MacRumors

A popular virtual private network service has been forced to close in China on orders from the government, it emerged on Monday. Bloomberg reported that GreenVPN sent a notice to its customers saying it would end the service from July 1 after "receiving a notice from regulatory departments".

VPNs route and encrypt internet traffic to servers outside of the country, making them popular with users in China who have limited access to online content because of government restrictions. VPNs allow access to sites like Facebook and Twitter, which are otherwise blocked by China's "Great Firewall".

Some users of the GreenVPN iPhone app reported that the service failed to load over the weekend. Apps for GreenVPN and SuperVPN are still listed in the App Store, but users reportedly had trouble downloading them or turning them on. Bloomberg was unable to contact SuperVPN's offices, while Apple didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

It's unknown whether the timing of the VPN shutdown is related to the politically sensitive 20th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from Great Britain to China. In January, China's Ministry of Industry and Information announced new priorities for controlling online content which included restrictions on VPNs.

Last year, Apple faced its own issues with Chinese state regulators regarding a controversial independent movie which led to the shut down of iTunes and iBooks in the country.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Soon after Jay-Z's newest album, "4:44," launched as an exclusive on his own streaming service Tidal, sources speaking to Billboard this weekend have said that 4:44 will be coming to Apple Music and iTunes later this week. Tidal and Sprint are believed to have a one week exclusivity window on 4:44, so it's predicted that the album will launch on Apple Music next Friday, July 7.

A rumor last year stated that Apple was in talks to purchase Tidal, but Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine eventually denied those reports by saying, "We're really running our own race. We're not looking to acquire any streaming services." For a brief period of time earlier this year, Jay-Z even removed all of his albums from Apple Music and Spotify, although most eventually reappeared on Apple Music a few days later.

A track on 4:44, called "Smile," references the Apple Music and Tidal feud by specifically calling out Jimmy Iovine (via Business Insider).

F*** a slice of the apple pie, want my own cake
Chargin' my own fate
Respect Jimmy Iovine
But he gotta respect the Elohim as a whole new regime

The ongoing rivalry between the two competing music services is said to be negatively affecting the music industry as a whole, according to Kanye West who tweeted about the two companies last summer. Later in 2016, West blamed the fight between Apple Music and Tidal as the main factor behind the reason why there won't be a sequel to Watch The Throne, his 2011 collaboration with Jay-Z. Kanye's album "The Life of Pablo" began as a Tidal exclusive as well, before it eventually streamed on Apple Music and other services after a few months.

Exclusive deals for services like Apple Music, Tidal, and Spotify have come under fire in recent years by music labels and critics, but Apple has continued releasing exclusive music on its streaming service. Tidal has done the same thing with 4:44, tying the album into the service's recent acquisition by Sprint.

That source also confirmed that fans need to sign up for Sprint service in order to get the album if they are not already Tidal subscribers. Otherwise, as noted by disgruntled Jay fan hit-making producer Mark Ronson, it is only available to those who were pre-established Tidal subscribers before June 26 or already had Sprint service.

If this weekend's report is accurate, Tidal/Sprint's exclusivity window will be ending very soon, allowing more users to get a chance to listen to 4:44 than if it remained a streaming exclusive on Tidal. The sources didn't confirm whether 4:44 will make it to other streaming services in addition to Apple Music, like Spotify, after Tidal's exclusivity window ends.

Red Lion Hotels today announced plans to enhance guest experiences with a series of Apple-related technology upgrades, including Apple TVs in hotel rooms, an updated iOS app that allows guests to check in using their iPhones, iPad kiosks for lobby areas, and more.

Red Lion Hotels is starting to add in-room Apple TVs to its "Hotel RL" branded properties. The TVs will be equipped with Red Lion Hotel apps that allow guests to watch DirecTV channels and the Hotel RL Living Stage channel that highlights local artists and performers performing live across the Hotel RL brand.

Hello Rewards, the Red Lion Hotel app, is being updated with new functionality that will allow guests to manage loyalty accounts and check in and check out right on their iPhones. The app will include digital keys, so guests don't need to visit the hotel's registration desk at all - the iPhone can unlock a room door.

"We are constantly looking at ways to service guests with tailored experiences," said Edwards. "We understand that sometimes guests don't prefer engaging with people during travel, so we created a way for people to arrive, check in, proceed directly to their room, and even check out. We want to accommodate them in every way that we can, and our updated Hello Rewards app with new check-in and check-out features, plus digital room keys, deliver on that promise."

With these additions, Red Lion Hotels is aiming to create a connected experience for guests from check in to check out. Prior to arriving at the hotel, guests will receive a text message with a link to the Hello Rewards application, and from there, Hello Rewards can be used to manage the entire hotel experience. Along with serving as a digital key, the app can allow guests to communicate with hotel staff and discover local venue recommendations.

Red Lion Hotels is also equipping its staff with Apple products. Valet staff will be provided with Apple Watches to manage car retrieval requests without needing to be present at the hotel's valet stand, and in the lobby, there will be self-service iPad kiosks for checking in and contacting customer support, all with the aim of streamlining the hotel experience for customers.

While this week was filled with loads of iOS news, what's likely the most time sensitive is the number of sales happening on the App Store right now. It seems like practically every iOS game (and app) developer either has their game or IAP inside of their game on sale. A great place to follow along with these sales is by keeping an eye on AppShopper.

There are too many to list, but if you're looking for just a few I'd consider the totally unique full-motion video game Her Story, potentially picking up the premium IAP in Super Stickman Golf 3 which is on sale for a buck, or grabbing my favorite game of all time for my iPad, FTL. Developers have indicated that Apple is going to do a larger feature on the App Store over the weekend to highlight even more things on sale for the holiday, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Kicking things off this week was the release of Builder Hall 6 in Clash of Clans. It adds two new units, The Night Witch and the Roaster. Full patch notes are here, which likely won't mean a whole lot to you unless you play Clash of Clans. In that case, just know that Supercell continues to add an unbelievable amount of content, and if you start playing now, you'll have years worth of stuff to do.

In other Supercell news, they released a short film on the connections made inside of Hay Day. "Neighborhoods" inside of Hay Day are the equivalent of a clan or guild in other games. Hay Day is a fabulous game to get total non-gamers started playing games. It's unbelievably accessible, and like Clash of Clans, the amount of content in the game is unreal.

Suzy Cube is high on the list (if not at the top) of upcoming indie games we're most excited for. We've seen it year after year in various stages of development at GDC, and it's an unbelievably competent 3D platformer that works so well with touch controls it's borderline weird. They're on the hunt for beta testers right now, which hopefully means that the game's release isn't that far off. Either way, Suzy Cube is something everyone should have on their radar.

Things are continuing to heat up in the world of Hearthstone, as the next expansion will be revealed on July 6th. Internet sleuths are fairly certain that the next set of cards will be based on World of Warcraft's expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, which is largely based on trademark filings. Whatever the expansion is, it'll be released in August.

The Death Road to Canada "COCCYX" update is now live, making an already awesome game even better. This update adds a whole slew of new content including an extensive system of unlocking perks, traits, upgrades, and other one-off bonuses with a new in-game currency called "Zombo Points". Additionally, there are new characters to recruit, new events, and some tweaks to the ending of the game depending on the game mode and characters you choose.

The Twitch app got a massive update which redid how just about everything works. You can now easily find new streams to watch, as well as quickly flip through all sorts of active streams. Of course, if you're looking for something to watch in the new and (vastly) improved app, check out our Twitch channel.

In the world of The Elder Scrolls: Legends, the Skyrim expansion mentioned a while ago in these roundups is also now live. The expansion adds a new "shout" type of card, which work a lot like the magical shouts you can do in the full Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim. Additionally, you can get some free cards if you pre-register for the game's release on Android.

Over on TouchArcade we often post a lot of feature articles on the best games in a particular genre, and we recently published a list of the best tactical RPGs on the App Store. There is a whole bundle of unbelievably great hardcore games in that list, so if you've found yourself annoyed by the proliferation of casual titles on iOS, definitely give that a look.

Last, but not least, following up on the fervor surrounding the soft launch and eventual release of Supercell's Brawl Stars, the developers mentioned that the game isn't coming to Android anytime soon as the nature of Android's APK system allows the pre-release game to spread like wildfire. It's worth reiterating what we've already posted before: If you don't have an iPhone, you can't play the game, and all the Brawl Stars APK download links out there are scams.

That's it for this week, and as always, for all of this news and way (way) more coverage on the world of iOS gaming, head on over to TouchArcade. Also, if you're into podcasts at all, be sure to subscribe to ours. We release a new episode every Friday and they're similarly a great way to keep up on the games aisle of the App Store.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Brilliant to give MacRumors readers a chance to win a Brilliant Control, which is a touchscreen-equipped smart lighting solution that's able to control your lights and all of your other smart home products.

The Brilliant Control, available in a range of colors to match any decor, is designed to replace one of the light switch panels in your home. On-screen touch sliders can be used to turn connected lights on and off, or dim them. Brilliant Control is also able to interface with other smart home products using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so that same touchscreen can be used to control everything from your Nest thermostat to your Sonos speakers.

Because there's easy access to smart home products through the display, everyone in the family can control connected devices without the need to pull out a phone and open up an app.

In addition to a touchscreen, the Brilliant Control includes a motion sensor, a video camera, ambient light sensor, and voice control, plus integration with Amazon Alexa, so voice commands can be used to control lights and all other smart home devices.

It's similar to an Amazon Echo, but with a touchscreen and built-in integration with your lights. Brilliant Control works with a range of smart home products, plus IFTTT, SmartThings, and Wink hubs, but it isn't compatible with HomeKit.

While the base Brilliant Control is designed to replace a single light switch, there are other (pricier) versions that can replace panels with up to four light switches.

Pricing for the Brilliant Control starts at $199 and the device can be purchased from the Brilliant website, but we have two to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (June 30) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 7. The winners will be chosen randomly on July 7 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen. Brilliant Control prizes will be shipped to winners later this summer following the product's launch.

In August 2012, iOS users began noticing that the default YouTube app had been removed from Apple's software in iOS 6 Beta 4, becoming permanent with the public debut of the software in the fall of 2012. For the five years prior, YouTube was a mainstay on the iPhone, launching as a default app on iPhone OS as far back as the original iPhone in 2007.

Animosity between Apple and many Android smartphone makers has been well-documented over the years, becoming abundant in 2012 through an ongoing lawsuit related to Apple's suing of Samsung for copying the iPhone design with Android devices, as well as an Apple lawsuit aimed at Google-owned Motorola focusing on Slide-to-Unlock.

Now, in a series of Tweets, former YouTube employee Hunter Walk has said that it was YouTube and Google's decision not to renew an agreement with Apple for YouTube on iOS, so that the company could "take back control of our app" (via Business Insider).

Walk sent out nearly one dozen Tweets on the topic last night, starting off by explaining how Apple approached Google for YouTube on the first iPhone, Apple's control of building the app, the lack of an official "YouTube" name on the icon, and the overall success of the app as a way to entice customers to buy an iPhone for video streaming.

When the license agreements ended five years later in 2012, Walk said YouTube's time to take back the app came, so the company -- "still operating pretty independently from GOOG at that time" -- made its move. Walk went on to Tweet that the decision paid off, with most consumers reinstalling the YouTube app from the iOS App Store upon noticing that the default app had disappeared.

The former YouTube employee ended his series of Tweets, which he said was possible because the "statue of limitations on any nondisclosures" had expired, by stating that this period of YouTube was "one of the most interesting & consequential series of product decisions during my time at YouTube," emphasizing that it was, "Not w/o controversy internally."

Google remains the default search engine on iOS devices, and in 2016 it came to light that Google paid Apple $1 billion in 2014 to retain that status on iPhones and iPads. In 2012, Apple removed another default Google app from iPhone -- Google Maps -- and replaced it with Apple Maps in iOS 6.

Apple has added Hopster, an app with TV shows, nursery rhymes, and games for kids, to the universal search function on the fourth-generation Apple TV.

For those unfamiliar with universal search, it allows users to use Siri or input text-based searches to find TV and movie content across a wide range of channels. At launch, universal search only supported a few channels, but Apple has been rapidly expanding the feature to encompass additional channels.

Apple TV universal search is available for a wide number of apps in the United States, but the feature is limited to iTunes, Netflix, and select other services in Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In some regions, only movies in iTunes are supported.

With Apple still showing six-week shipping on AirPods, those looking to get their hands on a pair of the wireless earphones more quickly might want to check out Best Buy, which currently has them in stock with free two-day shipping. It'll take a bit longer than the stated timeframe to get them with the weekend and Fourth of July holiday in the U.S., so Best Buy is generally quoting July 5 for delivery.

The retailer is also celebrating the Fourth of July holiday with a 5-day long sale that includes a handful of Apple products at discounted prices, like the iPhone 7, iPhone SE, MacBook Air, and 9.7-inch iPad. The sale begins today and runs through July 4 at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy and may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

One of the items up for sale is the iPhone 7, which includes savings of up to $218 when customers buy and activate an iPhone 7 with a monthly installment plan, with carriers and coverage varying by store. Similarly, the iPhone SE is up for sale with savings up to $280 with the purchase of a monthly installment plan, but only for Sprint and only for 16GB and 64GB models. Other carriers and storage tiers have some mark offs, but they're not as drastic.

For the MacBook Air, Best Buy is discounting the laptop by $200 for two models: one with 128GB flash storage ($799.99) and one with 256GB flash storage ($999.99). Both MacBook Air models come with a free six month subscription to Trend Micro Internet Security for three devices ranging from iOS and Mac to Android and Windows.

Best Buy is marking down Apple's latest 9.7-inch iPad, released this past March, by $30 across six models. These include multiple color options for customers interested in the 32GB model ($299.99) or the 128GB model ($399.99). As a bonus, anyone purchasing a 9.7-inch iPad offered in the Fourth of July Best Buy sale will get six months of Kaspersky Internet Security for free to use on three devices running iOS, macOS, Android, or Windows.

Also on sale are a few unlocked and pre-owned iPhone 5s devices ($129.99, savings $30-$40), 128GB 6th generation iPod Touch ($329.99, savings $50), Powerbeats 3 Wireless Headphones ($129.99, savings $70), ecobee3 Wi-Fi Thermostat ($169.99, savings $80), Ring Home Security Kit ($399.99, savings $100), and more.

As with previous Best Buy sales, customers can choose between free in-store pick up or free 2-day shipping on orders that exceed $35. Check out Best Buy's Hot Deals page to browse the full list of items on sale before the discounts disappear on Tuesday.

New photos of an alleged "iPhone 8" prototype have been shared on Twitter by Latvian student Benjamin Geskin, who allegedly obtains his information from Chinese sources in contact with him on WeChat and WhatsApp.

The prototype, if it's even real in the first place, likely isn't Apple's finalized design for its widely rumored 5.8-inch iPhone with an OLED display. Geskin himself expressed skepticism about the photos in his tweet.

Multiple reports have claimed the high-end iPhone will have an edge-to-edge display like Samsung's Galaxy S8, but the prototype pictured still has left and right bezels. The top bezel also lacks the 3D sensors expected.

One design aspect that is likely accurate is the lack of a Home button, as Touch ID is reportedly expected to be embedded into the display, or placed on the rear of the smartphone in the absolute worst case scenario.

The prototype appears to be stored in Apple's supposed "stealth" case, photos of which Australian leaker Sonny Dickson shared with MacRumors in February. The prototype is concealed by the front cover of an iPhone with a Home button.

Reports suggest the "iPhone 8" has faced multiple delays due to manufacturing challenges, but as production ramps up over the summer, better evidence of Apple's next smartphone should begin to emerge from within the supply chain.

Samsung Display is planning to construct the world's biggest OLED display manufacturing plant, with more than 30 percent higher production capacity than the company's current biggest factory, according to Korean website ETNews.

The report, citing unnamed industry sources, suggests the tentatively named A5 factory could begin mass production in 2019, with a peak yield of between 180,000 and 270,000 display panels per month.

Samsung Display has reportedly also been expanding its existing A3 plant since the second half of 2015 in order to fulfill demand for OLED displays from both its sister company Samsung Electronics and Apple.

Apple is widely rumored to release its first iPhone with an OLED display, known as the "iPhone 8" for now, later this year. Reports claim Apple has ordered between 70 and 92 million OLED panels from Samsung for the device.

An earlier report out of Korea claimed Apple aims to switch its entire iPhone lineup to OLED displays by 2019.

Apple this afternoon shared a short film created by French director Michel Gondry, who is known for indie movies like The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. The film is available on Apple's French site and on its UK and French YouTube channels.

Called Détour, the 11 minute short was captured entirely on an iPhone and funded by Apple. It features the story of a tricycle that falls off of a car as a family heads out on vacation and its journey to find its owner, a little girl. On its travels, the tricycle encounters a wide range of colorful characters and experiences some emotional moments before finding its happy ending.

Détour is accompanied by six additional short tutorial videos that give a behind the scenes look at the filming and offer up some video capturing tips for iPhone users. Topics covered include "A cinematic touch," "Time-lapse," "Stop motion," "Slo-mo," "Night scenes," and "Perspective tricks."

Apple plans to screen Détour at the Marché Saint-Germain Apple Store in Paris on June 30. Michel Gondry will also be present to share details on the making of the film and to take about the future of cinema.