MacRumors

Google today announced the launch of a new app called Motion Stills, which is designed to create unique GIFs from Live Photo images captured with the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE.

According to Google, the app was built by the Google Research Team and uses the company's video stabilization technology to freeze the background into a still photo or create cinematic panoramas. Multiple clips can also be combined into a montage.

GIFs created by Motion Stills can be shared via apps like Messages or on social media networks.

We pioneered this technology by stabilizing hundreds of millions of videos and creating GIF animations from photo bursts. Our algorithm uses linear programming to compute a virtual camera path that is optimized to recast videos and bursts as if they were filmed using stabilization equipment, yielding a still background or creating cinematic pans to remove shakiness. [...]

Short videos are perfect for creating loops, so we added loop optimization to bring out the best in your captures. Our approach identifies optimal start and end points, and also discards blurry frames. As an added benefit, this fixes "pocket shots" (footage of the phone being put back into the pocket).

There are several other apps designed to create GIFs for Live Photos, so Google's offering isn't unique, but it is notable that Google is offering an iOS-only app that works with an iOS-only feature. Google says the information it learns from Motion Stills will perhaps be used to introduce new capabilities into Google Photos in the future.

Aside from making Live Photos viewable on iOS and Mac devices running the latest operating systems and implementing an API for developers to incorporate Live Photos viewing into their apps, Apple has not designed any tools that allow users to manipulate and edit their Live Photos or convert them into videos or GIFs.

Google's new Motion Stills app is available now and can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple's suppliers have already begun providing it with parts for an upcoming 13-inch "MacBook" update, according to a paywalled report from China's Commercial Times summarized by DigiTimes.

Notebook hinge maker Jarllytec reportedly started shipping metal injection mold-made (MiM) hinges to Apple in May, said to be destined for a 13-inch MacBook. The MacBook in question is likely to be a future revamped 13-inch MacBook Pro, which past rumors suggest will use MiM hinges.

Metal injection molding is a technique used to create small, intricate metal parts. Apple is rumored to be using hinges crafted this way to save space, as the next-generation MacBook Pro models are said to be ultra-thin.

The same report suggests Jarllytec will begin shipping hinges for 15-inch MacBook models in the third quarter of 2016, raising the possibility that Apple will stagger the releases of the redesigned MacBook Pro, first introducing a 13-inch model and following it up later with a 15-inch model. If Apple already has hinges in hand for a 13-inch MacBook Pro, it would perhaps be ready to debut in the next couple of months. We've already seen a chassis said to be for the 13-inch MacBook Pro, supporting the notion that it is perhaps already in production.

We are not expecting to see MacBook Pro announcements at WWDC, but rumors have suggested Apple will debut its next-generation MacBook Pro machines during the fourth quarter of 2016. Should Apple be planning to stagger the releases, a 13-inch model could come in September and a 15-inch model could follow in October or November should it not be ready to launch at the same time.

Predicting Apple's plans for the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro is difficult because there are a lot of confusing rumors about the two machines. Many of the rumors about the devices have referred to them as simply "MacBooks," and that ambiguous naming is further confused by a report from Ming-Chi Kuo suggesting Apple is also working on a 13-inch MacBook that would be sold alongside the 12-inch MacBook.

Distilling the rumors down, it's clear there are new MacBook Pro machines in the works, but figuring out a more concrete release date won't be possible until we have more information to work with.

In addition to being ultra thin with a MacBook-style design, Apple's next-generation MacBook Pros are expected to include an OLED touch panel that will replace the function keys on the existing MacBook Pro. Touch ID may be included, and rumors suggest the bar will be dynamic, changing the available keys based on the app in use. This touch panel will need to be deeply integrated into OS X, so additional hints on the upcoming MacBook Pro may be found in OS X 10.12, releasing to developers next week.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.6 beta to public beta testers, one day after releasing the second OS X 10.11.6 beta to developers. OS X 10.11.6 has been in testing since May 23 and the second beta comes three weeks after the public release of OS X 10.11.5, the fifth update to the El Capitan operating system.

Beta 2 is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who are enrolled in Apple's beta testing program. Mac users who want to join the program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website.

OS X 10.11.6, like most of the previous updates to the El Capitan operating system, appears to be minor in scale, focusing mainly on bug fixes and security improvements that are not immediately obvious to testers and developers. No outward-facing changes or major bug fixes were discovered in the first two developer betas.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3.3 update to public beta testers, one day after seeding the second iOS 9.3.3 beta to developers. iOS 9.3.3 has been in testing since May 23 and comes three weeks after the release of iOS 9.3.2, an update focusing primarily on bug fixes.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 9.3.3 update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and OS X betas.

As another minor 9.x.x update, iOS 9.3.3 includes under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements to address issues that have been discovered since the release of iOS 9.3.2. No outward-facing changes or immediately apparently bug fixes have been discovered in the first two developer betas of iOS 9.3.3.

Smartphone maker and display manufacturer Samsung is believed to launch a pair of smartphones in early 2017, each with a bendable OLED display. According to people familiar with the smartphones' development (via Bloomberg), the two devices could be unveiled as early as Q1 2017 -- potentially at Mobile World Congress in February -- and come in two different sizes, similar to that of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

One phone would have a 5-inch screen when used in a normal handset fashion, and could then be opened to a tablet size that's "as large as 8 inches." The smaller alternative is estimated to be sized around a traditional modern 5-inch smartphone, but users would have the ability to fold it in half "like a cosmetic compact" to easily fit it into bags and pockets.

“This product could be a game-changer if Samsung successfully comes up with a user interface suitable for bendable screens,” said Lee Seung Woo, an analyst at IBK Securities Co. in Seoul. “Next year is a probable scenario. Their biggest obstacle was related to making transparent plastics and making them durable, which seems resolved by now.”

Codenamed "Project Valley," the bendable smartphones won't be Samsung's new flagship devices, and are believed to be angled more as an experiment by the company to test the waters of user response to bendable screens. Because of this, the two new handhelds also won't fall under the Galaxy S line of phones currently running by Samsung, but will be newly named entries in its collection of smartphones.

While not bendable, Apple's 2017 iPhone is expected to pack in a curved OLED display with an edge-to-edge, bezel-free design, similar to that of Samsung's Galaxy S7 smartphone. Overall, Apple's "iPhone 8" is expected to be a huge update year for the company's smartphone, following 2016's internals-focused upgrade, so it'll be interesting to see how the the two handhelds fare against each other when they launch.

There's been some speculation that the dark theme of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference website and WWDC app are hinting at a potential dark mode set to be released as part of iOS 10, and a new set of concept images from iHelpBR imagines what a dark mode setting could look like on iOS devices.

A system-wide dark mode is depicted in the images, offering up an example of what darker backgrounds would look like in Messages, Mail, Contacts, News, and more. iHelpBR speculates that such a feature could be set to come on automatically when the sun sets, darkening the entire operating system as is currently done in the Maps app.

The site images a dark mode that would extend to built-in Apple apps and system menus, as well as third-party apps using a potential dark mode API.

iHelpBR's concept also features split-screen multitasking and picture-in-picture support, bringing the iPad feature to the iPhone when used in landscape mode. It's not clear if Apple would consider bringing split-screen multitasking to the iPhone given the small amount of screen real estate compared to an iPad, but some users would likely welcome the feature.

OS X has had a dark mode since the 2014 launch of OS X Yosemite, with a darker menu bar, dock, and system menus, and since then, it's been a highly desired feature for iOS. Despite the darker look of Apple's WWDC app and WWDC website, there is no concrete evidence a dark mode is coming, but it's a possibility. A dark mode was also featured in the iOS 10 wish list concept video created by MacStories.

iOS 10 will debut next week alongside OS X 10.12 and new versions of watchOS and tvOS. Apple is expected to show off the new operating systems at the WWDC keynote event, set to take place on June 13 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Following the keynote event, Apple will likely provide beta versions of new software to developers.

For the last several months, well-known luxury brand Coach has been quietly working on a set of designer Apple Watch bands created to match Coach handbags, and now those bands are set to debut on June 12.

Haute Écriture's David Boglin de Bautista has been sharing details on the design of the bands gleaned from sales representatives and over the weekend, he learned Coach retail stores will be receiving the bands starting next week.

Coach is planning to release the bands in three styles: Leather Strap with Charms, Wild Beast Camo, and Tea Rose Appliqué, with each style available in three colors for a total of nine bands. High-quality photos of each style were shared by de Bautista.

Coach salespeople are readily sharing information on the bands with customers, and a redditor was able to snap a photo of a product guide that depicts all of the new bands and their color options. Leather Strap comes in black, white, and saddle brown, while the Wild Beast Camo band is available in denim, military green, and saddle brown. The Tea Rose band will be available in black, white, and tawny orange. All bands are listed as women's bands and will be priced at $150.

Coach has reportedly made the Apple Watch bands in small quantities and one sales representative told de Bautista that she expects them to sell out quickly. The bands will be available in select stores in California, Nevada, and New York, and will not initially be available online.

It was originally unclear if Coach was teaming up with Apple on the bands or releasing them independently, but it appears the bands will not be sold by Apple. Apple offers its own line of Apple Watch models and luxury bands through a partnership with Hermès.

Apple this weekend debuted new ads for Apple Music, featuring record producer, label executive, and musician DJ Khaled. The ads, which aired following the Apple Music launch of DJ Khaled and Drake's new track "For Free," feature DJ Khaled with Naomi Campbell and Ray Liotta.

The first of the two ads, filmed with Naomi Campbell, was shared by DJ Khaled on Twitter. In the spot, DJ Khaled drives Campbell down the Pacific Coast Highway in a Rolls Royce while listening to his new track.

The second ad, featuring Ray Liotta, was shared on the Beats 1 YouTube channel yesterday. In this spot, Liotta and Khaled are in a nail salon getting pedicures while talking about the perks of Apple Music.

DJ Khaled first began partnering up with Apple in February, when he launched his We the Best Radio Show on Beats 1 Music. DJ Khaled's "For Free" single is from his upcoming album Major Key, which is also expected to debut on Apple Music.

Apple has been heavily promoting Apple Music in recent months, and has featured a series of videos starring Taylor Swift.