MacRumors

Niantic and Nintendo today announced the upcoming debut of a new augmented reality game based on Nintendo's "Pikmin" franchise, with the title set to launch later in 2021.

Nintendo's Pikmin franchise features a series of strategy and puzzle games where players direct a variety of plant-like creatures called Pikmin to destroy obstacles, fight enemies, and avoid hazards while exploring an Earth-style planet.

There are few details available about the Pikmin AR game at this time, but Niantic says that it will allow you to "explore the world" alongside Pikmin friends, with a focus on gameplay activities that will "make walking more delightful."

Today, we are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Nintendo to jointly develop mobile titles built on Niantic's real-world AR technology, bringing Nintendo's beloved characters to life in new ways. We're honored that Nintendo has chosen Niantic to be its publisher of real-world AR applications.

To kick off the partnership, Niantic and Nintendo are developing an app based on the Pikmin franchise. The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful. Slated to launch later this year, this will be the first title created by our Tokyo Studio since it was established in April 2018.

Niantic is allowing people to sign up to get more information about the title, and says more details will be available in the coming months.

In a statement, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto said that Niantic's AR tech will make it possible to experience the world as if we're living with Pikmin all around us.

Niantic's AR technology has made it possible for us to experience the world as if Pikmin are secretly living all around us. Based on the theme of making walking fun, our mission is to provide people a new experience that's different from traditional games. We hope that the Pikmin and this app will become a partner in your life.

Niantic developed hit game "Pokémon Go," an augmented reality title where players are tasked with catching Pokémon while out and about. Pokémon Go has remained popular since its 2016 launch, and Niantic has also since come out with "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite." Like Pokémon Go and other Niantic titles, the upcoming Pikmin game will be a mobile title that will presumably be available on iOS and Android devices.

Pikmin is a strategy and puzzle video game where players direct plant-like creatures called Pikmin to destroy obstacles, fight enemies, and avoid hazards while exploring an Earth-style planet.

Samsung is planning to begin making low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) OLED displays for Apple beginning in the first half of 2021, according to a new note by research firm UBI Research shared by The Elec.

Samsung plans to convert its current low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT OLED display manufacturing for the new technology as Apple prepares to incorporate LTPO into its iPhone 13 displays.

LTPO displays use less power than standard OLED displays and will allow Apple to implement the 120Hz refresh rates that are rumored for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup.

The Elec says that Apple will use LTPO TFT OLED panels for the higher-tier ‌iPhone‌ models launching in 2021, which will be provided by Samsung. LG Display will be providing standard LTPS TFT OLED panels for the lower-end models.

This is in line with rumors that suggest Apple's higher-end ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and Pro Max will feature faster 120Hz refresh rates, enabling iPad Pro-like ProMotion technology.

There were rumors that suggested 120Hz refresh rates could be introduced in the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ models, but display analyst Ross Young said that Apple would not be able to introduce the feature until it was able to use LTPO displays to allow for a variable refresh rate while also preserving battery life.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today revealed that Apple has been developing new speakers that are equipped with "screens and cameras," suggesting we could see a future HomePod-like device that has a built-in display and camera feature for FaceTiming and other functions.

Ahead of these rumors, MacRumors contributor Steve Moser was combing through the tvOS 14.5 beta code and found that Apple has added FaceTime and iMessage frameworks, along with a new AVFCapture framework related to capturing images.

You might be wondering what tvOS code has to do with the HomePod, but in April 2020 Apple began using tvOS as the basis for the software that runs on the ‌HomePod‌ rather than iOS. watchOS, tvOS, and the software that runs on the ‌HomePod‌ are all variants of iOS, but each one is differentiated by the device the software is intended to run on with unique interfaces, APIs, and more.

That means features included in tvOS are also included in the ‌HomePod‌ software since they have the same base code. Therefore, the ‌FaceTime‌, iMessage, and image capture frameworks added to tvOS in tvOS 14.5 could actually be designed for a future ‌HomePod‌ that has a screen and a camera, as described by Gurman.

The ‌HomePod‌ and HomePod mini are able to use ‌FaceTime‌ audio already, but the ‌FaceTime‌ framework discovered in the 14.5 beta is distinct from any code related to the existing audio ‌FaceTime‌ feature. The frameworks are in the tvOS 14.5 beta and the 14.5 ‌HomePod‌ software beta available to select testers.

Gurman says there is no "imminent launch" planned for the camera-equipped speaker, so it's possible no such product will make an appearance. It's also entirely possible that the iMessage, ‌FaceTime‌, and AVFCapture frameworks introduced in tvOS 14.5 have an entirely different purpose that may be entirely unrelated to a ‌HomePod‌ and could remain hidden in the code or used for an unspecified feature coming to the Apple TV or the ‌HomePod‌ in the future.

In semi-related news, the 14.5 beta also suggests that Apple could potentially be developing some kind of trivia game for Siri, where ‌Siri‌ could provide trivia questions for users to answer. This is labeled as "‌Siri‌ Edutainment" in the code, but it is not clear if it will be a built-in ‌Siri‌ feature or support for a third-party product.

Ron Okamoto, who has been working as the App Store's developer relations head since 2001, has retired this year, reports Bloomberg.

Okamoto was responsible for overseeing the ‌App Store‌ review process and policies, distributing tools to allow developers to build and sell apps, developer support, developer communications, developer awards, and he also handled the annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

Apple marketing executive Susan Prescott will be taking over Okamoto's role as vice president of developer relations. Prescott is Apple's vice president of product marketing and has been at Apple since 2003.

Okamoto will be testifying in Apple's upcoming legal battle against Epic Games, and that court filing is where it was noted that he has since retired from the company. Okamoto will talk about Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies, developer tools, and agreements between Apple and third-party developers.

Over the course of the macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta, Apple has been refining and improving the way that iPad and iPhone apps run on M1 Macs. In the latest beta, Apple has added game controller emulation for ‌M1‌ devices, allowing a keyboard or a keyboard and mouse combo to function as a game controller.

The new game controller feature was discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser. When running an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ app, opening up the preferences brings up a Touch Alternatives and Game Control interface that can be used to make touch-based ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps run better with Mac controls.

With Controller Emulation toggled on, common game controller buttons are mapped to keyboard keys and mouse buttons. X, for example, is mapped to Q, the direction stick is mapped to WASD, and Y is mapped to E. L1 and L2 can be accessed by pressing Tab and Shift, respectively, and the Space Bar is the A button.

Controller Emulation will allow ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ games that have controller support built in to be accurately controlled with a keyboard and/or mouse when those games are played on an ‌M1‌ Mac. This feature is designed for those who don't have a game controller, as those who do can just connect a controller to play.

The macOS 11.3 Big Sur beta also includes the aforementioned Touch Alternatives panel for mapping touch-based features like tap, swipe, drag, and tilt to keyboard keys, and it has a feature for making ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ app windows larger.

Controller Emulation and Touch Alternatives work independently of one another, and only one of these features can be enabled at a time.

As for game controller support, many current controllers from Sony and Microsoft are compatible with ‌M1‌ Macs, and the beta adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 and Xbox One X controllers.

Apple customers unhappy with the butterfly keyboards used in MacBook models from 2015 on will be able to proceed with a lawsuit against the Cupertino company, as the judge overseeing the case has given it class action status [PDF]. The suit covers anyone who purchased a MacBook with a butterfly keyboard in California, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, and Michigan.

As noted by The Verge, Judge Edward Davila certified the case on March 8, but the order was sealed until last week. This lawsuit will include those who bought a MacBook between 2015 and 2017, a MacBook Pro between 2016 and 2019, or a MacBook Air between 2018 and 2019.

The lawsuit was first filed in 2018, accusing Apple of concealing the fact that its 2015 and later MacBook models had keyboards prone to failure. Apple launched a repair program for all Macs with butterfly keyboards, but the complainants believe that the repair program does not serve as an effective fix because the replacement keyboards also use butterfly mechanisms that can fail again.

Apple attempted to get the lawsuit dismissed in 2019, but was unsuccessful. At the time, the judge said that Apple must face the claims that the repair program is inadequate or compensate customers for out-of-pocket repair expenses.

First introduced in 2015, Apple's butterfly keyboards were a huge failure. There were countless complaints from MacBook, MacBook Pro, and ‌MacBook Air‌ owners who saw their keyboards break, sometimes more than once. There were issues with stuck and repeating keys or keys that refused to work at all, with the problem caused by key failure after exposure to dust and other small particulates.

Apple attempted to revise the butterfly keyboard several times to make it more durable and launched an extensive repair program for MacBook owners with faulty keyboards, but ultimately replaced the butterfly keyboard with a scissor switch keyboard starting with the 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2019.

The butterfly keyboard is no longer in use in any Mac product in Apple's lineup, but there are still plenty of people who are stuck with a MacBook manufactured from 2015 to 2019 that has a keyboard prone to failure. The lawsuit is seeking damages for violations of consumer protection laws in the seven included states, and while the plaintiffs are not yet asking for a nationwide certification, the law firm behind the lawsuit is running a survey to determine how many people might be affected.

In recent days, some Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD users have been receiving a "something went wrong" error message when attempting to load videos using the YouTube app on tvOS. The issue does not appear to be widespread, and it seems to arise only when a user is signed into their YouTube account on the Apple TV.

YouTube has confirmed on Twitter that it is investigating the issue and working on a fix, but in the meantime, some users in the Apple Support Communities have found success with a workaround that involves deleting and reinstalling the YouTube app on the Apple TV and then signing in with the "using my phone" option.

YouTube has not provided a timeframe for when the issue will be resolved.

In a report today focused on an unactivated temperature/humidity sensor in the HomePod mini, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman briefly mentioned that Apple has "been developing new speakers with screens and cameras."

This reporting suggests that Apple could be at least exploring the idea of new HomePod models with a display and camera to compete with the likes of Google's Nest Hub Max, Amazon's Echo Show, and Facebook's Portal, but Gurman cautions that "a launch isn't imminent," so there is no guarantee that Apple will release such a product.

Google's Nest Hub Max, for example, is equipped with a 10-inch touchscreen that can also be controlled by voice with Google Assistant. The Nest Hub Max allows users to view daily info like the weather and calendar appointments, stream video from Netflix and other sources with built-in Chromecast, play music through the stereo speaker system, make video calls using the built-in 6.5-megapixel camera, control smart home accessories, and more.

The Nest Hub Max also functions as a "smart digital picture frame" for photo albums, and it can display a live video feed from Nest cameras and video doorbells, making it suitable for a kitchen countertop or bedside table.

Apple's camera-equipped HomePod would presumably offer similar functionality like FaceTime video calling and HomeKit integration if it ever comes to market.

Earlier this month, Apple announced that it is discontinuing the full-size HomePod and shifting its focus to the HomePod mini. Gurman said that Apple still lacks a "unifying strategy" for the smart home market, with some people within the company apparently blaming the lack of progress on Siri's shortcomings compared to Google Assistant and Alexa. Whether new HomePod models with screens and cameras come to fruition remains to be seen.

MacRumors videographer Dan is regularly trying out new accessories for the iPhone, and in the latest MacRumors YouTube video, Dan highlights some of the latest ‌iPhone‌ accessories he’s been testing, many of which focus on ‌iPhone‌ photography and videography. There's a high-end microphone option, a new flash drive from SanDisk, mounts from Moment, and more.

• Belkin 3-in-1 MagSafe Charger ($140) - If you have an ‌iPhone‌ 12, an Apple Watch, and AirPods or another Qi smartphone, the Belkin 3-in-1 MagSafe Charger is a compact and functional charging option for all of your devices. It's expensive, but it's also one of the only Apple-certified ‌MagSafe‌ accessories.
• Rode Wireless Go II ($300) - If you need a high-quality microphone for vlogging or filming videos on your ‌iPhone‌, the Rode Wireless Go II is worth checking out. It's a wireless microphone that can record two sound sources simultaneously, and it interfaces with Macs and iOS devices. It has enough internal memory for more than 24 hours of recording, and up to seven hours of battery life.
• SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe ($45) - Available in 64, 128, and 256GB capacities, the new SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe has a Lightning connector and a USB-C connector to make it easy to transfer large files between your iOS devices, Macs, and PCs.
• Moment MagSafe Accessories ($19.99+) - Moment recently came out with a whole range of ‌MagSafe‌ cases and mounts, including the ProTripod mount and the Multi-Threaded mount, both of which are ideal for ‌iPhone‌ photographers and videographers. The Tripod mount, for example, has a cold shoe mount that works with microphones and other accessories. With the threaded mount, you can attach any accessory to an ‌iPhone‌, and Moment is using some seriously strong magnets to make sure your accessories stay attached.
• Labodet MagSafe Wallet ($327) - If you like the ‌MagSafe‌ Wallet from Apple but want a seriously higher end version, Labodet has ‌MagSafe‌ wallet options made from exotic leathers. At this price point, the wallet isn't an accessory for most people, but it does have a stronger magnet than Apple's option.
• Grovemade MagSafe Stand ($120) - If you have a standard $39 ‌MagSafe‌ charger from Apple, you might want to look into the Grovemade ‌MagSafe‌ Stand if you're looking for something to hold it up. At $120 it's super expensive, but it is a unique wood design you're not going to get with other charging options. You also need to supply your own ‌MagSafe‌ charging puck.

What are your favorite accessories for the ‌iPhone‌? Let us know in the comments and we may feature some of your suggestions in a future accessory video.

LG is looking to close down its entire smartphone division after failing to find a buyer for the ailing section of its business, according to the Korea Herald.

In January, LG announced that it was considering options for an exit from the smartphone industry, "including sale, withdrawal and downsizing." Though LG was once the world's third-largest smartphone maker and a sizeable competitor to Apple in the industry, the company's smartphone business has seen declining shipments and accrued losses of $4.5 billion over the past five years, leading to the need for an urgent re-evaluation of the division.

LG reportedly entered talks with Vietnam's Vingroup and automaker Volkswagen about purchasing the company's smartphone business, but negotiations did not lead to an agreement. Although the decision has yet to be confirmed, industry insiders report that LG is now likely to shut down its smartphone business instead of selling it. A source speaking to the Korea Herald explained:

LG reportedly had talks with others over the sale of the unit but apparently there was not much progress in their negotiations. It seems that selling its entire mobile business appears to be difficult at this moment, as is the partial sale of the unit.

With LG's internal restructuring plan now reaching its conclusion and no buyer having been found, the company is said to be leaning toward cutting its losses by closing the smartphone division fully.

LG's recently announced smartphone projects, such as "Rainbow" and "Rollable," are believed to have been scrapped, as the company looks to utilize its existing mobile workforce elsewhere in the business, such as the vehicle component solutions division.

LG is expected to publicize the decision about its smartphone business unit next month after a board meeting.

Apple will likely return to its usual September launch timeframe for at least some iPhone 13 models this year, with availability currently slated for the third week of the month, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.

In a research note shared with MacRumors, however, Ives said there is a chance that the launch could be pushed back to early October:

We have gotten more detailed reads from our supply chain checks for iPhone 13 builds with this next iPhone launch coming out of Cupertino in the late September timeframe. From a timing perspective, we believe the current iPhone 13 launch is slated for the third week in September as of now but could push out into early October based on continued product model tweaks.

Apple typically announces new iPhones in September, but the entire iPhone 12 lineup was unveiled in October last year, almost certainly due to production-related delays arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. With the supply chain now in better shape, it wouldn't be too surprising to see Apple revert to a September announcement.

Ives also continues to claim that the iPhone 13 lineup could feature a new 1TB storage option and a LiDAR Scanner across all four models, although TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the LiDAR Scanner will remain limited to the two Pro models.

Popular writing app Ulysses today received its 22nd major release, introducing new publishing features and additional options for users to customize the visual appearance of their writing environment.

As well as providing a focused writing environment, Ulysses offers ways to publish texts from within the app to various blogging platforms. Version 22 adds the ability to publish to Micro.blog, a social network for independent microblogs.

"Micro.blog offers a compelling alternative to the prominent social networks. People are in control of their content and can interact while there are no algorithms and ads. It's an independent platform with an awesome concept, and we're proud to have them," explains Marcus Fehn, Ulysses co-founder and creative head of the company.

The new Ulysses version also improves publishing to WordPress. Users can now update previously published posts from within Ulysses — to fix typos after an article has already gone live, for example. The developers have also updated Ulysses' preview theme to the new WordPress default Twenty Twenty-One, and generally improved the integration of the two apps.

In addition, Ulysses 22 increases the customizations available to users who want to personalize the look of their writing environment. There's a new option to choose colors for group icons (groups are used to organize texts, similar to Finder folders).

Meanwhile, headings can now be displayed in a larger size in the editor to make them easier to distinguish from the rest of the text. The latter is dependent on the editor theme, where the heading size can be fine-tuned. Ulysses 22 also ships with a new default theme that has larger headings in place.

In other improvements, Ulysses for iOS now remembers the scroll position when switching between several documents, while on iPad, a new setting has been added to keep the keyboard open in this situation.

Ulysses can be downloaded for free on the App Store, with version 22 rolling out to existing users today. After a 14-day trial period, a subscription is required to unlock the app on all devices. A monthly subscription costs $5.99, while a yearly subscription is $49.99.

Students can use Ulysses at a discounted price of $10.99 per six months. The discount is granted from within the app. Ulysses is also included in Setapp, the subscription-based service for Mac applications created by MacPaw.

Apple has told Australia's competition watchdog that it's "surprised" to hear that some developers have concerns over the App Store and the process in which apps are reviewed, rejected, or approved for distribution on the platform.

In September of last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched an investigation into Apple's ‌App Store‌ and Google's Play Store to examine the experiences of consumers, suppliers, and developers in Australia.

The commission is set to release an interim report of its findings based on customer and developers' submissions on March 31. In an apparent last-ditch effort to ease concerns highlighted in the report, Apple has provided the commission with some more information surrounding its ‌App Store‌ and App Review Process.

In a submission to the commission, Apple says that it's "surprised to hear that developers have legitimate concerns about their ability to engage with Apple in the app review process," and that it "invests significant time and resources in engaging with developers directly" to ensure the quality of apps on the platform.

Apple lays out in detail the process of how apps are reviewed for distribution on the store. It says the app review system is a "human-led process" and that all human reviewers ensure that apps "are reliable, perform as expected, respect user privacy, and are free of objectionable content."

Throughout the years, Apple has sped up how long apps submitted to the platform are under review. According to Apple, 73% of prospective apps submitted by developers to the platform are now reviewed within 24 hours, and at the end, a final verdict is delivered to developers on whether the app is approved or rejected.

If an app is rejected, Apple says it provides the developer with information on the reason for the rejection, and says that the app makers have an opportunity to "correspond with the Apple team member who reviewed the app." Furthermore, developers have a chance to appeal a rejection to the ‌App Store‌ Review Board.

Targeting concerns that Apple exploits the app review process to maintain a dominant position in certain areas, or categories for apps, Apple says its goal is to protect consumers from "fraudulent, non-functioning, malicious or scam apps." Central to the review process is the protection of consumers' privacy and security, according to Apple.

Developers also have the option to make a formal appeal to the App Store Review Board. This is comprised of senior app reviewers with a high degree of experience in reviewing apps. The Board will review the app afresh and provide the developer with their response.

The main purpose of the App Review process is to protect consumers from fraudulent, non-functioning, malicious or scam apps. Central to the App Review process is the protection of our consumers' privacy and security. That is why the App Review process is iterative and some apps may require multiple rounds of submission before Apple is satisfied the app meets all of the Guidelines.

The ACCC investigation will include submissions from Australian developers about their disapproval of the app review process or how they think they've been mistreated by the Cupertino-based tech giant. Apple rejects that sentiment, however, saying that Australian developers work directly with its Australian Developer Relations team to offer support and guidance on matters such as developing, designing, and maintaining apps.

Apple's HomePod mini includes a dormant hidden sensor that can measure temperature and humidity, potentially providing the means to power upcoming features that could arrive in a future software update, according to Bloomberg.

The company has internally discussed using the sensor to determine a room's temperature and humidity so internet-connected thermostats can adjust different parts of a home based on current conditions, according to people familiar with the situation. The hardware could also let the HomePod mini automatically trigger other actions, say turning a fan on or off, depending on the temperature.

[...]

Apple typically releases major HomePod software updates annually in the fall. It's unclear if or when Apple will switch on the temperature sensor, but its presence in HomePod mini units that have already sold suggests that this is just a matter of time. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

The component measures 1.5 x 1.5mm and is buried in the bottom edge of the ‌HomePod mini‌'s plastic case, near the power cable. The sensor's existence was independently confirmed by iFixit after an inquiry by Bloomberg.

The sensor is made by Texas Instruments, which calls it a "HDC2010 Humidity and Temperature Digital Sensor," according to TechInsights, a firm that analyses components inside of electronics. According to the report, the component's placement suggests that its focus will lie in the external environment, rather than having any internal diagnostic role.

The part is situated relatively far from the device's main internal components, meaning it is designed to measure the external environment rather than the temperature of the speaker's other electronics.

This isn't the first time Apple has included a non-active component in a product and then enabled it at a later date via software. As Bloomberg notes, the 2008 iPod touch had a Bluetooth chip, but support for Bluetooth connectivity was enabled the following year via software.

If Apple decides to enable the sensor in the ‌HomePod mini‌, it could pave the way for a more integrated smart home strategy for HomeKit, which controls thermostats, lights, locks, plugs and other devices in the home.

As the report notes, it could also help Apple's ‌HomeKit‌ rival similar features already offered by competitors. For example. Amazon's latest Echo speakers include temperature sensors, while Google sells sensors under its Nest brand that can be placed around homes and connect to its thermostats to adjust the temperature of each room.

Opera today is releasing a substantial update to its two-and-a-half-year-old Opera Touch mobile browsing app.

Now titled simply "Opera," the revamped version features a "neater and flatter design" that aims to reflect its lightweight underpinnings and its status as a minimalist app that promises users a fast and secure browsing experience.

The revamp of the user interface in Opera also unveils a neater and flatter design that gives the browser a more refined appearance than before. The new-look replaces the diagonal background pattern, initially introduced into Opera Touch, with flat surfaces and removing shadows on bubbles and other elements.

New icons have been added in the bottom bar and the floating Fast Action button, which users can touch to access a radial menu and swipe through several one-handed actions with their thumb.

The browser also includes a feature called Flow that uses a QR code to securely link the iOS app with the Mac, allowing users to share links, notes, images, files, and other information over a secure and private connection, no logins required.

In addition, Opera comes with a built-in Ethereum wallet, built-in ad blocking, and protection against disguised online cryptocurrency mining, or "cryptojacking".

Opera says its iOS user base increased by over 65% in the 12 months to February, and believes that the growth has been partly thanks to Apple's decision to let users choose a default browser in iOS 14.

Opera is available for iPhone and iPad in several languages and can be downloaded directly from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Just hours after officially discontinuing the iMac Pro, Apple has also discontinued the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 4K 21.5-inch iMac.

Last month, both options became unavailable for purchase, although it was unclear at the time whether it was a temporary issue due to a component supply problem or if it was a permanent decision to no longer offer the options.

Apple has now removed both of the affected SSD options from the ‌iMac‌’s configuration page entirely, leaving a 256GB SSD and a 1TB Fusion Drive as the only options for customers.

An all-new redesigned iMac based on Apple silicon is expected to launch later this year, but a more specific launch timeframe isn't yet known.