Apple Watch Series 7 deals have continued on Amazon this week, offering up to $50 off nearly every model of the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch Series 7. Every model is shipped and sold directly by Amazon, with stock available for shipping today for most devices.
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41mm GPS Aluminum
The 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 is available for $349.99, down from $399.00 in numerous colors and bands. We've seen this version of the Series 7 go down another $10 in previous sales, but those offers only had one or two colors at a discount. Today's sale has nearly every 41mm GPS Aluminum model at a solid second-best price.
Additionally, the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 is on sale for $379.99, down from $429.00. Just like the 41mm option, we have seen a steeper discount in the past on just one color, but Amazon's sale today has a wide array of color options at a solid $50 off.
Cellular options are also on sale this week on Amazon, but there aren't quite as many discounts on 41mm cellular models. For these devices, you'll find two markdowns on Amazon, including the Blue Aluminum and Midnight Aluminum versions of the Apple Watch Series 7.
There are more 45mm cellular Series 7 models on sale, but the discount isn't quite as steep as other models. You'll save $30 on these devices, with Amazon offering a second-best price on the 45mm cellular versions of the new Apple Watch.
Telegram has updated its iPhone and iPad app with several new features, including new easy-to-make video stickers, better reactions, interactive emoji, improved navigation between chats, and other additions and improvements.
Telegram's video stickers have proven a popular feature on the chat platform, and in the latest version of the app, support has been added for stickers converted from regular videos.
This means creating detailed animated stickers no longer requires specialized software such as Adobe Illustrator if users want to make their own. For interested creators, Telegram has a video sticker manual with all the details.
Version 8.5.1 of the app also brings improved message reactions. Users can now press and hold a reaction to send a larger reaction, and reactions are now synchronized, so recipients see the animations in real time. In addition, reactions now have a read status.
There are also five new reactions that can optionally be sent as interactive emoji with synchronized fullscreen effects. They include smiling face with three hearts, mind-blown face, thinking face, swearing face, and hands clapping.
Meanwhile, navigating through chats in Telegram has been improved. When jumping through unread channels or moving between chats, users can now press and hold the "Back" button to return to a specific chat via a popup menu. Opening chats from forwarded messages, links, usernames, profiles, and so on also adds them to the menu.
Elsewhere, Telegram developers have improved call quality, added support for translation to Instant View pages (and bios on iOS), added the option to send silent messages from the sharing menu, and included new animations when tapping icons in the tab bar.
WhatsApp's plan to bring iMessage-style message reactions to the massively popular chat platform appears to be entering its final stages, based on new screenshots shared by WABetaInfo.
WhatsApp has been working on message reactions – or "Tapbacks" in Apple Messages parlance – for some time, with evidence of their development first coming to light last summer.
The feature gives messaging app users a quick and easy way to respond to a message (a thumbs-up or thumbs-down in iMessage, for example) without having to type out a lengthier text-based reply.
Early hints that message reactions are coming to WhatsApp suggested the functionality and appearance of the feature hadn't been properly fleshed out, but the latest images give users a better idea of how they're likely to work.
Similar to Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp users will see a row of emoji just above a message, although it's not immediately clear from the pictures whether this is after a long press or the tap of a new button.
The six emoji currently present include thumbs up, heart, face with tears of joy, face with open mouth, crying face, and folded hands. When a reaction is chosen, it appears in a smaller profile below the message.
Image credit: WABetaInfo
Notably, Facebook Messenger includes a plus button in its reaction options to access a full emoji picker, but currently this doesn't appear in the WhatsApp screenshots and it's not known if one will be added in time.
According to WABetainfo, WhatsApp plans to bring the message reactions to WhatsApp on both iOS and Android, possibly in an upcoming beta before being rolled out to the general public. The app specialist also adds that reactions will be end-to-end encrypted, just like messages shared over the platform.
A man has been sentenced to 26 months time served in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to defraud Apple out of more than $1 million by tricking the company into replacing hundreds of fake iPhones with authentic handsets through its warranty program.
Haiteng Wu, 32, a Chinese engineering post-graduate residing in McLean, Virginia, immigrated to the United States in 2013 and secured lawful employment, before embarking on the roughly three-and-a-half-year-long scheme to defraud Apple.
As part of the scheme, Wu and other conspirators received multiple packages containing hundreds of inoperable, counterfeit iPhones from partners in Hong Kong. The phones contained spoofed IMEI numbers and serial numbers that corresponded with authentic in-warranty iPhones.
Using fake names, the conspirators then returned the inauthentic phones to Apple, claiming the "iPhones" no longer worked and should be replaced under warranty. Apple replaced the fake handsets with authentic iPhones, and Wu then shipped back the fraudulently obtained devices to conspirators overseas, including Hong Kong.
Wu recruited others, including his wife, Jiahong Cai, and Teang Liu to participate in the conspiracy, and also procured fake identification documents, used aliases, and opened multiple commercial mail receiving agency mailboxes.
In total, Wu acknowledged defrauding Apple out of nearly $1 million and intending to defraud the company out of even more money. Wu and his conspirators were arrested in December 2019, and Wu has been in custody since.
Wu pleaded guilty in May 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. On Tuesday, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan sentenced Wu to the time he had already served in custody and ordered him to pay $987,000 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgement.
Like her husband, Cai pleaded guilty to mail fraud, and the judge sentenced her to over five months time served following her guilty plea. Liu also pleaded guilty to the same offense and will be sentenced next month. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
This isn't the first time Apple has been duped into replacing hundreds of fake iPhones with authentic handsets through its warranty program. In 2019, Chinese engineering student Quan Jiang was sentenced to three years and one month of imprisonment by a US district judge after he was found guilty of scamming Apple in the same manner, also to the tune of $1 million.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple's Macs and iPads include support for two separate features called Sidecar and Universal Control that allow the devices to be used together, but in different ways.
In this guide, we'll go over everything you need to know about Universal Control and how it differs from the Sidecar feature that's been available since 2019.
What is Universal Control?
As of iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3, both currently in beta, Apple has introduced support for Universal Control, the long-awaited feature that's designed to allow multiple Macs and iPads to be controlled with a single mouse and keyboard.
With Universal Control, you can use the same cursor and keyboard on any nearby Mac or iPad that's signed into your iCloud account, and it works between multiple Macs and between multiple Macs and iPads positioned within 10 meters (30 feet) of each other.
How is Universal Control Different from Sidecar?
With Universal Control, if you have a Mac and an iPad next to each other, or even multiple Macs and iPads, you can use the keyboard and cursor on one device across all of them. So, for example, if you have a MacBook Pro and an iPad on your desk, the MacBook Pro's trackpad can be used over on the iPad just by swiping across, and the Mac's keyboard will become the iPad's input device. The same is also true of the iPad if you have a keyboard attached to it.
Sidecar works quite differently. Announced in 2019 as part of macOS Catalina, Sidecar is designed to let you use an iPad as a secondary display for your Mac. Up to one iPad can be used to either mirror the content on your Mac's display or turn it into a secondary display for extra screen real estate in macOS. Universal Control does not extend your Mac's display to the iPad, so if you want your Mac's content displayed on the iPad, you'll need to use Sidecar.
Note that while Universal Control lets you use your Mac's keyboard and trackpad to navigate your iPad, it functions over two different operating systems – macOS and iPadOS – so some quirks are to be expected. For example, if you drag a photo from Mac to iPad, you first need to open the Photos app in iOS to transfer it across – it can't be placed on the Home screen.
In contrast, Sidecar is designed as a secondary Mac display, so it works like any other secondary display you might use with your Mac to bring greater desktop screen space to macOS. Using Sidecar, you can drag windows from the Mac to the iPad and vice versa, and interact with both using your Mac's trackpad.
Notable Features and Limitations
Universal Control doesn't require any complicated setup and works pretty much automatically, although there are a few controls you can adjust and you can also disable it completely. In the current beta, for example, you can disable the function that lets your Mac's cursor connect to a nearby Mac or iPad by pushing against the edge of the display. You can also stop your Mac from automatically reconnecting to any nearby Mac or iPad you've previously connected to.
Note that Universal Control requires at least one Mac to use. For example, you can't just use it between two iPads. However, you can use Universal Control between Macs, with no iPads involved. Apart from the at-least-one-Mac caveat, there doesn't appear to be a limit to how many devices you can control using just the one keyboard and trackpad/mouse. Universal Control is limited to mouse/trackpad and keyboard support. You can't, for example, use an Apple Pencil with Universal Control.
With Sidecar, you can use an Apple Pencil (first or second generation depending on your iPad) as a mouse alternative for clicking, selecting, and other on-screen macOS control tasks. Think of the Apple Pencil as a mouse or trackpad when using it with Sidecar.
In apps like Photoshop and Illustrator, the Apple Pencil does even more. You can draw right in Photoshop or other similar Mac apps, which transforms the iPad into a graphics tablet for your Mac, not unlike a Wacom graphics tablet.
Sidecar also optionally adds a Touch Bar to the bottom of the iPad, which is the same as the Touch Bar on the Touch Bar MacBook Pro models. Even if your Mac doesn't naturally have a Touch Bar, these Touch Bar controls can be displayed on the iPad screen.
Sidecar:
Acts as secondary Mac display
Can mirror content from Mac
Extends macOS desktop real estate
Supports Apple Pencil as input device
Offers optional Touch Bar controls
Requires manual setup
Connects wired or wirelessly
Is limited to one connected iPad
Universal Control:
Controls multiple Macs and iPads
Works across macOS and iPadOS
Has some drag-and-drop limitations
Doesn't support Apple Pencil
Requires at least one Mac
Doesn't support macOS trackpad gestures on iPad
Works automatically
Connects wirelessly only
Should I Use Sidecar or Universal Control?
Should you use Sidecar or Universal Control on your Macs and iPads? The question really comes down to your personal use case.
If you'd like to extend your macOS desktop space to your iPad's screen, and you don't intend to use iPadOS, then the simple answer is to use Sidecar. If you want to use your iPad and Apple Pencil to draw or illustrate something that you're working on in a Mac app, then Sidecar is the option to take.
If you want to control multiple Macs and iPads with the same input devices, and you're happy to live with some interoperability limitations between macOS and iPadOS (drag-and-drop, for example) then Universal Control is the ideal solution.
Can I Use Universal Control and Sidecar at the Same Time?
Provided you have enough iPads and Macs, you can actually use Sidecar and Universal Control at the same time and enjoy the best of both worlds.
For example, you could connect your Mac to one iPad via Sidecar for some extra macOS screen space, and on the other side of your Mac you could control a second iPad or Mac using the Mac's keyboard and trackpad.
How to Use Sidecar and Universal Control
For full instructions on how to set up and use Sidecar and Universal Control, including device compatibility information for the two features, be sure to check out our dedicated guides by following the above hyperlinks.
Apple today released watchOS 8.4.1, a minor update to the watchOS 8 operating system that launched in September. watchOS 8.4.1 comes a week after the release of watchOS 8.4, an update that added a fix for an ongoing charging issue.
watchOS 8.4.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
According to Apple's release notes for the update, watchOS 8.4.1 introduces unspecified fixes for the Apple Watch Series 4 and later. There is no additional information available on the new software, but if we find out what's addressed, we'll update this article.
Google today announced that its Google One VPN is available to iPhone and iPad users, one and a half years after promising to bring it to iOS devices.
The service, which has on Android smartphones and tablets since October 2020, is available for Google One members who have the 2TB Premium plan. Google One Premium is priced at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, and in addition to VPN functionality, it offers 2TB of storage space and the option to share benefits with five other people.
Google says that the VPN feature can be shared with family members so everyone can get VPN protection on both Android and iOS devices. The service allows users to stream, download, and browse content on an encrypted connection, offering protection on public WiFi networks and cellular connections. VPNs also mask IP addresses, preventing websites from determining user location for tracking purposes.
Google already offers its VPN service to iPhone subscribers through Google Fi, a cellular service available to iPhone and Android users, but now those who don't have the Google Fi service will also be able to use the Google VPN if desired. It is ideal for families that have a mix of devices or users who have both Android and iPhone products.
The Google One VPN is available in 18 countries, including the United States, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, and more.
YouTube today extended its testing period for the iPhone's picture-in-picture feature by an additional two weeks.
YouTube Premium subscribers now have access to picture-in-picture mode on iOS as an "experimental feature" until February 14, according to YouTube. The feature was originally set to be available until January 31, but the date has been pushed forward several times.
Picture-in-picture mode is available on iPhones running iOS 14 and later, and it allows videos to be watched while using other apps. When watching a video, users can tap the picture-in-picture button with two boxes and an arrow to move the video to a smaller window that floats over the Home Screen or other apps.
In a statement shared with MacRumors in June 2021, a Google spokesperson said YouTube planned to launch picture-in-picture for all iOS users in the United States, but no timeframe was provided for the rollout. We've reached out to Google for an update on the matter and we'll update this story if we receive any new information.
In the meantime, picture-in-picture on iOS remains exclusive to YouTube Premium subscribers. Priced at $11.99 per month in the U.S., YouTube Premium features ad-free videos, the ability to download videos, video playback when a device's screen is locked, and more.
Update: In a statement shared with MacRumors today, Google said it is "still planning to launch PiP for all users without a YouTube Premium subscription in the US," but it has no further updates to provide at this time.
We're still planning to launch PiP for all users without a YouTube Premium subscription in the US. We have no other updates to share at this time. In the meantime, we've also extended our experiment of PiP on youtube.com/new for our Premium users on iOS as we continue to test and improve the experience before launch.
For iCloud Keychain passwords, Apple has long offered security recommendations for weak, compromised, or repeated passwords that need updating for maximum protection, but in some situations, you might have passwords that you can't change and annoying alerts you can't get rid of.
That's changing in iOS 15.4, which is currently in beta testing. In the iOS 15.4 update, any security recommendation listed in the Passwords section of the Settings app can be hidden. Just tap into an alert and then tap the new "x" button next to any security recommendation that you want to hide from view. Prior versions of iOS have no way to dismiss or hide security recommendations other than turning them off entirely.
Security alerts that have been hidden will no longer show up under the main "Security Recommendations" label, but you can still view them if necessary by opening up the Passwords interface and scrolling down to the bottom where there's a new "Hidden Security Recommendations" option.
In this section, you will find any password alerts that have been hidden from your view. The option to hide security recommendations can come in handy for passwords that you cannot change for some reason, such as when the password belongs to someone else. It provides a way to keep the alerts visible in a section but not front and center. If you want to reset security recommendations and make them visible again, there is an option for that, too.
A nice refinement to the iCloud Keychain password manager in macOS 12.3 and iOS 15.4 (both in beta): dismissible security recommendations.
Sometimes for social reasons, you can’t change a password. Or a password reuse warning isn’t accurate. Hiding those helps reduce noise. pic.twitter.com/8kD8JVPfJ5
— Ricky Mondello (@rmondello) February 1, 2022
iOS 15.4 also lets you add a note to any iCloud Keychain password, so if you need to provide yourself with more context on a password, such as noting what it's for, you can do so.
We have a full list of everything that's new with iOS 15.4 available in our iOS 15.4 features guide if you want a rundown on the other new additions in the update.
Apple today shared a first look at the second season of popular science fiction show "Foundation," which is based on Isaac Asimov's classic book series.
The show focuses on four crucial individuals as they transcend space and time to overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties, and complicated relationships that will determine the fate of humanity.
"Foundation" was renewed for a second season back in October 2021, just a month after it was initially released. The second season of the show will add several new cast members that will be familiar to those who are fans of the books.
Isabella Laughland as Brother Constant, a cheerfully confident claric whose job is to evangelize the Church of the Galactic Spirit across the Outer Reach. Constant is a true believer, whose courage and passion make her hard not to love.
Kulvinder Ghir as Poly Verisof, High Claric of the Church of the Galactic Spirit. Whip-smart and sardonic, he's also a terrible drunk -- intelligent enough to see the path he's on, but too cynical to change.
Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Enjoiner Rue, the beautiful, politically savvy consigliere to Queen Sareth. A former courtesan to Cleon the 16th, Rue parlayed her status to become a royal counsellor.
Ella-Rae Smith as Queen Sareth of Cloud Dominion. Used to being underestimated, Sareth employs it to her advantage, charming her way into the Imperial Palace with biting wit, all while on a secret quest for revenge.
Dimitri Leonidas as Hober Mallow, a master trader with a sarcastic personality and questionable morals, who is summoned against his will to serve a higher, selfless cause.
Ben Daniels as Bel Roise, the last great general of the Superliminal Fleet and would-be conqueror of the Foundation. Bel is noble to a fault, but his fealty to the Galactic Empire is waning.
Holt McCallany as Warden Jaegger Fount, the current Warden of Terminus and guardian of its citizens against external threats.
Mikael Persbrandt as The Warlord of Kalgan, a monster of a man, coiled with muscle and possessing powerful psychic abilities, and fueled by hate in his quest to take over the galaxy.
Rachel House as Tellem Bond, mysterious leader of the Mentallics.
Nimrat Kaur as Yanna Seldon.
Because of the timescale of "Foundation," several of the original cast members from the first season will not be returning, but Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Laura Birn, Terrance Mann, and Cassian Bilton will continue to be part of the show in the second season.
There is no word yet on when the second season of "Foundation" will premiere, but as the first season wasn't released until September 2021, there are still likely several months to go until Apple is prepared to debut a new season.
An unreleased iPhone, an entry-level iPad, and what is likely to be the next-generation iPad Air have been imported into India ahead of their expected announcement this spring.
Last month, Apple filed two new iPad models and one new iPhone in the Eurasian Economic Commission database with model numbers that do not correlate with any currently released product. Those same model numbers have since been cross-referenced by "industry sources" cited in a new 91mobilesreport that indicates Apple has begun importing the devices into India for "testing purposes."
Apple is widely rumored to revamp several of its products in the spring, with the iPad Air and iPhone SE expected to receive modest updates. The iPad Air, Apple's mid-tier model starting at $599, is thought to be gaining 5G connectivity on cellular models, the A15 Bionic chip, and Center Stage support. The iPhone SE, which starts at $399, is expected to gain 5G support, the A15 Bionic, and the same 4.7-inch display as the current model.
Apple's AirPods Max headphones have dropped to $449.99 in all colors on Amazon, down from $549.00. All models are in stock and ready to ship out today, except for Space Gray which has a shipping delay of about a week.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
We've seen a few colors of the AirPods Max drop to $449 in 2022, but this is one of the first times where all color options have been discounted by $99. In comparison to previous discounts, this is the second-best Amazon price we've ever tracked on the AirPods Max.
AirPods Max feature Active Noise Cancellation technology and the same Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, and spatial audio features that are in the AirPods Pro. For charging, the headphones come with a Smart Case made out of a soft material that puts AirPods Max in an ultra low-power state to preserve battery charge when not in use.
We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.
If you weren't a fan of Apple's Smart Case that comes with the AirPods Max, high-end luxury brand Gucci is here for you with its own case for the headphones priced at $980.
Gucci's "Ophidia case for AirPods Max" is an online exclusive that brings "vintage and contemporary together through its archive-inspired design elements. Playing with the contrast between past and present, the inside of the accessory is printed with 'Hodiernum'—a Latin word that means 'belonging to the present day.'"
Gucci says the case is made from environmentally friendly materials, features a shoulder strap, brown leather details, and a snap button to secure the AirPods Max in place. Like many AirPods Max accessories, Gucci's case exposes the AirPods Max's canopy allowing for easy carrying.
AirPods Max is priced at $550, meaning Gucci's case is nearly double the cost of the product it is designed for. Gucci does offer another case for standard headphones that costs $920, but it isn't designed for the AirPods Max specifically.
Changes to the way OneDrive syncs files and folders on Mac has caused upset among users of the cloud storage service, following Microsoft's rollout last month of a new "Files On-Demand Experience" for Macs running macOS 12.1 and later.
In a change coming with macOS 12.3, currently still in beta, Apple is deprecating the kernel extensions originally used by OneDrive's syncing features, so the Mac client is now using Apple's File Provider extensions instead. Microsoft says this new technology stack should make the feature "much better integrated with the operating system compared to the first version." Judging by feedback though, that has not been the experience of many users, with slowdowns and bugs variously reported.
Worsening matters, in tandem with the new macOS extensions integration, Microsoft has also made Files On-Demand the default behavior of its OneDrive client. The Files On-Demand feature is designed to allow users to access files in the cloud without having to download them and use storage space on their Mac. Previously, it was an optional feature and users could disable it. However, the latest update has controversially removed the original user setting to disable it, further angering customers who now have no way of keeping local copies of their synced files.
What this has meant in practice for many users is that any local copies of files synced to OneDrive have been summarily wiped from their Mac since the update was rolled out. Responding to the change on Microsoft's community answers forum, one customer complained:
What is going on? Why would you enforce Files On-Demand on your customers, isn't it enough to enable it by default? My 70GB of cloud data is not local anymore, sometimes I have no internet, you are locking me away from my files. Also making it impossible for me to do full text searches. Files On-Demand is also too slow, waiting a second to display folder contents is too much when you organize things in deep folder structures.
How I can disable Files On-Demand? Will you please stop knowing the best for your customers? We aren't toddlers. Thanks!
If Files On-Demand is enforced by policy, I will leave your cloud service once and for all.
Responding to the question, another user wrote:
You could have asked instead of just deleting everything so I have to download all of my files again. So angry at Microsoft over this. Returning my files to local has been a gigantic pain in the rear end. I have far better things to do than to painstakingly select each folder and choose "always keep on this device".
Microsoft includes an ability in OneDrive's Finder integration to mark synced files as "Always Keep on This Device" (internally referred to as "pinning"), and some users have resorted to exhaustively re-downloading all their files and folders using this option, but not without a high degree of syncing fails. Another user writes:
The proposed solution of doing this on the root doesn't work. If I select this option for more than a couple of folders, I am greeted with a Finder error citing "cannot communicate with the helper." I've been working on this for hours and it appears I have several hours to go. Already provided feedback via the option on OneDrive. Bad form, Microsoft.
On top of these errors, some users are also experiencing problems with files refusing to download or open correctly in their default application. One Redditor posts:
Prior to today, when I double clicked a Word document, PPT, etc. in the Finder that resided in my OneDrive folder, the Office app would open the OneDrive version and autosave my changes. Today, when I do that, it just treats it as a local file and won't sync it with OneDrive. I still have the setting "Use Office applications to sync Office files that I open" enabled, but the new version seems to have broken that.
Hundreds of similar complaints about the enforced changes and associated bugs can be found on Microsoft's OneDrive blog, the MacRumors Forums, and scattered over Reddit, with many users saying they will move to a rival cloud storage syncing solution unless the ability to store synced files locally is brought back and the syncing bugs are fixed. We've reached out to Microsoft to provide more clarity on the situation and will update this article if we hear back.
The new Black Unity Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch is available starting today at select Apple Store locations around the world.
Priced at $99 in the United States, the special edition Black Unity band is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 and later. In addition to Apple Stores, the band can be ordered online through Apple.com or the Apple Store app for a limited time.
Featuring the colors of the Pan-African flag, the Black Unity Braided Solo Loop is designed by Black creatives and allies at Apple to celebrate Black history and culture, the company said. The band is complemented by a new Unity Lights watch face with lighting that changes dynamically throughout the day thanks to 2D ray tracing. The watch face can be downloaded on the Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 8.3 or later.
Designed for a precise fit with no clasps or buckles, the Braided Solo Loop comes in nine sizes, with a measuring tool available on Apple's website.
February is Black History Month, and Apple is honoring the occasion by spotlighting Black voices and businesses with special content across its services, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, the Apple TV app, and more.
Apple is working on bringing web-based notifications to iOS, addressing a long-time concern of developers of web-based apps who have been unable to send notifications to users on Apple mobile devices, severely limiting the user experience and effectiveness of apps made on the web.
With the first betas of iOS and iPadOS 15.4 released last week, Apple added a "Push API" toggle in the Experimental settings page for Safari, as spotted and explained by developer Maximiliano Firtman. As noted by Maximiliano, while the toggle is visible, the API itself is not yet enabled, and Apple has yet to implement a UI prompt into Safari on iOS to ask users for permission to display web-based notifications.
Unlike on macOS where web-based notifications are common, only apps downloaded through Apple's App Store can send notifications on iOS. With the inclusion of the "Push API" toggle in iOS 15.4, Apple is seemingly laying the groundwork for bringing web-based notifications to its mobile devices.
Web-based applications are designed entirely on the web, accessible through any browser with a URL. Web-based apps are not new, but the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit has brought the experience of web-based apps on iOS and iPadOS into the spotlight. A key cornerstone of Epic's argument against Apple's control of the App Store and iOS ecosystem is the lack of choices for users on where to download apps.
In a submission to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) in February of last year, Apple rebuffed Epic's claim that iOS users are limited in options for where to download apps. Specifically, Apple said that "the whole web is available to them," and iOS and iPadOS users have "unrestricted and uncontrolled access" to web-based apps.
"Web browsers are used not only as a distribution portal, but also as platforms themselves, hosting "progressive web applications" (PWAs) that eliminate the need to download a developer's app through the App Store (or other means) at all. PWAs are increasingly available for and through mobile-based browsers and devices, including on iOS," Apple said in a section of its submission titled "Distribution alternatives within the iOS ecosystem."
In a court filing dated May 2021, Epic specifically took issue with the limitations of WebKit, the framework on which all iOS and iPadOS browsers are based. Epic noted that web-based apps accessed through the browser lack access to APIs offered by native apps distributed through the App Store, such as PushKit, which enables notifications.
Safari prompt on macOS for web-based notifications
In the same filing, Epic claimed that in testimony, Apple's former vice president of developer relations, Ron Okamoto, could "not name a single developer that withdrew an app from the App Store because the developer could substitute to distributing a web app."
By bringing PushKit to WebKit for iOS and iPadOS, Apple could be seeking to bolster its argument that web-based applications are an alternative to apps from the App Store. The Epic vs. Apple lawsuit concluded in September with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruling that Apple must allow apps to link to external payment methods for in-app purchases. Epic wanted the court to force Apple to support third-party App Stores, but that didn't happen.
While Apple is seemingly laying the early groundwork for implementing PushKit into WebKit for iOS and iPadOS, it remains unclear when we could see the API go live. We've reached out to Apple for more information.
Apple is currently testing iOS and iPadOS 15.4, the largest update to iOS and iPadOS 15 since its launch last fall. The first beta of iOS 15.4 includes the ability to use Face ID while wearing a mask, Universal Control, improved support for ProMotion on iPhone 13 Pro models, and more.
In celebration of Heart Month, Apple is offering all customers who trade in an Apple Watch $25 extra in credit to encourage owners of older Apple Watch models to upgrade to one of the newer models.
Heart Month is celebrated during February, and Apple this week shared some of the ways it's celebrating across its services.
The $25 Apple Watch trade-in credit is valid until February 28 in the US, Canada, the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, and the UAE. Apple allows customers to trade in Apple Watch models from Series 1 through Series 6, including the Apple Watch SE. More information on Apple's trade-in program can be found on its website.
Apple is unhappy with the "Apple-Man" title that indie film director Vasyl Moskalenko is planning to use for a comedy film that's in development, with the Cupertino company opposing Moskalenko's "Apple-Man" trademark registration application. (via iPhone in Canada).
Moskalenko in 2020 launched a successful Kickstarter project for "Apple-Man," an action comedy film that's about a part-human part-apple superhero who can levitate apples, and now that the film is in post-production, Apple is taking issue with the "Apple-Man" name. In a YouTube video, Moskalenko explains that Apple opposed the Apple-Man trademark and "initiated trial proceedings," sending him a 467-page document "full of lawyer terminology."
"My film has nothing to do with Apple corporation," Moskalenko says in the video. "I've never mentioned anything about MacBooks, iPhones, iPads and so on. Not a single word." Moskalenko says that his movie is about apples, "the fruits." Apple appears to be concerned that consumers will think "Apple-Man" is associated with or approved by Apple.
In an appeal to Apple, Moskalenko says that he has "nothing but respect" for the company, and that his film is in no way related to the iPhone, MacBooks, or other Apple products.
Dear Apple company, I understand that you want to protect your business and your product from any negative impact in any possible way, but under no circumstances do I have any intent to harm your brand with my movie. There are no negative associations or negative connotations with this production.
And I would be happy to forward you a final cut to judge for yourself. I'm not going to produce cell phones, computers, software, anything that might be deemed to conflict with your brand. I just want to make a comedy movie about a superhero with a super power that is related with everyone's favorite fruit.
Moskalenko says that he is "open to any negotiations" and hopes that he can reach an agreement with Apple. He also told iPhone in Canada that he is worried he'll have to spend his Kickstarter money on litigation.
Should his trademark registration be denied, Moskalenko is also concerned that Apple would be able to demand that the film is deleted following its release. "It actually looks like trademark bullying," he said to iPhone in Canada.
Apple has gotten involved in other major trademark disputes over designs that seem to have little relation to the company. Last year, Apple opposed the trademark of Prepear because the pear-shaped logo looked too much like Apple's own logo. Prepear and Apple were able to settle the issue after Prepear made small tweaks to the leaf design of the pear.
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