MacRumors

A long-standing bug in Game Center that renders many games unplayable has reportedly been resolved in the latest public beta of iOS 9.3.2.

Game Center for iOS is a necessary component of many turn-based multiplayer App Store titles, which rely on Apple's social gaming network to enable gamers to invite friends, start multiplayer matches, and compete for high scores.

The bug, which first appeared in iOS 8, affects many popular games of the sort and involves the Game Center app launching as a white screen, crashing games to a white screen, and/or the Settings app freezing when Game Center's options are selected.

MacRumors sister site TouchArcade, which has a thread in its forums discussing the bug spanning over 75 pages, now notes that the 'white screen of death' bug appears to have been resolved, although given the long-standing nature of the problem, gamers remain understandably wary.

Well, community members of ours who are brave enough to install beta iOS system updates have reported that Game Center is once again working for them in the iOS 9.3.2 beta. Now, before getting too excited, it's important to have a hefty dose of realism with all this: The Game Center bug is a vicious beast, and many people on our forums have thought they slayed it, only to have it return inside of a couple days. I'm cautiously optimistic, but by no means ready to strike up the band and declare the Game Center bug fixed.

The latest posts on the forum thread suggest that Apple's latest beta has resolved the problem for many affected users, although claims of official confirmation from Apple that the bug is fixed remain unsubstantiated.

Apple released the first beta of its upcoming iOS 9.3.2 update to public testers last Thursday, just a day after seeding the beta to developers.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and OS X betas.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 9.3.2 update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device.

Popular third-party Reddit apps like Narwhal, iAlien, Baconreader, Eggplant and Antenna have been pulled from the App Store for breaching clause 18.2 of the App Review Guidelines, Narwhal developer Rick Harrison told Gizmodo. The takedowns were first spotted on a Reddit thread.

Today, we received notice that our new update with a lot of great new features was rejected under the App Store rule 18.2: “Your app contains a mechanism to enable or disable Not Safe For Work (NSFW) content, including pornographic content. Apps with sexually explicit content are not appropriate for the App Store.” About 15 minutes afterwards, we received notice that the current version of our app has been removed from the app store.

While the third-party apps were pulled from the App Store, Reddit's new official app has remained. When Reddit launched its new app, it said users were "free to continue enjoying" the third-party app of their choice and pledged to continue support for its public API.

Harrison told MacStories that he reached out to Reddit about the takedowns and was told that the company did not request that third-party apps be pulled. In fact, Reddit told Harrison that the company was also having issues with Apple over clause 18.2.

Specifically, clause 18.2 states that apps containing user-generated content that is "frequently pornographic" would be rejected. Many of the pulled third-party apps have been in the App Store for about a year, and some of them include NSFW filters that allow users to disable potentially pornographic content.

In the past, Apple has also pulled apps for featuring user-generated content that could be viewed as pornographic. In 2013, Apple pulled 500px's photo sharing app due to concerns that users could search for nude photographs. The app was eventually returned to the App Store once it added an age-gate.

Update 6:24 AM: As noted by iMore, a number of the removed apps are returning to the App Store after their developers removed NSFW toggles from the apps. Rather than an app-based toggle, apps are now required to rely on the user's Reddit preferences for filtering out NSFW content.

Amid a decline in worldwide PC shipments, Apple's Mac sales have held steady, according to new PC shipping estimates from Gartner. During the first quarter of 2016, Apple shipped 4.6 million Macs worldwide and held 7.1 percent of the market, up from 4.56 million Mac shipments and 6.4 percent of the market during the first quarter of 2015.

While Apple only saw 1 percent worldwide growth, it fared better than the overall PC market, which saw total worldwide shipments of 64.8 million, a 9.6 percent decline from 71.7 million shipments in Q1 2015. Among other vendors, Lenovo and HP saw some of the biggest shipment drops with 12.5 million and 11.4 million shipments in 1Q 2016, down from 13.5 million and 12.5 million, respectively, in the year-ago quarter.

With 7.1 percent of the market, Apple ranked as the number five worldwide vendor, coming in after Lenovo (19.3% share), HP (17.6% share), Dell (14.1% share), and ASUS (8.3% share). Other vendors, not ranked in the top five, accounted for 33.6 percent of the market.

The deterioration of local currencies against the U.S. dollar continued to play a major role in PC shipment declines. Our early results also show there was an inventory buildup from holiday sales in the fourth quarter of 2015," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

While Apple's worldwide numbers were steady, Mac sales in the United States appear to have dipped slightly. According to Gartner's data, Apple shipped 1.666 million PCs in the United States, for 12.7 percent of the market. That's down from 1.672 million in the year-ago quarter, but market share is up from 11.8 percent.

Dell, the number one vendor in the U.S., shipped 3.5 million PCs in Q1 2016 for 26.3 percent of the market, while HP shipped 3.1 million for 23.7 percent of the market. Lenovo saw the greatest growth with 1.9 million shipments and 14.5 percent of the market, while ASUS saw a decline in shipments from 770,000 in Q1 2015 to 667,000 in Q1 2016 for just 5.1 percent of the market.

In the overall U.S. PC market, shipments totaled 13.1 million in the first quarter of 2016, a decline of 6.6 percent compared to the year-ago quarter and the lowest shipment volume in the country in three years.

IDC also released its shipment estimates today, and as is typical, its numbers are different than Gartner's numbers, in part due to the difference in the way Windows-based tablets are counted by each firm. According to IDC, worldwide PC shipments totaled 60.6 million, for an overall decline of 11.5 percent.

While Gartner ranks Apple as number five vendor in worldwide PC shipments, IDC ranks Apple as number four with 4.5 million shipments and 7.4 percent of the market (a decline from 4.6 million shipments in Q1 2015), edging out ASUS's 4.4 million shipments. As for U.S. shipments, IDC puts the total number at 13.625 million, an overall decline of 5.8 percent.

IDC's U.S. shipment estimates are more favorable to Apple, suggesting PC shipments totaling 1.8 million and 13 percent market share for growth of 5.6 percent rather than the slight decline Gartner estimates. Like Gartner, IDC lists Dell (3.5m shipments), HP (3.5m shipments), Lenovo (1.9m shipments), and Apple (1.8m shipments) as the top four PC vendors in the United States, but IDC positions Acer Group (711,000 shipments) as the number five vendor while Gartner lists it as ASUS.

It's important to note that data from Gartner and IDC is preliminary and that the numbers can shift, sometimes dramatically, while other times, the estimates are closer to the actual data. Last year, for example, Gartner estimated Apple's Q1 2015 U.S. PC shipments to be 1.670 million, fairly close to the correct 1.672 million shipment number.

Apple secretly purchased and leased several buildings in the Silicon Valley area and naming them after Greek mythological figures and other interesting inspirations in 2014 and 2015, according to city documents obtained by the Silicon Valley Business Journal (via Business Insider).

Apple and its contractors have been building out a network of industrial projects throughout the South Bay, giving them intriguing monikers largely drawn from Greek mythology and filling them with heavy-duty equipment, including gear with potential automotive applications.

In February, loud "motor noises" were heard emanating from an Apple-leased Sunnyvale campus, sparking speculation that the building was a secret car testing facility for Apple's automotive project, dubbed Project Titan. In classical Greek mythology, Titans are divine beings who preceded the more well-known Greek gods like Zeus and Athena. Several of Apple's newly-leased buildings are named after Greek mythological figures who have direct connection to Titans.

The Sunnyvale facility that emanated the reported "motor noises" is called Rhea, and city documents show that the building plans make references to automotive terms like "lube bay," "wheel balancer," "tire changer" and "wheel sensor." Rhea, in Greek mythology, was a Titan who was also the mother of Zeus.

Zeus is also the name of a 290,000 square foot San Jose complex Apple bought in 2015. The location will house an "interim lab" that employs 15 people and an exterior service yard blocked out by a 12-foot fence with a black plastic material on the inside and a black mesh on the outside. The fence will "prevent any visual connection to the service yard from the parking lot," according to the city documents.

Another building is named after Athena, daughter of Zeus. It's unknown what the building will be used for, but the Silicon Valley Business Journal says it will undergo a "lengthy facilities closure process" as it was originally used by semiconductor manufacturers. Another building is named after the Pegasus, a Greek mythological creature that's best described as a horse with wings. Apple demolished the interior of that building and plans to create new testing and mechanical rooms within.

The final building named after a Greek mythological figure is a 105,000 square foot facility. This location, named after Medusa, will have rooms marked for "participant testing," "eye tracking," "vision lab," "spray room," and "metal / machine room." A list of chemicals for the facility lists car products like Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover and Bondo Body Filler. A contractor's filing found by the Silicon Valley Business Journal says the building will be used for research and design. In Greek mythology, Medusa's head is eventually placed on Athena's shield.

The other buildings aren't inspired by Greek mythology. One building, which will be used to support a "regenerative thermal oxidizer," is named Magnolia. The machine is used to treat exhaust air, and is utilized by many manufacturing companies, including those in the car industry. Another building is named Corvinus and is planned for industrial use. The final building is named Aria and will have "stepper" tools installed inside.

In January, it was reported that Apple Car lead Steve Zadesky had left Apple, with the company issuing a temporary hiring freeze as Apple executives were not happy with the progress of the project. While these recent developments put the future of the project in question, Tim Cook teased the Apple Car in February by saying "it's going to be Christmas Eve for a while," suggesting the much-rumored project will not be publicly revealed for sometime.

Apple today uploaded a series of seven new ads to its YouTube channel, all of which focus on different aspects of the Apple Watch. Each spot, which has a different colored background, is 16 seconds in length, giving a quick look at a single feature set to music.

Three videos, "Row," "Chase," and "Golf," featuring a rower, a runner, and a golfer, respectively, all focus on the fitness capabilities of the Apple Watch. The ad depicts users reaching their fitness goals for the day, using the Workout app to track workout progress, and competing with friends for the best time.

"Find," the fourth ad Apple shared today, highlights the Apple Watch's ability to locate the iPhone through a Glance on the device, while "Swap" highlights the myriad band options that are available.

"Surprise," depicts the Apple Watch being used to plan a surprise party, showing off the Messages app and its ability to control HomeKit-connected products like lights. The final ad, "Rain," shows off app notifications, with an Apple Watch wearer getting a notification from a weather app about an incoming rain storm and pulling out an umbrella as everyone else starts getting soaked.

Many of the Apple Watch ads shared today feature well-known celebrities like Chloë Sevigny, Alice Cooper, and Nick Jonas, continuing on with Apple's recent trend of using celebrities in its ads. Recent ads for the Apple TV and iPhone have featured celebrities like Alison Brie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Sesame Street character Cookie Monster, Jamie Foxx, Bill Hader, Jon Favreau, and Stephen Curry.

Update: Apple has shared an eighth new Apple Watch video, titled "Climb," which also focuses on the fitness features of the device.

In its latest 10-K annual report (PDF) filed last month, Intel confirmed the end of its long-heralded "tick-tock" strategy of delivering new microprocessors to the market. Intel originally introduced the product cadence to the world in 2006 with the launch of the "Core" microarchitecture, alternating "ticks" of shrinking chip fabrication processes with "tocks" of new architectures.

Over the past ten years, Intel has successively delivered new processor families based on this tick-tock cycle on a nearly annual cycle from its 65 nm manufacturing node all the way up until recently. The tick-tock release cycle allowed Intel to reestablish dominance in both the consumer and enterprise CPU markets and had given OEMs such as Apple a regular update cycle to rely on for annual product updates. But with chip updates stretching about beyond a yearly cycle in recent generations, Apple's product launch cycles have started to be affected.

In the face of the difficulties in maintaining the tick-tock cadence, Intel has announced that the launch of Kaby Lake this year as the third member of the 14-nm family following Broadwell and Skylake will mark the official end of the tick-tock strategy. Instead, Intel will move to a new "Process-Architecture-Optimization" model for the current 14 nm node and the 10 nm node.

As part of our R&D efforts, we plan to introduce a new Intel Core microarchitecture for desktops, notebooks (including Ultrabook devices and 2 in 1 systems), and Intel Xeon processors on a regular cadence. We expect to lengthen the amount of time we will utilize our 14nm and our next-generation 10nm process technologies, further optimizing our products and process technologies while meeting the yearly market cadence for product introductions.

This development is not unexpected, as semiconductor foundries have had increasingly tough times creating smaller process nodes as fabrication of smaller transistors has become increasingly expensive and complex. Transistors are rapidly approaching the physical limits of traditional semiconductor geometries, and the famous Moore's Law regarding transistor density has been formally acknowledged to no longer be valid.

Intel has no doubt moved to this new release model in an attempt to get back to a regular product and platform cadence as it struggles with the technological challenges of bringing new fabrication nodes to volume production. As noted in our Mac Buyer's Guide, many of Apple's Macs have gone without update for the longest time since we began tracking them, though Apple has yet to update to the available Skylake microarchitecture for its Mac line. Some product uncertainty is due to continue as the launch of Intel's Kaby Lake microarchitecture has been recently delayed to the second half of 2016 after Skylake suffered similar setbacks last year.

Over the past two weeks, an increasing number of iPhone SE early adopters have reported audio issues with Bluetooth phone calls when the smartphone is paired with a vehicle or wireless headset. The issue extends to GPS voice navigation for some, but streaming music over Bluetooth appears to be unaffected.

Specifically, dozens of users in the Apple Support Communities and MacRumors discussion forums claim to be experiencing distorted, staticky, or inaudible phone calls when using an iPhone SE over Bluetooth. Many of those affected noted that their previous iPhone model had "crystal clear" audio quality.

MacRumors reader HickDead recently posted a forum topic to share his experience:

I actually had to return my SE back to Verizon because my Bluetooth calls reception quality was terrible. Playing music or YouTube videos through the Bluetooth was excellent but when it came to phone calls, the sound was constantly cutting in and out and sounded "scratchy" and distorted.

Never had this issue with my previous 6S or my work-issued Android phone. Tried my SE in a different vehicle and got the same results. I've unpaired and repaired and I even restored my SE and set up up as a new device but nothing has worked.

Based on crowdsourced information, the issue appears to affect all iPhone SE models running iOS 9.3 or 9.3.1, regardless of carrier or model, in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden, U.K., and possibly elsewhere. The first iOS 9.3.2 beta does not appear to resolve the problem.

The issue does not appear to be isolated to any particular carmaker, as customers have reported identical issues with vehicles sold by Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and many other makes and models.

It remains unknown if the problem is rooted in software or hardware, but a number of affected customers have attempted basic troubleshooting without success, including restoring the iPhone SE, resetting network settings, un-pairing and re-pairing Bluetooth, toggling cellular data, and changing SIM cards.

Some users that contacted Apple support by phone claim to have been escalated to higher-level iOS advisors that asked for log files. At least a few customers received confirmation that Apple engineers are aware of the Bluetooth issues internally and are working on a fix, but the timeline remains unclear.

Apple Support Communities user Ross_H_D posted this message on April 9:

I have been working with a high level support person who has assured me he is working directly with engineering. Apple has very much become engaged in this issue. They have had me do extensive testing of various conditions in order to document and troubleshoot. Further, there is an internal "Issue" board and tracking system for Apple support and this BT issue is on the top of the list. It was conveyed to me that this has become a very real issue internally and resources are now committed to its resolution.

This type of problem is not unprecedented. In early October 2014, some users experienced trouble pairing their devices to their car audio systems over Bluetooth after upgrading to iOS 8 or purchasing a new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. The problems appeared to be fixed when Apple released iOS 8.1 later that month.

Update: Apple has released iOS 9.3.2 with a fix for iPhone SE Bluetooth issues.

Apple Watch shipments will decline more than 25 percent year-over-year in comparison to 2015, according to a new research note issued by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The wearable device sold an estimated 10.6 million units in eight months last year, but Kuo predicts that even with the launch of the Apple Watch 2, and a full twelve months of sales, the device's shipments will still come in at less than 7.5 million units in 2016.

The analyst describes an "immature wearable device market" and a few key lacking features of the first-generation Apple Watch -- iPhone independency, no killer app, limited battery life, etc. -- that will contribute to its overall sales decline prior to the launch of the second-generation version. Kuo believes that the Apple Watch 2 will enter mass production in the third quarter of 2016, in line with a fall launch alongside the iPhone 7, so its overall contribution to shipping numbers for the year is predicted to be limited.

Kuo's note also predicts some of the features of the next version of the Apple Watch, which is expected to adopt the same upgrade cycle as the iPhone. In essence, 2016's Apple Watch 2 will see some under-the-hood spec improvements and possibly minor form factor changes, while fans will have to wait until 2017 for a massively redesigned wearable from Apple. The similar design is one of Kuo's biggest reasons for declining Apple Watch shipments in 2016, despite even the uptick in sales the device could have during the holiday season.

The recent KGI Securities research note directly conflicts with a report from less-reliable Apple analyst Brian White, released last Friday, that predicted the Apple Watch 2 will not only launch in two to three months, but adopt a 40 percent slimmer case design. That launch window would put a reveal by Apple at WWDC in June with a launch following a few weeks later.

In either launch scenario, the Apple Watch 2 is rumored to have a bevy of feature improvements over its predecessor, including a FaceTime video camera, an expansion of its Wi-Fi capabilities, and new model tiers. Rumored casings of the next iteration of the device could possibly even incorporate new materials such as titanium, tungsten, palladium or platinum.

Apple has released a new television ad for the fourth-generation Apple TV called "Father Time," starring NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and actor Michael B. Jordan. It is the tenth ad for the new Apple TV since it launched in late October.

The one-minute spot centers upon Bryant and Jordan using the Apple TV and Siri Remote to open the NBA app, play a movie, and fast forward to a specific time in the movie. The ad uses the same trailer backdrop as the earlier "The Kiss" spot.

The underlying "Father Time" theme of the ad lightly pokes fun at how Bryant's all-star career with the Los Angeles Lakers, whom he will play the last game of his 20-year career for on Wednesday, is coming to an end due to his age.

The ad closes with the tagline "future of television" and colorful bars as seen throughout the rest of Apple's advertising campaign for the new Apple TV, including billboards in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Hollywood.

A draft of an encryption bill created by Senate Intelligence Committee leaders Richard Burr and Dianne Feinstein was released last night, revealing the scope of the legislation that would require technology companies to decrypt data and share it in an "intelligible format" when served with a legal order.

The Compliance with Court Orders Act of 2016, a copy of which was shared by Re/code, starts out by declaring "no person or entity is above the law." It says that all providers of communication services and products, from hardware to software, must both protect the privacy of residents of the United States through "implementation of appropriate data security," while still respecting the "rule of law" and complying with legal requirements and court orders to provide information stored either on devices or remotely.

To uphold both the rule of law and protect the interests and security of the United States, all persons receiving an authorized judicial order for information or data must provide, in a timely manner, responsive, intelligible information or data, or appropriate technical assistance to obtain such information.

In acknowledgement of the disagreement between the FBI and Apple, the legislation does include a clause that prevents it from authorizing "any government officer to require or prohibit any specific design or operating system to be adopted by any covered entity," and it shies away from specific technical demands, but the wording of the act itself, with no contingencies for inaccessible data, makes end-to-end encryption impossible. Any data encrypted by companies must also be able to be decrypted.

Security experts have heavily criticized the bill. Daniel Castro of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation told Re/code the bill "sets up a legal paradox" while the ACT/App Association said it amounts to a government-mandated back door. Security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski says the entire bill is dangerous, calling it "a hodgepodge of technical ineptitude combined with pockets of contradiction."

The absurdity of this bill is beyond words. Due to the technical ineptitude of its authors, combined with a hunger for unconstitutional governmental powers, the end result is a very dangerous document that will weaken the security of America's technology infrastructure. This will affect everything from the iPhone you hold in your pocket to how data is transmitted over the Internet, allowing the government to effectively break all electronic commerce and Internet security. This is bad legislation in every way, and it very subtly allows for unconstitutional government control of private industry.

In a report yesterday, Reuters said the White House has decided not to offer public support for the legislation, as "the administration remains deeply divided on the issue." The bill is still in draft form, with the language subject to changes based on input from stakeholders. In a joint statement, Burr and Feinstein said they hope to have a final version completed soon.

Update 4/13: An official draft of the Compliance with Court Orders Act of 2016 was released on April 13, with few changes from the version released earlier in the month.

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.