MacRumors

Apple was granted patents today that include a concept for water-resistant iPhone speakers and a bone conduction technology that could bring advanced noise cancellation to future earbuds (via AppleInsider).

The first application granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is titled "Liquid resistant acoustic device" and details a protected acoustic port that uses a special mesh "umbrella" inserted between apertures in a device's housing, similar to the design of the mesh-covered loudspeaker found in current iPhones.

If liquid enters through the housing apertures it immediately comes into contact with the umbrella and is directed away from the internals, although in some versions a small amount of liquid is allowed to pass through if the handset is under significant pressure, to avoid structural damage.

Apple's invention also includes a second line of liquid defense, in the form of a "hydrophobic" coating applied to the outer surface of the iPhone housing and mesh umbrella, while a "hydrophilic" coating applied to the inside of the mesh works to draw liquid out.

As with all patents, whether or not Apple decides to use the invention in any future product remains unclear, although AppleInsider notes that a similar port design can already be found on the current Apple Watch.

Several rumors claim that the upcoming iPhone 7 could be properly waterproof, but it's not obvious that the invention described above would meet the requirements of such a specification.

Another Apple patent was awarded today, called "System and method of mixing accelerometer and microphone signals to improve voice quality in a mobile device". This one describes a headset that uses bone conduction technology to effectively filter out ambient noise.

The invention works by using accelerometers that detect vocal chord vibrations which reverberate through the user's skull. Coupled with an onboard microphone, the system is able to measure output signals and effectively parse out ambient noise vibrations.

Output from both systems are processed through a noise cancellation unit which then outputs a clean signal for transmission.

Apple has created a new "Apple Music Fashion" channel available to Apple Music subscribers, which features three new Apple Music playlists curated by fashion designer Alexander Wang, among other curated selections from Vogue, Burberry, and more.

As shared by Vogue, Wang's playlists, entitled Chill, Hype, and Vibe, feature a mix of R&B slow jams to hardcore rap to "dance-floor ready tracks." Each playlist includes between 15 and 20 songs.

"Chill is my go-to playlist when I get home, when I need to decompress, or when I'm having a night in," Wang told Vogue.com of a playlist that includes Rihanna, Drake, and Juicy J. [...]

"Hype--those songs are mostly derived from playlists that I've played in a party bus or en route to a festival or going out. They are songs that kick up the energy," he says of a grouping that features Diplo, M.I.A., and Lil Jon. "Vibe is more a playlist that's in between, with songs that have high energy and also are great classics. It's good for having people over, drinks; it's kind of pregame music." There you'll find A$AP Rocky, Rich Homie Quan, and Meek Mill.

Wang plans to update the playlists throughout the year with new content so his selections are always up to date. The launch of his playlists are accompanied by a new Apple Music video.

Wang's playlists and the Apple Music Fashion channel can be accessed by all Apple Music subscribers on iOS devices, Macs, and Android devices through this link.

A minor Instagram update released this morning lists only bug fixes in the description, but has quietly added a long overdue feature - a share sheet extension. With the new version of Instagram, it's possible to use the "share" feature in Photos or another app that supports share extensions to upload content directly to Instagram without needing to open the Instagram app.

When viewing images in Photos, selecting an image and then tapping on "share" now brings up Instagram alongside other sharing options like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. Selecting Instagram will allow users to write a caption before sending the image to Instagram.

As MacStories points out, Instagram's share extension is limited. Adding a caption to a photo is the only option, with no available photo adjustment tools or options for adding locations and people tags.

Instagram can be added to the share sheet through the Photos app by tapping on share, selecting the "More" button, and choosing to toggle on the Instagram option. Once that's done, Instagram will always be available in the share sheet of any app with share functionality.

Instagram can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple today uploaded eight new "Shot on iPhone" videos to its YouTube channel, showcasing the video capturing capabilities of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus through videos taken by actual iPhone users around the world.

Each video clip lasts for 16 seconds and is accompanied by music. Video content ranges from a rain storm in Los Angeles to penguins in Antarctica to a hippopotamus in Botswana.

Several of the videos showcase iPhone 6s video features like Slo-Mo, while others are played in reverse or are sped up.

Apple's "Shot on iPhone" campaign began in early 2015 following the launch of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, sharing photos of iPhone 6 images in ads and on billboards across the globe. Later in 2015, Shot on iPhone expanded to encompass video imagery collected in a World Gallery. Apple re-launched the "Shot on iPhone" campaign in early 2016 to focus on the camera improvements in the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus.

Apple today seeded the first version of an upcoming watchOS 2.2.2 update to developers, three weeks after releasing watchOS 2.2.1, a minor update that introduced bug fixes and performance improvements.

The watchOS 2.2.2 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on an iPhone by going to General --> Software update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the Apple Watch charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

We don't know what's included in watchOS 2.2.2, but as a 2.x.x update, it's likely to focus on bug fixes and performance improvements rather than outward-facing design changes and feature tweaks. We'll update this post with any changes that are discovered in the watchOS 2.2.2 beta.

Apple today provided developers with the second beta of an upcoming 9.2.2 update to tvOS, the operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. The second tvOS 9.2.2 beta comes two weeks after the release of the first beta and three weeks after the public launch of tvOS 9.2.1.

tvOS betas are more difficult to install than beta updates for iOS and OS X. Installing the tvOS beta requires the Apple TV to be connected to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, with the software downloaded and installed via iTunes or Apple Configurator. Once a beta profile has been installed on the device through iTunes, new beta releases will be available over the air.

As a minor 9.x.x update, tvOS 9.2.2 appears to focus on bug fixes and performance improvements, much like tvOS 9.2.1, the current version of the tvOS operating system. According to Apple's release notes, the first beta included bug fixes and security improvements and no outward-facing changes were spotted.

We'll update this post if any new features are found in tvOS 9.2.2 beta 2.

Uber recently introduced a couple of new features into its driver-focused Partner App, intended to address some issues that the company's drivers have with the service, namely destination requests and rider wait fees (via The Verge). The company says that the updates are directed at removing a few of the pains with driving for Uber, and less about addressing ongoing litigation generated by its opposers.

One of the biggest new features is a way for drivers to specify a route on which they can pick up and drop off riders. This way, if a driver is already leaving the house with a location in mind, or going home, the Uber app will filter out any riders that aren't on their intended route. This addition has been tested in San Francisco for a while, but is beginning to see a wider rollout today.

The company is also letting drivers more easily end or pause their rider pick up requests. In the "current trips" section of the app, drivers will be able to toggle a slider to "go offline," letting them prevent incoming requests before their current trip ends. Uber hopes it'll let its drivers end their sessions before a rider hails their car, and potentially gives them a poor rating when the pick up is declined.

The update also supports the launch of Uber's fee system that charges riders for making a driver wait longer than two minutes at a pick up location. According to Uber, "In the cities where we’ve been testing this, we’ve seen that riders are more likely to be prompt." An expansion of its branded debit card -- intended to help drivers receive payments faster and better handle their finances -- is also rolling out concurrently with the new update.

Perhaps most interesting to those interested in driving for Uber, the company is offering discounted rides to all of its drivers. Those who complete 10 trips in a week will get a 15 percent discount on an UberX ride, and if they can complete 20 trips in one week the company will knock off 50 percent from one UberBLACK ride.

Uber has faced encroaching competition over the years from similar ride-hailing companies like Lyft, and has remained above water in the face of multiple class action lawsuits against the company. Most recently, a settlement was reached in two cases, where it was decided that Uber drivers would remain "independent contractors" and not "employees." Uber still had to pay $84 million to the approximately 385,000 drivers represented in the cases.

Looking forward, Uber has even announced entry into the self-driving car race happening in the industry. With testing occurring on the streets of Pittsburgh initially, the company aims to ultimately adapt the technology to eliminate the need for drivers from the service completely. Given the status of self-driving cars in the field, Uber's future goal is undoubtedly a ways off from being implemented.

AT&T this morning announced that new 5G data tests are hitting the speeds estimated earlier in the year by the carrier, with results coming in at over 10 gigabits per second in some cases.

According to AT&T, the early tests show "positive signs" for customers in the future who would use the multi-gigabit speeds and low latency of 5G, which the carrier even hints as a possible benefit if included in self-driving cars. Overall, results from AT&T's tests describe speeds that are "10-100 times faster than today’s average 4G LTE wireless connections."

“We’ve seen great results in our 5G lab trials, including reaching speeds above 10 gigabits per second in early tests with Ericsson,” said Tom Keathley, senior vice president – wireless network architecture and design, AT&T. “Nokia is joining to help us test millimeter wave (mmWave), which we expect to play a key role in 5G development and deployment. The work coming out of AT&T Labs will pave the way toward future international 5G standards and allow us to deliver these fast 5G speeds and network performance across the U.S.”

In addition, the company announced today that Middletown, New Jersey will be joining Austin, Texas as a testing ground for the carrier's 5G trial run. The small-scale tests help AT&T -- along with partner Nokia -- "simulate real-world environment scenarios" to see what kind of strain the service can handle before a wide launch. Labs are also being set up in Atlanta and San Ramon, California to begin software architecture work on 5G's infrastructure.

As it stands, 5G is still a ways off. AT&T admits that the company -- and any carrier interested in the new wireless technology -- must wait for a new standards-setting process that is expected to be completed by a group of telecommunication associations, known as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, in 2018.

Following that, AT&T's own 5G network rollout is expected a few years later in 2020, and Apple's adoption is completely unclear in terms of which potential future iPhone would support 5G. Despite being so far off, AT&T hopes its tests in Middletown and Austin help introduce a "strategy for future deployment" of 5G once the standard becomes widespread.