Google recently updated the Gmail app for iOS devices, and though it's not mentioned in the release notes, the new version of the app introduces a second Gmail widget.
The new Gmail widget displays the last three emails in the Gmail inbox, along with a button to compose a new email. The widget joins the existing widget that displays a compose button, a search interface, and lets users know how many unread emails are in the inbox.
Google's new widget is much more informative because it provides actual email content, unlike the prior version.
The widget can be added to either the Today screen alongside other widgets or to the Home screen among apps. To add the new widget, long press on the Home screen, tap the "+" button upper left corner, and scroll down to Gmail.
You will need the latest version of the Gmail app, which can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Uber appears to have silently ended support for its Apple Watch app last month, and multiple Uber users have noticed that they are no longer able to hail a ride from their wrists.
Curiously, Uber has not removed the Uber Apple Watch app from the App Store. The app is still able to be downloaded and installed on an Apple Watch, but opening it up reveals a poorly-worded message about dropped support, ending with a sad face emoji.
Uber has not updated its support site to reflect the change either, even though the app has been unavailable since around December 8. As with the App Store entry, the support site continues to suggest that the Uber app can be used to summon an Uber ride.
The Uber Apple Watch app has been available since the Apple Watch app launched in 2015, but it always had more limited functionality than the iPhone app. It did not support uberPOOL, fare splitting, ETA sharing, or contacting an Uber driver, which could be why it's now been discontinued.
Uber is now suggesting that Apple Watch users swap over to the iPhone app to request an Uber ride, but it is not clear when the Uber Apple Watch app will be removed. It makes little sense to keep it around, and the messaging is confusing.
Uber competitor Lyft pulled its Apple Watch from the App Store back in 2018, and has not offered Apple Watch integration beyond notifications since then.
The Beats Pill+ Speaker first came out in 2015, and it was priced at $230 at launch, but Apple had been selling it for $180. Apple did not update the Beats Pill+ speaker following its release, but the company did update it with new color options over the years.
The Beats Pill+ was a Bluetooth speaker able to connect to an iPhone, iPad or Mac, and it came with a Beats Pill+ companion app for pairing two speakers and playing music. It featured a 12-hour rechargeable battery, a built-in speakerphone, and an option to charge the iPhone and other devices.
With the discontinuation of the speaker, the Beats line now focuses solely on headphones, and there is no longer a Beats-branded speaker option nor does Apple offer a battery-powered speaker. Apple does have the HomePod mini for those who are looking for a speaker, and the HomePod mini is now Apple's sole available speaker following the discontinuation of the HomePod.
Apple today highlighted the continued growth and expansion of its services in 2021, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Maps, Apple Pay, Apple News, Apple Podcasts, Apple Fitness+, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more.
"Apple's world-class portfolio of services proved essential in 2021, as people worldwide sought new ways to keep entertained, informed, connected, and inspired," said Apple's services chief Eddy Cue, adding that Apple has over 745 million active paid subscriptions across its services, including in-app subscriptions via the App Store.
A few notable details shared by Apple:
Developers selling digital goods and services have earned more than $260 billion since the App Store launched in 2008, setting a new record for yearly earnings. The figure stood at over $200 billion a year ago.
App Store customers spent more than ever before between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in 2021, with double-digit growth over the same year-ago period. Apple did not disclose a specific dollar amount.
Customers used 30 million digital tickets in the Wallet app for sports games, concerts, and other events across the U.S. and Canada in 2021.
Apple TV+ has received 763 award nominations and 190 wins since launching.
Apple also reiterated the following upcoming features:
iPhone and Apple Watch users will be able to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app in participating U.S. states later this year. Apple's website indicates the feature will be available in early 2022.
3D Apple Maps will be available in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver later this year.
The full press release has been posted to the Apple Newsroom and is a worthwhile read for those interested in learning the latest about Apple's services.
Microsoft's 365 Defender Research Team this morning published details on a new "Powerdir" macOS vulnerability that let an attacker bypass the Transparency, Consent, and Control technology to gain unauthorized access to protected data.
Apple already addressed the CVE-2021-30970 vulnerability in the macOS Monterey 12.1 update that was released in December, so users who have updated to the latest version of Monterey are protected. Those who have not done so should update. Apple in its security release notes for the 12.1 update confirmed the TCC vulnerability and credited Microsoft with its discovery.
According to Microsoft, the "Powerdir" security flaw could allow a fake TCC database to be planted. TCC is a long running macOS function that lets users configure the privacy settings of their apps, and with the fake database, a malicious person could hijack an app installed on a Mac or install their own malicious app, accessing the microphone and camera to obtain sensitive info.
Microsoft has a detailed outline of how the vulnerability works, and the company says that its security researchers continue to "monitor the threat landscape" to discover new vulnerabilities and attacker techniques that affect macOS and other non-Windows devices.
"Software vendors like Apple, security researchers, and the larger security community, need to continuously work together to identify and fix vulnerabilities before attackers can take advantage of them," wrote Microsoft's security team.
Apple's suppliers reportedly started to overcome these shortages between November and December, enabling a gradual resumption of normal shipments through to the start of 2022. Sources speaking to DigiTimes claim that Apple's supply-side constraints will totally recover in the first-half of 2022.
With this increased confidence, Apple has now started volume shipments of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, sixth-generation iPad mini, and ninth-generation iPad. There are reportedly no signs of Apple planning to decrease its 2022 component orders for new devices, indicating that the company is optimistic about sustained production momentum moving through the year.
The report also reaffirmed Apple's plans to release the third-generation iPhone SE in the first half of this year, which is believed to assist suppliers in sustaining shipment momentum through to other product launches. In particular, the iPhone assemblers Foxconn and Pegatron, as well as Apple's PCB suppliers, are all moving to replenish their workforces to fulfill Apple's 2022 orders.
Amazon today has Apple's 256GB 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro for $1,149.99, down from $1,299.00. As of writing, the notebook is in stock but with a slight shipping delay; it's currently estimated to be delivered between January 18 and 22.
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Compared to past deals, this is a second-best price on this model of the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro, and it's available in both Space Gray and Silver. This model of the MacBook Pro has the Touch Bar and larger bezels.
If you're looking for a little more storage, you can also get the 512GB model for $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00. This is another second-best price that's available in both colors on Amazon.
You can find the best monthly deals on all new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks in our Best Deals guide. Be sure to visit the guide and bookmark it if you're on the hunt for a new Apple notebook; we'll be updating it weekly as we discover new MacBook offers across the web.
A Redditor has highlighted that it is possible to join FaceTime calls from their TV using an Xbox, a feature that is not possible on the Apple TV.
In a post on Reddit, user u/JavonTEvans explained how they are able to make FaceTime calls on their TV using an Xbox. The simple setup involves using a Logitech C930 webcam connected to an Xbox Series S. To join a FaceTime call, they simply open Microsoft Edge on the Xbox, navigate to their email provider, and open an email with a FaceTime link.
u/JavonTEvans's FaceTime TV setup
The setup is theoretically possible from any device with Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge installed thanks to FaceTime links. Apple introduced FaceTime links with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey last year, providing a way for users of non-Apple devices such as Android smartphones and Windows PCs to join FaceTime calls easily, with no need for a dedicated app.
Since Apple TVs do not have a FaceTime app, additional ports to connect a camera, or a browser to open FaceTime links, Apple's own TV device is completely unable to make FaceTime calls. The only option available to Apple TV users is to AirPlay a FaceTime call from another device, but the video feed will still be streamed from the host device's camera.
January is a month known for having less consistently good deals in comparison to November and December, and January 2022 has been no different. Still, if you're shopping for a pair of AirPods after having missed out on the 2021 holiday season prices, there are some discounts you can take advantage of as we start off 2022.
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.
Starting with the 2021 AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case, you can get this model for $189.99, down from $249.00. These are shipped and sold by Amazon, and they're in stock today and have an estimated January 12 - 15 delivery date for most places in the United States.
Next, the new AirPods 3 have a small discount of $9 on Amazon. You can get these for $169.98, down from $179.00. Similarly to the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 3 are sold by Amazon and can be delivered as soon as later this week.
The regular 2019 AirPods 2 are available for $109.00, down from $129.00. This is one of the best prices we've tracked since the holidays. Overall, these still remain the most consistently discounted pair of AirPods, and you can also get these delivered by the end of the week.
Last are the AirPods Max, which are on sale for $479.00 in all colors, down from $549.00. The pink model of AirPods Max had a rare $399.99 price tag last week on Woot, but otherwise we haven't seen prices below $479.00 since the holidays.
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.
Apple's plan to add a body temperature sensor to the Apple Watch Series 8 is looking increasingly unlikely, based on recent comments made by well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.
Apple is believed to have originally considered adding a body temperature sensor to last year's Apple Watch Series 7, but that didn't happen, with Bloomberg reporting in June that it would likely be introduced in the 2022 update instead. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also previously expressed optimism that body temperature sensing would be an Apple Watch Series 8 feature.
However, discussing rumored body temperature, blood pressure and blood sugar sensors for Apple Watch in his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman advises: "Don't expect any of these soon."
Body temperature was on this year's roadmap, but chatter about it has slowed down recently. Blood pressure is at least two to three years away, while I wouldn't be surprised if glucose monitoring doesn't land until later in the second half of the decade.
Whenever it does arrive, a body temperature measuring function for Apple Watch would be useful for fertility tracking and keeping track of sleep, and in the future, it could also detect when a user has a fever.
Apple is rumored to be working on a method for non-invasively monitoring blood glucose levels using optical sensors as well, potentially offering sufferers of diabetes a way to manage their condition that would be much easier, as it wouldn't require puncturing the skin.
Earlier this year, Apple was revealed to be the largest customer of the British electronics start-up Rockley Photonics, which develops non-invasive optical sensors for detecting multiple blood-related health metrics, including blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood alcohol levels.
Rockley's disclosure that its biggest client is Apple came about as the company prepared to go public in New York. Given the growth of Rockley Photonics and the scale of Apple's partnership with the company, it seems to be virtually inevitable that the company's health sensor technology will be coming to the Apple Watch at some stage, just not this year.
For everything we know so far about the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8, check out our dedicated guide.
Major EU mobile operators are reportedly looking for Apple's iCloud Private Relay service to be outlawed because it allegedly infringes upon EU "digital sovereignty," according to a report from The Telegraph.
iCloud Private Relay was a feature announced with iOS 15 that encrypts data so that neither Apple nor a third-party can see users' browsing activity in Safari. With iCloud Private Rely enabled, a user's internet requests are sent through two separate internet relays, with the first relay being operated by Apple.
The second relay, operated by a third-party company, means no-one, including Apple, can see what website a user visits. More information on how iCloud Private Relay works can be found on Apple's website.
In August 2021, less than two months after iCloud Private Relay was announced, Vodafone, Telefonica, Orange, and T-Mobile sent a joint letter to the European Commission regarding their concerns over the service. As per the report:
Mobile operators have become locked in a power struggle with Apple after urging regulators to outlaw the iPhone maker's encryption technology over claims it will undermine "digital sovereignty." Some of Europe's biggest mobile operators want the European Commission to stop Apple using "private relay" on the grounds that it will also prevent them from managing their networks.
In the letter seen by The Telegraph, the operators said that while iCloud Private Relay "purports to enhance users' privacy when connecting to and browsing the internet by encrypting and redirecting traffic," it also cuts off "networks and servers from accessing vital network data and metadata, including those operators in charge of the connectivity."
The letter claimed that iCloud Private Relay will have "significant consequences in terms of undermining European digital sovereignty."
In the letter, the operators also called upon the European Commission to label Apple as a "digital gatekeeper" under the EU Digital Markets Act. According to the report, such a label "has the potential to stop services such as Private Relay."
Outside the EU, some network operators in the UK are also concerned. In its own letter, TalkTalk claimed that iCloud Private Relay would "make it more difficult to block dangerous content." In a statement to The Telegraph, TalkTalk said it is "assessing how to respond to this shift and maintain our commitments to keeping our customers safe."
iCloud Private Relay is currently available in beta form for users on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, and it's still unclear when Apple plans to bring it out of beta. According to The Telegraph, the European Commission has not responded to the letter from the EU's largest mobile operators. We've reached out to Apple to comment on the concerns raised in the letter.
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.
"Ted Lasso" was also nominated for the "Best Television Series" award but was beaten by HBO Max comedy drama "Hacks." Other "Ted Lasso" actors including Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein were nominated for "Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series," but fell short of bagging an award on the night.
This is the second time running that Sudeikis has won a Golden Globe in the "Best Television Actor" category for his performance on "Ted Lasso." The third season of the popular series is reportedly under production and will premiere on Apple TV+ sometime this year.
Users of Virgin Mobile and O2 networks based in the UK will not face EU roaming charges when traveling abroad, the company that owns both networks has announced (via BBC News).
Based on an analysis of rates from other provides, Virgin Media O2 said a family of four going abroad for two weeks could see an extra £100 on their bill. As such, the company said it would not be re-introducing EU roaming charges, post-Brexit.
"We're starting the year by giving our customers some certainty: we will not be reintroducing roaming fees in Europe for customers on O2 or Virgin Mobile," said Gareth Turpin, chief commercial officer.
"With many Brits now looking to plan a trip abroad, we've got our customers covered and extra roaming charges will be one less thing to worry about."
In 2021, Three, EE, and Vodafone announced the return of roaming charges to come into effect later this year.
Before the U.K. formally exited the European Union, mobile customers generally didn't have to worry about roaming charges when using their phone in the EU, with most phone tariffs counting calls, texts, and data used in EU countries as equivalent to domestic use.
When the UK-EU trade deal was signed in December 2020, mobile operators were once again able to charge customers when traveling in Europe with "transparent and reasonable rates."
Originally, EE, Three, and Vodafone stated they had no plans to reintroduce roaming charges after Brexit, but all have since announced changes, some under a "fair use" clause.
The upcoming high-end iPhone 14 is expected to come with a pill-shaped cutout rather than the notch that's been present on the iPhone in some form since 2017. While we're still months away from the next iPhone, we already have a solid idea of what a pill-shaped cutout would look like in practical use.
A mockup on Twitter by developer Jeff Grossman shows, at least on the Home Screen, what a pill-shaped cutout on an iPhone would look like. The cutout, rather than being continuous with the device's bezel like a notch, is centered slightly below the bezel while being shorter in length and height, offering significantly more screen real estate on either side.
Apple made the notch smaller with the iPhone 13, but the extra space can't be utilized. For example, users still can't show the battery percentage in the status bar but must instead swipe down into Control Center. One would think that with a pill-shaped cutout, Apple may let users display more information in the status bar rather than let it remain unused screen real estate.
If you're interested in trying out the experience of a pill-shaped cutout on your own iPhone, Jeff has shared the screenshot used in his original image. View the image on your iPhone, lock your screen rotation, and turn your iPhone upside down to experience, more or less, what an iPhone 14 Pro may look like in your hand.
A pill-shaped cutout would mark a significant design shift from the notch that's been a hallmark of the iPhone design language since the iPhone X. A pill-shaped cutout would require Apple to fit several sensors and the TrueDepth camera system in a smaller footprint. Rumors so far suggest that only the high-end iPhone 14 models will feature a pill-shaped cutout, while the lower-end variants will continue with the full-sized notch, although that could always turn out not to be the case.
Spotify users waiting to learn when the service's delayed "HiFi" premium audio service will materialize currently remain none the wiser, after the company responded noncommittally to requests for more information on its user community forums.
Back in February, Spotify announced plans to introduce a "HiFi" premium tier by the end of 2021. According to Spotify, the feature will offer CD-quality music that will let fans experience more depth and clarity in their favorite tracks.
However, 2021 came and went with no sign of the high-bandwidth audio experience on Spotify and no update from the company on when it would launch. Understandably, Spotify users recently took to the service's community forums to ask for more details, to which Spotify responded:
We know that HiFi quality audio is important to you. We feel the same, and we're excited to deliver a Spotify HiFi experience to Premium users in the future. But we don't have timing details to share yet.
First reports that Spotify was working on a lossless audio version of its streaming service appeared almost five years ago, when the company started testing the option with a small group of users.
Back then, promotional screens pitched the "Spotify Hi-Fi" tier as a $5-$10 upgrade to a standard Spotify subscription. However, based on the wording of its latest update, Spotify looks unlikely to offer it as a paid-for upgrade when it does launch, especially given that Apple Music includes lossless listening options as part of its standard subscription price.
Add to that the fact that Amazon has since stopped charging extra for its own lossless music library, bundling its "HD" tier into all standard Amazon Music Unlimited subscriptions instead, which makes the idea of Spotify asking users to pay more for a similar service seem like a non-starter.
In May, a tantalizing hint emerged that Spotify was on the cusp of launching its lossless plan after a glitch in the Spotify app briefly surfaced a hidden HiFi media playback menu.
However, Spotify's unintentional teaser last year came to nothing, and users of the streaming service remain as much in the dark now as they did then about when the surface will eventually appear.
Apple supplier BOE recently converted one of its factories in China in order to manufacture larger OLED displays for devices beyond smartphones, including tablets and computers, according to Korean website The Elec.
The report claims that BOE is likely aiming to supply OLED displays for future iPads, after becoming a supplier of iPhone 13 displays last year. The repurposed factory will be able to manufacture up to 15-inch displays, but it remains to be seen if Apple ever releases a 15-inch iPad. In June 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple had explored the idea of iPads with larger displays, but he said a release if any would be years away.
The factory will have the ability to manufacture OLED displays with two layers of red, green, and blue emission layers, the report added, which could lead to future iPads having significantly brighter displays. However, it remains to be seen whether BOE would succeed in commercializing these panels due to the complexity of the technology.
Apple currently sources OLED displays for iPhones from Samsung and LG, but it frequently attempts to diversify its supply chain to reduce the risk of relying on a single supplier and to secure competitive pricing.
In January 2020, a man who identified himself as an Apple parts manager informed Japanese auto supplier Sanden that Apple wanted to make electric vehicles, and presented schematics of an electric vehicle and air conditioner parts, according to Nikkei Asia.
Sanden is a leading manufacturer of air conditioner parts for vehicles, and Apple and Sanden went on to discuss specific parts requirements, the report claims. However, due to financial struggles worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanden filed for debt restructuring with its creditors in June 2020 and the Apple Car talks apparently faded.
While the report does not provide any further details about the talks between the two companies, it lends further credence to Apple's long-rumored electric vehicle ambitions.
In November 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was accelerating its work on the project and aiming for an electric vehicle with full self-driving capabilities. Gurman said Apple was targeting a 2025 launch, but the project has faced numerous setbacks and key departures over the years, so the timeframe is not certain.
Today is January 9, which means it's been 15 years since Apple CEO Steve Jobs stood on stage at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, California and gave the world its first look at the iPhone, a device that would go on to change everything.
The original iPhone was a tiny little thing with a 3.5-inch LCD display, a plain old Home button, a thick chassis, huge bezels, a Samsung processor, and a 2-megapixel camera, but it was still unlike anything else that was on the market at the time.
Smartphones at the time relied on limited display area, hardware-based keyboards, and styluses for screen interaction, but the iPhone stood apart because it a limited number of physical buttons and instead relied on a multi-touch display, which was more intimate and interactive.
Jobs described the iPhone as three revolutionary products in one: an iPod with touch controls, a phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device. "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone," Jobs famously said, and he couldn't have been more right.
Since 2007, Apple has led mobile phone design, dictating the features and capabilities that are must-haves for smartphones and inspiring other manufacturers to follow in its footsteps. Features like Touch ID, Face ID, sleek designs, and incredible camera technology have kept Apple competitive, as have other improvements over the years. Earlier this week, we highlighted 15 changes that Apple has made since introducing the original iPhone.
No other smartphone maker has been able to match Apple's deep integration of hardware and software or its unparalleled chip designs, and that's why iPhones continue to be the smartphone of choice for a huge number of people worldwide.
Every year, Apple manages to make us excited about an iteration on a 15-year-old product. There are promising updates in store for the iPhone 14, including the first notchless design that will see Apple adopting a hole-punch display that will provide more available screen space.
We're also expecting faster performance than ever with the A16, improvements to 5G, and innovative safety features like car crash detection and satellite support for reporting emergencies when cellular signal is unavailable.
Apple is exploring the future beyond the iPhone as well, preparing for the day when the smartphone might be obsolete. The first AR/VR headset is could be unveiled in 2022, and while it will be bulky, expensive, and focused on VR experiences, we can expect Apple to iterate and improve on the headset experience until some kind of head-worn wearable becomes indispensable.
We don't know what the iPhone will look like when Apple's 30th iPhone anniversary rolls around, but we at MacRumors will be here to tell you all about it. What do you think Apple has in store for the distant future? Let us know in the comments.
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u/JavonTEvans's FaceTime TV setup
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.
