Two weeks after launching an iPhone 6s battery repair program, Apple has released a tool that allows iPhone 6s owners to check whether their device is affected by the problem.
An updated page for the iPhone 6s program includes an option to enter a serial number to determine whether an iPhone 6s is eligible for a free battery replacement.
A small number of iPhone 6s models manufactured between September and October of 2015 have a faulty battery, which can cause the iPhone 6s to unexpectedly shut down.
Devices that fall into the eligible manufacturing date will be able to receive a new battery from Apple at no charge should they exhibit the unexpected shutdown issue. Devices must be in good working condition to receive a battery replacement -- Apple won't swap it out if there's an issue like a cracked screen that could impair the battery replacement.
iPhone 6s owners with an eligible device can visit an Apple retail store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or call Apple Support for assistance with the issue. Customers who have already paid to have their iPhone 6s batteries replaced can receive reimbursement from Apple for the repair costs.
Apple has reduced its orders for the iPhone 7 with suppliers, following the initial sales influx within the first month of the device's launch this past September. Supply chain sources speaking with Digitimes pointed towards strong demand for the Jet Black iPhone 7 and Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 issues as catalysts for the initial shipping momentum, but both factors have now trailed off in producing more iPhone sales leading up to 2017.
Because of these factors and more, demand for the iPhone 7 in China and other markets around the world has "started fading." The timing aligns with Apple's typical iPhone manufacturing slow down towards the end of each year, and attention by suppliers and customers is now said to be on 2017's much-anticipated tenth anniversary iPhone.
Demand for the iPhone 7 devices in China and other markets has scaled down significantly since their launch less than three months ago, the sources noted.
Instead of paying attention to sales performance of the iPhone 7 devices, component suppliers and consumers alike have been shifting their focus to the next generation iPhone to be released in 2017, commented the sources.
"High expectations" for the so-called iPhone 8 are also factored into the shipment outlook for the iPhone 7 as the new year approaches. In total, shipments for the iPhone 7 are believed to be five million less in the first six months of 2017 than in the four month period the smartphone will have been available by the end of 2016.
Apple has released updated audio drivers to fix a major issue causing blown out speakers on new MacBook Pro models running Windows 10 with Boot Camp.
Earlier this month, a number of users began noticing crackling or distorted sound coming from the left, right, or both speakers on the new MacBook Pro, oftentimes shortly after installing and running Windows 10 with Boot Camp. These issues persist even when affected users boot back into macOS Sierra.
MacRumors reader tianhuailiu — edited slightly for clarity:
"I used Boot Camp to install Windows and the right speaker started producing crackling sounds. It sounds like something broke inside the speaker. Every time I log in on Windows and try doing something with the speaker driver, either the left or right speaker produce a crackling sound. I have to return the MacBook Pro right now. Right now both my speakers crash both in macOS Sierra and in Windows, and they can only produce half of the original volume.
The damage to the speakers appears to be permanent once it occurs, requiring users to contact Apple to exchange their new MacBook Pro for a replacement unit. Unfortunately, due to limited stock, some of these users are now faced with waiting several weeks for their MacBook Pros to be swapped out.
The new Boot Camp audio drivers are available through Apple Software Update on the Windows side for both 13-inch and 15-inch models, although the issue appears to primarily affect the larger of the two. The new drivers, of course, are of no help to users who have already blown out their speakers.
While new drivers are available, late 2016 MacBook Pro users should exercise caution when running Windows 10 with Boot Camp due to the severe nature of the problem. As a temporary workaround, some users have plugged in headphones during the booting process until installing the updated drivers.
After installing the updated drivers, some MacBook Pro users appear to be experiencing issues with low volume on both Windows 10 and macOS Sierra, but the underlying problem remains unclear. Affected users should contact Apple or schedule a Genius Bar appointment for further support.
The issue does not affect older MacBook Pro models or Windows virtualization software such as VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop for Mac.
Update: Apple has released a support document confirming the problem and advising users to update to the new drivers to avoid speaker issues.
Popular iOS game Tiny Wings has launched today on the fourth-generation Apple TV for $2.99. The launch was teased by the game's creator on YouTube earlier in the week, with a video that showcased the game, now called "Tiny Wings TV," and its split-screen multiplayer abilities.
Two players can play the game together on one Siri Remote, or with a combination of a Siri Remote and an Apple TV-supported MFi controller. Players can even connect to the iOS Tiny Wings app [Direct Link] and use their iPhone or iPad as a controller.
Otherwise, Tiny Wings TV keeps the same one-button control gameplay that requires players to guide a bird through levels by timing and aligning where the bird falls in the game's procedurally generated hillsides, which will look different every day it's played. iCloud support will also sync and save gameplay between the Apple TV and iOS versions of Tiny Wings.
HSBC has announced it now accepts Apple Pay in Singapore as of December 1. Visa and MasterCard credit cards issued by the bank can now be used with Apple Pay wherever contactless payments are accepted in the country.
Between now and January 15, 2017, the first 8,000 HSBC customers will receive $5 off every Apple Pay transaction with their HSBC credit cards, with a minimum spend of $10 per transaction. The cash back promotion is capped at $20 per customer.
Eligible cards can be added to Apple Pay by tapping "Add Credit or Debit Card" in the Wallet app on an iPhone 5 or newer. iOS 8.1 or later is required.
Apple Pay launched in Singapore in April 2016. Other participating banks in the country include DBS Bank, OCBC Bank, POSB Bank, Standard Chartered, and UOB. Non-bank-issued American Express cards are also supported.
Apple is putting together a team of robotics and data-collection experts who will use drones, and "new indoor navigation features," to bolster and further improve the quality of Apple Maps. The move is said to be positioned as a method to catch up with Google, the longtime leader in the mapping field (via Bloomberg).
The drones will be able to capture and update Apple Maps at a far quicker rate than Apple's collection of GPS data-collecting minivans, which began appearing in the United States in early 2015.
In addition, a new feature is said to be coming to Maps that will let users view the insides of buildings, thanks to its Indoor.io and WifiSLAM acquisitions, and overall improvements will be made to navigation within the app.
Apple wants to fly drones around to do things like examine street signs, track changes to roads and monitor if areas are under construction, the person said. The data collected would be sent to Apple teams that rapidly update the Maps app to provide fresh information to users, the person added.
According to documents gathered by Bloomberg News, Apple already filed for an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration to be able to fly drones for commercial purposes, and was granted approval to "operate an unmanned aircraft system to conduct data collection, photography, and videography." According to current rules, Apple's drone fleet would be restricted from flying over people and buildings, would be designated to operate only in daytime, and could only be flown by licensed pilots.
One of the pilots is said to have already been hired from Amazon's fledgling Prime Air program, and they will join the Apple Maps drone team at its base in Seattle, Washington. The indoor mapping initiative is said to be moving forward at the same pace as the drone fleet, with Apple's hope being to help customers navigate airports "and other high-traffic buildings like museums" using their iPhones. This feature, along with a Maps update that will provide users "better guidance for changing lanes while driving," is believed to launch next year.
Media management service Plex has announced that its Plex Media Player app is now free to everyone. Previously only available to Pass subscribers, the Plex app for Mac is a home theater-style media browser and player for content stored in personal media libraries.
Plex Media Player (which is distinct from the Plex Media Server client app) now features a fullscreen desktop interface where it integrates online files and metadata to present users' media, including artwork and, optionally, movie subtitles. In the latest update, the Player also allows users to queue up movies and music.
Maybe you pine for stuff like Plex Media Player’s silky smooth playback, complex subtitle rendering, and lightning fast seeking on your desktop. Maybe you have a lower-powered NAS server that doesn’t like to transcode. Or maybe you’d just like to rock out to some FLAC while you work. Until today, your only option was to find some place to stash a little baby Media Player window and muddle through the TV UI to queue up your background music of choice.
Well, no more: we’ve harnessed our incredibly powerful Web app and wrapped it up inside our lovely Plex Media Player shell to give you a full-fledged “desktop mode” experience right out of the box. With Plex Media Player running in a window, you can now use your mouse and keyboard as nature intended, and switching to the TV UI is as easy as going full-screen.
In addition to making Plex Media Player a free download, Plex also announced the long-awaited Plex for Kodi add-on. Kodi is a fully extensible, community driven software media center with wide support for playing a range of media content. Exclusively for Plex Pass members, the Plex add-on brings users' Plex-processed media libraries to the Kodi interface for the first time.
You can download Plex Media Player on this page by clicking the 'Get an app' button (third option).
Mozilla and Tor have published browser updates to patch a critical Firefox vulnerability used to deanonymize users (via ArsTechnica).
Privacy tool Tor is based on the open-source Firefox browser developed by Mozilla, which received a copy of the previously unknown JavaScript-based attack code yesterday. Mozilla said in a blog post that the vulnerability had been fixed in a just-released version of Firefox for mainstream users.
The code execution flaw was reportedly already being exploited in the wild on Windows systems, but in an advisory published later on Wednesday, Tor officials warned that Mac users were vulnerable to the same hack.
"Even though there is currently, to the best of our knowledge, no similar exploit for OS X or Linux users available, the underlying bug affects those platforms as well. Thus we strongly recommend that all users apply the update to their Tor Browser immediately."
The exploit is capable of sending the user's IP and MAC address to an attacker-controlled server, and resembles "network investigative techniques" previously used by law-enforcement agencies to unmask Tor users, leading some in the developer community to speculate that the new exploit was developed by the FBI or another government agency and was somehow leaked. Mozilla security official Daniel Veditz stopped short of pointing the finger at the authorities, but underlined the perceived risks involved in attempts to sabotage online privacy.
"If this exploit was in fact developed and deployed by a government agency, the fact that it has been published and can now be used by anyone to attack Firefox users is a clear demonstration of how supposedly limited government hacking can become a threat to the broader Web."
The Firefox attack code first circulated on Tuesday on a Tor discussion list and was quickly confirmed as a zero-day exploit – the term given to vulnerabilities that are actively used in the wild before the developer has a patch in place.
The latest Tor update that fixes the vulnerability is version 6.0.7 and can be downloaded here.
Vanilla Firefox users can download the update to their browser manually from here.
Apple Pay today launched in Spain, marking the 13th country where the mobile wallet service is available for Apple customers. The news follows a report published yesterday by Spanish website Applesfera that said Apple Pay would launch in the country on December 1.
Today, Apple Pay's availability in Spain began through a partnership with Amex and Banco de Santander. Credit and debit cards issued by Carrefour and Ticket Restaurant are also accepted. The full list of Apple Pay retail partners and compatible apps can be found on Apple's Spanish website.
Banco Santander today brings its customers Apple Pay, an easy, secure and private way to pay that’s fast and convenient. Santander is the first Spanish financial institution to offer Apple Pay to its customers. Redsys and Mastercard collaborated in the initiative. "Apple Pay shows we are committed to collaborate and to bring innovation and new technology to our customers to make their payments easier, faster and more secure," said Rami Aboukhair, country head of Santander Spain. "We are convinced our customers will love it."
At participating retailers, Apple Pay allows customers to pay for meals, clothes, groceries, and other items through a simple one-tap payment solution that uses existing NFC technology, and the service has slowly been adding additional retail partners since its launch in 2014. Apple Pay is also available within some apps, and is now available on the web in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra.
After today, Apple Pay is now available in the U.S., UK, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Japan, and New Zealand. Most recently, Apple Pay launched in Japan with the support of the country's widely adopted FeliCa payments standard, meaning only iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 2 models that are sold in the country can be used for Apple Pay transactions there.
YouTube has announced it now supports 4K live streaming at 60 frames per second, enabling content creators to live broadcast both 360-degree and standard video in the high resolution standard.
Viewers with screens equipped to take advantage of the resolution shouldn't have to wait long to tune in to regularly streamed 4K broadcasts. YouTube said the first event to be live streamed in 4K will be the Game Awards, which takes place today at 9pm EST (6pm PST).
For creators this means the ability to take advantage of an incredibly clear picture for recorded and now streaming video. It’s the kind of thing that can help to push their hardware (and their talent) to create the most beautiful or just plain crazy-looking images and videos possible. And with 360 4K live streams, the sky is (literally) the limit. Get ready for 360 concert and event streams that look sharper, cleaner, and brighter than ever before.
4K video uploading has been supported on YouTube since 2010, but the high resolution content has only gained steam more recently as the technology gradually approaches the mainstream. Today's upgrade to the Google-owned service also potentially opens the door to 4K live streamed events like sports and concerts being included in YouTube's forthcoming "Unplugged" web-based TV streaming service, which is close to being finalized.
Unplugged is said to include a "skinny bundle" of channels from the four major U.S. networks, along with a few popular cable channels priced at around $35 per month. YouTube has been in talks with major media companies like 21st Century Fox and Disney, and signed up CBS to be included in the subscription package in October.
Last month also saw Google debut the Chromecast Ultra, a 4K version of its popular streaming device. Set to be released this December, the Ultra can stream 4K content from YouTube, Netflix, and Vudu, and 4K movies from Google Play Movies.
The latest announcement offers another sign that Google is pulling ahead of Apple in the race to offer a high-resolution streaming television service. Apple's plans to offer a TV package subscription service of any sort have stalled in recent years because of its "hard-nosed" negotiation tactics with content providers and an inability to allay fears about the interruption of traditional revenue streams.
As for 4K, the latest Apple TV does not support the UltraHD resolution and iTunes has yet to offer the content.
Fitbit is closing in on a deal to acquire smart watchmaker Pebble, according to a new report from The Information. While there's no number on the price, The Information says the deal is for a "small amount."
The deal will see the Pebble brand slowly phased out, with its products shut down over time. Fitbit will largely be acquiring Pebble's assets, which include intellectual property and software. Pebble had reportedly been looking to sell as the company has been experiencing financial troubles over the past year.
Pebble debuted three new smartwatches -- the Pebble 2, Time 2 and Pebble Core -- back in July. In August, it issued a software update that streamlined its interface and redesigned the "Pebble Health" feature. However, the company also laid off 25 perfect of its staff in March.
Last February, Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky said the company was unfazed by the Apple Watch, largely because the company was less focused on apps than Apple. The Cupertino company quickly became the leader in the smartwatch category after the launch of the Apple Watch, but last month market research from IDC indicated that the overall smartwatch market declined 51.6 percent in the third quarter.
As for Fitbit, the acquisition could signal that the company is looking to expand beyond fitness wearables. In August, alongside its new Charge 2 and Flex 2, the company announced all-new luxe leather bands and other premium accessories. Fitbit has also seen struggles recently, with the company's shares tumbling 30 percent after announcing mixed third-quarter results and weak guidance for its fourth quarter.
Over the course of the last week, many iCloud users have been the target of spam that's delivered in the form of an unsolicited Calendar event invitation, and now Apple is working on a way to stop it.
In a statement given to iMore's Rene Ritchie, an Apple spokesperson said the company working to block spam invites.
We are sorry that some of our users are receiving spam calendar invitations. We are actively working to address this issue by identifying and blocking suspicious senders and spam in the invites being sent.
iCloud calendar spam isn't new, but there's been a serious uptick in calendar spam since last week. Because iCloud calendar invites are sent to an iCloud calendar automatically by default and there's no easy way to ignore them, there's no clear way to stop the spam.
Image via OS X Daily
Declining, accepting, or choosing "Maybe" on an incoming iCloud invite lets spammers know an iCloud email address is valid, so until Apple can put a stop to the spam, there are two fixes. First, by logging in to iCloud via a web browser and accessing the Calendar settings (Click the cog, go to Preferences, then choose Advanced), you can choose to receive all event invitations as email. Emails can be more easily ignored and deleted.
Second, you can create a new Calendar, name it Spam, move the spam invitation to the Spam calendar, and then delete the Calendar entirely. This method does not inform spammers that an event has been declined and does not verify an iCloud account's validity. For more detailed instructions, make sure to check out our how to.
Both iOS users that use the default Calendar app and those who use third-party calendar apps like Fantastical are affected by the spam issue, which appears to be fairly widespread.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.1 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the third tvOS 10.1 beta and more than a month after launching tvOS 10.
Designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV, tvOS 10.1 beta 4 can be obtained by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, downloading and installing the software from a registered developer account via iTunes or Apple Configurator. Once a beta profile has been installed on the device through iTunes, new beta updates will be available over the air.
Many Apple TV owners have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a promised Single Sign-On feature that will allow Apple TV users to sign in once with their cable credentials to access all available live cable content, and the feature was introduced in the first tvOS 10.1 beta. Single Sign-On is currently available for DirecTV, Dish, GVTC Communications, Hotwire, and Sling TV.
Shortly after the release of the third beta, Apple unlocked the new "TV" app, which is designed to make it easier for users to discover new content across the dozens of television and movie apps that are available.
It serves as a sort of Apple-designed television guide, giving customers a way to find and watch TV and movies across multiple devices. It features a dedicated store, recommended content, and cross-device syncing.
tvOS 10, for those unfamiliar with the operating system, brings features like improved search, expanded Siri capabilities, a dark mode, a Continuity option for using the iPhone for text input, automatic app downloads, quicker access to live TV, and more.
Two days after the initial announcement, AT&T's new streaming television service DirecTV Now has officially launched on the iOS and Apple TV App Stores as a free initial download. [Direct Link] The service will allow customers to stream and subscribe to various channel bundles that range in price from $35 to $70, "with no commitments, no equipment, and no installers."
Specifically, the bundles start with 60+ channels ($35/month), 80+ channels ($50/month), 100+ channels ($60/month), and 120+ channels ($70/month). A seven day free trial is available for customers to check out any of the packages, and a limited time offer is knocking down the price of the 100+ channel bundle to $35 to entice new users into subscribing. Premium channels, like HBO and Cinemax, can be added onto any package at $5 per channel.
DIRECTV NOW lets you stream top live channels and thousands of On Demand movies and shows instantly upon sign-up. It¹s hassle-free TV, with no commitments, no equipment, and no installers. Watch your favorite shows on your favorite devices. Start on one device, pause, and continue watching on another. Missed the first part of your favorite show that started airing 10 minutes ago? No worries! Restart your show from the beginning. Enjoy TV freedom with DIRECTV NOW.
AT&T is offering new subscribers a free Apple TV if they purchase three months of pre-paid DirecTV NOW. The new streaming service is also available to watch on the web, and on Android and Amazon devices. The company promises a seamless viewing ecosystem across all of a user's devices, so they can pause a show and pick it up on any smartphone, tablet, or web browser that supports DirecTV NOW.
MacRumors has been forwarded an email in which Apple CEO Tim Cook, responding to a customer, allegedly said he anticipates AirPods to begin shipping "over the next few weeks."
Customer's comment: "Give us a release date. I really bought in to the wireless vision you painted. Now I'm stuck waiting with my EarPods but can't charge my 7 at the same time which I need to do at work. Let us know if it's a month or 6 months, because then I'll just buy some other wireless headphones."
Tim Cook's response: "Thanks for your note. Sorry for the delay---we are finalizing them and I anticipate we will begin to ship over the next few weeks."
MacRumors has verified the email's full headers appear to originate from Apple's corporate servers, while Apple executives are known to respond to customers on occasion, but as a boilerplate disclaimer, it should be noted these emails can of course be faked. Apple did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Apple has so far only said it needed "a little more time" before AirPods are ready for customers, while conflicting rumors have pointed towards release dates between December and January, offering little clarity. AirPods remain listed as both "coming soon" and "currently unavailable" on different sections of Apple's website.
Following the announcement of Apple's annual fundraising for World AIDS Day this morning, USA Today has now published a new interview with CEO Tim Cook, discussing the lengths Apple goes to in support of projects like PRODUCT(RED) and what it means to Cook personally. The fundraising will donate $1 to (RED)'s fight against AIDS for every purchase made with Apple Pay in an Apple Store, on Apple.com, or through the Apple Store app from December 1-6.
Cook said that the company "wanted there to be something for everyone" in terms of donating, learning about the issue at hand, or simply being excited for a new Apple accessory launch. There are four new PRODUCT(RED) items, including an iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case, iPhone SE Case, Pill+ Portable Speaker, and Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones. (RED) CEO Deb Dugan said that the company, combined with Apple's spotlight on the issue, has positively impacted the lives of 70 million individuals suffering from HIV/AIDS.
"We put our weight behind lots of things in the civil rights area," says Cook. "Similarly, I think it's key that people think about what they stand for and help their communities. We always say that we want to leave the world better than we found it. So, we try to thoughtfully decide how we can do that."
The topic of Donald Trump's upcoming presidency is briefly touched upon, centering around the possible negative ramifications for Apple and other more left-leaning tech companies. When asked if he's concerned whether Trump supporters would denounce Apple because of its anti-Trump viewpoints, Cook remained adamant that Apple -- and any company -- should retain a strong central value system, whether or not those values misalign with some of its customers.
"Of course corporations should have values, because people should have values," says the soft-spoken tech leader, who has been vocal on a range of civic issues, from gay rights to privacy rules. "And corporations are just a bunch of people."
Cook was also asked to address critics who claim that his stance domestically on certain issues, namely gay rights, is hypocritical given that homosexuality is a crime "in about a fifth of the 100-plus countries Apple does business in." Another point claims that the company's political leanings help generate more sales towards its younger millennial customer base.
Cook responded:
"We'll always help the most people through our products, because they empower people to do great things themselves," he says. "But this (RED) partnership allows us to touch a group of people we normally wouldn't. Sub-Saharan Africa is not a big marketplace for us. This is about trying to lift people up."
"We haven't shied away from being visible on a number of topics, and if it's something in our wheelhouse, we'll always be visible and stand up to protect as well as advance people's rights," he says.
Cook's final note on Apple's bold stances was that he and the company don't intend to stop moving forward in the fight for acceptance, inclusiveness, and support in all of these areas and more. "Every generation has a responsibility of expanding the definition of those rights, to move forward. So we'll very much continue to do that."
Check out the full USA Today interview with Tim Cook here.
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.
Apple beat out all other wireless router vendors with a score of 876, based on a 1,000-point scale, followed by ASUS at 860, D-Link at 856, and TP-Link at 854. Apple was the only company to receive a 5-star Power Circle consumer rating, which places it "among the best" according to J.D. Power.
The report, based on responses from 3,037 consumers, measured overall satisfaction across 10 factors, listed in order of importance: Wi-Fi range; reliability; speed of upload/download; restore connection easily; security capabilities; price; ease of use; variety of features; intuitive user interface; and customer service.
Netflix this morning announced that offline viewing of its shows is now available to users around the world on the service's mobile app. The launch follows reports from over the summer that offline viewing would be coming to Netflix "by the end of the year."
Now, users will be able to click a "download" button next to each episode in preparation for the times they won't be connected to the internet. The company said that many popular shows are already available to download -- including Orange is the New Black and The Crown -- with more coming soon.
Netflix members worldwide can now download in addition to stream great series and films at no extra cost.
While many members enjoy watching Netflix at home, we’ve often heard they also want to continue their Stranger Things binge while on airplanes and other places where Internet is expensive or limited. Just click the download button on the details page for a film or TV series and you can watch it later without an internet connection.
Any Netflix subscriber will have access to offline downloads, and the update will be available today to both the iOS [Direct Link] and Android versions of the mobile Netflix app. Netflix also tweeted out a video to celebrate the launch of downloading and watching "your favorite stories" while offline.
Update: You can check out every show and movie available to download within the Netflix app by tapping the navigation menu in the top left corner, then choosing "Available for Download." Netflix's Help Center has more information as well.
Two weeks after launching an iPhone 6s battery repair program, Apple has released a tool that allows iPhone 6s owners to check whether their device is affected by the problem.
Apple is putting together a team of robotics and data-collection experts who will use drones, and "new indoor navigation features," to bolster and further improve the quality of Apple Maps. The move is said to be positioned as a method to catch up with Google, the longtime leader in the mapping field (via 
Many customers are anxiously anticipating the release of Apple's wireless 
