Apple is offering users of its official Apple Store app free redeem codes to download Plotagraph+ Photo Animator from the App Store. Usually $4.99, the iOS app allows users to animate any still photo into a seamlessly looping video or animated PNG.
Users create a Plotagraph by selecting or taking a photo, creating an animation track to indicate the direction of movement, and masking areas of the image they don't want to animate. It's then possible to adjust the animation speed and save the final result to the Camera Roll or share it as a video, GIF, or animated PNG using custom presets.
The editing interface features a range of tools for manipulating images, including an animation tool, selection tool, instant playback, mask, eraser, crop presets, anchor points, pinch zoom, Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity, real-time animation speed control, and multiple export options.
To get the app from the App Store, first download the free Apple Store app [Direct Link]. Then simply open the app, and the Plotagraph+ offer can be found further down in the Discover section on the main store screen. The offer looks like it's working for users in the U.S. and U.K. at the time of writing. Apple has extended its redeem codes to other countries in the past, so it's still worth checking for the offer if you're based elsewhere – let us know in the comments below if you have any success. Offer ends January 15, 2018.
Facebook brought its redesigned Workplace apps out of beta today, opening up the business-focused team chat service to anyone who wants to use it.
The new Slack-like apps for mobile and desktop are called Workplace Chat, which have the same functionality as Workplace's existing messaging features, but come as standalone apps for PC, Mac and iOS.
After installing the apps, Workplace users can access messaging features like screen and file sharing, video calling, and private and group messages. Facebook said it also plans to add group video calling to the platform in the coming months.
In addition, Both mobile and desktop apps have redesigned interfaces to make them functionally similar to Facebook's flagship social networking app.
Workplace Premium costs $3 per user for the first 1,000 active users, with $2 and $1 price plans for increasing numbers of users. Workplace can also be used for free and includes the communication and productivity features, but loses the enterprise features and admin support.
As was announced back in July, Apple partnered with Australian company Cochlear to develop the Nucleus 7, the first made for iPhone Cochlear implant, which is able to stream audio from a compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch directly to a surgically embedded sound processor.
Cochlear's new Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is launching in Australia this week, and should soon also be available in other countries for customers who have profound hearing loss that can't be alleviated with traditional hearing aids and requires implant technology.
Apple's accessibility engineering team worked with Cochlear to create a new form of Bluetooth low-energy audio that allows the implant to connect to the iPhone without draining significant amounts of battery life. Through an iPhone connection, patients who adopt the Nucleus 7 implant will be able to watch movies, listen to music, make calls, and more.
In a comment to The Australian about the launch of the Nucleus 7 from Cochlear, Apple director of accessibility Sarah Herrlinger said the Cochlear project is something Apple is "passionate about." Creating the Bluetooth improvements and developing integrations across multiple companies with hearing aid products took two to three years to complete, says Herrlinger.
"It's something that we are really passionate about as a company," she said. "We consider it one of our core corporate values, an area where we put significant amount of time and energy ensuring our products work for everyone.
"We started looking at this program around the concept of Bluetooth LE and how it would be a beneficial tool in this specific circumstance. The work we have done is applicable both to hearing aids and sound processors."
The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is compatible with a wide range of Apple devices, including the iPhone 5 and later, all iPad Pro models, the iPad mini and later, and the fourth-generation iPad and later.
Release notes for the watchOS 4.1 golden master were leaked this afternoon by developer Guilherme Rambo, confirming all of the bug fixes and feature updates that we can expect to see in the new watchOS software.
Much of what's listed in the release notes was already known because the features are available in the beta, but the notes confirm GymKit support and highlight several bugs that are being addressed in the update.
watchOS 4.1 introduces streaming music on Apple Watch Series 3, and it includes a new Radio app, which is limited to watchOS Series 3 models. Though not listed in the release notes, the update also offers several new Unicode 10 emoji. Full GM release notes are below:
New features, improvements, and bug fixes include:
- Stream music on Apple Watch Series 3 with Apple Music or iCloud Music Library - Listen to live radio on Beats 1, custom stations, and expert-curated stations with the new Radio app on Apple Watch Series 3 - Use Siri to find, discover, and play songs, playlists, or albums - Sync fitness data with GymKit-enabled treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and indoor bikes for more accurate distance, pace, and energy burn metrics - Ability to disconnect from a WiFi network in Control Center for Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) - Fixes an issue for Apple Watch Series 1 and later where Heart Rate notifications were delivered when the feature was not enabled - Fixes an issue where some users did not receive Stand Reminders - Resolves an issue where the current stand hour indicator did not appear for some users - Resolves an issue that caused haptics to not be delivered for silent alarms - Addresses an issue that prevented Apple Watch (1st generation) from charging for some users - Resolves an issue where the Sunrise and Sunset complication would sometimes not appear - Restores Mandarin as the default dictation language for China
As these are not final release notes, there could be additions or tweaks to the information ahead of when the new watchOS 4.1 update is released to the public. There is as of yet no mention of Apple Pay Cash, Apple's new peer-to-peer payments service, so it continues to be unclear if that feature is going to be bundled into the iOS 11.1 and watchOS 4.1 updates.
Apple employees are currently testing Apple Pay Cash as part of iOS 11.1, but support for the feature could be held back until a later update.
It's not yet clear when Apple will launch watchOS 4.1, but a release could come as soon as next week alongside iOS 11.1, macOS 10.13.1, and tvOS 11.1 if Apple is aiming to get all of its new software updates out ahead of the debut of the iPhone X.
iPhone X pre-orders begin this Friday, October 27 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on a first come, first served basis, and customers that want any chance of receiving the smartphone on launch day will need a combination of speed and luck.
The quickest way to pre-order the iPhone X is to use the Apple Store app on iPhone. Prospective buyers that want any chance of receiving the iPhone X when it launches Friday, November 3 should follow the steps below to be ready.
Note that these steps are for customers paying full price for the iPhone X upfront, and may not apply to those who owe money towards a previously carrier financed device.
Verizon in August limited video quality on all of its unlimited data plans to a maximum of 720p on smartphones, but starting in November, the carrier is allowing customers to pay an additional $10 per month for higher-quality video streaming, reports CNET.
With $10/month payment per line, Verizon customers can stream video at the maximum quality available on any VZW device, up to 4K, removing all video restrictions.
Verizon currently limits customers who subscribe to its entry-level Go Unlimited plan to 480p, while customers who have the Beyond Unlimited plan have access to 720p streaming on smartphones and 1080p streaming on connected tablets.
Go Unlimited starts at $75 per month for a single line, and the plan includes unlimited LTE data that may be throttled during times of network congestion, 480p video streaming, and 600kb/s mobile hotspot streaming.
Beyond Unlimited starts at $85 for a single line and includes unlimited LTE data that's not throttled during times of network congestion until 22GB has been used, 720p video streaming, and 15GB of LTE mobile hotspot access.
Verizon plans to make the new $10 video add-on available to customers on November 3.
Following the launch of the Apple Watch Series 3 last month, the previous generation of Apple's wearable device -- Series 2 -- has seen a steady stream of sales hit both aluminum and stainless steel editions, with the best discounts arriving for the aluminum models. The first discounts (from B&H Photo) marked 38mm devices down to $290 and 42mm devices down to about $320, while the second wave (from Best Buy) brought those numbers down by $20, to about $270 and $300, respectively.
Today, Best Buy has dropped the price of aluminum versions of the Apple Watch Series 2 down by another $40, resulting in 38mm models priced at just $230 and 42mm models at $260. Cases in the sale include Space Gray, Gold, and Silver, and collections are only focused on Sport Bands, although there are a few Nike+ editions. We've listed a few of the models below, compared to their previous sale prices at Best Buy. For the full list visit Best Buy's deals page right here.
As a point of comparison, current prices of aluminum Series 3 models stand at $329 for 38mm and $359 for 42mm without LTE.
Best Buy's new sale isn't just focused on Apple Watch, however, and includes deals on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iPad Pro, and select Beats products. The retailer also has a special offer running right now for anyone interested in both the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and Apple Pencil accessory. If you buy both items simultaneously, you'll save $100 on the order, essentially making the Apple Pencil free.
For more details on Best Buy's new sale -- and other ongoing discounts -- head over to our Deals Roundup.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy
The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), an industry group that represents several tech companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook, this week released Artificial Intelligence Policy Principles [PDF] covering responsible and ethical artificial intelligence development.
"We recognize our responsibility to integrate principles into the design of AI technologies, beyond compliance with existing laws," reads the document. AI researchers and stakeholders should "spend a great deal of time" working to ensure the "responsible design and deployment of AI systems." Some of the specific policies addressed are outlined below:
Government: The ITI supports government investment in fields related to AI and encourages governments to evaluate existing tools and use caution before adopting new laws, regulations, and taxes that could impede the responsible development and use of AI. ITI also discourages governments from requiring tech companies to provide access to technology, source code, algorithms, and encryption keys.
Public-Private Partnerships: Public-Private Partnerships should be utilized to speed up AI research and development, democratize access, prioritize diversity and inclusion, and prepare the workforce for the implications of artificial intelligence.
Responsible Design and Deployment: Highly autonomous AI systems must be designed consistent with international conventions that preserve human dignity, rights, and freedoms. It is the industry's responsibility to recognize potential for misuse and commit to ethics by design.
Safety and Controllability: Autonomous agents must treat the safety of users and third parties as a paramount concern and AI technologies should aim to reduce risks to humans. AI systems must have safeguards to ensure the controllability of the AI system by humans.
Robust and Representative Data: AI systems need to leverage large datasets to avoid potentially harmful bias.
The ITI goes on to encourage robust support for AI research, a flexible regulatory approach, and strong cybersecurity and privacy provisions.
ITI President Dean Garfield told Axios that the guidelines have been released as a way for the industry to get involved in the discussion about AI. In the past, the group has learned "painful lessons" about staying on the sidelines of debates about emerging technology.
"Sometimes our instinct is to just put our head down and do our work, to develop, design, and innovate," he said. "But there's a recognition that our ability to innovate is going to be affected by how society perceives it."
Bloomberg this morning alleged that Apple allowed its suppliers to make Face ID less accurate in order to speed up production on the device, a claim that Apple now says is "completely false" in a statement shared with TechCrunch.
According to Apple, the quality and the accuracy of Face ID have not changed, and Face ID will be the new "gold standard" for facial authentication.
Customer excitement for iPhone X and Face ID has been incredible, and we can't wait for customers to get their hands on it starting Friday, November 3. Face ID is a powerful and secure authentication system that's incredibly easy and intuitive to use. The quality and accuracy of Face ID haven't changed. It continues to be 1 in a million probability of a random person unlocking your iPhone with Face ID.
Bloomberg's claim that Apple has reduced the accuracy spec for Face ID is completely false and we expect Face ID to be the new gold standard for facial authentication.
The report from Bloomberg, which went into detail about some of the components used in the TrueDepth camera, suggested Apple had "relaxed some of the specifications for Face ID" to boost the number of usable dot projectors, a component that Apple suppliers were said to be struggling with. From Bloomberg:
It's not clear how much the new specs will reduce the technology's efficacy. At the phone's official unveiling in September, executives boasted that there was a one in a million chance that an interloper could defeat Face ID to unlock a phone. Even downgraded, it will probably still be far more accurate than Touch ID, where the odds of someone other than the owner of a phone being able to unlock it are one in 50,000.
In addition to Apple's statement suggesting no changes have been made to Face ID, Apple has shared specific accuracy numbers and details on the feature, so it would be difficult for the company to make changes in production that would alter the way that Face ID works.
Apple reportedly struggled with production for several of the components for the iPhone X, given that it's a new device using many new technologies. As a result of those issues, supply of the iPhone X is expected to be extremely limited at launch, with Apple likely unable to reach supply-demand balance until 2018.
The report claims Apple wants every show it produces to be suitable enough for an Apple Store, as opposed to content with nudity, raw language, and violence. Hollywood producers that have pitched edgier content, such as an eight-part series produced by filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, have allegedly been turned away.
Apple wants to have a small slate of shows ready for release in 2019, a timeframe previously reported. Unlike Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke: The Series, however, its new shows will supposedly no longer be placed on Apple Music, which in turn will be limited to music-related videos and documentaries.
Carpool Karaoke itself was supposed to launch in April, but its debut was delayed until August due to some coarse content.
Days before Apple Inc. planned to celebrate the release of its first TV show last spring at a Hollywood hotel, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook told his deputies the fun had to wait. Foul language and references to vaginal hygiene had to be cut from some episodes of Carpool Karaoke, a show featuring celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Blake Shelton, and Chelsea Handler cracking jokes while driving around Los Angeles.
While the delay of Carpool Karaoke was widely reported last April, the reasons never were. Edits were made, additional episodes were shot, and Apple shifted resources to another show. When Carpool Karaoke was released in August, it didn’t make much of a splash.
A new profile of Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts has been posted today by BuzzFeed News, providing a look into Ahrendts' move from Burberry, the inspiration for her approach to retail from late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and her partnership with Apple design chief Jony Ive. Ahrendts has been in the spotlight lately following her presentation during the iPhone X keynote event in September, where she explained Apple's new retail initiative, Today at Apple, and provided a sneak peek into upcoming locations around the world.
Ahrendts said that her approach to the new retail strategy began with an inspiration from Steve Jobs, comparing the brick-and-mortar locations as the retail team's "hardware" and the inner workings of the store -- like Today at Apple programs -- as the "software."
Ahrendts’s approach to retail harkens back to the late founder Steve Jobs’ insistence on building “the whole widget” — in other words, constructing the look and feel of a device, as well as making the operating system and the processor that runs it, in order to fully optimize — and control — the entire user experience.
“This is our hardware,” she said, pointing to the Indianapolis store’s glass doors and indoor ficuses. ”Then you say, ‘What’s the software of the store? How do we turn it on?’ Because this unto itself is magnificent, but it's not just what it is, it's what it does,” referring to the new Today at Apple program, under which locations host events like photography workshops and coding classes.
Ahrendts has tweaked parts of Apple's retail "software" by changing employee t-shirts to a softer material, and removing lanyards so employees "make a human connection" with customers. One former Apple Genius said that while removing lanyards made uniforms "cleaner," the high amount of customers visiting Apple every day is a "reality of retail" that made connecting with every customer difficult.
When she was creating her strategy, Ahrendts discussed the design and look of the new Apple locations with Jony Ive, who was said to have told Ahrendts, "Don't mess with the tables," referring to the iconic wooden tables that line every Apple store. Ive further described these tables as "sacred."
Before embarking on the redesign, Ahrendts consulted creative chief Ive, whom Steve Jobs once called his “spiritual partner.” “In one of those very early conversations,” Ahrendts recalled, Ive “said, ‘Don't mess with the tables. They're the same tables we used in our design studio and I love that it goes from the studio to the stores.’ He said, ‘They're sacred.’”
Ahrendts also recalled the company's expansion into China, where she asked all United States retail employees if they would be interested to move overseas and assist in running new stores in China. The executive said she was expecting 100 or 200 responses, but ended up with 2,000, half of which ended up moving overseas with plans to stay for between 1 and 5 years. Those who remain in the U.S. said that under Ahrendts' leadership, worker benefits have improved.
All of the employees who spoke to BuzzFeed News agree that Ahrendts improved their benefits soon after she joined in May 2014. For example, Ahrendts introduced restricted stock units, or gifted Apple stock (which could previously be purchased at a discount), that vests every three years. She also extended school tuition reimbursement to part-time workers. Most said they were happy with their pay, which ranges from $17 to $20 an hour for non-Genius roles and up to $30 an hour for Geniuses.
Still, some employees have described their work as starting to feel "increasingly corporate" under Ahrendts. One technical specialist stated that Apple retail "now feels more like a Circuit City, a Best Buy" because of increased micromanagement, rising repair prices, a focus on moving customers in and out of the store as fast as possible, and an "emphasis" on attracting business accounts.
The rest of the profile on Ahrendts covers much of the same ground as BuzzFeed's iPhone 8 launch video about Apple's "war room," as well as an interview with CEO Tim Cook and Ahrendts posted yesterday. In that interview, Ahrendts said it was "fake news...silly" that she was being groomed as future Apple CEO. Cook then said, "I see my role as CEO to prepare as many people as I can to be CEO, and that’s what I’m doing."
Check out the full BuzzFeed News article on Angela Ahrendts here.
Apple has reportedly acquired or at least hired some talent away from InVisage, according to the blog Image Sensors World. The report, citing two unnamed sources, claims the deal was closed in July of this year.
Beyond the sources familiar with the matter, there are only subtle clues that Apple may have scooped up InVisage.
Image Sensors World, for example, highlighted that InVisage is no longer listed as a current investment in the portfolios of venture capital firms Nokia Growth Partners and InterWest Partners.
InVisage also removed a news page and a list of employee profiles from its website, compared to an archived version from February. Many companies acquired by Apple in the past have simplified or even removed their websites.
LinkedIn lists at least six Apple employees who previously worked at InVisage, although only two joined the company this year. One employee joined Apple as a hardware engineer in July, the same month as the rumored acquisition.
InVisage also filed to register a manufacturing subsidiary in June with the state of California, where the company is headquartered, but it later surrendered the request and the entity was legally dissolved in early October.
InVisage, founded in 2006 and based out of Newark, California, has developed new image sensor architecture with a dedicated QuantumFilm layer that can maximize a smartphone camera's light sensing capability.
The company's website says QuantumFilm pixels have over three times higher dynamic range, allowing users to capture "supremely detailed images in almost any lighting condition where there is bright sky."
QuantumFilm is a photosensitive layer that relies on InVisage's newly invented class of materials to absorb light; specifically, the new material is made up of quantum dots, nanoparticles that can be dispersed to form a grid once they are synthesized. Just like paint, this dispersion of solid materials can be coated onto a substrate and allowed to dry.
InVisage's technologies could certainly be implemented as part of annual improvements to iPhone and iPad cameras.
Update: Apple has confirmed its acquisition of InVisage in a statement provided to TechCrunch.
In the wake of Apple's hiring of Jamie Erlicht, Zack Van Amburg, Matt Cherniss, and Morgan Wandell for its ongoing push into premium television content, Variety reports today that the company has now hired Channel 4 alum Jay Hunt as creative director for Europe under Apple's Worldwide Video service.
Hunt will start work in January as part of the international content development team that reports to Erlicht and Van Amburg, the two executives spearheading all of Apple's new TV ambitions. Hunt's arrival at Apple follows her exit from a chief creative officer position at Channel 4 this past June. In her Channel 4 stint over the last seven years and in her previous position at BBC One, Hunt helped develop shows like Black Mirror, Luther, Sherlock, Humans, and more.
Hunt's joining of the team follows news of other international expansions for Apple's premium TV plans, with a report of the company hiring Morgan Wandell hitting last Friday. Wandell will be in charge of international creative development for worldwide video at Apple, and comes from Amazon Studios.
On the content side of things, Apple is said to have set aside a "$1 billion war chest" for its new TV initiative, and has become "inundated" with spec scripts and projects since it made its home at The Culver Studios in California. The first big project coming out of Apple's Worldwide Video service will be new episodes of Steven Spielberg's science fiction anthology series "Amazing Stories".
Amazon today announced its latest device, called the Amazon Cloud Cam, which keeps track of your home using an intelligent security camera that syncs up with the company's new iOS and Android apps. Amazon said that the $119.99 Cloud Cam was built to help you check on pets while at work, monitor the front door when you're on vacation, or look into your kids' room from another room in the house.
Cloud Cam features 1080p full HD resolution video, night vision, two-way audio, a wide viewing angle, and activity clips from the last day synced with the Amazon Cloud Cam app. Of course, the new security camera will work with Alexa devices like the Echo, Echo Show, Echo Spot, Amazon Fire TV, and Fire tablets. You can say, "Alexa, show me the [camera name]" and the assistant will bring up the requested feed from anywhere in your house.
When on the go, the iOS and Android apps let you stay in touch with the Cloud Cam, as well as receive customizable notifications for alerts detected by the device's motion detection and computer vision technology. When it detects motion, Cloud Cam sends out a push notification and stores a clip securely for you to review. Amazon said that the camera will get smarter over time with more advanced detection, alerts, and other new features -- like advanced audio alerts and pet detection -- will launch down the line.
“Cloud Cam has all the features you need to monitor your home, including a 1080p Full HD camera, night vision, two-way audio, and free storage for clips—and with the secure AWS cloud powering Cloud Cam’s advanced computer algorithms and intelligent alerts, the service is always getting smarter,” said Charlie Tritschler, Vice President, Amazon Devices. “All of this is just $119.99—Cloud Cam is a premium product at a non-premium price.”
Without a subscription, three Cloud Cams are supported in one home, and with a subscription you can have up to ten cameras in one home. Subscriptions also enable additional storage for video (beyond just 24 hours), unlimited downloads and shares of video clips, Person Detection to flag specific human activity instead of general motion, and Zones to ignore certain areas of motion (like a ceiling fan). Amazon's Cloud Cam subscription tiers are listed below:
Basic ($6.99/mo, $69/yr) offers access to the last 7 days of motion detection clips for up to 3 cameras
Extended ($9.99/mo, $99/yr) offers access to the last 14 days of motion detection clips for up to 5 cameras
Pro ($19.99/mo, $199/yr) offers access to the last 30 days of motion detection clips for up to 10 cameras
Additionally, Amazon today announced a new "Amazon Key" service that works in conjunction with the Cloud Cam. Exclusive to Prime members, Amazon Key allows you to have your order securely delivered inside your home when you're out of the house. Amazon Key will be a new checkout option for Prime members in 37 cities across the U.S. beginning November 8, and will be available for "tens of millions of items" on the site.
Amazon Key combines Cloud Cam with one of several compatible smart locks by companies like Yale and Kwikset. The process begins with Amazon verifying that the correct delivery driver is at the right address at the right time, using an encrypted authentication process. Then, Amazon Cloud Cam begins recording once that process is complete and the door is unlocked for the driver, without giving them any access code or key, and they place the package in your home and then leave.
“Amazon Key gives customers peace of mind knowing their orders have been safely delivered to their homes and are waiting for them when they walk through their doors,” said Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon. “Now, Prime members can select in-home delivery and conveniently see their packages being delivered right from their mobile phones.”
You can pre-order the Cloud Cam today by itself for $119.99, a two-pack for $199.99, or a three-pack for $289.99, and the device will ship November 8. The company is also offering an Amazon Key In-Home Kit with a Cloud Cam and a compatible smart lock for $249.99.
Observer, a new cyberpunk horror game starring Rutger Hauer, was officially released on Mac on Tuesday. Developed by Bloober Team, creators of acclaimed psychedelic horror title Layers of Fear, and published by Aspyr Media, the game sees players take on the role of Dan Lazarski, an elite neural detective known as an Observer.
Lazarski works for a secretive police unit that hacks into and invades the minds of suspects, in a future where anything a person thinks, feels, or remembers can be used against them in a court of law.
When you receive a mysterious message from your estranged son, a high-level engineer for the almighty Chiron Corporation, you journey to the seedy Class C slums of Krakow to investigate. But as you hack into the unstable minds of criminals and victims to look for clues, you are forced to relive their darkest fears. How far will you go to discover the truth?
Drugs, paranoia, VR, and neural implants abound in this heavily P. K. Dick-inspired horror dystopian title, which has received highly positive reviews from the gaming community on Steam, where Observer is available exclusively for the pre-Halloween price of $25.49 (normal price $30).
The system requirements for Observer are as follows: 10.12.6 (Sierra) and 10.13 (High Sierra); Intel Core i5 (4 cores) running at 3.3GHz, 8GB of RAM, 20GB of hard disk space, and an ATI R9 M290 or NVIDIA Geforce GT 680 video card with 2GB of VRAM. Note: Intel video cards are NOT SUPPORTED.
Connected smart home company Wink on Tuesday announced its first home security bundle featuring all its own-brand products, rather than including compatible products made by other companies.
The Wink Lookout set includes two open/close sensors for use on doors and windows, a motion sensor with pet sensitivity for placement anywhere in the home, a siren and chime alarm with built-in flashlight, and the unifying Wink hub.
No subscription is required to use the products, which communicate through the hub and can be monitored using an updated Wink iOS app that features sensor-trip alerts, siren control, and an emergency services/trusted contact call option.
The new Wink home security bundle costs $199, which is significantly cheaper than the similar Nest Guard at $499. The Wink Lookout set will be available from October 31 at Home Depot and on Amazon. Sensors can be picked up individually for $29, as can the home motion sensor and siren, which cost $39 each. The set includes free shipping in the U.S. backed by a 30-day return policy.
Several reports in recent months have covered Apple's struggle to ensure significant components for the upcoming iPhone X can be produced in large enough quantities to meet demand, with the main culprit being the 3D sensing modules that power the phone's TrueDepth camera and Face ID technology. In a surprise development, a new Bloomberg report today claims that Apple overcame its production challenges by quietly telling suppliers they could reduce the accuracy of the face recognition technology to make the iPhone X easier to manufacture.
Apple's production struggles have centered on the complex 3D sensor, which consists of a dot projector, flood illuminator, and infrared camera. The flood illuminator beams infrared light, which the camera uses to establish the presence of a face. The projector then flashes 30,000 dots onto the face which the phone uses to decide whether to unlock the home screen. Specifically, Apple has had trouble making enough of the fragile modules that combine to make up the dot projector, as Bloomberg reports:
Precision is key. If the microscopic components are off by even several microns, a fraction of a hair's breadth, the technology might not work properly, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
The fragility of the components reportedly created problems for Apple suppliers LG Innotek and Sharp. At one point, only about 20 percent of the dot projectors the two companies produced were usable, according to a person familiar with the manufacturing process. The suppliers therefore slowed production in an effort to prevent breakages but lowered the required level of precision to compensate – a decision apparently mandated by Apple.
To boost the number of usable dot projectors and accelerate production, Apple relaxed some of the specifications for Face ID, according to a different person with knowledge of the process. As a result, it took less time to test completed modules, one of the major sticking points, the person said.
It's not clear how much the new specs will reduce the technology's efficacy, and Apple has declined to comment. However, as the report notes, a downgraded Face ID will probably still be far more accurate than Touch ID, where the odds of someone other than the owner of a phone being able to unlock it are one in 50,000. Even so, Apple is famously demanding on suppliers and manufacturers to help it make technological leaps and retain a competitive edge, which makes this story about the company choosing to downgrade the accuracy of Face ID all the more surprising, regardless of whether real-world functionality remains unaffected.
The delicacy involved in this production challenge has reportedly been further hampered by Apple losing one of its laser suppliers early on. The dot projector uses something called a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser, or VCSEL. The laser beams light through a lens known as a wafer-level optic, which focuses it into the 30,000 points of infra-red light projected onto the user's face. According to the report, California-based Finisar failed to meet Apple's laser specifications in time for the start of production, and now the company is racing to meet the standards by the end of October. That has left Apple reliant on fewer laser suppliers than it originally expected.
As it stands however, Apple appears to have overcome the biggest production hurdles. Sharp is reportedly working to bring the production yield for dot projectors above 50 percent, while LG Innotek has already surpassed that level, which both companies are said to consider acceptable. As a result the 3D sensor shortage is expected to end in early 2018, according to the report.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple will have two to three million handsets available on launch day and 25 million to 30 million units for the holiday quarter, down from his previous forecast of 40 million. Pre-orders for the iPhone X begin this Friday, October 27 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple has said there will also be some stock of the smartphone for walk-in customers arriving early to its retail locations on November 3, the official iPhone X launch day.
Following the debut of the iPhone X in September, Apple employees have been using the device in public, leading to a range of "in the wild" iPhone X photos and videos showing off new features and the device's revamped design.
The latest iPhone X video is short but demos a new app switching feature that's unique to the device. On iPhone X, you can swipe left or right on the display to quickly switch between apps, a process that's smooth and seamless in the video that was discovered on Imgur and then shared on Twitter.
Apple did demonstrate this gesture on stage when the iPhone X was introduced, but the video gives a clearer look at how well it works.
On previous devices, app switching was largely initiated through the Home button, but with no Home button available, Apple found a simpler, more intuitive solution for the iPhone X. iPhone X users will also be able to use a swipe upward and hold gesture to get to the traditional card-based app switching interface.
In other iPhone X news, Apple tonight revamped the Apple.com homepage to focus solely on the iPhone X ahead of pre-orders.
The page has an iPhone X front and center along with the pre-order time, and it features several animated sections highlighting various iPhone X features like the edge-to-edge display, Face ID, the TrueDepth Camera, the improved rear camera with Portrait Lighting, the A11 Bionic processor, and wireless charging.
iPhone X pre-orders will kick off in just two days on Friday, October 27 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time. The first pre-orders will begin arriving to customers on Friday, November 3, the official launch date for the iPhone X.
