MacRumors

BitTorrent has announced it is launching a new content distribution app called BitTorrent Now, which lets users stream music and video from a library of independent artists and filmmakers.

The app will soon be available for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, and offers a catalogue of free, paid, and ad-supported, on-demand content, including VR content as and when it becomes available.

BitTorrent Now
Use of BitTorrent's Bundle format will allow content creators to require users to register or pay for media distributed through the platform, and give them greater control over how their content is offered, presented, and shared:

This is what happens when artists have agency: our shared culture becomes more diverse, more whole; more sustainable. And that’s why we started BitTorrent Bundle: to give artists options. Not rules. The freedom to share your story, no matter what form it takes. The right to know, understand, and reach your audience. The right to choose your business model.

The app's launch can be seen as an attempt by the company to distance itself from the file-sharing protocol of the same name and reframe its brand as a legitimate media service, quite apart from the pirated content often associated with the peer-to-peer network.

The app doesn't currently rely on peer-to-peer technology, although The Verge reports that BitTorrent is working to include support.

BitTorrent Now is "coming soon" to iOS and Apple TV. Those who request an invite to the service will receive updates on its availability.

Today at its VidCon keynote address, YouTube announced that its mobile app will be getting updated with a brand new live streaming option, allowing users to easily stream video from their iPhones directly from the YouTube app.

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YouTube mobile live streaming will be baked right into the core YouTube mobile app. You won’t need to open anything else, just hit the big red capture button right there in the corner, take or select a photo to use as a thumbnail, and you can broadcast live to your fans and chat in near real time.

The feature will work similar to Facebook Live and Periscope, with streamers having the ability to see live comments from viewers. However, YouTube's live streaming will take advantage of the company's live streaming infrastructure, which it has been enhancing since its debut in 2011. Mobile live streaming has become increasingly popular since Meerkat launched in 2015, and has been used to document a variety of events, from NBA Final press conferences to the sit-in at the House of Representatives.

YouTube opened up live streaming in 2013, after two years of testing the service with big events like the Royal Wedding and Felix Baumgartner's leap from space. The video platform then began expanding it to verified accounts and creators with at least 1,000 subscribers.

Live streaming will launch today for select YouTube creators The Young Turks, AIB, Platica Polinesia, SacconeJolys, and Alex Wasabi, and will be rolling out to all users in the near future.

YouTube for iOS is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: YouTube

Apple today told several news sites that it plans to discontinue its Thunderbolt Display, which has been available for purchase online and in Apple retail stores since it was first introduced in the summer of 2011.

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"We're discontinuing the Apple Thunderbolt Display. It will be available through Apple.com, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last. There are a number of great third-party options available for Mac users," said an Apple spokesperson.

Apple will continue to sell existing Thunderbolt Display stock so long as it remains available, but once stock is exhausted, the Thunderbolt Display will no longer be available as production is ceasing. It is not clear why Apple has decided to make an announcement concerning the discontinuation of the display and if it means a new 4K or 5K display is on the horizon.

Stock shortages ahead of WWDC sparked rumors that Apple might be planning to introduce a new display at the event, but no new hardware appeared and Apple instead focused on software for iOS devices, Macs, Apple TVs, and Apple Watch devices.

Rumors have suggested Apple is working on a 5K display, and if true, such a display could feature a resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels, USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 peripherals, and a design that mimics the latest iMacs. Speculation suggests it could come equipped with a built-in GPU or use a DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport setup to stitch two halves of a display together to make one seamless display.

If a new Thunderbolt Display is in the works, it could launch alongside next-generation Skylake Retina MacBook Pros, which are rumored to be in the works for late fall.

Related Forum: Mac Accessories

HomeKit users have long wished for a centralized, Apple-designed app for controlling HomeKit-enabled products, and in iOS 10, Apple has granted that wish, with the debut of the new "Home" app. Designed to be used on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, Home is Apple's new one-stop HomeKit control solution.

As can be seen in the video below, Home offers a simple, fast, convenient way to manage all of the connected products in your house. Not all accessories are fully functional with Home right now as its a beta, but support will improve before Home launches as part of iOS 10 this fall.


Opening the Home app brings up a main screen that lists all favorite Scenes and favorite accessories for quick access. The app's wallpaper is customizable, and a Settings section offers options for changing the name of a home and inviting additional users.
The "Rooms" section of the app is where new accessories can be added and new Scenes can be created, with Scenes able to work with all of the HomeKit-connected products in your house.

Each accessory can also be controlled individually by pressing on its name to bring up a set of options. With Philips Hue lights, for example, a long press or 3D Touch offers options for dimming lights and changing colors.

An "Automation" feature in the Home app allows HomeKit accessories to be set up to perform actions based on time and location, such as turning on the lights when the sun sets or turning on the air conditioning when you leave work. The Apple TV serves as a remote hub for HomeKit and in iOS 10, you can also set an iPad to serve as a hub to enable HomeKit devices to work remotely.

Along with a new Home app, iOS 10 brings support for additional types of HomeKit devices like air conditioners, heaters, air purifiers, humidifiers, cameras, and doorbells.

For full details on the new features coming in iOS 10, make sure to check out our iOS 10 roundup. Don't miss out on our previous videos, which have covered watchOS 3, macOS Sierra, and other iOS 10 features:

- WWDC 2016 Overview in Seven Minutes
- iOS 10's Overhauled Lockscreen
- The New iOS 10 Photos App
- The New iOS 10 Messages App
- macOS Sierra - Siri
- iOS 10 Hidden Features
- watchOS 3 Overview
- iOS 10's Redesigned Apple Music Experience
- 3D Touch in iOS 10

We've also got roundups for all of the upcoming operating systems, including watchOS 3, macOS Sierra, and tvOS 10.

Related Forum: iOS 10