A number of iCloud services are currently experiencing downtime in the United States, Canada and other countries, an issue that became widespread within the past hour or so. A significant number of users have tipped MacRumors and posted on Twitter and other social media platforms about being unable to sign into iCloud or access related services such as Mail and Find My iPhone.
iTunes has also been experiencing an outage since at least 8:30 AM Pacific, although Apple has yet to update its system status page to reflect any ongoing issues with either iCloud or iTunes. MacRumors will continue to track Apple's system status page and the affected services and providing the latest status updates about the outage as new information becomes available.
Apple services have experienced multiple instances of downtime in recent months, including a prolonged App Store and iTunes outage in early March, and subsequent downtime in late March, followed by a TestFlight outage for developers in May. Apple has historically been rather slow at updating it system status page to reflect any ongoing issues, usually doing so several minutes after issues begin.
Update 9:09 AM Pacific: iCloud services have been restored for some users.
Over the weekend, we launched a new version of the MacRumors Forums. Beyond a long overdue redesign, we also migrated to a new discussion platform called XenForo.
The MacRumors Forums have been running since 2001 and have over 800,000 members and 20,000,000 posts. We have discussions documenting the first iPod, the first iPhone and the death of Steve Jobs.
The move to a new software platform brings us a number of new features, including but not limited to:
- Responsive design - Auto save text editor - Social registration and login. Register with Facebook and Twitter. - Notification system for replies, @mentions, quotes and likes. - Improved security
The modern new design was carefully crafted by Audentio Design. We are listening to feedback and will be making ongoing tweaks. Please offer specific comments and questions in the site feedback forum or this article thread.
Now is also a great time to register for our forums. Logged-in users see fewer ads in the forums than guests, and can comment on news stories.
Existing users may have to login again if they haven't since the transition. All users are now allowed an avatar and existing avatars should be updated to the larger size now allowed. There are a small percentage of users who may have to reset their passwords due to the transition. Otherwise, we've migrated all existing accounts and posts into the new system. If you have a problem with your account, contact us through our contact form.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent application filed by Apple in November 2012 (via AppleInsider), detailing a version of Apple's Earbuds that would smartly detect when two users are sharing the same earphone set and in-turn switch audio to single- or multi-user mode.
The headphones would use a variety of sensors, including an "angle sensor configured to measure an angle at the Y-junction of a cable associated with the pair of headphones," to determine in real-time whether the device was being used by more than one person. The Y-junction strain detector would measure the widening gap between the point where the headphones split into buds for the right and left ear, measuring whether to readjust the audio for two users as the gap widens or just one when it stays the same.
Interestingly, the patent also details a possible way that two users would not only be able to listen to the same music with better quality on a single pair of headphones, but listen to completely different songs at the same time. Other options are portrayed in the patent for helping to detect a change between user count, ranging from basic mechanical switches to measuring precise angle alignment of a pair of headphones using light transmission and fiber optic cables.
Given that the patent application was filed over two years ago and Apple has yet to release earphones with the proposed technology, it is unlikely the company has plans to do so. Still, as a response to a common use of one of Apple's products in the wild, today's patent is definitely an interesting glimpse into the way the company observes unexpected uses of even its most simple creations.
Intel today at Computex 2015 announced its next-generation lineup of quad-core Broadwell processors for notebooks and desktop computers, including a trio of Core i7 processors appropriate for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro: i7-5950HQ, i7-5850HQ and i7-5750HQ. The new processors have base frequencies of between 2.5 GHz and 2.9 GHz and feature integrated Intel Iris Pro 6200 graphics.
The fifth-generation Broadwell chips are expected to be available in the next 30-60 days, meaning the first notebooks and desktop computers with the new processors should be available in July or August.
Interestingly, Apple refreshed the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro just last month, but noticeably missing were processor upgrades, as the new machines continue to use the same Haswell processors from the previous generation. While appropriate Broadwell chips will soon be available over the next few months, it is possible that Apple did not want to wait that long to refresh the notebook.
It is also possible that Apple will skip fifth-generation Broadwell processors entirely for the MacBook Pro and release Skylake-based notebooks as early as later this year. Intel also announced the future availability of Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C, and USB 3.1 and DisplayPort 1.2 support, and the new spec would be suitable for inclusion in the next refresh to the Mac lineup.
Apple updated its Apple Pay participating issuers list today with 12 additional banks, credit unions and financial institutions supporting the contactless payment service in the United States. Apple Pay now has over 300 participating issuers nationwide, and several hundred more plan to support the NFC-based mobile payment service in the future.
The newly added Apple Pay participating issuers are reflected below, although it's worth noting that some banks, credit unions and financial institutions listed may have already had support for the contactless payments service and are only now being reflected on Apple's website.
The full list of new Apple Pay participating issuers:
Banner Bank
BayPort Credit Union
California Coast Credit Union
Centier Bank
Community First Credit Union (CFCU)
Glenview State Bank
HAPO Community Credit Union
Prestige Community Credit Union
Provident Credit Union
Staley Credit Union
Synovus Bank
Wood & Huston Bank
Apple Pay remains available in the United States only, although Apple is committed to an international rollout of the mobile payments service in additional countries such as Canada, China and the United Kingdom. Canada, a well-prepared candidate for Apple Pay, could be the first country to embrace the service outside of the United States in iOS 9.
Following in the footsteps of iHome, Lutron and Elgato, Ecobee and Insteon, two of Apple's other HomeKit partners, are also announcing new HomeKit-compatible products today. Ecobee is announcing a new smart thermostat, while Insteon is introducing the Insteon Hub for adding HomeKit compatibility to Insteon's range of switches, outlets, thermostats, and lightbulbs.
Ecobee's existing thermostat is already sold in Apple's retail stores, and as of July, the company is launching a new version that's compatible with HomeKit. The new WiFi-connected ecobee3 will be one of the first HomeKit-supported thermostat available to consumers, letting temperature be controlled through Siri commands on the iPhone and iPad.
"As the first HomeKit-enabled smart thermostat, we couldn't be happier to bring this revolutionary technology to customers," said Stuart Lombard, president and CEO of ecobee. "The new ecobee3 uses wireless remote sensors to deliver the right temperature to the rooms that matter most, and now customers can conveniently control their temperature using Siri on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, or the ecobee app."
The ecobee3 uses several remote sensors to measure temperature and occupancy in multiple rooms of the house to adjust cooling and heating when a person is home and when away. Like other HomeKit-compatible devices, the ecobee3 can be grouped with other connected-home devices to enable commands like "Siri, I'm going to bed" which will turn down the temperature and turn off the lights.
Insteon's HomeKit-enabled Insteon Hub, first announced at CES, pairs with the new Insteon+ app and connects to Insteon's range of smart home products, from LED bulbs and cameras to wall outlets, keypads, switches, sensors, and more. Insteon has a wide assortment of connected-home products that pair with its Hub, bringing HomeKit compatibility to a wide selection of accessories. Like the company's existing hub, the new hub pairs with almost all of Insteon's products and a few additional products, like the Nest thermostat.
The Insteon+ app is also able to interface with other HomeKit-enabled products, so the Insteon system can potentially be used to control an entire connected home. The app allows users to set up "rooms" and "zones," schedule scenes, and adjust multiple devices at once.
"We're excited to be shipping our HomeKit-enabled Insteon Hub and releasing the Insteon+ mobile app, enabling the mass consumer market to live in a world where all of their connected devices work together in perfect harmony," said Joe Dada, CEO, Insteon. "HomeKit streamlines home automation for consumers, brings together multiple manufacturers and offers advanced features like remote control and voice control through integrations with Siri."
The HomeKit-compatible ecobee3, which includes a thermostat and one sensor, will be available for purchase in Apple retail stores in July for $249. The Insteon Hub will be available for purchase through Amazon.com and Smarthome.com in early July for $149.99.
Ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, several of the company's HomeKit partners are today announcing the availability of the first HomeKit-compatible products. HomeKit is Apple's home automation platform, first introduced at the 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference.
HomeKit provides a standardized framework for manufacturers that develop home automation products, letting them interface with the Apple ecosystem and with each other. Through HomeKit, connected devices like lights, thermostats, speakers, smart plugs, and more can be controlled by Siri. For example, HomeKit enables commands like "Siri, turn off my lights," or "Siri, turn the temperature up before I get home."
Though HomeKit was announced in 2014, it has taken nearly a year for companies to complete Apple's certification process and get products ready for store shelves. Several companies like iDevices, Schlage, and Elgato have previously announced plans for HomeKit-compatible products, but until today, no products were ready to launch.
Lutron's Smart Bridge, part of the Lighting Starter Kit, supports HomeKit and is designed to let users control their Lutron Caséta Wireless dimmers using Siri on an iPhone or iPad. The kit includes one Smart Bridge, two Caséta Wireless dimmers (which support dimmable LED, halogen, and incandescent bulbs), two remotes, and two pedestals.
The Caséta Wireless Smart Bridge with HomeKit support allows homeowners to control lights in specific rooms or areas. For example, just before bed, tell Siri "turn the lights off" and the Caséta Wireless Smart Bridge will turn off lights throughout the house. Unsure if the basement light is still on? Ask Siri to check and if so, turn it off.
iHome's iSP5 SmartPlug fits into a standard wall socket and can use Siri or the iHome Control app to control lamps, fans, and other devices that are plugged in to the SmartPlug. The SmartPlugs support different "scenes" to control multiple connected devices within the home, and the app will allow multiple SmartPlugs to be grouped and controlled with a single command.
Up to two SmartPlugs are able to fit into a single wall socket and a Wi-Fi connection is required for the plugs to communicate with iOS devices. According to iHome, today's iSP5 SmartPlug is just one of several products that will include HomeKit support, with other accessories in the iHome Control line coming in the future.
The Eve brand of connected home sensors by Elgato, which the company announced last Fall, allow users to monitor air quality, smoke, humidity, air pressure, energy, and water consumption all with the ease of a synced iOS app. The line-up of different sensors each focus on a specific aspect of home detection: the Eve Room for indoor air quality, Eve Weather for outdoor temperature and humidity, Eve Door & Window for security notifications of open and closed points of entry into a house, and Eve Energy for basic energy consumption data and the control of electronic devices.
Some of the devices in the line aren't just simple sensors, either, with Eve Energy acting as a go-between for electrical-based devices and a wall outlet (although it's currently only available for European sockets). The product subsequently can monitor energy consumption of a device and can turn the product connected to it on and off at the touch of a button within the iOS app. Each of the products in the Eve family of home sensors are fully functional with Siri, allowing users to speak to their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to ask about temperature, the security of doors and windows, and control devices connected to Eve Energy.
The Caséta Wireless Lighting Starter Kit is available for $229.95 at Apple Stores beginning today. iHome's iSP5 SmartPlug will be available for pre-order for $39.99 from the iHome website beginning June 15. Elgato's Eve sensors are up for pre-order starting today, ranging in price from $39.95 to $79.95.
Ecobee and Insteon also announced a new HomeKit-compatible smart thermostat and Insteon Hub for controlling a range of switches, outlets, thermostats, and lightbulbs respectively. In the coming weeks, there will be even more announcements as companies producing smart home products finish their work on HomeKit.
Intel today at Computex 2015 unveiled Thunderbolt 3 with a USB Type-C connector, instead of Mini DisplayPort, and support for USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2 and PCI Express 3.0, as outlined by Ars Technica. The new spec's Thunderbolt transport layer provides up to 40Gbps throughput, double the max bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2, alongside an optional 100 watts of power for charging devices in accordance with the USB Power Delivery spec, or 15 watts of power without USB PD.
"Thunderbolt 3 is backed by Intel's new Alpine Ridge controller. USB 3.1 support is provided by integrating a USB 3.1 host controller into Alpine Ridge. There will be two flavours of the controller, one that uses four PCIe 3.0 lanes to drive two Thunderbolt ports, and another version that only uses two PCIe lanes connected to a single Thunderbolt port."
Thunderbolt 3 is capable of driving up to two 4K external displays at 60Hz or a single 5K display at 60Hz running off a single cable. Dell and other manufacturers currently use a dual-cable solution for most 4K and 5K external displays, since the current DisplayPort/Thunderbolt spec does not provide enough bandwidth to drive the high-resolution monitors. Thunderbolt 3 also supports more protocols than any other I/O controller, making it compatible with virtually any dock, device or display.
Intel expects initial products with Thunderbolt 3 to start shipping before the end of this year, and ramp up in 2016. Thunderbolt 3 is rumored to launch alongside Intel's next-generation Skylake chips, succeeding the Broadwell line, later this year, and the new spec could theoretically be included in Skylake-based Macs that could possibly be released in late 2015. Refreshed Macs would likely gain USB-C ports integrated with Thunderbolt 3 as an all-in-one solution.
Apple today updated the Apple TV to re-add the Events Channel, where the company plans to broadcast the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday, June 8. "Tune in at 10:00 AM (Local Time) on June 8 to watch this event live," reads the channel.
Apple has not yet updated its Events website, but it's likely the company will provide a live stream of the keynote on the website for users who are using Macs and iOS devices. As always, MacRumors will also provide live coverage of the event both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
This year's WWDC keynote event promises to be an exciting one, with Apple expected to debut a new streaming music service, a revamped version of iTunes Radio, an updated Apple TV set-top box, and iOS 9 and OS X 11. New features and updates to Apple Pay and HomeKit may also be announced, but as we learned earlier today, the company's much-rumored subscription television service will not make an appearance.
Update: Apple is now also advertising the live stream on its website.
Apple today updated its "Shot on iPhone 6" microsite to include a new video section, entitled "World Gallery in motion." The new section more heavily emphasizes the video taking capabilities of the iPhone 6, with a tagline that reads "The camera that changed photos does the same for video."
The Shot on iPhone 6 site previously featured a few videos captured with the iPhone 6, but the newly introduced video-specific gallery includes a total of six videos that are new. The short 15-second videos, also available on YouTube, cover subjects ranging from birds, dogs, and bugs to landscapes. All are set to accompanying music and end with the text "Shot on iPhone 6."
Several of the videos, including the one featured above, show off video-specific iPhone 6 features like slo-mo and timelapse, while others simply depict scenes with impressive colors and clarity. Like Apple's "Shot on iPhone 6" photos, the videos were shot by iPhone 6 users rather than professional videographers. Photos on Apple's site include information on what filters were added, but these videos do not include details on software used for editing or changes made to coloration.
Apple first introduced its "Shot on iPhone 6" photo gallery and microsite in March, showing off a selection of photos taken by iPhone 6 users in a range of countries around the world. Apple's effort showcased the work of more than 70 photographers in 24 countries, with the photographs being used in print media, transit posters, and billboards across the world.
Apple does not plan to announce its streaming television subscription service at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week, reports Re/code, citing sources with knowledge of Apple's plans. Apple has informed television network executives that launch will be postponed because the company has not yet signed the necessary deals.
Apple wanted to launch a subscription TV service in early fall to coincide with the start of the new broadcast television season. But the debut got bogged down by negotiations over financial terms and new technology that would be required for broadcasters to deliver local programming to Apple's Web TV service.
According to industry executives, the television service may not launch until late 2015 or early 2016, as "technology and money issues" continue to be sticking points that have prevented negotiations from being completed. Apple's desire to provide consumers with local broadcast stations has also reportedly slowed down negotiations as securing all the necessary deals to show local programs and commercials takes a lot of time.
Rumors have suggested that Apple's streaming television service will feature approximately 25 channels priced at $30 to $40 per month. It would be available over the Internet and would not require a cable subscription package.
While Apple does not plan to debut its streaming television service at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week, it is rumored to be introducing a new Apple TV set-top box with a full App Store that includes apps and games. It's also expected to introduce a new streaming music service, a revamped version of iTunes Radio, and OS X 10.11 and iOS 9.
Apple's data center in Maiden, North Carolina has been affected by a chlorine leak that has injured at least five people, reports The Charlotte Observer. The leak was reported at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and hazmat crews are said to be on site.
Little else is known about the leak, including its cause, but it follows a fire last week at Apple's former GT Advanced facility in Mesa, Arizona. The two-alarm fire was extinguished shortly after it began and it appeared to originate at the solar panels on the rooftop. No one was injured in that incident.
Apple's Maiden, North Carolina data center is the company's largest, at 183 acres. Its accompanying solar farm puts out more than 50 megawatts of power at peak efficiency, and Apple began expanding the data center in February of 2014.
Update: Apple has issued a statement explaining that five workers were taken to a local hospital in North Carolina after complaining of feeling dizzy and lightheaded following possible exposure to chlorine fumes. The leak "may have been released during a spill of a chemical used to clean the cooling systems."
Five workers at our Maiden data center were taken to a local hospital following possible exposure to fumes, which may have been released during a spill of a chemical used to clean the cooling systems. All five were discharged and will return to work tomorrow. The spill was quickly contained and poses no threat to anyone else at the facility."
The five individuals have now been discharged from the hospital and will return to work on Tuesday. Hazmat crews have declared the building where the leak occurred safe following air quality tests.
Apple's much-rumored streaming music service is set to debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 alongside a revamped iTunes Radio, The Wall Street Journal confirmed today. Apple's Beats-based streaming music service will not include a free listening tier like Spotify, but it will include unlimited on-demand streaming for $10 per month.
Rather than offering its music catalog for free, Apple will supplement its upcoming streaming music service with free music available through iTunes Radio. As has been rumored, iTunes Radio will be gaining new channels created by and hosted by DJs. Apple has made several hires for iTunes Radio, most notably snatching DJ Zane Lowe from BBC Radio in February.
The radio push is said to be aimed primarily at users who are not located in the United States, and has been rumored earlier, Apple has plans to debut its streaming music service and iTunes Radio in multiple countries around the world. Apple is hoping that users outside the U.S. who do not have access to Pandora will use the radio service and later subscribe to Apple's streaming music service.
According to The Wall Street Journal's sources, Apple is fully prepared to cannibalize its iTunes music downloads with its new streaming service and it plans to promote it heavily to iTunes customers. For example, a customer purchasing a $10 album may be encouraged by Apple to subscribe to the music service instead.
Apple has not yet closed deals with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, or Warner Music Group, but the negotiations are expected to be completed in the near future. Because deals are not complete, there's a possibility that the new service will not debut at WWDC, but the WSJ's sources say this is "unlikely."
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off next week, with a keynote event taking place on Monday, June 8. Along with its new streaming music service and updated iTunes Radio, Apple is also rumored to be debuting a new Apple TV set-top box, a streaming television service, and updates to HomeKit and Apple Pay. iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 will also be announced.
During Apple's most recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook announced plans to begin carrying the Apple Watch in the company's retail stores in late June. Now that we've entered the first week of that month, Apple has begun preparing its retail employees for the in-store launch of the Apple Watch.
In a video message sent to retail employees, the contents of which were shared by 9to5Mac, retail chief Angela Ahrendts told employees that they need to be "above and beyond ready" for the launch. Apple's VP of retail operations Jim Bean also detailed an upcoming "Reserve and Pickup" feature.
Reserve and Pickup will let customers check the Apple Online Store each day at 8:00 a.m. local time to see if a nearby store has their desired Apple Watch model in stock. If it's available, customers will be able to reserve the Apple Watch and choose a time to pick it up. Customers will also be able to make reservations for Apple Watch models that are not yet in stock.
"This is our moment to shine, this will be a launch unlike any we've ever had before... this is what you were born to do, this is why you are at Apple," Ahrendts told employees hoping to encourage them to re-review the Apple Watch training materials. Apple is also encouraging employees to discuss the benefits of Apple Pay with customers, which is a core Apple Watch feature.
In addition to preparing Apple employees for in-store Apple Watch sales, Apple has also notified them that customers are now able to try Apple Watch demo units paired to an iPhone in store. Prior to now, Apple Watches have been in a demo loop or attached to tables and unable to pair with iPhones.
Since its launch on April 24, the Apple Watch has been available from Apple solely online. Apple has, however, made limited numbers of the Apple Watch available to customers through third-party boutiques, such as Maxfield in Los Angeles. According to retail chief Angela Ahrendts, Apple's efforts to keep sales online have been done due to supply constraints and to provide customers with the best possible Apple Watch buying experience.
The Apple Watch continues to be in short supply, but shipping times for many models have greatly improved since launch. Some models of the Apple Watch Sport and stainless steel Apple Watch are now shipping within a week in the United States.
Apple has quietly changed the way it promotes new and popular apps on the App Store, shifting from algorithmically generated lists to editorially curated content last month. TechCrunch reports that the "Games" section, for example, no longer has "New," "What's Hot," or "All iPhone (Free & Paid)" categories, which have been replaced with editor curated lists such as "Best New Games" and "More Games You Might Like," the latter based on a customer's purchase history.
"What’s also notable about the changes is that this represents the first time the Games’ subcategory pages (e.g., Action, Adventure, Racing, Trivia, etc.) have included editorially created lists," reports TechCrunch. "These pages now have their own banner art at the top as well in order to better highlight the best new games within those sections. Within each subcategory page, consumers can browse editorial collections including 'Best New Games,' 'All-Time Greats,' 'Free,' and 'Pay Once & Play.'"
The move towards editorial curation was expected given the multiple job listings that Apple has posted for App Store and iTunes editors in recent months, including one specifically for the games section.
"This position is responsible for the discovery, selection, and promotion of games on the Apple App Stores. Working under the direction of the Editorial Manager for Games, they are tasked with ensuring all games selected for promotion are played and scrutinized to the highest level of standards," the job description for an "Editor, Games, App Store" position posted in late April reads.
The report claims that some app developers have seen between 30% to 90% fewer organic app downloads since the changes were made, although the move away from automatically generated app lists is not expected to negatively impact most developers. In fact, editorial curation should help developers with truly useful apps gain some well-deserved exposure on the App Store, rather than clone or rip-off apps that sometimes slipped through Apple's old automated process.
Following the surging popularity and subsequent removal of Flappy Bird from the App Store a few years ago, for example, a number of developers were quick to release copycat versions of the app with similar app icons, titles, graphics and gameplay. At any given time, at least a few of those apps were often undeservingly featured under the algorithmically generated lists on the App Store such as "New" or "What's Hot" based on total downloads and other factors.
There are over 1,400,000 apps available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod.
ElevationLab today announced the launch of an updated version of its popular Elevation Dock for the iPhone, adding new features like a wider design to accommodate the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, new lateral supports for improved stability, and a built-in Apple-certified Lightning connector.
The Elevation Dock originated on Kickstarter in 2012, and quickly became a popular choice for iPhone owners. The company released an Elevation Dock 2 able to support the iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, and 6, but the Elevation Dock 3 is the first dock that works with Apple's bigger iPhone 6 Plus and iPhones with thick cases. It's also the first Elevation Dock that does not require the buyer to supply a Lightning cable.
Along with above-mentioned feature additions, the Elevation Dock 3 is also available in new finishes, adding Bright Polished Red and Cerulean Blue to the existing silver and black aluminum finishes.
Elevation Dock 3 can be purchased from the ElevationLab website for $89 to $99, depending on finish. Orders will ship out immediately.
Apple's Director of Fitness and Health Technologies Jay Blahnik is touring the Asia-Pacific region this week to host live Q&A sessions with popular personal trainers and other well-known icons at Apple Stores in Australia, China and Japan. The special events focus on the intersection of health, fitness and technology, such as how to live a better life by maintaining a healthy body and mind.
Blahnik posing with personal trainer Michelle Bridges and a fan in Sydney (Instagram)
Blahnik sat down with Australian personal trainer Michelle Bridges for a live Q&A session at the Apple Store in Sydney, Australia on May 29 before heading to the Omotesando Apple Store to speak with technology journalist Nobi Hayashi in Tokyo, Japan earlier today, as noted by Macotakara. Blahnik will now travel to Beijing for an event with Chinese action filmmaker Donnie Yen at the Apple Store in China Central Mall on June 3.
Prior to joining Apple in July 2013, Blahnik was a Nike FuelBand consultant for almost 20 years and an award-winning fitness instructor and personal trainer. As health and fitness director at Apple, he has played an instrumental role in development of the Apple Watch, working in the company's top-secret health and fitness lab where it has collected over 18,000 hours of health and fitness data from employee workout sessions.
BlackBerry and Typo Keyboard have reached the end of a lengthy lawsuit over Typo's BlackBerry-esque iPhone case that adds a physical keyboard to the Apple product (via The Verge). The lawsuit dating back to January 2014 argued that Typo, which saw significant publicity due to Ryan Seacrest's backing, willfully infringed on patents and "blatantly copied" BlackBerry's keyboard design. Today's settlement brings the news that Typo now essentially is prevented from making keyboards for any smartphone in the future.
While neither company released the full settlement terms, a brief press release from BlackBerry notes that Typo has agreed not to produce keyboards for devices with screens smaller than 7.9 inches. This essentially precludes Typo from making keyboards for any smartphone, but leaves the door open for keyboards for tablets or any other device with a screen larger than 7.9 inches.
As part of the settlement, Typo Products LLC, Typo Innovations LLC, Show Media LLC, Hallier Investments LLC, and Laurence Hallier have agreed to permanently discontinue selling anywhere in the world keyboards for smartphones and mobile devices with a screen size of less than 7.9 inches. Typo Products LLC, Typo Innovations LLC, Show Media LLC, Hallier Investments LLC, and Laurence Hallier may continue to sell keyboards for devices with a screen size of 7.9 inches or larger. Other terms of the settlement are confidential.
Thanks to BlackBerry's constant pursuit of a lawsuit against the company, the Typo Keyboard for iPhone faced a very rocky road since its debut in January of 2014. Typo kept moving forward, however, just last December introducing the Typo2 for iPhone 6 that the company promised was designed to avoid the legal pitfalls of its previous case. BlackBerry was unconvinced, however, once again filing suit against Typo over the new product in February.
Over the weekend, we 
Apple updated its 
Ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, several of the company's HomeKit partners are today announcing the availability of the first HomeKit-compatible products. HomeKit is Apple's home automation platform, first introduced at the 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Apple's much-rumored streaming music service is set to debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 alongside a revamped iTunes Radio, 
During Apple's 
