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Mophie Launches Modular iPhone 7 Cases With Magnetic Wallet and Battery Pack Add-Ons

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Mophie today announced a modular accessory line of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cases that allow users to attach various peripherals via magnetic charge on the back of Apple's smartphone. Shawn Dougherty, co-founder and President of Mophie, said the new "Hold Force" line offers "stylish, protective cases" with the advantage of extra battery life and spots for credit cards.

The first step in ordering a Hold Force case is choosing the 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch case size for the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus. Users will also pick between 9 color options on each accessory that range from one solid color scheme, to a "wrap" option that has a line of color sitting between see-through plastic. Cases in both sizes sell for $39.95.

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The Hold Force Wallet

The second step guides users in picking out a magnetic accessory to stick on the back of the Hold Force case, which are right now limited to a wallet system and battery pack. The Hold Force Wallet is available only for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus at $19.95, and includes 2 credit card pockets that Mophie says "keeps your cash, credit cards and ID together with your phone in one spot" thanks to the new line's secure magnetic attachments.


The Hold Force Folio offers three spots for credit cards and cash, along with a piece of material that flips and covers the front of the iPhone. Like the Wallet, the Folio is available for both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus for $19.95. The company noted that the magnetic attachments have no negative effects on credit cards while they are inside of the Hold Force system.

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The Hold Force Folio

Lastly, the Hold Force Powerstation Plus Mini can provide up to 12 hours of extra battery life for average smartphones, thanks to its integrated 4,000 mAh battery. The accessory's basic charging system is focused on micro-USB, so an included Lightning adapter allows for support of recharging the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Mophie sells the Powerstation Plus Mini for $59.95.

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The Hold Force Powerstation Plus Mini

Those interested can purchase the new accessories from Mophie's official website, as well as at Best Buy.

Tag: Mophie
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StubHub Becomes First Ticketing App on Apple TV

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StubHub is coming to Apple TV, marking what it says is the first ticketing app on the tvOS App Store. The app has been specifically designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV, enabling users to browse, search, and purchase tickets for sports games, concerts, theater and comedy shows, and other U.S. events from the couch.

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StubHub, owned by eBay, is a popular online marketplace for buying and selling tickets for events, including NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games, concerts by artists such as Adele and Drake, WWE and UFC fights, comedy shows by the likes of Amy Schumer, and more. Tickets can be searched for by genre, artist, team, or venue.

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StubHub for Apple TV takes advantage of the big screen with a highly visual design intended to motivate couch sitters to get out:

The design was tested and iterated through several rounds of user feedback, in which StubHub designers added the side-scroll interface for browsing within a seating section of a specific event, and included high-resolution seat maps on the listing cards so consumers could get a clear idea of the view from the section in which they were considering tickets.

StubHub for Apple TV does not appear to be available on the tvOS App Store just yet, but it should be rolling out soon.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tag: StubHub
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater
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Apple's Flagship Regent Street Location in U.K. Reopens October 15

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Apple has announced that its flagship Regent Street retail location in London, England reopens Saturday, October 15 at 10:00 a.m. local time, following over one year of major renovations.

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Apple Regent Street with "opening soon" construction barrier in late September (Sebastian Anthony via Twitter)

Apple contracted award-winning architecture firm Foster and Partners to design the layout of the new store, which initially remained open for business at the basement level but has been fully closed since June 13.

MacRumors exclusively reported on the remodeling plans last year, including the removal of four Apple logos affixed to the store's facade in order to allow more natural light inside and preserve the historic look of the building. Like other renovated stores, Apple Regent Street will feature Apple's next-generation retail design.

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Apple Brussels exemplifies Apple's next-generation retail design

The renovations included the relocation of three columns to create a more spacious feel, replacing the central glass stairs with two new side staircases, and re-configuration of the Backroom with improved facilities for employees. The store's overall square footage has been reduced by 4,400 square feet, or around 25% of the current size.

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Apple Regent Street prior to closing for renovations

Apple Regent Street opened in 2004 and attracts over 4 million visitors per year. The iconic store expanded two years later to become Apple's largest at the time. Apple has contracted Foster and Partners for several other projects in recent years, including the design of its Campus 2 and Apple Union Square.

Tags: Apple Store, United Kingdom
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Apple's Second European Data Center Prepares for 2017 Opening in Foulum, Denmark

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Earlier in the year, Apple announced that it would be spending $2 billion on two new data centers in Europe, with one located in Ireland and another in Denmark. New information has emerged today regarding the second data center in Denmark, which will be located in Foulum (via The Copenhagen Post).

Foulum is a small town outside of Viborg -- a larger a city in central Jutland, Denmark -- where the agricultural research facilities of Aarhus University are located. This will be helpful for Apple, since the company also recently announced a partnership with the Aarhus University on a new biogas research and development project.

Apple Data Center
The research will look into how to convert biogas into electricity through the use of fuel cells, and the help of various agricultural waste materials provided by local farmers.

Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen said the new collaboration is “an excellent follow-on to Apple’s billion investment in the data centre”.

“The new partnership is a good example that [ministry investment organization] Invest in Denmark’s targeted efforts to attract data centre investments to Denmark is producing excellent results. It also illustrates that data centre investors often wish to contribute to research into and the expansion of the renewable energy capacity in Denmark to the benefit of everyone,” Jensen said in a statement.

At 6.3 billion kroner, the 166,000-square-meter data center is the "largest foreign capital investment in Danish history." Similar to the Irish data center, the one in Denmark will help power Apple's online services in Europe, including the iTunes Store, App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, and more. The current projections for the project prepare it for an operational launch date sometime in 2017, and construction is expected to continue through 2026.

Throughout 2016, Apple had a rough time preparing its data center in Ireland, facing multiple objections to the facility's potential harmful ramifications for the nearby wilderness. In August, however, the Cupertino company finally got approval for its Galway County, Ireland data center. Apple's plan was to originally have the Irish data center up and running by early 2017, but since its first proposal in September 2015 and the ensuing blockades, it's expected that goal has been pushed further back.

Tag: Data Center
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Apple SIM Partner AlwaysOnline Expands to U.S. and 28 More Countries, Launches New U.K. Plans

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Otono Networks today announced that its global 4G LTE roaming network AlwaysOnline Wireless will be expanding to the United States and 28 additional countries, bringing its total number of countries covered to 74.

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The other new countries are: Albania, Antigua & Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Guam, Iceland, Jersey, Kenya, Kuwait, Macau, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Montenegro, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Serbia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, and Turks & Caicos Islands.

AlwaysOnline Wireless provides 4G LTE data by the hour, day, or megabyte, enabling owners of cellular iPads with Apple SIM to purchase short-term plans for on-demand access to high-speed data while traveling. Plans range from $0.99 per hour for 50MB to $59.99 for 5GB, valid for 15 days. All prices are in U.S. dollars.

Apple SIM, a special SIM card that works across multiple carriers, is included in cellular-enabled iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, and iPad Pro models sold in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

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AlwaysOnline Wireless coverage map

AlwaysOnline launched in late 2015 in, among other places, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In the U.S. and select other countries, plans are available to international travelers only -- not residents.

Through a separate partnership with GigSky, Apple SIM is available in over 140 countries. Other Apple SIM partners include carriers AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile in the U.S., EE and Three in the United Kingdom, Deutsche Telekom in Germany, Three in Hong Kong, and au by KDDI and SoftBank in Japan.

Meanwhile, AlwaysOnline has introduced new 4G LTE plans in the U.K. offering 2-3 times more LTE data in the country. Prices range between approximately £0.37 per hour for 100MB and 5GB for £22.55, valid for 15 days. These plans will be available directly on cellular iPads through a new partnership with British carrier Three.

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AlwaysOnline Wireless data plans can be purchased on compatible iPads by tapping Settings > Cellular Data > Set Up Cellular Data. No Wi-Fi connection is needed to purchase a plan. iOS 9.1 or later is required.

Tags: AlwaysOnline Wireless, Apple SIM
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ZENS Launches Power Bank for Simultaneous Apple Watch and iPhone Charging

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Third-party accessory manufacturer ZENS today launched the two-in-one iPhone/Apple Watch Power Bank, letting users recharge their Apple devices while on the go. The rectangular case has an integrated induction charger for the Apple Watch -- which is Apple MFi Certified -- and a USB-A port on one side for charging any other device connected to the bank.

The Power Bank has an included battery rated at 4,000 mAh and a 2A output, which ZENS said "guarantees fast charging of the Apple Watch and iPhone or iPad." Its battery falls in line with another portable Apple Watch/iPhone charging pack made by Kanex, which can recharge an Apple Watch six times over on one life.

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The two-in-one ZENS Power Bank is developed especially for Apple Watch and iPhone/iPad. As is the case with other ZENS products, the innovative new power bank stands out for its sleek, ultra-slim design. It offers a space-saving way to charge your Apple iPhone and/or Apple Watch at home, in the office or on the go, without the need to bring along a cumbersome charging dock while you’re underway.

The Apple MFi Certified module that is incorporated in the ZENS Power Bank eliminates the need to add your own Apple Watch Charger. While you are wirelessly charging your Apple Watch, you can use the reversible micro USB cable, that is impossible to plug in wrong, to charge your iPhone or iPad.

ZENS says the Power Bank is ideal for travel as well as home and office use, because "the all-in-one charging and battery solution requires little space on your desk or in your bag" thanks to its ultra-slim design, which is about 5 inches long and just 1.5 inches wide.

The company has released an integrated charging puck accessory before for the Apple Watch, with the small Apple Watch Power Bank that focused on portability and had a 1,300 mAh battery. That cheaper option, which runs for $56, didn't offer simultaneous iPhone or iPad charging with an additional USB-A port, however.

Those interested can purchase the ZENS iPhone/Apple Watch Power Bank from the company's website for €69.99 or about $78.00, and it will ship to the United States and several other countries from the Netherlands.

Tag: ZENS
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Apple to Launch Trio of iPad Pros in Spring 2017, Including 7.9-Inch Mini Model

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Apple will ship three new iPad Pro models around Spring 2017, including 7.9-inch, 10.1-inch, and 12.9-inch models, according to Japanese blog Mac Otakara.

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The report, citing "reliable sources," said the 12.9-inch model will feature a True Tone display like its current 9.7-inch counterpart, 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.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also said to gain the 9.7-inch model's same 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera and True Tone flash.

The smaller 7.9-inch model, which will succeed the iPad mini 4, will likewise include a Smart Connector, True Tone display, four speakers, and a 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera with True Tone flash, as Apple works to standardize features across its tablet lineup, according to the report.

All three new iPad Pro models will reportedly gain quad microphones, compared to the current dual setup, and retain 3.5mm headphone jacks.

Today's report mostly corroborates KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who in August said Apple is planning to release three new iPads in 2017. However, his research note claimed the trio of models would include a 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad.

Kuo made no mention of a refreshed 7.9-inch model. It has been speculated the iPad mini could be nearing the end of its line due to Apple's focus on its larger tablet lineup, and the belief that recent 5.5-inch iPhone "Plus" models have helped lessen demand for Apple's smallest tablet, but today's report suggests otherwise.

Mac Otakara does not have a perfect track record with Apple rumors, but its sources have proven accurate on multiple occasions in the past. The blog was the first to report about Apple's controversial plans to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack and add new Black and Jet Black colors on iPhone 7 models.

The website also accurately leaked the iPhone 7's naming scheme, pressure-sensitive Home button, and larger earpiece cutout. It also said the new models would ship with a Lightning-to-3.5mm audio adapter, although 3.5mm EarPods proved wrong, and quashed rumors about the inclusion of a Smart Connector.

On the flip side, the timing proved to be wrong on its report claiming new MacBook Air models with USB-C ports would be unveiled by the end of June. The latest word is a MacBook Air refresh will occur "as early as October."

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, iPad mini
Tag: Mac Otakara
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Caution), iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad
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Facebook Replacing Messenger Tab With E-Commerce 'Marketplace' in iOS App

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Facebook is launching a new user-to-user e-commerce service called "Marketplace" this week in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand (via The Verge). The new buying and selling service will replace the Messenger tab in the main Facebook mobile app for iOS and Android.

According to Facebook Marketplace project manager Bowen Pan, almost 450 million people use the social network's various other services, like group messaging, to buy and sell items already, so "with Marketplace, Facebook is now giving users a more formal process to conduct these exchanges."

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When users tap on the new Marketplace icon, Facebook will use an algorithm to present each user with items it believes they will be interested in. This data is accumulated based on previously liked pages, and will even factor in a user's viewing, purchasing, and selling history on Marketplace after they've used the service for a while.

When an item is discovered, users can send the seller a message, or place an offer on it to see if the seller accepts. When users want to unload something of their own, the process will include taking a photo of the item, naming and describing it, setting a sell price, and confirming a current location. The company said search queries can be set to nearby (for person-to-person exchanges), or wider to other cities with the option to ship the item.

"We saw a lot of people were really just looking at coming to Marketplace without necessarily anything in particular they were looking for," Pan says. "They were just on Marketplace to casually browse through. This really mirrors an offline experience where you can go to a Sunday market or maybe the mall. You don’t know exactly what you want but you want to browse." In that sense, Marketplace feels like a hybrid between eBay, Craigslist, and Amazon.

The company said it "does not plan" to charge users fees for using Marketplace when selling items, and Pan said that a desktop version is coming but the company's focus is getting the service right on mobile as of now. On the safety and privacy side of things, Marketplace will continue Facebook's rules against selling drugs, explosives, animals, firearms, and alcohol, but in terms of specific financial security, "Facebook does not have the same kinds of protections or guarantees as, say, eBay," according to The Verge.

"We have built the tools to allow our community to report on any items that may violate our policies," Pan says. "It has well as a whole host of flags that people that can put out for people that may not be acting in the best faith. Once we see a flag, we have a team that will promptly review these and take action." Still, Facebook won’t take responsibility if you get ripped off, and it certainly will not get involved if someone decides to assault you and steal your item at the designated meeting place.

The company thinks that because users will be conducting these transactions under their real identities, it will prevent potential scams that other services might face because of their anonymity. "People on Facebook represent their real selves," Pan said. "We think knowing who you’re transacting with is very important." Facebook said the Marketplace tab will start showing up on the mobile app "over the next few days."

Tag: Facebook
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Which? Magazine Claims iPhone 7 Has 'Poor Battery Life' Compared to Rival Smartphones

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U.K. Consumers' Association magazine Which? has concluded that the iPhone 7 offers the worst battery life when compared against the current crop of rival flagship smartphones.

Using a series of tests designed to account for everyday usage variables, the subscriber-only magazine compared Apple's 4.7-inch phone against the Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10, and LG 5, and called the results "staggering".

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Whilst the iPhone 7’s 712 minutes of call time (nearly 12 hours) may sound acceptable, the rival Samsung Galaxy S7 lasted twice as long – and it doesn’t even have the longest lasting battery. The HTC 10 lasted an incredible 1,859 minutes (that’s almost 31 hours).

Internet browsing time measurements were less contrasting, nevertheless the iPhone 7 still came last.

The 615 minutes of battery life offered by the iPhone 7 is 25 minutes less than its nearest rival, the LG G5, and 175 minutes less than the top performing HTC 10. In fact, the HTC 10’s 3G internet browsing time was even longer than the iPhone 7’s 3G call time. It doesn’t make for pretty reading for Apple.

The new iPhone's poor results in the battery test shouldn't come as a surprise, given the limitations of the 4.7-inch handset's battery cell compared to its larger rivals (5.1-5.3 inches). Measured in milliampere hours, the iPhone 7 has a 1,960mAh battery, compared to the HTC 10's 3,000mAh cell, for instance, yet Which? describes this as a 'fault' of the phone.

The larger iPhone 7 Plus, on the other hand, features a 2,900 mAh battery, but wasn't mentioned in the test, perhaps because it was perceived as belonging in the 5.5-inch handset bracket populated by devices like the Galaxy S7 Edge (3600mAh) and the HTC 10 Desire (2700 mAh).

The test doesn't mention that Apple's own product specifications show that the iPhone 7 has a higher-capacity battery than the iPhone 6s (1,810mAh), and seems to continue a recent negative trend where media reports have criticized Apple's new flagship phone on the basis of its battery life. For example, last month, The Guardian ran an iPhone 7 story titled "How good can a phone be if the battery doesn't last even a day?" and claimed that its holding charge was worse than the iPhone 6s.

Related Forum: iPhone
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Telegram Messaging Service Launches Bot-Powered Gaming Platform

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Popular messaging app Telegram today announced the launch of a bot-powered gaming platform that enables users to play games right inside their chats.

Last year we launched a Bot Platform for Telegram. Free, powerful, and open, it was an instant hit among users and developers. Today we are aiming to push the boundaries further by launching a bot-powered Gaming Platform on Telegram. That’s right: you can now use bots to play games in your chats, complete with graphics and sound.

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The company promises 'hundreds of games' are heading for the messaging service, but around 30 are ready to go live, many of them published by developer platform gamee. Games can be anything from simple arcades and puzzles to multiplayer 3D-shooters and real-time strategy games.

Users can start a game by interacting with a chat bot, either directly or by invoking a bot from an existing conversation thread using the @gamee alias. Gamers are also able to challenge friends on the Telegram service and start up competitions across existing chats, with high scores saved and updated for every game played in a thread and gamers notified if they get overtaken in a leaderboard.

Telegram is promoting the idea of users building their own games, which it calls 'easy', and reckons some can be created in a matter of hours. The technology powering the games is HTML5, so they're loaded on-demand like ordinary web pages and therefore take up zero space on the host device.

To be able to play the games, users will need to update their apps to version 3.13, which should roll out on the App Store store today. Telegram is a free download for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]

Tags: Chat Bots, Telegram
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Leaked Images Reveal Google 'Pixel' Smartphones Ahead of October 4th Event

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U.K. mobile retailer Carphone Warehouse was today guilty of publishing a series of visuals and spec slides for Google's upcoming own-branded smartphones, a day ahead of their official unveiling (via 9to5Google).

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Due to be announced at the company's October 4th San Francisco event, Google's 5-inch 'Pixel' and 5.5-inch 'Pixel XL' smartphones feature Snapdragon 821 processors and 4GB RAM, a 2770mAh battery for the Pixel and a 3450mAh battery for the Pixel XL, and screen resolutions of 1080x1920 and 1440x2560, respectively.

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Both similar-looking handsets are available in black or white, and come with a choice of 32GB and 128GB storage capacities with the addition of a microSD slot for storage expansion, as well as what appears to be a headphone jack on the top and a USB-C port on the bottom. A 12-megapixel camera on the back, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, and a circular fingerprint scanner on the rear also feature.

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The pulled slides from the U.K. retailer's website also show off a number of Google software services on the Android Nougat 7.1 powered devices, including free photo storage via Google Photos, and the company's Duo video chat and Allo messaging apps, not to mention a quick charge feature that claims seven hours' battery life after 15 minutes of charging.

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The two smartphones signal the company's first foray into own-branded phones in the manner of Apple and Samsung, and will allow it to have more control over the hardware running its Android OS.

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Google is said to be relying on HTC to manufacture the devices, which will be unveiled tomorrow along with a number of other expected hardware announcements, including the company's Amazon Alexa competitor, Google Home, a Daydream VR headset, 4K Chromecast 'Ultra', plus a successor to its OnHub wireless router.

Tags: Google, Google Pixel
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Apple Maps Now Supports Amtrak's Full System in U.S. and Canada

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Apple has recently updated Apple Maps to include Amtrak's full system of train routes across the United States and in select Canadian cities.

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Building upon support for northeast routes, Apple Maps now supports Amtrak routes in the Midwest, Northwest, South, and West regions of the U.S., and in the Canadian cities of Montréal and Vancouver. Amtrak routing is available mainly in areas where transit directions have been implemented.

Midwest:

• Blue Water operating between Chicago, Illinois and Port Huron, Michigan
• Wolverine operating between Chicago, Illinois and Pontiac, Michigan
• Cardinal operating between Chicago, Illinois and New York, New York
• Southwest Chief operating between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California
• Texas Eagle operating between Chicago, Illinois and San Antonio, Texas
• City of New Orleans operating between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana
• Empire Builder operating between Chicago, Illinois and Portland/Seattle
• Illinois Service operating between Chicago, Illinois and Carbondale, Illinois
• Pere Marquette operating between Grand Rapids, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois
• Capitol Limited operating between Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois
• Hoosier State operating between Indianapolis, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois
• Hiawatha operating between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois
• Missouri River Runner operating between St. Louis and Kansas City in Missouri

California:

• Capitol Corridor operating between Auburn, California and San Jose, California
• Coast Starlight operating between Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles, California
• Pacific Surfliner operating between San Luis Obispo and San Diego in California
• San Joaquins operating between San Francisco area and Bakersfield area in California
• Sunset Limited operating between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California

South:

• Auto Train operating between Lorton, Virginia and Sanford, Florida
• Carolinian operating between New York, New York and Charlotte, North Carolina
• Crescent operating between New York, New York and New Orleans, Louisiana
• Silver Service/Palmetto operating between New York, New York and Tampa/Miami

Northwest:

• Amtrak Cascades operating between Vancouver, B.C. and Eugene, Oregon

West:

• Heartland Flyer operating between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Fort Worth, Texas

Additional northeastern routes such as Adirondack, operating between Montréal, Québec and New York, New York, and Downeaster, operating between Brunswick, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts, are also now supported.

Update: As mentioned by some readers, the California Zephyr route, operating between Chicago, Illinois and Emeryville, California, has not yet been added.

(Thanks, Alec!)

Tags: Amtrak, Apple Maps, Canada, Transit
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Angela Ahrendts is Now Simply Senior Vice President of Retail as Apple Drops 'Online Stores' From Her Title

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angela-ahrendtsApple updated its leadership page this weekend to reflect a minor change to Angela Ahrendts' title, which has been simplified to "Senior Vice President, Retail" as "Online Stores" has been dropped.

Ahrendts remains responsible for "strategy, real estate and development, and operations" of both Apple's physical stores and online storefront, according to her slightly updated bio.

Angela Ahrendts is Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. Angela is responsible for strategy, real estate & development, and operations of Apple’s physical stores, Apple’s online store and contact centers.

Since joining Apple in 2014, Angela has integrated Apple’s physical and digital retail businesses to create a seamless customer experience for over a billion visitors per year with the goal of educating, inspiring, entertaining and enriching communities. Apple employees set the standard for customer service in stores and online, delivering support from highly trained Geniuses and expert advice from Creative Pros to help customers get the most out of their Apple products.

The title change is likely in line with Apple's simplified retail branding, including dropping the "Store" moniker when referring to its retail locations by name. Apple has also been attempting to converge its physical and online retail experiences over the past few years, and Ahrendts' new title reflects those efforts.

Tags: Angela Ahrendts, Apple Store
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Tim Cook Tells Utah Tech Audience: Encryption 'Makes the Public Safe'

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Apple CEO Tim Cook drew cheers from a Salt Lake City audience on Friday as he reiterated the company's unwavering commitment to encryption and privacy protections for its customers, according to local media reports.

The comments were made during a Q&A session at the yearly meeting of the Utah Technology Council (UTC), a trade and advocacy group representing more than 5,000 technology and life-sciences companies across the U.S. state. The 55-year-old CEO was invited along with Utah senator Orrin Hatch to take the stage at the Grand America Hotel and field questions from a public audience.

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Tim Cook in Q&A with senator Orrin Hatch

Calling encryption "one of the biggest issues we face," the CEO noted that most iPhone users have more personal data on their phones than in their homes. "Encryption is one of the things that makes the public safe," he said. "We feel we have a responsibility to protect our customers."

"We believe the only way to protect both your privacy and safety from a cyberattack is to encrypt," Cook told about 1,400 industry executives, tech workers and Apple fans. "We throw all of ourselves into this and are very much standing on principle in this."

Cook was responding to questions regarding the lingering impact of Apple's dispute with the FBI over the agency's demand that it build a "back door" into its software, following the use of a locked iPhone by the primary suspect in the San Bernardino mass shooting last December.

Apple refused to comply with the request from the federal agency, which dropped its pursuit of the company when investigators apparently discovered another way to retrieve the data on the suspect's phone.

During the Q&A session, Cook also talked up the emerging field of augmented reality and underscored the importance of digital photo technology in preserving personal memories, which led him onto the subject of Apple's co-founder, Cook's late friend and colleague, Steve Jobs.

The CEO spoke fondly of keeping the former chairman's office intact at the company's Cupertino campus in California, where Jobs' personal knickknacks remain in place five years after his death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.

"His spirit will always be the DNA of the company," said Cook. "Jobs' vision was to make the best products that enrich people's lives. Lots of things will change with Apple, but that will never change."

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.

Tags: Apple Privacy, Encryption, Tim Cook
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Apple Ordered to Pay $302 Million in Damages to VirnetX in Patent Retrial

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Apple has been ordered to pay more than $302 million in damages for using VirnetX Holding Corp's patented internet security technology in its FaceTime platform without permission.

According to a Reuters report filed late on Friday, the verdict was handed down by a federal jury in Texas that has a reputation for awarding favorable verdicts to plaintiffs in cases involving patent infringement.

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The U.S. district judge presiding over the case, Robert Schroeder, previously threw out VirnetX's $625.6 million win over Apple from a previous trial because he said jurors in that case may have been confused.

The case with Nevada-based patent licensor VirnetX originally began in 2010, with a jury eventually awarding the company $368 million in 2012, but that decision was thrown out in 2014 after the court decided there were problems with how the trial judge had instructed jurors on calculating damages.

VirnetX continued to pursue Apple in relation to patents it believes the company infringed upon. The previous two suits were combined by the licensor's lawyers, and in February, a jury returned with an even bigger verdict, $625.6 million – one of the highest ever in a U.S. patent case.

However, Schroeder later voided the result, saying that the repeated references to the earlier case could have confused jurors and were unfair to Apple.

In the latest trial, reports Reuters, jurors were asked to determine damages on two VirnetX patents that Apple had already been found to infringe, and to determine both infringement and damages on another two patents. The final $302.4 million award was in line with what VirnetX had been demanding.

Neither Apple nor VirnetX have commented on the latest case, although Cupertino will surely exhaust all avenues for appeals before accepting the result. In the meantime, it is facing another court proceeding over whether it willfully infinged the patents, which could lead to higher damages.

Apple is also set to contend with the trial in a second lawsuit filed by VirnetX over newer versions of Apple security features, as well as its iMessage platform.

Tags: Patent Trials, VirnetX
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Sticker App 'Phoneys' Nixed by Apple for Mimicking Messages Chat Bubble Design

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Over the past week, a sticker pack that mimics the design of the iconic bubbles in the Messages app has rocketed to the top of the Messages App Store charts, but its popularity will be short-lived as Apple is going to pull it from the App Store.

Phoneys, currently the number two paid app in the Messages App Store in the United States, features chat bubble stickers that you can place over real messages, making it look like friends and family have said humorous things they didn't actually say. Examples include "You're my hero," "The sports team I pull for sucks," and "My political views are totally wrong."

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Given the popularity of Phoneys, it has, unsurprisingly, attracted Apple's attention, and the Cupertino company has taken issue with the app. In a phone call, an Apple employee told Phoneys developer Adam Howell that his sticker pack can't use the San Francisco font and it can't emulate the look of Messages chat bubbles. Furthermore, Apple said "prank" apps are not allowed in the App Store.

Apple's lawyers weren't happy that Phoneys got through the review process. The stickers couldn't be blue or green, they couldn't use San Francisco as the typeface, and the app could no longer be marketed as a "prank" app, because Apple doesn't approve prank apps (even though I myself had never used the word "prank" when marketing Phoneys, others did, and I certainly understood where he was coming from).

Apple is not pulling the app from the App Store immediately, but has given Howell a week to change the look of the app so that the text bubbles no longer resemble Messages chat bubbles. He's been asked to change them to "comic book cartoon bubbles," and if that doesn't happen, Phoneys will be removed by Apple.

Howell has not yet decided whether he'll leave the app as is for the people who already purchased it or if he'll update it with a new look as instructed by Apple so that he can continue providing updates and new content going forward.

Phoneys continues to be available from the App Store in its current incarnation for $0.99 [Direct Link], but potential buyers should know that it's either never going to see another update or it'll be updated to look significantly different.

Tags: App Store, iMessage
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MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus Case From Pad & Quill

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For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with popular accessory maker Pad & Quill to give MacRumors readers a chance to win an expertly crafted case designed for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Pad & Quill makes a wide range of accessories for Apple's iOS devices, all made by hand from high-quality wood and leather, and its new line of iPhone 7 cases are no exception.

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The Luxury Pocket Book iPhone 7 Case, the first case we're giving away, is a book-style case that's designed to both house and protect the iPhone 7. It features a cover made from full-grain American saddle leather to keep the iPhone 7's screen safe from scratches when in a pocket, and it has a birch wood cradle that holds the iPhone in place in case of a drop or impact while still leaving ports fully accessible.

Designed to perfectly fit the iPhone 7 or the iPhone 7 Plus, it comes with a wood frame to protect the area around the camera and a bookmark accent to complete the look. Inside the cover, there's space for up to five cards (six in the iPhone 7 Plus version) along with a clear ID pocket and a hidden cash pocket.

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Available in several tasteful color combinations, the Luxury Book iPhone 7 case is priced at $99.95 while the iPhone 7 Plus version is priced at $109.95.

We're also giving away some of Pad & Quill's Woodline cases for the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, priced at $49.95. Available in four hard woods, including American Cherry, Rosewood, Premium American Walnut, and Zebra Wood, the Woodline is billed as the "world's thinnest, strongest wood case" for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

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The Woodline case snaps onto the two devices and has been crafted to fit perfectly with access to all ports. It's got an ultra-strong polymer core, able to keep the iPhone safe from drops. The case measures in at less than a millimeter thin and is 5x stronger than steel at the same weight. The wood is polished and resistant to scratches so it will look great for a long time.


Three MacRumors readers will win one of Pad & Quill's Luxury Book Cases and three MacRumors readers will win one of Pad & Quill's Woodline cases, all in the size and color of the winner's choosing. If you don't have an iPhone 7 or an iPhone 7 Plus, you can still enter - Pad & Quill is also offering its Luxury Book and Woodline cases for the iPhone 6/6s/6 Plus/6s Plus to winners.

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The contest will run from today (September 30) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 7. The winners will be chosen randomly on October 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. Prizes will be shipped in mid to late October.

Tags: Giveaway, Pad & Quill
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Apple Campus 2 Work Continues as Lights Begin Turning On

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Less than a month after the last update on the ongoing construction of Apple's new spaceship campus in Cupertino, California, a few new drone videos have been shared online showcasing the progress of the project. The biggest changes over the past few weeks center around the appearance of lights on the outside of the ring-shaped building, along with fewer construction cranes, suggesting the near-completion of the campus as work shifts from architectural to electrical and the surrounding landscape features.

In the center of the campus, the large water feature has begun receiving its foundation, but otherwise no additional progress has been made on the surrounding garden area. In the last update, the outline of the pond and large new boulders and greenery were some of the most noticeable changes.


The video shows off the progress of the underground auditorium, which Apple plans to use for future product and service reveals, as well as the beginnings of one of seven campus cafe locations appearing on the outside edge of the spaceship building. A brief glimpse of the underground tunnels connecting various parts of the campus can also be seen towards the end of the video.

In a second drone video of the construction ongoing at Apple Campus 2, solar panel installation on the roof of the main building is estimated to be at 40 percent complete. It also provides closer shots of the underground auditorium, and the collection of peripheral buildings lined up on Tantau Avenue near the campus.


Apple plans to include a few amenities for its employees located on the campus, including various exercise-focused zones like joggling and cycling trails, and courts for basketball and tennis. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2016, with employees moving in towards the beginning of 2017.

Tag: Apple Park
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