MacRumors

Apple has subpoenaed Valve in its ongoing lawsuit with Epic Games, demanding it provides huge amounts of commercial data about Steam sales and operations dating back several years, court filings have revealed (via PC Gamer).

The subpoena was initiated by Apple in November 2020 under the argument that information about Valve's digital distribution service, Steam, would be crucial to building its case against Epic Games.

Apple requested that Valve provided documents to show its total yearly sales of apps and in-app products, annual advertising revenues, annual sales of external products, and annual revenues and earnings from Steam. There are also more granular requests for the name of every app on Steam, the date range when every app has been available, and the price of all apps and in-app purchases.

This apparently involved the demand for information on over 30,000 games initially, but Apple has since narrowed its focus to around 600 games. Nevertheless, Apple is still insisting on receiving documents about every version of a given product and a large amount of financial information about Valve's business.

Apple believes that Steam "is the dominant digital game distributor on the PC platform and is a direct competitor to the Epic Game Store," so information about the digital marketplace's sales and operations can show the extent of the market that the ‌Epic Games‌ Store is competing in. Apple argues that Valve should provide this information since it is not available elsewhere, and "does not raise risk of any competitive harm."

While Apple and Valve apparently met several times to confer, Valve has refused to produce much of the information that Apple is requesting in the subpoena. Valve says that it has cooperated to a reasonable extent, providing documents on revenue share, competition with Epic, Steam distribution contracts, and more, but asserts that the request for six years' worth of PC game and item sales for hundreds of third-party games and confidential information about these games and Valve's revenues is unreasonable.

The company also bristled at Apple's request for Valve's involvement in the case since Steam is not a competitor in the mobile space, saying "Valve is not Epic, and Fortnite is not available on Steam." Valve goes as far as to allege that Apple is using the request as a shortcut to a vast amount of commercially-sensitive third-party data.

Somehow, in a dispute over mobile apps, a maker of PC games that does not compete in the mobile market or sell "apps" is being portrayed as a key figure. It's not. The extensive and highly confidential information Apple demands about a subset of the PC games available on Steam does not show the size or parameters of the relevant market and would be massively burdensome to pull together. Apple's demands for further production should be rejected.

Valve added that it does not even keep all of the information that Apple is seeking since it does not need it in the ordinary course of business, and is now calling for the court to dismiss Apple's subpoena. Meanwhile, Apple's lawsuit with Epic Games is ongoing.

Plex this week began testing TV app integration on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, as spotted by MacRumors readers Casey Bailey and Will Sigmon. The feature is available in the latest beta version of the Plex app through TestFlight.

This integration will enable users to keep track of Plex's on-demand content in Apple's TV app across the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Plex's on-demand content will be recommended in the TV app and also sync with a user's Up Next queue. Plex joins dozens of other providers offering TV app integration in the United States, such as HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, HGTV, NBC, A&E, The CW, MTV, Showtime, Starz, and others.

Plex is a popular media player that in recent years has introduced a growing library of free, ad-supported TV shows, movies, and other content from providers such as Warner Bros., Crackle, Lionsgate, MGM, and Legendary Entertainment. It is only this on-demand content that will be integrated in the TV app, and not a user's personal library of locally stored content, according to a Reddit user identifying as a Plex employee.

"This feature will only work with our free on demand movies and TV shows," the employee said. "We'd love to integrate personal media as well but that's not technically possible for a couple reasons. To make this work we provide Apple with a list of content we have available for streaming. As detailed in our privacy policy, we don't know what content our users have in their personal media libraries."

TV app integration will require version 7.14 of the Plex app or later, currently in beta testing. There is no timeframe for a public release yet.

Update: This article has been updated with clarification from a Plex employee that TV app integration will be limited to Plex's free, ad-supported video content from partners like Warner Bros., Crackle, and Lionsgate.

Clubhouse, the online audio app that has become a social sensation, has reportedly surpassed eight million iOS App Store downloads, according to data from App Annie (via TechCrunch).

The app, best described as a place to hold public group FaceTime-like audio calls, is currently iOS exclusive, although an Android counterpart is in the works. The app requires users to be invited to the app to use it, making it somewhat exclusive for users who are lucky enough to have an account. The data from App Annie shows that as of February 1, the app had obtained 3.5 million downloads. A little more than two weeks later, that number more than doubled to 8.1 million.

Estimates beyond App Annie indicate that downloads for the app could be as high as 10 million. The significant uptick in downloads could be attributed to appearances on the app by Tesla founder Elon Musk, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Clubhouse, when contacted for comment on the statistics by TechCrunch, says that it doesn't disclose user numbers.

BBC Select, a new streamer for factual programming in the U.S. and Canada, is the latest video subscription service to arrive through Apple TV Channels.

BBC Select offers curated non-fiction and factual programming, spotlighting culture, politics, and ideas through a candid, unbiased, and sometimes playful lens.

Shows available on the new channel include the acclaimed documentary series "The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty," Aung San Suu Kyi documentary "The Fall of an Icon," and the films of Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry and documentary presenter Louis Theroux.

BBC Select joins the BBC's portfolio of existing streaming services that includes BBC Earth, BBC Brit, BBC First, and BritBox. The new service is effectively analogous to an international wing of the terrestrial TV channel BBC Four in the UK, which focuses on the arts, documentaries, and current affairs.

Apple introduced the Channels feature in early 2019, providing a way for ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ users to subscribe to standalone services directly in the TV app. There is a growing selection of Channels available, including CBS All Access, Showtime, Epix, Starz, Cinemax, AMC+, and more.

BBC Select is available now in the U.S. and Canada via the ‌Apple TV‌ app and Amazon Prime Video for $4.99 per month.

Apple has expanded its turn-by-turn navigation in Apple Maps for the United Arab Emirates. The app now offers more detailed directions for driving and walking, with options to book a ride through Uber also showing within the app.

Still missing for users in the UAE is public transit information, lane guidance and speed limits, although given that the addition of turn-by-turn directions is part of an ongoing improvement to ‌Apple Maps‌, these are likely to follow.

Rival Google Maps has been the de facto navigation app in the UAE for some time, thanks to its driving, walking, and public transport modes.

(Thanks, Alexey!)

Apple is unlikely to allow devices like Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhone to wirelessly charge each other "in the near future," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In a report outlining the development of MagSafe battery accessories for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, Bloomberg says that Apple has "internally discussed a goal of letting many of its mobile devices like Apple Watches, AirPods, and iPhones charge each other," however, the report notes that it's unlikely to be launched in "the near future." With the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series in 2019, Apple was planning, but then later scrapped plans to allow the ‌iPhone‌ to reverse charge AirPods, according to the report.

Earlier this week, evidence discovered by MacRumors in iOS 14.5 hinted at a possible MagSafe battery accessory. Code within the beta software reads, "To improve charging efficiency and maximize available battery life, the battery pack will keep your phone charged at around 90%."

Apple has been researching the ability for devices to charge each other for some time. Patents discovered in January reveal a concept of a future MacBook wirelessly charging an ‌iPhone‌ or Apple Watch on either side of the trackpad. The patent envisions an ecosystem in which devices are reliant on each other for charging, and presumably syncing.

Despite the feature not being officially released, the technology itself is already available within the ‌iPhone‌ 12. According to FCC filings, all models in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup have the ability to reverse charge an Apple accessory on the back. The ‌iPhone‌ would serve as a wireless charging pad for devices with wireless charging compatibility such as the AirPods (second generation), AirPods Pro, and the Apple Watch Series 3 and later.

In theory, Apple could enable the feature with an iOS update, although there's no indication the company will. It could be holding off on enabling the feature until it releases the newly reported MagSafe battery accessories.

Apple is working on a magnetic battery pack attachment for iPhone 12, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Apple has been developing the attachment for at least a year and it has been scheduled to launch in the months following the release of the iPhone 12 line, according to people with knowledge of the product. The iPhone 12 models were introduced in October.

The battery pack would attach to the back of an iPhone 12 using the MagSafe system, which all the new phones use for charging and pairing other accessories like cases and wallets. Some prototypes of the battery pack have a white rubber exterior, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the product isn’t yet public. The new accessory would differ from Apple battery add-ons for previous iPhones in that it only provides additional battery life and doesn’t serve as a full protective case.

Some MagSafe users have criticized the strength of the magnets used by Apple in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 for their perceived weakness and inability to keep ‌MagSafe‌ accessories like Apple's leather Wallet firmly attached, but Apple has reportedly tested to make sure the battery pack's magnetic attachment system is strong enough for the charging unit to stay in place.

However, the accessory's development has reportedly been hindered by software issues, such as the attached ‌iPhone‌ indicating in error that the battery pack is overheating. Apple has also been working to fix problems that arise when the user switches between using the device when a case is on the ‌iPhone‌ and when the case is removed.

In light of these developmental hurdles, the battery pack could ultimately be delayed or scrapped, according to Gurman's sources.

Potential evidence of a future ‌MagSafe‌ battery accessory was recently discovered by MacRumors in a non-specific reference to a battery pack in the latest iOS 14.5 beta. "To improve charging efficiency and maximize available battery life, the battery pack will keep your phone charged at around 90%," read the text.

According to Gurman, Apple has also weighed up the possibility of other ‌MagSafe‌ accessories internally, including the potential for an in-car attachment, although that product reportedly hasn't made it to formal development.

Apple remains guarded about announcing charging accessories after the AirPower vaporware debacle. Apple publicly announced the device in 2017, but the product never materialized because of problems in development. Apple ultimately cancelled ‌AirPower‌ in March 2019 and apologized that it was unable to deliver a version of the product that achieved its "high standards."

IKEA is rolling out Apple HomeKit support for the Motion sensor and Shortcut button in its TRÅDFRI range of smart home products, according to release notes for an upcoming Gateway software update.

First spotted by Dutch blog iCulture, the next Gateway firmware version (1.13.21) coming down the line will include ‌HomeKit‌ support for the sensor and button, allowing the accessories to be used to operate other ‌HomeKit‌ products.

The Shortcut button, which comes with stickers that can be used to indicate their function, will allow owners to quickly activate ‌HomeKit‌ scenes and switch off lights, for example.

It's not clear exactly when the firmware update will propagate for the TRÅDFRI gateway bridge, which allows IKEA smart home products to work with platforms like ‌HomeKit‌, but the release notes are dated February 18, so it shouldn't be long now before users start seeing the update as available.

The Shortcut button recently became available in Europe, and is expected to make its way to IKEA stores in the U.S. soon.

In an interview with He Shijie, a senior at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Apple CEO Tim Cook called 2020 Apple's "top year of innovation ever."

In 2020, Apple released a number of new products, ranging from the iPhone 12 lineup, to brand new iPads, the Apple Watch Series 6 and SE, and of course, new Apple Silicon Macs. Putting all of that together, ‌Tim Cook‌ says Apple innovated in 2020 more than any other year, but notes that "there's no formula for innovation."

Shijie asked Cook about the stress, and process that Apple goes through to release new products every year. The CEO says it's enabled largely by putting people with diverse skills, backgrounds, and passions together, allowing them to do their lives' best work, and that "one plus one has always been more than two at Apple."

What we do is we have a culture of creativity and a culture of collaboration. And these two things together, when they intersect, create enormous innovation. You put people together that have different skills, that look at the world differently, maybe they're from different places, they have different backgrounds. Some are hardware, some are software. Some are services. Some may be musicians and artists. But you put them all together on a common purpose, to design an incredible product, and it is amazing what can come out of it.

On the new ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, Cook says Apple's having "an incredible time with it," reiterating comments he made at the company's latest earnings call. Regarding the new ‌Apple Silicon‌ Macs, Cook called the performance of the M1 chip "jaw-dropping," and that "it screams. It's so fast."

Apple's business in China continues to be a backbone for the company. In Q4 of 2020, ‌iPhone‌ 12 sales in the country hit 18 million units, and ‌Tim Cook‌ called the response "phenomenal" earlier last month. Shijie, living in China, asked Cook about whether there are features that are based on customers' feedback from China. Cook named a few, including iOS 13 dark mode, QR readers, specific keyboards, and 5G.

There's a ton of features there that are. Whether it's specific keyboards, whether it's QR Code mode. 5G in a lot of ways was energized in China because China is so far ahead in the coverage model for 5G. Junction view in Maps because of the complex intersections and so forth. Night mode was another one where the inspiration for Night Mode came from China. And so we listen very carefully to our customers there and wind up creating things based on that, that is then given to the world. We get a lot of feedback from China.

Shijie also brought up the subject of his grandmother, who he notes is having a hard time learning how to use an ‌iPhone‌. He asks Cook what Apple can do to "give wings to the elderly and to the digital world."

Well, we try really hard to design our products for everyone. And we try very hard to design the product like the mind works, so you don't have to have an instruction manual, you can pick it up and it works the way that you would think it would work. We have classes in Apple Retail, where we'd love to train your grandmother on using her iPhone right there in the class. And we have telephone support and so forth for people that need that. But our hope is and our desire is always to design the product in such a way that it works as you would expect it to do, so that no instruction is needed.

The remainder of the interview covers topics such as Cook's past trips to China and his love for interacting with people, the importance of education and expanding access to it around the world, and advice for people who are still seeking to find the job they love. You can watch the interview with English and Chinese subtitles here.

Apple is set to open its second store in South Korea next week in the busy business hub of Yeouido, in Seoul, the company has announced (via the Yonhap News Agency).

Apple will hold a press preview for the new retail location in Yeouido, Seoul on February 24. The store itself is expected to open just a few days following the preview. Apple announced the store in November of last year but provided no further information on an opening, or preview. Apple's South Korean website has been teasing the store for a few months, saying it'll be a "space for everyone to blossom their ideas and creativity" (machine translation):

South Korea's second Apple Store is coming soon in the heart of vibrant, energetic Seoul. Apple Yeouido is designed as a space for everyone to blossom their ideas and creativity. We hope that you will be able to unleash your imagination in this place where you can explore all the possibilities, communicate freely with others, and receive the energy to create something that is not in the world.

The new store will mark the second Apple Store opening in South Korea, following the first store opening in January of 2018. Apple is expected to open more stores in the country with a third store being planned in Myeongdong, a popular tourist hotspot, and a fourth store in the city of Busan, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Apple's iPhone production in India is starting to feel the impact of geopolitical tensions between India and China, due to limitations in the issuances of entrance visas, the South China Morning Post reports.

India and China have been in a state of heightened tension following clashes at the border earlier last year. India has banned a number of Chinese apps, and is now issuing visas to Chinese nationals to enter the country at a slower pace than normal. According to people familiar with the situation, India has been at a near standstill with issuing visas for Chinese engineers, who are needed for Apple suppliers in the country to set up factories or get production underway.

It's important to note that countries around the world have beefed up border control measures amid the global health crisis. The South China Morning Post fails to address the health crisis as possibly being the reason that India has been slow to issue visas. Either way, however, India's tight border control does seem to be hindering production.

The news comes following reports this week that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is set to announce a new PLI (performance-linked incentive) scheme to bolster the country's exports of IT products such as tablets, servers, and PCs. Apple's reportedly nudging the government to increase the scheme's budget as it hopes to begin iPad production in the country.

Apple suppliers such as Foxconn and Pegatron have already engaged with the Indian government on past schemes by increasing investment in the country and operating mass production lines for select models of the ‌iPhone‌. This is all part of an overarching push by Apple to de-prioritize China as its main production hub, and instead move to countries such as India or Vietnam.

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 CEO Tim Cook tonight announced that Apple plans to donate to local, community-based organizations across Texas to support relief efforts in the state.

Texas has been enduring harsh winter weather this week, with freezing temperatures and snow. The infrastructure has been unable to keep up with energy demands, and power has been out across much of the state.

Millions of people have been without electricity in cold temperatures, and in some areas, the water has become unsafe due to electrical failures. Pipes have also burst due to the extreme temperatures and lack of heat, leading to flooding in some homes.

Apple often donates money during natural disasters and has donated several times to fund wildfire relief in California over the course of the last year.

Over on our YouTube channel, we have an ongoing video series that's meant to highlight new, interesting, and useful apps for the iPhone and the iPad that we think are worth downloading and checking out.

There are so many apps in the App Store that it can be difficult to find new high-quality apps to download, plus it's easy to overlook awesome apps that are a bit older. Our February picks include apps for customizing your Apple Watch and ‌iPhone‌, finding and managing Apple Music, keeping track of TV shows, taking notes, and more.

• Soor ($4.99) - Soor is a music player that integrates with ‌Apple Music‌ and aims to make it easier to find new music. There are multiple themes, along with full ‌Apple Music‌ controls for searching for content, liking songs, sharing content, and adding songs to playlists. It comes with a set of widgets that can be added to either the Home screen or the Today center, and it has an attractive Now Playing interface.
• TV Forecast (Free) - TV Forecast lets you keep track of the TV shows that you're watching, providing an easy way to mark which episode you're on. There are notifications when a new episode is about to air, and you can share progress with friends and family. There's information on actors in TV shows, and you can get recommendations for new shows to watch. TV Forecast is free for five shows, but costs $0.99 per month for more.
• Moloko (Free) - Moloko is a theme app that makes it easier to customize your iOS Home screen by swapping out the icons. It offers up a range of themes that have customized icons for both built-in and third-party apps, and they're simple to install so you don't need to use the Shortcuts app and replace icons manually. Note that you will need to install a profile to use the quick icon swapping.
• Aviary ($3.99) - Available on all Apple devices, Aviary is a third-party Twitter client that can be used in lieu of the default Twitter apps. It has a simple, clean interface that can be customized the way you like it, plus it supports modern features like polls, hashflags, trends, and more.
• Craft (Free) - Craft is a document creation and management tool that you can use for taking notes and organizing your thoughts. It supports Markdown, backlinks, code snippets, images, and videos, and anything you create can be shared via a weblink. Craft is free, but there is a $4.99 per month "Pro" subscription option. The Pro version supports larger file options, offers more storage, and has a version history feature.
• BuddyWatch (Free) - BuddyWatch is an app that makes it easier to create new watch faces for your Apple Watch. You can share watch faces, see watch faces designed by other people, and get watch face suggestions based on your preferences.
• Kitty Letter (Free) - Designed by The Oatmeal's Matthew Inman, who also created popular game Exploding Kittens, Kitty Letter is a word game where you create words from a jumble of letters to form an exploding cat army to attack your neighbor and defend your home. You can play the single player campaign or go head to head against your friends.

Have a favorite iOS app? Let us know in the comments. We're always looking for new iOS app ideas, and we always check out suggestions from MacRumors readers. You can see our recommendations from previous months, and don't miss our Mac app series featuring great Mac apps worth taking a look at.

Apple in iOS 14 added cycling directions to Apple Maps, providing specific directions for bike riders with bike lanes, bike paths, and bike-friendly routes that highlight steep inclines, stairs, and other obstacles.

Cycling directions have been limited to a handful of locations since launch, but as of this week, Apple appears to have expanded availability to San Diego, California and Portland, Oregon.

iPhone users in these areas began receiving notifications about cycling directions yesterday. Apple also sent out notifications in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, London and Los Angeles, where the cycling directions were already available. The notifications may suggest an expansion of cycling direction availability in these locations.

Apple maintains a list of all of the areas where cycling directions are available on its website, but Portland and San Diego have yet to be added. Cycling directions are officially available in China, London, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.