MacRumors

Uber yesterday announced SPOT, a new initiative to make sure drivers and riders experience less hassle finding one another in dark or crowded areas. The technology will allow someone calling for an Uber to designate a specific color so that their driver can easily spot them when arriving at the pickup location.

SPOT is the latest experiment in our ongoing effort to make Uber pickups as seamless as possible. When riders and drivers can easily find each other, we’re able to trim down wait times, which is a win for everyone. We hope you’ll have a chance to experience SPOT in the coming weeks.

Beginning exclusively in Seattle, the new program will give Uber drivers a small "SPOT Device," attached to their windshield. When a user requests a SPOT-enabled vehicle, they're asked to pick a specific color within the app while waiting. When the app prompts the rider that the vehicle is driving up, they can take the app out and display their color to the driver, or simply look for their chosen color in the windshield of the car.

The company didn't give any mention if, or when, SPOT would make it to other cities after its test run in Seattle. Those that have yet to do so can download Uber from the App Store for free [Direct Link].

ESPN today announced an update to its iOS app that will let users stream live sporting events from the separate WatchESPN service directly within the core app, a feature that would previously redirect users to a separate download of WatchESPN. Specifically concerning videos, the ESPN app before today's update only allowed for short clips and game highlights.

“Offering the convenience of live streaming within one app reinforces the value of the multichannel subscription,” said Sean Breen, Senior Vice President of Affiliate Sales, Disney & ESPN Media Networks. “Even with WatchESPN’s recent record-breaking viewership, we continue to be aggressive in driving awareness to a large scale audience and to incentivize video subscribers to authenticate.”

ESPN representatives promised that logging into the new app will be the same process as before, and users can expect to see a simple "WatchESPN" tab at the bottom right of the screen. On the iPad, the app will also support multitasking with a picture-in-picture mode that keeps playback rolling even as users leave the app's homepage.

The company noted that it will be keeping WatchESPN up on the App Store as a solo, "full experience," for those who specifically want live streaming capabilities and none of the various other game-tracking features of the base app. To use WatchESPN in any capacity, users have to check for support from their cable provider and then link the two accounts within the app.

ESPN mentioned that the move to consolidate its two popular mobile apps comes after "record-breaking audience viewership" for its WatchESPN software across all platforms of its availability. September was its most-viewed month ever -- excluding months the World Cup took place -- with 11 million total viewers on the app that watched 2.2 billion minutes in total of ESPN content.

iPad Pro launched in the U.S. and 40 total countries in November, and this week the 12.9-inch tablet became available in the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan through the Apple Online Store and select authorized resellers.

Pricing for the 32GB Wi-Fi base model in the three Asian countries starts at ₱42,990.00 in the Philippines, ₩999,000 in South Korea and NT$27,900 in Taiwan. 128GB Wi-Fi and 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular models are also available.

Apple's website continues to list the iPad Pro as "coming soon" in select countries. The large-sized tablet is now available in the countries and territories listed ahead.

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T-Mobile has announced a third "Un-carrier Unwrapped" holiday promotion that offers AT&T customers a 128GB iPhone 6s for the same price as a 16GB model, which is a $200 savings.

The offer is valid for AT&T, GoPhone and Cricket postpaid and prepaid customers that switch a phone number to a T-Mobile Simple Choice postpaid plan between December 4 and December 13.

AT&T customers can combine the offer with T-Mobile's Carrier Freedom promotion, which provides up to $650 towards a balance owing or to pay off early termination fees (ETFs) with an eligible device trade-in.

T-Mobile is also offering AT&T customers that switch up to half off its lineup of financed in-store accessories:

That could mean as much as a $125 discount on the hottest mobile gifts, like the latest smartwatches, UE Boom and JBL Bluetooth speakers, top-of-the-line headphones, Fitbit fitness trackers, Guitar Hero Live for iOS and more.

This limited time offer is part of T-Mobile's monthlong "Un-carrier Unwrapped" holiday promotion that began with three months of free unlimited LTE data for all Simple Choice postpaid customers and a $200 bill credit for Sprint customers.

T-Mobile plans to unveil additional "gifts" over the next few weeks, with a new gift coming at least once per week. T-Mobile CEO John Legere recently confirmed on Twitter that Verizon customers will receive their "Un-carrier Unwrapped" gift soon.

T-Mobile also recently announced that Music Freedom now supports 11 new services: Aud.io, Dash Radio, DatPiff, Jango, KCRW, Noon Pacific, Radio Danz, SomaFM, Spinrilla, StreamOn and TuneIn Premium.

Nuance Communications today announced the launch of its voice dictation and productivity app, Dragon Anywhere, for iOS devices. Although the app includes a bevy of document management and enterprise-focused features, its main selling point is its continuous, cloud-based dictation that lets users create and edit documents without a time or length limit set in place.

“Expanding Dragon Anywhere to iOS further empowers the mobile workforce to more easily complete time-consuming documentation and achieve greater levels of productivity away from the office,” said Peter Mahoney, senior vice president and general manager of Dragon.

The company positions Dragon Anywhere as an ideal alternative for professionals often working outside of an office, since the software allows them full editing, formatting, and distribution tools right from their phone. Although it should be noted that even when out in the field, an internet or cellular connection is required at all times for the dictation software to function.

The app extends its voice dictation beyond document creation, as well, letting users navigate the UI or even share documents to Dropbox and Evernote using only their voice. The video below shows off Nuance's voice dictation software in greater detail.

Dragon Anywhere also includes a customization suite for its dictation awareness, letting businesses enter personal and customized phrases to be sure the software picks up on everything said by the user. All saved settings will also sync between iOS and the company's supported Mac and PC apps, as well.

Nuance offers Dragon Anywhere as a three-tiered subscription-based service, with 1 month ($15), 3 months ($40), and 12 months ($150) available as options to those interested, along with a one week free trial to test out its features beforehand.

A coalition of authors and well-known booksellers have come forth to back Apple in a petition to overturn a recent ruling that stated the company was liable in conspiring to fix the prices of electronic books when its iBooks store launched on the iPad in 2010 (via Cult of Mac).

Together, the Authors Guild, Authors United, the American Booksellers Association, and Barnes & Noble have filed a 37-page amicus brief that states Apple was in fact enhancing competition and benefiting its customers.

“We are pleased to lend our support in this matter, critical to anyone interested in a competitive and diverse literary marketplace,” said Mary Rasenberger, executive director of the Authors Guild, in a statement. “We fundamentally question the wisdom of the Second Circuit’s use of antitrust law to punish a business arrangement that demonstrably increased competition in the e-book marketplace.”

The brief falls in line with Apple's petition of the Supreme Court to review the case this past October, after first being found guilty of conspiring to artificially inflate the prices of e-books back in 2013, when the case started. The amicus brief filed by the authors and booksellers backs up Apple's attempts at overturning the ruling, stating that a positive outcome for the case is "critical to maintaining a healthy marketplace for the ideas and First Amendment-protected expression that authors and bookstores facilitate."

The groups even mention Amazon as more of a "disruptive" force in the e-books market, with a "loss leader" strategy that led to domination over the digital bookselling marketplace. The groups use Amazon's recent public battles with publishers like Hachette, where it essentially ceased selling any of their novels due to a price point disagreement, as a primary example. They also look at the market monopoly Amazon held before Apple entered with iBooks in 2010.

“With a 90% market share, nearly every customer who wanted to purchase an e-book had to do so through Amazon,” the brief states. “Amazon could exercise this power to suppress specific publishers, authors, or messages with which it disagreed, with impunity. It also could steer the culture toward the ideas it valued. Amazon controlled what e-books were promoted on its home page, what e-books were recommended to consumers, and what books appeared at the top of a consumer’s search results when she searched for e-books on the Amazon.com website."

With no response yet from the Department of Justice regarding Apple's filing for a review, the company still has an uncertain future in the two year-long case. All respondents have until January 4 to file a response in opposition to Apple's petitioning of the Supreme Court, so the next leg of the case is just over a month away.

Roughly a year ago, popular accessory company Withings introduced its Home security camera and air quality monitor, giving users an easy way to keep tabs on their homes with video streaming, push alerts for activity, and cloud storage of footage. Withings has continued to improve the Home with software updates since the launch, and several recent additions such as an app for the new Apple TV and a Baby Monitor mode have made the user experience even better.

Priced at $200, the Withings Home is a 5-megapixel HD camera with a 135-degree field of view, night vision, sensors for motion, sound, and air quality, and more. A companion iOS app [Direct Link] makes it easy to control the camera, receive alerts, and monitor video, audio, and other data from the Home.

The Home is a fairly attractive looking camera about the size of a coffee mug, with a wood grain shell that can be rotated to physically cover the device's camera to eliminate any potential concerns about accidental activation of the camera at unwanted times. The lower portion of the main body can glow in a variety of colors to indicate device status or act as a nightlight.

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Following in Facebook's footsteps, Twitter today announced plans to make some of its Fabric developer toolkit available for tvOS apps. Developers will be able to integrate Twitter's Digits feature into apps, allowing end users to securely sign into tvOS apps using SMS verification.

With Digits, customers can sign up for an app or service using a phone number with Digits providing a confirmation code used for verification purposes in lieu of a password, a feature that's likely to be handy on the new fourth-generation Apple TV. Entering lengthy passwords using the new Apple TV remote is a hassle and the Digits login feature will remove that pain point in apps that use it.

Using Digits' device authorization, your app on the Apple TV will show a short alphanumeric code. Your user then simply enters the code on digits.com/appletv via their laptop or smartphone to authorize the device to their account. Once that's done, the TV device receives a Digits session for the user's account which you can use to instantly identify your user and personalize their experience.

Along with Digits, developers can also integrate Twitter's data analysis service, Crashlytics, into apps to track install numbers and crash instances.

Last week, Facebook announced a Facebook SDK for tvOS, designed to allow developers to access Facebook Login, Share to Facebook, and Facebook Analytics for Apps. With Facebook login, customers can sign up for services and log into apps using a similar confirmation code system.

Logitech's Create Keyboard Case for the iPad Pro was one of the first third-party keyboards available for the device, because Logitech created it with help from Apple. Because Logitech partnered with Apple for the accessory, it's also the only third-party keyboard that's currently able to take advantage of the Smart Connector on the iPad Pro, meaning it doesn't need to connect to the iPad over Bluetooth or use its own power source.

We went hands-on with Logitech's Create Keyboard case to see how it measures up to Apple's own hard-to-find Smart Keyboard and the few other iPad Pro third-party keyboards on the market.

Design

Logitech designed the Create to transform the iPad Pro into a laptop clone, producing a keyboard that is close in design and feel to a traditional laptop keyboard. The case itself is made from a rigid material covered with a ballistic nylon fabric, while the keyboard is constructed from aluminum with plastic keys. Design wise, the Create is available in three colors - black, navy, and red - to match the Space Gray, Silver, and Gold iPads.

You can mix and match colors, but based on marketing materials, the black model is meant to match the Space Gray iPad, the navy model is meant for the Silver iPad, and the red version is designed to match the Gold iPad. Each model's outer cover is designed to be resistant to liquid, keeping the iPad Pro safe from small spills, drips, and light rain.

The Create Keyboard has two main parts: the keyboard portion of the case and a rigid backplate that fits over the iPad Pro. The shell of the case fits over the top half of the iPad Pro in landscape mode, aligning with the camera. There's a crease in the middle of the backplate that allows it to flex to fit the iPad Pro into the Smart Connector built into the case.

Only half of the iPad Pro is fitted securely in the case because of the need for that connection, and on multiple occasions, my iPad Pro popped out of the shell. This never happened in an area where I could potentially drop the iPad Pro, but it was a definite concern of mine. Having the iPad Pro pop out of the case at the wrong time could be a potential disaster, but at the same time, the bottom of the iPad Pro has to be free to fit properly.

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United Airlines today announced a plan to equip its customer service representatives in each United States-based hub with Apple's iPhone 6 Plus. The airline said that the plan will allow each rep to assist passengers' needs faster while giving them access to "additional operational information" without needing to search for outside help.

"Our employees told us they needed better tools to serve our customers, especially during severe weather and busier travel times," said Jon Roitman, United's senior vice president of airport operations. "We have seen great success with the custom-made tools on the iPhone 6 Plus and believe expanding the use of a smart phone device with other applications is a great investment in our employees."

Estimated to begin in 2016, United will distribute an iPhone 6 Plus -- 2014's 5.5-inch display iPhone -- to more than 6,000 of its representatives across the United States. The new initiative will let the company's reps print boarding passes and baggage tags before departure, and even help customers find alternative flight options. Future enhancements to the program will bring fully-realized check-in opportunities and enough well-rounded features to give customers "much of the same functionality as traditional airport kiosks."

Previously in June, United distributed iPhones to its flight attendants in an effort to provide better customer service in-flight to passengers. That initiative was announced a year ago, so today's customer service representative program will probably see a similar six month gestation period before launching.

Developer Kevin Smith, who previously demonstrated a version of the MAME emulator running on the new Apple TV, has now made some tweaks to existing open source tools to allow game streaming from a PC to the new Apple TV. Smith took advantage of the Moonlight iOS open source project based on NVIDIA's GameStream, modifying it to run on tvOS.

Using this modified version of Moonlight iOS, Smith was able to stream games from Steam on a PC directly to the Apple TV. Without the need to run directly on the Apple device, streamed games can appear as high-quality as the source computer allows, with obvious Wi-Fi and streaming strength limitations taken into account when used without a wired Ethernet connection. In the video below, Smith tests the Moonlight client out on the new Apple TV with popular open-world game Grand Theft Auto V.

With the launch of the new Apple TV at the end of October, Apple took its first significant steps into the world of couch gaming, thanks to a full App Store for third-party apps included on the new tvOS operating system for the platform.

Although the Apple TV supports wireless gaming controllers that account for a few exceptions, most of the gaming apps that function best on the Apple TV remain as iOS-like side-scrollers and platforms rather than more sophisticated console-level games.

While it is still in the early days for the new Apple TV, momentum does appear to be building. For example, Facebook last week announced a new SDK for developers to "build immersive social experiences" on Apple TV with a number of features including a confirmation code login system that can bypass the cumbersome text entry of the Apple TV.

LifeProof has announced that its popular waterproof FRĒ case is now available for the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6 Plus. The case retails for $89.99 and is available in six colors: Black, Avalanche, Bonzai Blue, Sunset Pink and Crushed Purple. LifeProof is accepting pre-orders now for the black version, with an estimated in-stock date of December 11.

LifeProof's FRĒ is a rugged case that is designed to withstand the elements, with a protective shell that is waterproof, dirt-proof, snow-proof and drop-proof. The case also has a built-in scratch protector that still allows access to iPhone 6s Plus features including 3D Touch and True Tone front-facing flash.

The case can be paired with LifeProof's LIFEACTÍV lineup of active lifestyle accessories:

Pair FRĒ with LIFEACTÍV accessories so iPhone 6s Plus can capture and stream through any adventure. From the dashboard to the handlebars and anywhere in between, LIFEACTÍV accessories mount iPhone 6s Plus simply and seamlessly with the magnetic QuickMount system.

LifeProof unveiled the "FRĒ Power" waterproof battery case for iPhone 6s in late October.

Apple has updated its Apple Pay participating issuers list with 40 additional banks, credit unions and financial institutions supporting the contactless payment service in the United States. Apple Pay now has nearly 800 participating issuers nationwide, and several 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:

• American Heritage Federal Credit Union
  

• Associated Credit Union
  

• Bangor Savings Bank
  

• Bank of Bourbonnais
  

• Bank of Clovis
  

• Bank of the Pacific
  

• Baton Rouge Telco Federal Credit Union
  

• BHCU
  

• Cardinal Bank
  

• Corning Credit Union
  

• First Financial Credit Union (IL)
  

• First National Bank of Trenton
  

• First Nations Bank
  

• First Republic Bank
  

• Flint Area School Employees Credit Union
  

• Glass City Federal Credit Union
  

• Guaranty Bank and Trust Company
  

• Hawthorn Bank
  

• Hills Bank and Trust Company
  

• Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union
  

• Leader Bank, N.A.
  

• Michigan Tech Employees Federal Credit Union
  

• Midcoast Federal Credit Union
  

• Oatworth Capital Bank
  

• Ohio Valley Bank
  

• Partnership Financial Credit Union
  

• Penn Liberty Bank
  

• Police and Fire Federal Credit Union
  

• Prime Merdian Bank
  

• Reading Cooperative Bank
  

• Republic Bank
  

• Section 705 Federal Credit Union
  

• Secured Advantage Federal Credit Union
  

• Southern Bank
  

• Southwest Missouri Bank
  

• TowneBank
  

• West Plains Bank and Trust Company
  

• WesTex Federal Credit Union
  

• Wilmington Savings Fund Society
  

• WSFS Bank

Apple is committed to an international expansion of Apple Pay, having launched the mobile payments service in Australia and Canada last month in partnership with American Express. Apple Pay is also coming to Hong Kong, Singapore and Spain in 2016, and is rumored to launch in China by February 2016.

On the merchant side, Cinnabon, Chili's, Domino's, KFC and Starbucks will support Apple Pay in the U.S. starting in 2016.