speakers should retain about eight hours of battery life, while the "listening" mode of the devices can be put to sleep with a press of the power button. Tap speakers now also support Amazon's "echo spatial perception", which enables the closest Alexa device to respond to commands when two or more are in proximity.

Elgato has updated its HomeKit-compatible Eve app with improved third-party accessory support and new features, including new lighting controls.

The Eve family of HomeKit accessories gathers data on air quality, temperature, humidity, air pressure, energy consumption and more, while the Eve app is where data from each Eve product is aggregated and where accessories can be grouped and organized by room for different Siri commands.

One big change to version 2.6 of the Eve app is the introduction of a new lighting control interface that allows users to set lamp and light strip colors more easily, and makes stored favorites for particular moods or occasions more accessible. Once stored, existing favorites can also now be applied to additional HomeKit-enabled lights.

In addition, the update brings support support for HomeKit-enabled cameras, including the ability to preview a snapshot in the Eve app's "At a Glance" view, and the ability to access live video with optional intercom audio.

Elsewhere, support has been enhanced for Eve Thermo, with new support for third-party HomeKit-enabled accessories such as the Schlage Sense and Nanoleaf Aurora also included. The update also brings some general improvements to the app and a handful of HomeKit-related bug fixes, which have hampered the system in the past.

Elgato Eve is a free update for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Encrypted communications app Signal received an update yesterday that enabled video calling for the first time, but the latest version also brings CallKit support to the platform, which may leave some privacy-conscious users wary.

Introduced in iOS 10, the CallKit SDK allows incoming calls from third-party VoIP apps to appear on the iOS lock screen and recent calls list, just like standard cellular IDs do. The concern among the privacy community is that their call data – including who they called and how long they spoke for – could be synced to iCloud.

In a blog post announcing the new beta features, Signal developers Open Whisper Systems noted that like video calling, CallKit integration is optional, and those concerned about data leakage can turn the support off in settings (Settings -> Advanced -> Use CallKit). The developers also told Wired that in the future, CallKit might only display "Signal users" in an iPhone's call log, to prevent the disclosure of identifying information.

Back in August, Russian security firm Elcomsoft discovered that iPhones automatically send a user's call history to the company's servers if iCloud is enabled, but the data gets uploaded in many instances without any user notification. The fear among privacy-minded users is that state actors could theoretically gain access to this information through cooperation with Apple, or that hackers could crack iCloud passwords and break into accounts.

More recently Elcomsoft revealed that when iPhone and iPad users permanently deleted their Safari browser history off their devices, iCloud had been storing that history for several months to over a year, before Apple reportedly fixed the issue. Concerned users are advised to turn off iCloud backups to keep their browsing history private, and be sure to check out the MacRumors Safari privacy guide for more useful information regarding browser settings on iOS devices.

Signal Private Messenger is a free download [Direct Link] for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store.

Pioneer today announced a pair of new smart Lightning earphones, the Rayz and Rayz Plus. The Plus model includes a built-in Lightning port that allows users to charge their phone while listening to music. Pioneer says it's the "first and only" Lightning headset with a built-in "charging node."

While the regular Rayz do not include a Lightning port, both models use Avnera's LightX technology, which allows the headphones to "operate in modes that use the lowest power possible" from an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Both models also come with six microphones that can enable several smart features, which can be activated by an accompanying app that will be released in the future. Smart Noise Cancellation scans the user's ear and environment to optimize the noise cancellation for that specific situation. Pioneer says the noise cancellation covers "everyday life," including commuting and school environments. The earphones also have HearThruä mode, which allow enough outside noise to keep users engaged with what's going on around them.

Like Apple's AirPods, the Rayz also have sensors that stop and start the music when a user puts the earphones in or out of their ears. When not in a user's ears, the Rayz automatically enter low power mode to save battery power. The earphones also come with a one-button click to mute the mic during a call and a programmable smart button.

The Rayz app allows users to customize the sound the earphones deliver as well as programming the smart button. In addition, Pioneer says the app will allow the earphones to gain additional features in the future.

The regular Rayz earphones will retail for $99.95 in both Onyx black and Ice white while the Rayz Plus will retail for $149.95 in both metallic Graphic and Bronze. They'll be available to purchase on OneCall.com in the future.

Apple is preparing to fight proposed "Right to Repair" legislation proposed in the Nebraska state legislature, reports Motherboard. The legislation aims to make it easier for both customers and indie repair shops to repair electronics, similar to how car repair works.

Nebraska is one of eight states considering such legislation. In addition to Nebraska, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas and Massachusetts are working on similar bills. Last week, Illinois and Tennessee introduced laws in the same vein. Nebraska, thus far, is the only state to schedule a hearing for the proposed legislation.

A source tells Motherboard that Apple will send either a representative, staffer or lobbyist to argue against the law at the hearing, which is scheduled for March 9 in Lincoln, Nebraska. One of the arguments Apple intends to put forth is that allowing customers to repair their own phones could result in lithium batteries catching fire.

Apple has successfully lobbied against similar bills in the past. Last year, a bill headed through New York's state legislature was killed due to, in part, lobbying from Apple and IBM.

A "Right to Repair" law would require Apple and other manufacturers to sell repair parts to consumers and independent repair shops and make diagnostic and service manuals available to the public. Currently, Apple runs the Apple Authorized Service Provider Program, which requires businesses to let Apple review their financial records, maintain high levels of customer service, establish a credit line with Apple, and promote AppleCare.