MacRumors

SpotifyDespite the launch of Apple Music, which recently reached 13 million paid subscribers, rival service Spotify told Reuters that it has experienced a faster pace of growth since last June than beforehand.

"It's great that Apple is in the game. They are definitely raising the profile of streaming. It is hard to build an industry on your own," Jonathan Forster, a vice president and one of its first employees, told Reuters in an interview.

"Since Apple Music started we've been growing quicker and adding more users than before."

Spotify recently announced that it has 30 million paying customers, compared to around 20 million paid subscribers last June, while its total active user base has grown to nearly 100 million from 75 million a year ago.

Apple has not recently disclosed how many users it has on a three-month trial for an overall comparison, but Spotify remains over 2x to 2.5x larger than Apple Music in terms of paid subscribers worldwide.

"It would be terrible if we were just taking each other's users or to learn there was just a ceiling of 100 million users - I don't think that is the case," said Forster, who had just returned to Stockholm from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California.

Apple Music has inevitably generated increased awareness of the concept of streaming music, which in turn has helped Spotify triple its paid subscriber base in just two years. The service, which launched in Europe in October 2008 and expanded to the U.S. in July 2011, had 10 million subscribers through May 2014.

Spotify continues to operate at a loss due to expensive royalties and revenue sharing with music label partners, but the Swedish company expects to eventually become profitable through continued subscriber growth. Spotify will also seek to earn increased revenue from advertising, concerts, merchandising, and video.

Spotify today announced that 12 new original series will be coming to the streaming music service this summer and fall, centered around music performances, music profiles, and music culture. Last year, the company also added video programming and podcasts from partners such as Comedy Central, ESPN, and MTV.

In related news, Spotify for iOS was recently updated with a new bottom navigation bar in lieu of its traditional slide-out "hamburger" menu.

Apple has shared a new television commercial called "Thank You Speech" starring actor Neil Patrick Harris. The new 30-second spot promotes hands-free Siri on iPhone 6s in a humorous tone.


Harris asks Siri to read him his "thank you speech" while he stands in front of a mirror practicing with a hairbrush. The How I Met Your Mother star previously had a quick cameo in Apple's recent "Onions" ad.

Apple previously promoted hands-free Siri with its acclaimed "Timer" ad starring Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, with was accompanied by a humorous behind the scenes video. It also shared an ad called "Hey Siri" in December that specifically shows off the hands-free feature.

Related Forum: iPhone

According to some rumors, Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will not include a headphone jack, requiring headphones to connect to the devices using a Lightning connector. In light of these rumors, we've taken a look at several different pairs of Lightning-connected headphones to explore the benefits and drawbacks of an iPhone with no headphone jack.

In the video below, we compare headphones at three price points: the $45 Brightech earphones, the $300 Philips Fidelio M2L headphones, and the $800 Audeze El-8 headphones to offer some insight into how they sound compared to headphones connecting with a 3.5mm headphone jack.


Apple has perhaps been preparing for the removal of the headphone jack since 2014, when it introduced a Made for iPhone specification to allow third-party manufacturers to create headphones with Lightning connectors instead of 3.5mm headphone jacks.

While Lightning-connected headphones can only be used with iOS devices and prevent the devices from being charged while in use, two obvious negatives, there are also some significant benefits.

Our iPhones today include a 3.5mm headphone jack with a built-in digital to analog converter, or DAC, for playing music, which is then amplified through a built-in amp. Size and cost constraints associated with the 3.5mm headphone jack limit the quality of the DAC and amp, but in Lightning-connected headphones, the DAC and the amp are built into the headphones themselves instead of the iPhone, allowing manufacturers to control sound quality.

In our tests, all of the Lightning-connected headphones, from the $45 pair to the $800 pair, sounded better than comparable headphones connected to an iPhone using the 3.5mm jack, so while many of us may be disappointed with the inconvenience of no headphone jack, at least there's the silver lining of better quality audio when using Lightning-connected headphones.

Note: Philips provided MacRumors with the Philips Fidelio M2L headphones free of charge for the purposes of this hands-on test. Audeze provided MacRumors with a loaner set of the El-8 headphones which were returned at the conclusion of testing and the Britech headphones were purchased by MacRumors. No other compensation was received.

Related Forum: iPhone

An anonymous tipster has submitted a photo of a possible preproduction iPhone 7 dummy unit that could easily be fake, but offers a good visual representation of rumors surrounding the next-generation smartphone.

The unverified photo shows what appears to be a silver iPhone 7 with a similar form factor as the iPhone 6s, beyond at least three notable differences.

iPhone-7-dummy
The first is the absence of rear antenna bands, giving the rear shell a cleaner all-metal look. Earlier this year, a previously reliable source informed us that Apple would indeed remove the antenna bands across the rear of the iPhone 7.

The antenna bands would instead be repositioned along the top and bottom edges of the iPhone, as shown in a number of mockups such as our own below. The bands slightly extend to the side edges of the iPhone akin to the current design.

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The second is the inclusion of a Smart Connector, first introduced on the iPad Pro, that could allow for both data and power transfer between the iPhone 7 and accessories. Speculation about the port's exact role on the iPhone 7 has ranged from battery case connectivity to wireless charging.

Multiple reports have claimed the next iPhone will feature a Smart Connector, supported by a purported image of the iPhone 7 Plus featuring the port, but the latest word from oft-reliable Japanese website Mac Otakara suggests Apple may have ditched those plans until at least next year or perhaps indefinitely.

A third difference is what appears to be a flush camera lens, without the infamous protruding ring found on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s series. Early rumors pointed towards a flush design, but more recent rumors suggest the camera could remain slightly convex. The photo does not depict a dual-lens camera system, which could be exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus. The microphone and LED flash remain unchanged.

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A possible fourth but less distinguishable change may be the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, which multiple sources claimed would be removed on the iPhone 7. This rumor also carries some uncertainty with it after images of a possible Lightning cable assembly with a headphone jack, considered to be appropriate for the next iPhone, surfaced last week.

However, despite rumors claiming the iPhone 7 could also have stereo speakers, there still appears to be only one grille to the left of a Lightning port and microphone on the bottom. If ever realized, dual speakers could possibly be exclusive to the larger iPhone 7 Plus/Pro or delayed until the 2017 iPhone with an OLED display and glass casing.

Earlier today, a claimed design drawing of the iPhone 7 pointed towards the next-generation smartphone having the same length and width as the iPhone 6s. The device's overall form factor is expected to resemble the iPhone 6 from 2014, resulting in three consecutive generations of the same design beyond minor tweaks.

Other rumored features for the iPhone 7 series include a faster TSMC-built A10 chip, touch-sensitive home button, waterproofing and dustproofing, faster Intel LTE modems, and a slightly larger battery. At this point, however, it is still not entirely clear which features are designated for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, expected to be announced in September, or the OLED-based iPhone due in 2017.

Related Forum: iPhone

Opera today announced the launch of a brand new privacy-focused app, called Opera VPN, which allows users to block ads and even change their virtual location to circumvent restricted internet access (via TechCrunch)

In addition to these features, Opera VPN will stop ad-tracking software from gaining information about your internet habits that create personalized advertisements within browsers like Safari and Chrome.

“Every day, millions of people, from students to working people, find that social-media sites like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook are blocked when they surf on their campus or workplace Wi-Fi. The same goes for video-streaming sites,” Chris Houston, President of Surfeasy, Opera’s VPN division, said in an announcement released this morning. “With the new Opera VPN app, we help people to break down the barriers of the web and enjoy the internet like it should be,” he added.

Opera introduced a similar virtual private network feature into its OS X-based web browser in April, following its acquisition of VPN app company SurfEasy last year. Thanks to a VPN's ability to shield a user's true IP address, Opera's acquisition has let the company introduce new security-focused updates into its internet browser desktop and mobile apps.

At launch, users will be able to choose from five virtual locations, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Singapore and The Netherlands. The app will also be available in English, Arabic, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Those interested can download Opera VPN from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

SpotifySpotify today announced 12 new original series coming to the music streaming platform this summer and fall, which the company hopes will keep its users drawn into the service more often (via Bloomberg).

The shows will surround music and pop culture in general and be "centered around three main themes – music performances, music profiles and music culture," with episodes lasting up to fifteen minutes each.

The new video offerings come about a year after Spotify began showcasing clips from Comedy Central, ESPN, and MTV within the app. Now the company intends to get into the original programming game, with new shows like Landmark, a documentary series detailing important moments in music history, and Rush Hour, which will force two artists to quickly collaborate on a setlist of songs that they must then perform live.

The company has even netted a few well-known actors and producers for some of the shows, like Tim Robbins, who will produce a "mockumentary series about a competition to become the next dance music phenom." This first phase of 12 shows will be focused on music, and Spotify intends to speak with artists to figure out ways it can incorporate the video initiative into upcoming album launches.

Tom Calderone, the company’s content partnerships chief, said that the second phase of programming is already planned, as well, focusing on animated and comedic series "tailored to the service’s young audience." Calderone mentioned that one of the biggest hurdles the company must face is educating its users about the shows, and somehow promoting each series within the iOS app, which now has better tools for user visibility thanks to an all-new tab bar update. An update to the Android app is expected sometime this summer.

While Calderone has plenty of experience making shows people watch, Spotify has little experience getting people to watch much of anything. Videos are buried in the current version of the app, “down there with how to unsubscribe and the privacy policy,” Calderone joked.

“It will be our job to make this stuff famous,” Calderone said. “We have a ways to go.”

Spotify gave no specific launch date for the shows besides a vague summer and fall estimation. The company did confirm that each series will be available for both free and paid users to watch in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden.

Since Apple Music launched, rumors began swirling that the company was working on launching its own slate of original shows. Although iTunes chief Eddie Cue has said recent announcements aren't a signal that the company intends to delve deeper into original programming, it has confirmed a few series are in the works, including one starring Dr. Dre and another that will "spotlight the app economy."

Tag: Spotify

Apple is now accepting donations to the Canadian Red Cross through iTunes in Canada to help people affected by large wildfires in the Fort McMurray, Alberta area.

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iTunes donations to the Canadian Red Cross can be made in the amount of $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200. iTunes Store credit cannot be used to make a donation and no tax receipt will be provided.

The Fort McMurray wildfires began on May 1 and have since grown to reach over 200,000 hectares in size, damaging communities and forcing over 80,000 residents to evacuate to southern cities such as Edmonton and Calgary.

Apple facilitates Red Cross donations to support many relief efforts worldwide, including for the recent earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador.

Although Drake's newest album "Views" was only available on iTunes and Apple Music for one week, under the terms of the company's exclusivity deal with the artist, the album managed to sell more than one million copies in just five days, which The Wall Street Journal calls "a rare achievement in an age of rapid streaming growth and declining sales of downloads and CDs."

Most of those sales numbers -- 632,000 copies to be exact -- came within the first 24 hours of release, with the rest trickling over the one million mark in the subsequent days. The figures specifically target sales for the $13.99 iTunes copy of Views, but Apple Music showed some impressive streaming statistics for Drake's new album, as well.

In total, Views was streamed more than 250 million times worldwide, 200 million of which were inside the United States, suggesting Apple Music managed to get some of the artist's fans to sign up for the service beyond its current 13 million paid subscribers.

drake

The results fly in the face of industry fears that paid streaming services might hasten the continuing decline of music sales, which have fallen by more than 60% in the past 15 years, according to data from Nielsen. While that could still eventually happen, plenty of fans purchased the $13.99 Drake album last week even though they could also access it immediately, along with some 30 million other tracks, by subscribing to Apple Music for $9.99 a month—or even just by signing up for a free trial.

As Drake's album launched on April 29, his record label’s parent company, Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group, went to work keeping any traces of pirated songs and videos off of sites like YouTube. According to sources within the industry, the new trend of exclusivity deals between artists and streaming services like Apple Music and Tidal, has led to a renewed crackdown on pirated music. Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group alone has spent "millions of dollars a year" going through a similar process with other big releases.

Drake has been one of the headline artists representing Apple Music since it was first announced last year at WWDC. Since then, the singer has hosted 20 episodes of his own Beats 1 Radio show, OVO Sound, partnered with Apple Music to sponsor his Summer Sixteen tour, and had some of his songs featured in ads for the streaming music service.

iPhone-7-design-drawingA purported sketch of the iPhone 7 obtained by French website NWE points towards the next-generation smartphone having the same length and width as the iPhone 6s.

The unverified drawing shows the iPhone 7 has the same 138.3mm (5.44 inches) length and 6.71mm (2.64 inches) width as the iPhone 6s, but the depth of the new smartphone is not listed for comparison.

The sketch also depicts a larger and slightly convex camera housing, suggesting that the iPhone 7 could possibly have a larger sensor and a nearly flush camera cutout.

Conflicting rumors suggest that the iPhone 7 series may or may not include a 3.5mm headphone jack, Smart Connector, and dual-lens camera system, while it is possible some of those features may be exclusive to the larger iPhone 7 Plus (or Pro?)

The sketch is consistent with a previous iPhone 7 Plus design drawing that showed the larger 5.5-inch smartphone will likewise have identical dimensions as the iPhone 6s Plus.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the smartphones will not have "many attractive selling points," and it appears increasingly likely that Apple will break away from its typical tick-tock "S" design cycle and maintain the same 6-series form factor for a third consecutive year.

Other rumored features for the iPhone 7 series include a touch-sensitive home button, waterproofing and dustproofing, repositioned antenna bands, stereo speakers, wireless charging, and a slightly larger battery. Apple may reserve some features for the following iPhone in 2017, which rumors suggest could be far more compelling with an all-new OLED display, glass casing, and several other changes.

Related Forum: iPhone

Apple Maps has recently been updated with the introduction of all new Transit information for the city of Sacramento, California, which will let iPhone users in the city navigate using public transportation options like buses, subways, commuter rails, and more.

sacramento transit
Transit routing became available within iOS 9 with a limited number of supported cities at launch. Since then, Apple has worked at expanding support for the public transportation feature of its first-party Maps app, now encompassing 20 cities around the world and 30 cities within China.

Including Sacramento, Transit directions can be found in Austin, Sydney, Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Toronto, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Over the past month alone Apple has released a rapid collection of cities with Transit support, including Montreal, Portland, Seattle, New South Wales, and Rio de Janeiro, ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics.

(Thanks, Ram!)

Microsoft has updated its OneDrive app for iOS with new 'Peek' and 'Pop' support for owners with 3D Touch-enabled devices.

The 7.1 update to the cloud storage app means iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users can now get instant previews of file and folder contents using a lighter press, while a deeper press 'pops' open the uploaded content.

OneDrive iOS
Other changes to OneDrive include a new-look interface and a new feature that lets users shake their device to let Microsoft know if they are having issues with the service.

Last week, Microsoft began sending out email alerts to OneDrive users, warning holders of free 15GB accounts that their storage would be reduced to 5GB on August 10.

The 5GB limit has been in effect for new accounts for a while now, but Microsoft reneged on plans to force the reduction upon long-time subscribers, who were later given the option to keep their extra free space after widespread complaints.

OneDrive is available as a free download for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]

podcastsApple has held a special meeting with leading podcasters in an attempt to address concerns that the company is failing to adequately support the iTunes broadcast community, reports The New York Times.

According to the piece published today, the meeting took place last month at the company's Cupertino headquarters, where seven top iTunes podcasters were invited to air their grievances regarding Apple's handling of the popular audio format in recent years.

The podcasters expressed in "frank terms" their biggest issues to a room full of Apple employees, according to two attendees who spoke on condition of anonymity after signing nondisclosure agreements.

At the top of the complaints list was a frustration among podcasters at their lack of ability to make money through subscription downloads, mainly due to insufficient access to data about their listeners – data that they argued Apple is in a unique position to provide.

The program producers also took issue with iTunes' limited sharing features, which take multiple clicks to advertise content on social media. In addition, podcasters said they had been "relegated to wooing a single Apple employee" when it came to discussing issues, such as perceived inconsistencies in the way iTunes elects to promote content.

After the meeting was over, SVP Eddy Cue met with Apple employees separately in a closed-door session to discuss the issues that had been raised by the podcasters, but the company did not make any promises to address their concerns, according to the sources.

Apple essentially gave birth to the mainstream podcasting community in 2005 when it released iTunes 4.9 with native support for podcasts. Within a year, public radio networks like the BBC, CBC Radio One, and National Public Radio had placed many of their radio shows on the platform.

The format's popularity has surged in recent years, with many amateur podcasters going professional and major media organizations posting new shows every week. In 2014, breakout hit "Serial" garnered 110 million downloads as listeners avidly followed the radio spin-off's re-examination of a murder case. In 2015, at least 46 million Americans listened to podcasts each month. That figure is expected to reach 57 million by this year's end, according to a survey by Edison Research.

The report notes that podcasts bring Apple no direct revenue and its iTunes podcasting hub has changed very little since it was introduced, while promotion is decided by a small team that fields pitches and conducts its own outreach.

In a statement to The New York Times, Apple SVP Cue said, "We have more people than ever focused on podcasting, including engineers, editors and programmers." Cue added, "Podcasts hold a special place with us at Apple."

With Google and Spotify now actively promoting their own podcast promotion and distribution services, time will tell whether broadcasters agree.

Back in February, iTunes chief Eddy Cue promised a new version of iTunes would be coming out with OS X 10.11.4, featuring a simpler design that makes Apple Music easier to use. That update wasn’t included in OS X 10.11.4 and has been delayed, but a source has shared some screenshots of the upcoming iTunes 12.4 update with MacRumors, giving us a look at the changes Apple plans to introduce in the near future.

itunes124
A redesigned dropdown media picker will be used to switch between Music, TV Shows, Movies, and other content, replacing the existing navigation icons. Like the current menu, the new menu is customizable, so sections of iTunes that are not used can be hidden from view. Forward and back buttons can be used to navigate between different sections.

itunesnavigation
A persistent sidebar located on the left side of the app is being added, which will make it easier to access different portions of an iTunes Library like specific songs or albums. The sidebar, like the menu bar, can be edited to show desired content, and songs can be dragged and dropped to playlists.

itunesmainscreen
Menus in iTunes 12.4 are being simplified to make them easier to use, and the available content in Library can be customized using the redesigned View menu. Menus will be "easier to use" updated with new navigation options.

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The mini player will also get some slight design changes, with the Up Next song feature being relocated to the right side of the player where it is more clearly visible.

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It is not clear when Apple will debut iTunes 12.4, but our source says it should be released within in the next few weeks, putting a launch date in late May or early June.

Rumors have suggested Apple is also planning to introduce significant changes to Apple Music in the iOS Music app in iOS 10, and additional tweaks could be made to iTunes in OS X 10.12 to mirror changes being introduced in iOS 10.

Related Forum: Mac Apps

homekitappA unified, Apple-designed HomeKit app has been desired by HomeKit users since HomeKit first debuted, and it appears Apple is planning to introduce such an app in the near future, perhaps in iOS 10.

The hint on Apple's HomeKit plans comes from an Amazon reviewer who works in the marketing department at Apple. The name of the reviewer coincides with the LinkedIn profile of an alleged marketing employee at Apple, and we have confirmed that the Amazon review was indeed created by the Apple employee.

As I work in marketing for Apple, we test many Smart Home devices, especially for iOS HomeKit integration. [...]

Some advice, there are many third party applications, most free, that offer more control and customization(s) with many Smart Home devices. "Yonomi" is a free app that I often use, "Home" is another which cost $14.99. Both offer support for many devices with more added daily (including Amazon "Echo"). The next version of iOS due this fall will have a standalone "HomeKit" app as well.

While we verified the source of the information, there's always a chance that Apple's plans could change ahead of the release of iOS 10. There have been several past rumors suggesting Apple would debut a public HomeKit app, but such an app has not materialized even though Apple has long used a HomeKit app internally.

Apple has previously trademarked a HomeKit app icon (pictured above) that could potentially be used for a standalone HomeKit app and rumors have suggested it could be called "Home."

A cohesive, Apple-branded HomeKit app would go a long way towards improving the HomeKit experience. At the current time, HomeKit users with multiple products must use several different product apps, many of which offer different features, or rely on third-party apps.

Update: Further research on the alleged Apple employee who wrote the review suggests the information leaked about an upcoming HomeKit app in iOS 10 was a hoax. It is not clear if and when Apple will release a standalone HomeKit app.

Popular third-party Twitter client Tweetbot was updated to version 4.3 today, adding a new "Topics" feature that's designed to link multiple related Tweets together in a cohesive way. Tweetbot's Topics function is built around the Twitter feature that links Twitter conversations, something that clever Twitter users have utilized for "Tweetstorms."

Twitter has no built-in tool for handling grouped Tweets, leading Tweetbot to fill the void with its new "Topics" function. Tweets composed as a topic in Tweetbot will be linked all together via Twitter's built-in conversation threading and they'll also use the same hashtag so each Tweetstorm is viewable in a cohesive way to Twitter users regardless of the Twitter client being used to view the Tweets.

twittertopics
Sans Tweetbot, one would link several tweets together in a "Tweetstorm" by writing an initial tweet and then replying to that tweet, deleting the username at the start of the tweet. Though the username is removed, the tweets are still linked together in a conversation. Tweetbot's Topic feature simplifies this process.

Linking multiple tweets together is often desirable in situations where a single tweet won't suffice, such as a lengthy rant or live event coverage.

This release introduces Topics. A Topic is a way to let you quickly Tweet a group of related Tweets without having to manually reply to yourself and/or manually add the same hashtags over and over again. They are really great for rapid fire live Tweeting events.

Topics can be created by tapping on the Settings gear when composing a Tweet. Making a topic will prompt users to give the topic a title and an optional Hashtag, with another option to save the Tweets as a collection, visible in the Tweetbot app or embeddable in websites.

Today's update also includes several other tweaks to Tweetbot, including an option to hide the extra side column on the iPad, improved support for hardware keyboards, options for pasting images when composing a tweet, and more.

Other cool stuff
- You can now hide the extra side column on the iPad
- Much better support for hardware keyboards, including using arrow keys to navigate the timeline
- iPad images are no longer super huge
- You can paste images when composing a Tweet, really useful when using GIF (with a hard G) keyboards
- Support for Arabic language, including Right to Left UI
- Muting a user you don't follow will now also prevent Tweets from that user from showing up in your Mentions, Lists and Searches
- Support for Twitter Collections
- Quoting a Tweet looks much nicer when composing a Tweet
- Support for Firefox browser
- Improved support for uploading video to Twitter
- Fixed an issue where timeline would get stuck

Tweetbot can be downloaded from the App Store for $9.99. [Direct Link]

A Smart Connector has been one of the features rumored for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, but a new report from Japanese site Mac Otakara suggests Apple has decided not to include a Smart Connector on the upcoming devices.

The Smart Connector, first introduced with the iPad Pro, is a new type of port designed to transfer both data and power between the iPad Pro and accessories like the Smart Keyboard. It's never been clear what purpose a Smart Connector would serve on an iPhone, but speculation ranged from battery cases to wireless charging.

Hints that a Smart Connector would be included on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus first surfaced in an image said to be of the iPhone 7 Plus shared by a Chinese website in March. It is still not clear whether that image depicts an actual iPhone 7 device, a mockup based on design schematics, or a counterfeit device. A Smart Connector was also depicted in design drawings created by Mac Fan, but those drawings are often largely based on circulating rumors.

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Mac Otakara suggests Apple decided to shelve the Smart Connector after considering it as an included feature, but given the questionable nature of the original rumor, it's possible a Smart Connector was never planned for the device. Rumors about the iPhone 7 are still uncertain with a lot of conflicting information surfacing, so the final design and features of the device continue to be up in the air.

Rumors have disagreed on features like waterproofing, the removal of the headphone jack, the thickness of the iPhone 7, stereo speakers, whether the camera will protrude, and more, but it's likely a clearer picture of the iPhone 7 will emerge in the months leading up to its prospective fall release.

Related Forum: iPhone

For today's giveaway, we've teamed up with Ultimate Ears to give MacRumors readers a chance to win a limited edition UE Boom 2 Bluetooth speaker. Called "Lost Time," the speaker has a colorful, abstract design that was created by Australian artist Reka.

Available for $199.99, the same price as all of the UE Boom 2 speakers, the Lost Time version is available in limited quantities. Ultimate Ears is also selling "Rabbit Eye Movement" and "Fresh Cut" limited edition speakers with unique designs.

Aside from its look, the Lost Time UE Boom 2 is the same as other UE Boom 2 speakers, offering high-quality sound in a portable package. The UE Boom 2 line is waterproof with an IPX7 rating, meaning it can be taken to the beach, the pool, or used in the shower, and it's also shockproof so it'll survive drops up to five feet. The built-in battery will last for up to 15 hours.

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We reviewed the UE Boom 2 back in November and found that it puts out a lot of sound for its compact, size, which is equivalent to a water bottle. The UE Boom 2 also benefits from the UE Boom app, allowing multiple speakers to be linked together.

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We're giving away one Lost Time UE Boom 2 to a lucky MacRumors reader. 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.

The contest will run from today (May 6) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 13. The winner will be chosen randomly on May 13 and will be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Following the launch of its "Shot on iPhone" Mother's Day ad, Apple has created a dedicated website that allows customers to create their own Mother's Day video by uploading images of their mom.

The simple site, first shared by iPhone in Canada, opens with an upload image link, which allows users to upload a photo. The photo is then inserted into a customized version of Apple's Mother's Day video and can be uploaded directly to Facebook.

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Content wise, the video is identical to Apple's Mother's Day Shot on iPhone ad, featuring photos of mothers from iPhone users around the world, with the addition of the user-uploaded photo.


The site, which is a new marketing tactic for Apple, may have been created by Apple advertising partner Media Arts Lab, as an employee was the first person to tweet out a link to the new site. Apple's video creation tool comes just ahead of Mother's Day, which occurs on Sunday, May 8.