Apple today released the fourth beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3.2 update to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, one week after the release of the third iOS 9.3.2 beta and more than a month after the launch of iOS 9.3, a significant update that introduced Night Shift mode and other feature improvements. iOS 9.3.2 has been in testing since April 6.
iOS 9.3.2 beta 4 can be downloaded over-the-air using the beta configuration profile or through the Apple Developer Center.
iOS 9.3.2, as an 9.x.x update, appears to be minor in scale, focusing on bug fixes and performance improvements. iOS 9.3.2 appears to fix a major Game Center bug that has plagued some iOS users for months and it introduces support for using Night Shift and Low Power Mode simultaneously.
The first three betas of iOS 9.3.2 have not included any significant outward-facing changes, but we will update this post with any new features found in the fourth beta.
Twitter today announced a new feature for its iOS and Android applications that will connect people to Twitter users around the world who share similar interests. Using the new "Connect tab," users will be able to browse a list of people and accounts that the social network believes you will be interested in, all without having to manually search topics and hashtags yourself.
Finding new accounts to follow used to require jumping through a few hoops and a dash of luck. That’s why we’ve reimagined the experience with our new Connect tab. Starting today, you’ll see a detailed list of people and accounts we think you’ll enjoy following, all easily accessible in one place.
To curate the best selections in the Connect tab, the company said it uses the people you already follow, liked tweets, popular local Twitter accounts, and current world and entertainment events. It also assured users that it will "let you know exactly why we’re showing you each recommendation," to avoid any confusion.
Beyond random accounts, the Connect tab will serve as an easier way to find friends and family members with the option to sync a smartphone's address book to find pre-existing Twitter users, and give you a heads up if a contact in the address book joins Twitter. The company said the new Connect tab is rolling out to everyone using Twitter for iOS and Android beginning today, but didn't mention the possible addition of the new feature to its desktop site.
Twitter for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
In line with Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent comments about "very strong" iPhone SE demand exceeding supply, the company has reportedly increased orders for the low-priced 4-inch smartphone in the second quarter of 2016.
DigiTimes claims that the second-quarter outlook for iPhone SE-related chip orders has been revised to more than 5 million units, up from 3.5-4 million, and the upward trend is expected to continue through the third quarter.
In a related report, the Taiwanese website notes that Apple has conversely lowered orders for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus due to declining sales of the flagship handsets. Last week, Apple announced its first-ever year-over-year decline in iPhone sales, which dropped to 51.2 million from 61.2 million in the year-ago quarter, and provided third quarter guidance that suggests the decline will continue.
While the lower-priced iPhone SE could help Apple combat its overall decline in smartphone sales, Apple analyst Neil Cybart of Above Avalon notes that the device has a lower average selling price (ASP) and smaller profit margins. Those pressures, alongside other warning signs, leads him to believe that Apple "has a significant iPhone growth problem on its hands" right now.
When looking at all of these iPhone warning signs, it is becoming clear that Apple has a significant iPhone growth problem on its hands. The combination of a slowing iPhone upgrade rate and declining number of growth catalysts for expanding the iPhone's addressable market will make it very difficult for management to report unit sales growth going forward given its current strategy. In addition, the iPhone SE highlights how any strategy to fix some of these issues will likely end up jeopardizing iPhone ASP and margin trends.
One of Cybart's warning signs is that "India is not the next China," despite being positioned as one of the next big growth markets for iPhone. India has reportedly rejected Apple's request to import and sell refurbished iPhones in the country, following a similar proposal rejected in 2015, and its regular-priced iPhones are too expensive to attract significant market share in the region.
Nevertheless, the analyst ensures that the iPhone business is "not imploding," citing industry-leading customer satisfaction rates and loyalty trends. He believes that Apple can pull through this declining iPhone environment with a strategy that involves ditching the "S" model nomenclature, focusing on features that customers truly want, and recognizing the iPhone SE's effect on its broader smartphone lineup.
Giphy today launched its own iOS keyboard, called Giphy Keys, that will let users search for and send GIFs without having to navigate to a separate keyboard application. Once users install Giphy Keys as a new keyboard in settings -- and allow it full access -- the app can be selected as a keyboard by tapping the globe icon whenever the keyboard is open on iOS.
The advantage of Giphy Keys is that anyone who constantly navigated through multiple keyboards to type messages and search for GIFs can now do both in one place. The top of the keyboard has a search functionality to find a GIF related to a specific topic, but Giphy also provides various categories related to moods or trends whenever you don't have a specific GIF in mind.
GIPHY Keys is the easiest and fastest way to browse, search, and share GIFs in your text messages -- right from your keyboard! Not only do you have access to GIPHY's collection of millions of GIFs, you can play with our special GIPHY commands to make and discover so much more awesome content.
Similar to other GIF apps, once a user finds their desired GIF, all that needs to be done is a simple copy and paste into the message field and then hit the send button. Giphy Keys also introduces a new 8ball tab, where users can ask the app a question and receive an answer in GIF form. The section also gives weather forecasts for specific zip codes, and can animate words and phrases, all with GIFs.
For users who integrate GIFs into every corner of their iOS messaging experience -- from iMessage to Snapchat and other clients -- Giphy Keys should be a helpful addition to their daily perusal and sending of the popular animated format. Those interested can download Giphy Keys from the App Store for free [Direct Link].
Last week, Nintendo announced that the next two games launching on iPhone and Android devices will be Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem related applications, but didn't speak much to its reasoning behind that decision. In a subsequent financial results briefing Q&A, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima gave some explanation as to why the company decided to prioritize these franchises as its next line of smartphone titles (via Engadget).
Kimishima began by stating that Nintendo chose Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem as the first two "real" game applications "from the viewpoint of increasing the diverse types of consumers interested in Nintendo, and widening opportunities for game play." Animal Crossing, specifically, will net the company a wider swath of player demographics considering its titles in the past have won over non-gamers with its trademark laid-back gameplay.
We chose Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem as titles to follow Miitomo from the viewpoint of increasing the diverse types of consumers interested in Nintendo, and widening opportunities for game play. The Animal Crossing series has been played by a wide range of consumers including children and women. I think there is a good chance that those consumers would enjoy this.
Interestingly, Kimishima appeared to somewhat dodge the initial question asked (Is Animal Crossing a title that places emphasis on the synergy with dedicated video game systems?), which is the main concern of some series fans as Animal Crossing transitions to mobile.
In the original announcement, Nintendo said the iPhone version of the game will somehow connect to a console-based game and that by playing both, "users will find increased enjoyment." It's still unclear whether this means Animal Crossing iOS will be a full-fledged title, or some kind of accessory experience, similar to series spin-offs like Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival.
The company's decision to introduce Fire Emblem onto mobile seems to be a move entirely focused on finally placating its "die-hard fans," who have been excited about the possibility of Nintendo games on smartphones since the announcement early last year. Still, no specific reason was given why Nintendo chose Fire Emblem over other similarly popular pure gaming franchises, like Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda, but most of that might lie in the company's fear of diluting such well known games onto a platform that's not yet proven it could work as a location of Nintendo's top-tier titles.
Kimishima reminded those at the briefing that, moving forward, there is no limit to the potential IPs used in its mobile games, so fans might see more recognizable characters before the fifth Nintendo app launches by March 2017.
As for Fire Emblem, it is not so much the width of the audience as the existence of die-hard fans who have stuck to the series for a long time. We selected two titles of different categories and IP to reach as many consumers as possible. We are not limiting the IP for the titles that will follow these two. We will continue to prepare titles using IP that many consumers are familiar with.
Kimishima also discussed the potential for in-app purchases in its upcoming applications, saying that the implementation of IAPs will essentially change on a game-by-game basis: if its player base is seen as possibly willing to spend more money, then the company will support the feature. Ultimately, Nintendo's president assured those who are apprehensive about its plan to delve into the smartphone application space by reiterating the company's current goal is "to grow smart device gaming as one of the pillars of Nintendo's revenue stream."
Amid rumors suggesting Apple is set to ditch the headphone jack in the iPhone 7, an image depicting a spare part that could be used in the device has surfaced – headphone jack included.
This morning, French site Nowhereelse.fr shared an image of a Lightning cable assembly, apparently destined for the iPhone 7, which differs in design from the same part found in the current iPhone 6s.
The assembly part is host to a number of components, including cellular antenna cables and the obligatory Lightning port, but the new design clearly shows a separate white headphone jack on the far left-hand side.
Left: purported iPhone 7 part (Image: Weibo); Right: iPhone 6s part (Image: iFixit)
The image was submitted anonymously via a Weibo account, therefore its validity cannot be confirmed. As Nowhereelse.fr notes, it could just as easily depict a part destined for a Chinese counterfeit manufacturer, rather than coming from Apple's official supply chain. Nevertheless, the part should provide some relief for those hoping that Apple's next generation of iPhone does not adopt a one-size-fits-all Lightning solution, which would also make it the sole means of connecting headphones and other audio accessories.
Recent rumors have suggested Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 will feature a thinner body with no headphone jack, with Apple instead planning to rely on the Lightning port and Bluetooth as ways to connect headphones to the device. Apple is also rumored to be working on Lightning-equipped EarPods to sell alongside the iPhone 7, while a more contentious rumor claims Apple may be planning to replace the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 with a second speaker for stereo audio.
Indeed, it remains to be seen if a Lightning-based audio solution would be restricted to Apple's larger iPhone 7 Plus handset, which could mean the leaked image is genuine without necessarily vouchsafing the inclusion of a headphone jack across Apple's upcoming line-up of iPhone devices.
A Brazilian judge has ordered cellphone carriers to block access to WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout the Latin American country, after the Facebook-owned company refused to hand over information requested in a drug trafficking investigation (via Reuters).
As reported last month, the instant messenger service recently enabled full end-to-end encryption, making all forms of communication sent within the app inaccessible to outside parties as well as the service operator.
Yesterday's decision by the judge applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil and affects more than 100 million WhatsApp users in the country, where cellphone charges are relatively high.
This is not the first time the service has been the target of a blocking order. In December of last month, mobile providers in Brazil were ordered to block WhatsApp for 48 hours due to the service's failure to cooperate with criminal court orders in July and August 2015. However, the following morning, an appeal's court judge ordered that the ban be lifted for being an unreasonable response, recommending that the company be fined instead.
In March of this year, Facebook vice-president for Latin America Diego Dzodan was arrested in Brazil for not cooperating with an investigation in which WhatsApp conversations were requested, but was released the next day after the Court of Appeal held that the arrest was disproportionate. The judge who ordered WhatsApp's shutdown on Monday is the same one who ordered Dzodan's arrest.
Elsewhere last month, members of UK prime minister David Cameron's inner circle campaigning to remain in the European Union were accused of using WhatsApp to discuss tactics and avoid parliamentary referendum decisions from being subject to Freedom of Information requests. Only last year, Cameron proposed to ban online messaging software that offers end-to-end encryption which could allegedly allow suspected terrorists a safe means of communication.
WhatsApp is not the only messaging service that provides end-to-end encryption; Threema, Wickr, Signal, Silent Phone, and Cryptocat also provide encryption by default. Apple's iMessage also provides encryption, but does not display key fingerprints for verification. Apple's own legal issues over encryption came when the FBI attempted to compel the company to unlock San Bernardino terror suspect Farook Syed's iPhone, before the Justice Department announced it had found an alternate method to gain access to the iPhone in question and dropped the lawsuit.
While WhatsApp has been available as a smartphone app since January 2010, users have only been able to access their accounts on a computer since last year when a web browser client for the service was introduced. Last week, screenshots posted by WABetaInfo on Twitter appeared to show translation requests made by the WhatsApp team indicating that a dedicated OS X client is in the works. WhatsApp is also reportedly set to receive a video calling feature in the near future.
Acquired by Facebook in February 2014, WhatsApp is one of the most popular mobile apps worldwide. According to Statista statistics portal, in February the service recorded more than 1 billion active users worldwide, up from over 700 million in January 2015.
Update 11:58 AM: A second judge has overturned the suspension, according to Reuters.
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.
In a wider piece on Fitbit and its efforts to escape from the shadow of Apple, The New York Times shared an interesting anecdote about the way the iPhone 4s influenced the features in Fitbit's line of fitness trackers back when it debuted in 2011.
The iPhone 4s was the first iPhone to include support for Bluetooth 4.0 to allow accessories to connect to the device, and following the introduction of the new phone, Fitbit CEO James Park decided to re-engineer Fitbit products to support Bluetooth. It was a decision that set Fitbit's product releases back by six months.
When Phil Schiller introduced the iPhone 4S in 2011, for example, Mr. Park had a realization.
At the time, the new iPhone added a capability to synchronize with wireless accessories using the standard called Bluetooth. Fitbit trackers back then lacked Bluetooth connectivity, but Mr. Park wanted them to be able to synchronize data immediately with the iPhone.
"It could enable a lot of possibilities in terms of real-time feedback," he said.
Announced in 2012, the Fitbit One and the Fitbit Zip became the first Fitbit devices to support Bluetooth 4.0, syncing data like steps tracked, distance, floors climbed, calories expended, and sleep quality to iOS and Android phones. According to The New York Times, the two devices were highly successful.
Since then, Park says Fitbit has made an effort to stray away from Apple's approach to product design, focusing on simple devices to make wearables more approachable.
"We look at it from a consumer point of view," Mr. Park said. Apple Watch "is a computing platform, but that's really the wrong way to approach this category from the very beginning."
Fitbit's simplicity, and its lower price point, has allowed it to thrive even after the launch of the Apple Watch. Fitbit sold 21.4 million devices in 2015, earning $1.86 billion in revenue. While Apple doesn't break out sales of the Apple Watch, IDC and Strategy Analytics estimates put sales at approximately 11.4 million.
Going forward, Fitbit plans to add additional features to compete in the wearables market, but Park says the company is going to be "very careful" to avoid the feature overload mistake he sees being made with smart watches.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today sat down with CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer, where he discussed his thoughts on innovation, the future of the iPhone and the Apple Watch, the growth of Apple services, Apple's performance in China, and more.
Last week, Apple reported its first year-over-year revenue decline since 2003, announcing $10.5 billion in profit on $50.6 billion in revenue. Apple also saw its first ever decline in year-over-year iPhone sales, leading one Wall Street analyst to claim Apple's best days are behind it.
"I couldn't disagree more," said Cook when asked about the comment, attributing the perceived sales dip to an abnormally high upgrade rate in late 2014 and 2015 as people upgraded to the iPhone 6 and pointing towards growth opportunities in China and India. Cook went on to tease future advances in iPhone technology that will inspire people to buy new devices.
We've got great innovation in the pipeline. New iPhones that will incentivize you and other people that have iPhones today to upgrade to new iPhones.
We are going to give you things you can't live without that you just don't know you need today. That has always been the objective of Apple. To do things that really enrich people's lives. That you look back on and you wonder how did I live without this.
He reiterated Apple's future plans later in the interview when questioned on whether Apple is still innovating. "We're fairly secretive," he said, "but I would tell you we're incredibly excited about things we're working on."
Cook also commented on Apple acquisitions. "We've acquired a lot of companies. We generally acquire a company every three to four weeks on average," he said. "We're always looking," he added on the topic of potential major acquisitions.
On the Apple Watch, Cook didn't give many hints about what's coming in the future, but he said he believes it will be seen differently in retrospect, much like the iPod. "You'll see the Apple Watch getting better and better," he told Cramer. "We're still in learning mode."
If you look at iPod, iPod wasn't viewed as a success, but today it's viewed as an overnight success. [...]
And so I think that in a few years we will look back and people will say, "How could I have ever thought about not wearing this watch?" Because it's doing so much for you. And then it will all of a sudden be an overnight success.
Cook also addressed concerns about China, which led billionaire Carl Icahn to sell his full stake in Apple earlier this year. Apple's sales fell 26 percent in Greater China in the second quarter of 2016, and recently, Apple was forced to take down the iTunes Movies and iBooks stores in China on concerns from Chinese officials that believe Apple is "too deeply established" in core industries in the country.
"I could not be more optimistic about China," he said. According to Cook, the Android-to-iPhone switch rate has been "huge" in China, up 40 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the first half of 2015. He says Apple is working with Chinese regulatory authorities to get its iTunes Movies and iBooks services back online in the country. "We're pretty confident and optimistic that we'll be back online and offering those to our Chinese customers soon."
Cook also spoke at length on the dip in Apple stock, the company's quarterly performance and predictions for next quarter, smartphone penetration in China and India, and Apple's customer loyalty and potential for growth in services.
Cook's segment aired on Mad Money on CNBC at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Part one and part two of the full episode are now available on the CNBC website and are embedded above.
Mark One's Pryme Vessyl is an iPhone-connected cup that's designed to track your daily liquid intake, making sure you're at your optimal hydration level. According to Mark One, hitting an ideal hydration level can increase your energy level and improve your mental balance.
Paired with an accompanying app, Pryme Vessyl calculates a user's hydration needs based on height, weight, activity level, and other factors, making sure that intake level is met by measuring each sip of water or liquid through accelerometers in the cup itself. Hydration needs change from day to day, so the goal of the Pryme Vessyl is to make sure users are getting enough hydration as activity level shifts.
The idea is to drink all of your liquids -- coffee, tea, water, juice -- out of the Pryme Vessyl to get an overall picture of liquid intake and track any deficits.
"I have a 2014 13" Retina MacBook Pro which I used extensively on a daily basis. I purchased AppleCare for the sole reason of protection against battery depletion over the coming years.
It's hard for me to tell whether my battery has lost capacity, but I'm sure it has against the original figures when I first got the machine.
My question is, when will AppleCare be willing to replace the battery due to loss of capacity? Is there a percentage? How can I test it?"
The MacBook Pro's battery has almost certainly lost some battery capacity if it has been charged and depleted regularly over the past two years. A quick way to check is by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left menu bar and choosing About This Mac. Click on System Report… and select Power from the left-hand menu.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will appear on CNBC's Mad Money this evening, where he will speak with host Jim Cramer. On the show, Cook is expected to discuss Apple's future in China, his outlook on innovation, what's next for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and Apple services, and whether Apple is pursuing any potential acquisitions.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art today opened its "Manus x Machina" Costume Institute Exhibition, which is being sponsored by Apple. The show focuses on the dichotomy between handmade haute couture and machine-made fashion, featuring pieces that juxtapose traditional hand techniques like embroidery, pleating, and lacework with technologies like laser cutting and thermo shaping.
Apple Design Chief Jony Ive, who is serving as co-chair alongside pop star Taylor Swift and actor Idris Elba, was on hand at the opening and gave an introductory speech, a portion of which was captured on social networking site Periscope.
We are thrilled at Apple to help bring to life Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. When Anna and Andrew first talked to me about the exhibition, I was particularly intrigued that it would stimulate a conversation exploring the relationship between what is made by man and what is made by machine. That it would challenge the preconception held by some that the former is somehow inherently more valuable. Not only in the context of today, but also the future.
The Chanel dress that Tom mentioned, which was Andrew's inspiration for the exhibition is a wonderful example of artisan like craft executed with the deepest consideration yet enabled with the very latest technology. The most breakthroughs in craft were once, of course, perceived as truly innovative. Often shockingly so. Once even the simple metal needle challenged the conventional thinking of the time. Now I'm humbled by the innovations of the past in the same way that I am humbled by the work that we can see here today.
It's easy to think a craft can't change, but important to remember all craft process was at some point new. At some point, challenged convention. Not to be contrarian, but enabled by some breakthrough. Some newly discovered principle or sometimes some wonderful accident.
The opening of the Costume Institute Exhibition comes ahead of the 2016 Met Gala, a fund raising event that draws hundreds of celebrities. The Met Gala will take place tonight, and along with Jony Ive, Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to attend, sitting alongside fashion icon and honorary Met Gala chair Anna Wintour.
With much of the ring-shaped main building completed at Apple's second campus and auxiliary buildings taking shape, construction progress from month-to-month is ramping up. Drone pilot Duncan Sinfield has captured new aerial video of Apple Campus 2, allowing us to get a look at changes that have been made to the campus since April.
Significant work has been done on the 100,000 square foot fitness center, where Apple employees will be able to work out and stay healthy. A stone facade is now in place and the building looks to be nearing completion.
There are new cranes in the area, which are being used to finish up some of the main structure. Additional solar panels have been lifted into place on the roof of the building, more windows have gone up, and more window canopies have been installed. Parking structures are also set to be completed in the next few months, and some work has been done on the Tantau research buildings.
According to Sinfield, the sizable green fence surrounding the entire campus is being taken down and replaced with a shorter fabric-covered chain-link fence. A thick white foam is being laid on the top of ground structures like the tunnels and the auditorium, presumably kicking off the landscaping process. Trees and other greenery may be put into place soon, with Apple planning to cover the campus with 80 percent green space.
Apple plans to finish construction on Apple Campus 2 at the end of 2016, with employees set to begin occupying the buildings at the beginning of 2017.
For the first time in a federal case, authorities in a Los Angeles courtroom have issued a search warrant forcing a woman to bypass her iPhone's biometric security using Apple's Touch ID system (via LA Times). The woman in question -- Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan -- was arrested due to charges of identity theft and had previous strings of various criminal convictions.
According to jail records, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Rosenberg signed the Touch ID-related search warrant about 45 minutes after Bkhchadzhyan was taken into custody on February 25. By the afternoon of her arrest, the suspect pleaded no contest to the charges of identity theft and gave the court her fingerprint to unlock the iPhone.
Police recovered Bkhchadzhyan's smartphone at the residence of her boyfriend, Sevak Mesrobian, known to be the member of a local gang, so it's unclear whether the contents of the device were sought after due to Bkhchadzhyan's crimes or her proximity to Mesrobian's gang.
The court's decision in the case follows the thin rules regarding a person's Fifth Amendment's protection against self-incrimination, which relates that numeric passcodes are protected individual privacies, but fingerprints are not. For this reason, some believe new modern laws need to be enacted specifically detailing fingerprint-related security features.
"It isn't about fingerprints and the biometric readers," said Susan Brenner, a law professor at the University of Dayton who studies the nexus of digital technology and criminal law, but rather, "the contents of that phone, much of which will be about her, and a lot of that could be incriminating."
Even with the limited outlines of the inquiry, Brenner said the act of compelling a person in custody to press her finger against a phone breached the Fifth Amendment's protection against self-incrimination. It forced Bkchadzhyan to testify — without uttering a word — because by moving her finger and unlocking the phone, she authenticated its contents.
Still, others believe the biometric nature of Touch ID might largely follow in line with the 5th Amendment's prohibition of self-incrimination. "Unlike disclosing passcodes, you are not compelled to speak or say what's 'in your mind' to law enforcement," Albert Gidari, the director of privacy at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, said. "'Put your finger here' is not testimonial or self-incriminating."
This line of thinking flows directly from a 2014 case in Virginia, wherein a judge ruled that a man could not be ordered to present his passcode to the court, because that "entailed revealing knowledge and therefore testifying." Using Touch ID on his iPhone was ruled legal, however, and compared to providing the court with a key, instead of divulging information known only to him.
Although unrelated, the Los Angeles case follows a couple of months of heated debate between Apple and the FBI, as the government agency attempted to compel Apple into helping it hack into the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. Eventually the FBI withdrew its lawsuit after finding its own way into the iPhone 5c, which reportedly cost the agency less than $1 million.
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.
Streaming service Hulu is said to be working on a new subscription model that would provide customers with cable-style access to popular broadcast television networks.
In a report by The Wall Street Journal, sources close to the plan said the company's move would directly introduce Hulu as "a competitor to traditional pay-TV providers," in addition to streaming-only services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Hulu's current launch estimate for the cable-like service is sometime early in 2017, and a few partners are already mentioning interest in the program. Disney and Fox are said to be close to signing agreements to provide "many of their channels" to Hulu and its subscribers on the live platform. Some of their networks include ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel, Fox's basic broadcast channels, Fox News, and FX.
The company's ultimate goal with the new service may disappoint cord-cutters looking for a complete replacement for their cable box, as those close to Hulu's plans mentioned it "isn’t looking to offer all the hundreds of channels found in the traditional cable bundle." Still, Hulu is seeking other partners in addition to Disney and Fox, who are both co-owners of Hulu.
Hulu sees an opportunity to pitch its planned service to the more than 10 million people who already subscribe to its on-demand service. Consumers don’t need to be an existing Hulu subscriber to sign up for the new service, which has yet to be named.
In addition to live TV, the unnamed service is rumored to provide users with a cloud-based DVR, letting them record shows and set scheduled tapings similar to current offerings by cable providers. Due to all of these prime features, the current estimated cost of Hulu's live TV plan would be $40 per month, according to Sanford C. Bernstein media analyst Todd Juenger. That price was said to be "in the ballpark" by a Hulu executive.
Netflix can be relatively quick in getting up full seasons of recently-aired shows after their finales launch, but it largely depends on the cable network and even then it can be a few weeks to months until they're available on the streaming platform. Hulu has always been ahead of its rivals in providing users access to recently aired TV episodes, launching them one at a time a day after they air, but its new plan would go one step further and let subscribers watch specific TV channels live.
As more customers leave behind cable companies, streaming services are becoming increasingly interested in standalone TV packages such as the one Hulu is looking into launching. Premium channels like Showtime and HBO already have their own specific services, and Apple was even attempting to get a similar $30-$40 web-based TV package launched last year, but failed deals with networks caused the company to put its plans on hold.
In time for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Apple Maps now supports transit routing in Rio de Janeiro, the second most populous city in Brazil.
Transit directions are available for travel by bus, ferry, metro, and train throughout the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, including connections to and from Belford Roxo, Duque de Caxias, Itaboraí, Japeri, Magé, Mesquita, Nilópolis, Niterói, Nova Iguaçu, Queimados, São Gonçalo, and São João de Meriti.
Supported transit operators include Internorte, Intersul, Metrô Rio, SuperVia, and others.
Rio de Janeiro is the fifth new city to support Apple Maps transit over the past month, alongside Austin, Montréal, Portland, and Seattle.
Apple added Transit to Maps as part of iOS 9 in select cities around the world, including Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and 30 cities in China. Additional regions should be added over the coming weeks and months.
Microsoft has updated its Bing search engine app for iOS with a feature that allows users to search the web using a photo taken on their device.
Bing users can now select an existing photo from their gallery or opt to shoot one from within the app, and Bing will use the image to search for similar ones online.
User photos can be cropped to get search results specific to an object within the photo, while images that are returned in searches can also be cropped in-app to receive new search results.
The functionality is similar to Google Goggles which used to be part of Google's Search app before Google removed the feature on iOS devices, so users looking for a replacement might want to give Bing a try.
In addition, Microsoft's update enables users to get notified when a movie they're following becomes available for streaming, and also brings search for bus routes and schedules in online maps.
Bing is a free download on the U.S. iTunes Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]
In line with Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent comments about "very strong" 
A Brazilian judge has ordered cellphone carriers to block access to WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout the Latin American country, after the Facebook-owned company refused to hand over information requested in a drug trafficking investigation (via 
MacRumors forum member MBP* posted 
For the first time in a federal case, authorities in a Los Angeles courtroom have issued a search warrant forcing a woman to bypass her iPhone's biometric security using Apple's Touch ID system (via 
Streaming service Hulu is said to be working on a new subscription model that would provide customers with cable-style access to popular broadcast television networks. 
