MacRumors

Apple today confirmed that it has chosen to suspend Parler from the App Store, stating that the self-described "non-biased, free speech social media" app has failed to take "adequate measures to address the proliferation" of "threats to people's safety." Apple said there is "no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity," and noted that Parler will remain unavailable on the App Store until if and when these issues are resolved.

Apple's full statement, issued to MacRumors:

We have always supported diverse points of view being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity. Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people's safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues.

Apple first sent Parler a letter on Friday morning stating that it had received "numerous complaints regarding objectionable content" within the app, and accusations that the Parler app was "used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021," referring to the riot at the United States Capitol that resulted in the loss of life, injuries, and the destruction of property.

Apple said Parler "appears to continue to be used to plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities," and provided the app with 24 hours notice to submit an update and "moderation improvement plan," or face removal from the App Store. In a subsequent letter sent to Parler, Apple now says that "the processes Parler has put in place to moderate or prevent the spread of dangerous and illegal content have proved insufficient."

According to Apple, Parler said that it has been taking harmful content "very seriously for weeks" and was planning to implement moderation efforts "for the time being," but Apple said a temporary "task force" is "not a sufficient response given the widespread proliferation of harmful content," leading to Parler being suspended today.

Apple's second letter to Parler in full:

To the developers of the Parler app,

Thank you for your response regarding dangerous and harmful content on Parler. We have determined that the measures you describe are inadequate to address the proliferation of dangerous and objectionable content on your app.

Parler has not upheld its commitment to moderate and remove harmful or dangerous content encouraging violence and illegal activity, and is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.

In your response, you referenced that Parler has been taking this content "very seriously for weeks." However, the processes Parler has put in place to moderate or prevent the spread of dangerous and illegal content have proved insufficient. Specifically, we have continued to find direct threats of violence and calls to incite lawless action in violation of Guideline 1.1 - Safety - Objectionable Content.

Your response also references a moderation plan "for the time being," which does not meet the ongoing requirements in Guideline 1.2 - Safety - User Generated content. While there is no perfect system to prevent all dangerous or hateful user content, apps are required to have robust content moderation plans in place to proactively and effectively address these issues. A temporary "task force" is not a sufficient response given the widespread proliferation of harmful content.

For these reasons, your app will be removed from the App Store until we receive an update that is compliant with the App Store Review Guidelines and you have demonstrated your ability to effectively moderate and filter the dangerous and harmful content on your service.

Regards,
App Review Board

Parler remains available to users who already installed the app on their device.

Update: Amazon Web Services also plans to suspend Parler's account effective Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, stating that the app "poses a very real risk to public safety" in violation of its terms of service, according to an email obtained by BuzzFeed News. "Amazon's suspension of Parler's account means that unless it can find another host, once the ban takes effect on Sunday Parler will go offline," the report explains.

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.

After sharing potential details about upcoming iPad mini, iPad, iPad Pro, and iPhone 13 models earlier this week, Japanese blog Mac Otakara now claims that Apple plans to release both second-generation AirPods Pro and a third-generation iPhone SE in April 2021, with the information once again coming from Chinese supplier sources.

The report claims that the new AirPods Pro will come with a slightly redesigned charging case. Specifically, the report claims the case will remain 21mm thick, but will have a height of 46mm and a width of 54mm. The current AirPods Pro charging case has a height of 45.2mm and a width of 60.6mm, so the new case will apparently be slightly narrower.

The report does not offer any further details about either the AirPods Pro or iPhone SE. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that Apple is aiming to make the second-generation AirPods Pro more compact by eliminating the stem that sticks out from the bottom, but it's unclear if Apple will achieve this. Gurman said Apple had a design in testing with a more rounded shape that fills more of the ear, similar to Google's Pixel Buds.

As for the iPhone SE, most rumors have centered upon a larger Plus-sized variant of the device with a 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch display, which analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said will launch in the second half of 2021. Given that Mac Otakara refers to the upcoming model as a "third-generation" iPhone SE, however, it is possible that Apple plans to stick with a 4.7-inch display like the second-generation iPhone SE — it's unclear.

Apple released the current AirPods Pro at the end of October 2019, while the second-generation iPhone SE launched in April 2020.

With the first week of 2021 now under our belts, news and rumors are starting to ramp up again. This week saw details about the long-rumored AirTags item trackers, the Apple Car, and upcoming upgrades for most of Apple's iPad lineup.

We also heard a bit about Apple's AR glasses and the iPhone 13, while we got our hands on Belkin's new 3-in-1 MagSafe charger. Finally, the Mac App Store turned ten years old this week, so read on for full details on all of these stories and more, and check out our video above for even more coverage!

Apple Rumored to Unveil AirTags, Augmented Reality Device, New AirPods, and More This Year

The calendar has now turned to 2021 and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has outlined his expectations for some new Apple devices this year, including the long-awaited AirTags item trackers, new AirPods, the first iPads and Macs with Mini-LED displays, more Macs with Apple silicon chips, and an augmented reality device of some kind.

AirTags are expected to help users keep track of their personal belongings, such as their keys, wallets, and backpacks, and would notify users on their Apple devices when they are separated from a tagged item. In 2019, MacRumors obtained screenshots showing that AirTags will be managed through a new Items tab in the Find My app. Accessory makers are already beginning to prepare for the accessory's launch.

As for the augmented reality device, Apple is rumored to be working on both an AR/VR headset and AR-only glasses. In an internal meeting last year, Apple executive Mike Rockwell said the headset may be announced in 2021 and released in 2022, while the glasses are expected in 2023 at the earliest, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Taiwanese publication DigiTimes this week reported that a so-called "Apple Glasses" prototype is about to enter the "second phase" of development as the product progresses towards engineering verification.

The third-generation AirPods are rumored to feature an in-ear design like the AirPods Pro, but without noise cancellation.

The first Macs with Mini-LED displays will include redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon, according to Kuo, while a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display is also expected to be introduced later this year. Rumors have conflicted on whether the 11-inch iPad Pro will receive a Mini-LED display as well.

Apple Negotiating with Hyundai for Apple Car Production

A new report from Bloomberg this week says that Apple is indeed aiming to launch a full-fledged car rather than just developing autonomous systems for other car manufacturers, but Apple's car won't be ready to launch for at least five to seven years.

Shortly after the report, word surfaced that Apple has been in discussions with Hyundai about potentially partnering on battery technology and vehicle production. Hyundai initially confirmed the talks in an official statement, but later walked that back to omit any specific mention of Apple, saying only that it has been approached by "various companies regarding development of autonomous EVs."

iPhone 13 Pro Models Said to Use Samsung's LTPO Technology for 120Hz Display

Rumors continue to suggest that iPhone 13 Pro models will feature low-power LTPO display technology, allowing for a long-awaited 120Hz refresh rate.

A report this week from Korean website The Elec claimed that Samsung will be the exclusive supplier of this LTPO technology for iPhone 13 Pro models. LTPO coupled with a 120Hz refresh rate would result in more fluid scrolling and smoother motion without consuming too much battery life.

In other iPhone 13 rumors this week, we learned that the LiDAR Scanner may be expanded to the entire iPhone 13 lineup, rather than just the Pro models, and ultra-fast mmWave 5G may become available on iPhone 13 models sold outside of the United States as well.

While Apple no longer includes a charger in the box with new iPhones, the company is rumored to be working on GaN-based USB-C power adapters that would be smaller, lighter, and more power efficient than the silicon-based power adapters that it currently sells for release as early as this year.

Next Low-Cost iPad Said to Feature Thinner, Lighter Design

Japanese blog Mac Otakara this week offered some potential details about several upcoming iPad models, including the upcoming ninth-generation 10.2-inch iPad, claiming that the device will feature a thinner and lighter design, and retain both Touch ID and a Lightning connector.

The report also claimed that the next iPad Pro will not feature any significant design changes, but the device is expected to be equipped with a much faster A-series chip. In a follow-up report, the site said that both 11-inch and 12.9-inch models should be expected in March, with camera lenses no longer protruding beyond the larger camera bump. The 12.9-inch model may also be 0.5mm thicker as part of the transition to a Mini-LED display.

Finally, Mac Otakara claimed that the next-generation iPad mini will also launch in March and see its display size increase from 7.9 inches to 8.4 inches. Overall, the design will be similar to the third-generation iPad Air, retaining a Touch ID Home button and Lightning port, but with slimmer display bezels than on the current iPad mini.

Comparison: M1 MacBook Pro vs. Razer Book 13

Razer in November released the Razer Book 13, a new portable laptop focused on productivity rather than gaming. Since it is similar in many ways to the M1 Macs that Apple recently launched, we decided to compare the Razer Book 13 with the M1-based 13-inch MacBook Pro to see how they stack up.

While the ‌MacBook Pro wins out in terms of performance and efficiency, the Razer Book 13 is a capable laptop for those who need or prefer the Windows operating system. Our comparison provides a deeper dive into tech specs, features, and more.

Review: Belkin's 3-in-1 Boost Charge Pro Offers Hassle-Free 15W MagSafe Charging for iPhone 12

Belkin's new Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe is now available to order from Apple at a $10 discount from its normal $150 price tag, and ahead of time, we got our hands on the accessory to see if it's worth the cost.

All in all, if you're looking for a multi-device charger for an ‌iPhone 12‌, this is the one to get in our view. It works with any ‌iPhone 12‌ model, the Apple Watch, and ‌AirPods‌, and it's just $30 more expensive than Apple's MagSafe Duo. And as an Apple-certified MagSafe accessory, the Boost Charge Pro is capable of delivering up to 15W of power to iPhone 12 models, whereas unofficial magnetic wireless chargers are still limited to up to 7.5W charging.

Belkin also offers a MagSafe-compatible car vent mount for iPhone 12 models, available for $39.95 from Apple's online store.

This Week Marks the 10th Anniversary of the Mac App Store

While the App Store launched on the iPhone in July 2008, the Mac App Store arrived on January 6, 2011, when Apple released Mac OS X Snow Leopard version 10.6.6. Accordingly, this week marked the 10th anniversary of the Mac App Store!

Apple announced that the Mac App Store was "open for business" in a press release back in 2011. "With more than 1,000 apps, the Mac App Store is off to a great start," said Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and former CEO. "We think users are going to love this innovative new way to discover and buy their favorite apps."

Since its inception, the Mac App Store has attracted its fair share of criticism from developers. Apple has addressed some of these complaints over the years by allowing developers to offer free trials via in-app purchase, create app bundles, distribute apps on multiple Apple platforms as a universal purchase, view analytics for Mac apps, respond to customer reviews, and more.

In 2018, the Mac App Store received a major redesign as part of macOS Mojave, complete with a new "Discover" tab that highlights popular apps and games and features editorials from Apple. Another advancement to the Mac App Store came in 2020, when Apple made iPhone and iPad apps available on Macs with Apple silicon, given that all of the devices share Arm architecture.

All in all, Apple has certainly made progress with the Mac App Store over the last 10 years, but some developers feel that further improvements are necessary if they are to embrace the storefront.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Apple is expected to continue to offer four iPhone options in 2021, with the ‌iPhone‌ 13 to be identical in design to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 with few changes, according to a new report today from Japanese site Mac Otakara that cites sources within the Chinese supply chain.

The height and width of the four ‌iPhone‌ models are expected to remain the same, but thickness could increase by approximately 0.26mm.

The rear camera unit is expected to increase in size by 0.9mm on all ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, and Apple will shift to a design that "covers the entire camera unit with sapphire glass." The lenses are expected to protrude less in a design that's more similar to the 2020 iPad Pro, which has a thick camera bump but less protrusion when it comes to the lens design.

Mac Otakara believes that the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro could feature sensor-shift optical image stabilization, a feature that Apple included in the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

As for the front of the ‌iPhone‌ 13, the site suggests that the TrueDepth camera "is getting narrower" because the receiver at the top of the display will move to the edge of the case. This suggests that the notch on the next-generation ‌iPhone‌ could be slightly thinner.

This is the second time that we've heard rumors of a thinner or shallower notch, so it's possible the 2021 ‌iPhone‌ models will have a notch that's the same length but not as tall.

Other ‌iPhone‌ 13 rumors have suggested we could see some models getting LTPO OLED displays with support for 120Hz refresh dates, and there will, of course, be a faster A15 chip. We have more on what to expect from the ‌iPhone‌ 13 in our dedicated roundup.

Apple has given conservative social network Parler 24 hours to implement a full moderation plan and remove objectionable content or face a permanent ban from the App Store, reports BuzzFeed News.

In an email sent to Parler this morning, Apple said that it had received complaints that the app had been used by supporters of President Donald Trump to plan and coordinate the infiltration of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Apple says that the Parler app violates objectionable content and user-generated content guidelines.

We require your immediate attention regarding serious App Store guideline violations that we have found with your app, Parler.

We have received numerous complaints regarding objectionable content in your Parler service, accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 that led (among other things) to loss of life, numerous injuries, and the destruction of property. The app also appears to continue to be used to plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities.

Our investigation has found that Parler is not effectively moderating and removing content that encourages illegal activity and poses a serious risk to the health and safety of users in direct violation of your own terms of service, found here: https://legal.parler.com/documents/Elaboration-on-Guidelines.pdf

Examples of these complaints can be viewed on these links:
https://twitter.com/slpng_giants/status/1347190280492089344?s=20
https://twitter.com/EmmanueLoree/status/1347260055410896897/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Lovedrea/status/1347263797614972928?s=20
https://twitter.com/Wilmographer/status/1346714000554303489?s=20
https://twitter.com/pjg0014/status/1347265499210592256?s=20

Content of this dangerous and harmful nature is not appropriate for the App Store. As you know from prior conversations with App Review, Apple requires apps with user generated content to effectively moderate to ensure objectionable, potentially harmful content is filtered out. Content that threatens the well being of others or is intended to incite violence or other lawless acts has never been acceptable on the App Store.

Your CEO was quoted recently saying "But I don't feel responsible for any of this and neither should the platform, considering we're a neutral town square that just adheres to the law." We want to be clear that Parler is in fact responsible for all the user generated content present on your service and for ensuring that this content meets App Store requirements for the safety and protection of our users. We won't distribute apps that present dangerous and harmful content.

Apple is requiring Parler to submit an update and a "requested moderation improvement plan" within 24 hours from when the email was received on Friday morning. If Parler does not comply, the app will be pulled from the ‌App Store‌.

Parler CEO John Matze said on the social network that Parler will not "cave to politically motivated companies and those authoritarians who hate free speech." Since launching in 2018, Parler has claimed to be a free speech alternative to mainstream social networks with more relaxed content moderation rules, which has attracted those who have been banned or suspended on Twitter, Facebook, and other mainstream social networks.

In related news, social network Twitter today announced that it has permanently suspended the Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump. Twitter said that the account was suspended because of the "risk of further incitement of violence."

Twitter yesterday suspended Trump's account for 12 hours after he posted a video calling rioters "very special" and repeating claims of election fraud.

Twitter said that the account would be unlocked if Trump deleted tweets, but warned that further violations would result in a permanent ban. Facebook and Instagram have also indefinitely banned Trump, and Google Play on Friday night removed the Parler app.

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.

If you recently got an Apple Watch or know someone who did, there are a lot of useful hidden little tips and tricks to take advantage of. We've rounded up 20 helpful tips that new Apple Watch owners should be aware of, and there may even be some tips and tricks seasoned Apple Watch owners don't know.

• Rearrange Apps - In the main app grid, if you press and hold on an app, you can move it around to create a new app grid design. You can also rearrange apps in the Watch app on iPhone by going to App View > Arrangement.
• Use List View - Hate the grid view? Open up the Watch app on ‌iPhone‌, tap "App View" and then choose List View to see all of your apps in a list when you press the Apple Watch Digital Crown.
• Delete Apps - When your watch is in List View, swipe from right to left to delete an app. This works for third-party apps. You can also do this by holding down on an icon in the grid view.
• Quickly Access Favorite Apps - The side button on the watch opens up recent apps by default, but if you go to the Watch app on ‌iPhone‌ and tap "Dock," you can change it to show a selection of favorite apps instead.
• Use Tapback for Messages - When you get a message, a Tapback is a quick and useful way to reply. Just press on any incoming message and you can select a response like like, dislike, laugh, and more.
• Take Advantage of Smart Replies - Smart Replies are also useful for responding to messages on Apple Watch. In the Apple Watch ‌iPhone‌ app under Messages, tap on Default Replies. Tap on any item in the list to customize it, and then when you get a message, swipe down to get to your reply options.
• Silence a Phone Call - You can silence an incoming call by placing a hand over the Apple Watch's display. This will make the ringing stop, but the call won't be declined.
• Clear Notifications - Swipe down on the Apple Watch display to get to notifications, and then scroll all the way up through the list and you'll see a Clear All option to get rid of all of your notifications at once.
• Jump Back to the Top of an App - If you're using an app and need to get back to the top quickly after scrolling down, just tap on the time in the right corner.
• See Battery Life in Nightstand Mode - When your Apple Watch is charging in Nightstand Mode, tap on the battery icon. Make sure Nightstand Mode is on by opening up the Apple Watch app on ‌iPhone‌, tapping "General" and then toggling on Nightstand Mode.
• Swap Between Apps Quickly - Want to get back to the last app you used? Just double press on the Digital Crown.
• Access Control Center - There are lots of quick tap controls on the Apple Watch in the Control Center. Swipe up from the bottom of the Apple Watch display to get to it. If you're inside an app, press and hold for a second or two and then swipe up.
• Ping a Lost iPhone - Open up Control Center and then tap the little phone icon to ping your connected ‌iPhone‌. It's a useful way to find an ‌iPhone‌ you've misplaced. When it's pinging, hold down on the phone icon if you also want to make the camera flash.
• Skip the Workout Countdown - There's a three second countdown when launching a Workout. To skip it, tap on the display.
• Pause a Workout - You can quickly pause a workout by pressing the Digital Crown and the Side button together. Press them again to unpause.
• Mark Workout Segments - In some workouts, it's useful to mark segments. To do so, double tap on the Apple Watch's display during a workout.
• Make the Mickey Face Tell the Time - If you're using the Mickey or Minnie Apple Watch faces, you can tap on the characters to have them read the time. Note that your sound needs to be on for this to work.
• Have Siri Read the Time - With any watch face, tap and then hold with two fingers on the display and Siri will read the time. Sound needs to be on.
• Make a Memoji - The Memoji app on Apple Watch, which looks like a little cartoon face, can be used to create Memoji characters right on the watch. Memoji can be set as watch faces.
• Control AirPods - You can use ‌Siri‌ to control your AirPods, skipping songs and adjusting volume. If you have AirPods Max or AirPods Pro, ‌Siri‌ can also toggle on Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.

Have other useful Apple Watch tips that we didn't mention here? Let us know in the comments.

Apple today shared the trailer for upcoming Apple TV+ show "Losing Alice," which is set to launch on Friday, January 22.

"Losing Alice" is a neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by Sigal Avin and starring Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer. The series follows aging director Alice and her growing obsession with a young screenwriter named Sophie.

"Losing Alice" is a thrilling cinematic journey that uses flashbacks and flash-forwards in a satisfyingly complex narrative that takes the viewer through the conscious and subconscious of its protagonist's mind. The series follows Alice (played by Ayelet Zurer), a 48-year-old female film director, who feels irrelevant since raising her family. After a brief encounter on the train, she becomes obsessed with a 24-year-old screenwriter femme fatale, Sophie (played by Lihi Kornowski), and eventually surrenders her moral integrity in order to achieve power, relevance and success. Through the prism of this female Faust, the series explores issues such as jealousy, guilt, fear of aging, and the complex relationships women have among themselves and each other. But above all, "Losing Alice" is a love letter for the still-too-rare female director.

The first three episodes of the series will be available on January 22, with new episodes following on a weekly basis. It will be available to stream globally on ‌Apple TV‌+ through a co-production deal with Israel's Dori Media productions.

In other ‌Apple TV‌+ news, the second season of ‌Apple TV‌+ series "Dickinson" is available as of today, with Apple releasing the first three episodes.

In "Dickinson," actress Hailee Steinfeld plays famous American poet Emily Dickinson, and the show humorously explores the constraints of society, gender, and family from Dickinson's perspective. The second season will see Dickinson "pulled out of her literary life and thrust into the public eye."

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with CalDigit to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a SOHO USB-C Dock that is compatible with Apple's Macs and USB-C iPads. SOHO stands for Small Office Home Office Dock, and it's the perfect companion for those working from home who need access to more ports than Apple's machines provide.

Priced at $100, the bus-powered SOHO Dock offers Gen 2 USB-C transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, which is twice as fast as traditional USB-C docks that are limited to USB-C Gen 1, and allows for additional features.

The SOHO Dock can connect to a 60Hz 4K display, and on machines that support DisplayPort 1.4, up to two 4K 60Hz monitors can be connected in dual mirrored mode on macOS. On the iPad Air and iPad Pro, a single 4K monitor can be connected. Standard USB-C hubs are limited to a single 4K monitor at 30Hz when used with a Mac.

There's an HDMI 2.0b port and a DisplayPort 1.4 port for connecting displays, plus it is equipped with dual gold plated SD card readers that support UHS-II speeds. There's a USB-C port for connecting to a computer, a full speed 10Gb/s USB-C data port, a 10Gb/s USB-A port, and a USB-C port for power delivery.

Passthrough charging is supported, and the SOHO Dock can charge a MacBook at up to 90W, which is enough power for all of Apple's machines. Charging will vary based on the wattage of the USB-C charger and the number of USB devices attached to the SOHO Dock. Passthrough charging works for laptops, and is also compatible with ‌iPad Pro‌, Windows tablets, and USB-C smartphones.

The SOHO Dock is made from a high-grade aluminum that allows for heat dissipation, and CalDigit says that it uses high quality components to ensure thermal integrity and device longevity. CalDigit ships the dock with a detachable cable to allow for flexibility should customers need a longer cable length.

The SOHO Dock works with the 12-inch MacBook, Thunderbolt 3 Macs that include the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro, plus it is compatible with the M1 Macs and Windows PCs with USB-C Gen 1, USB-C Gen 2, Thunderbolt 3, and Thunderbolt 4.

We have 10 of the SOHO Docks to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (January 8) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on January 15. The winners will be chosen randomly on January 15 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Belkin's Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe, which is the first third-party MagSafe-compatible wireless charger, is available for purchase as of today.

Priced at $140, the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ features an upright ‌MagSafe‌ charger that can accommodate one of Apple's iPhone 12 models, an Apple Watch charging puck, and a flat platform that can be used to charge AirPods or another ‌iPhone‌.

With its 40W power adapter, the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ can charge an ‌iPhone‌ 12 at up to 15W, while the additional charging spot charges devices at 5W.

Belkin's Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is available in either black or white, and we shared a full review of the charger earlier this week. Belkin initially planned to release the charger in winter 2020, so it has been a bit delayed, but it is available as of today.

The Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with ‌MagSafe‌ can be purchased from the online Apple Store for $140.

Apple is rumored to be working on a new version of the iPad mini with a larger display size, and Japanese site Mac Otakara today shared some details on the upcoming tablet with information said to be sourced from the Chinese supply chain.

The upcoming ‌iPad mini‌ is said to have an 8.4-inch display, up from the current 7.9-inch screen size. It will have slimmer bezels and will look similar to the iPad Air 3, a design language that Mac Otakara said Apple would also be using for the ninth-generation low-cost iPad.

The ‌iPad mini‌ 6 will have a design that's unified with the upcoming low-cost ‌iPad‌, and will continue to feature a Touch ID Home button with top and bottom bezels and a Lightning port.

‌Mac Otakara‌ believes that the refreshed ‌iPad mini‌ will see a March launch, so it could perhaps debut at a March event if Apple has one planned.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in May 2020 that the next-generation ‌iPad mini‌ would have a display that measures in at 8.5 to 9 inches. He has also said that Apple is working on an ‌iPad mini‌ with a mini-LED display, but it's not clear if the ‌iPad mini‌ 6 is the ‌iPad mini‌ that will have the upgraded display.

Apple's App Store saw unprecedented growth in 2020, grossing more than $64 billion in sales, according to a report by CNBC.

The figure is up from an estimated $50 billion in 2019 and $48.5 billion in 2018. This is a significant growth of 28 percent in 2020, compared to growth of just 3.1 percent in 2019.

Apple does not disclose how much revenue its ‌App Store‌ makes every year, but it has released data points every January since 2013 that include the total Apple has paid to developers since the start of the ‌App Store‌ in 2008. ‌App Store‌ revenue is reported as part of Apple's Services division, which reported sales of $53.7 billion at the end of Apple's 2020 fiscal year, which ended in September.

According to an Apple press release from earlier this week, the company has paid developers $200 billion since 2008. This is up $45 billion from the figure that was announced in January 2020. Equal to 70 percent of ‌App Store‌ sales, allowing for Apple's 30 percent cut of digital sales, the ‌App Store‌ grossed around $64 billion last year.

Prior to this information being available, the analytics firm Sensor Tower calculated that ‌App Store‌ spending reached around $72 billion in 2020 and the majority of spending across all app stores occurs on Apple's ‌App Store‌, with about 70 percent of sales.

The ‌App Store‌ is a core area of growth for the company, and Apple recently announced that New Year's Day saw a new single-day spending record of over $540 million.

Ahead of CES 2021 next week, Sony has introduced new 4K OLED, 4K LED, and 8K LED smart TV models with support for HomeKit and AirPlay 2.

The new lineup includes the MASTER Series A90J with 55-inch, 65-inch, and 83-inch 4K OLED TVs, the X95J Series with 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch 4K LED TVs, the X92 Series with 50-inch to 100-inch 4K LED TVs, and the MASTER Series Z9J with 75-inch and 85-inch 8K LED TVs. Sony says pricing and availability will be announced in Spring 2021.

AirPlay‌ 2 support allows users to stream videos, music, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, and Mac to compatible Sony smart TVs, complete with lock screen controls. ‌HomeKit‌ support enables users to easily control the TVs using Siri voice commands or the Home app on ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Mac. The features are also available on select 2018, 2019, and 2020 TV models sold by Sony, with a full list available on Apple's website.

All of the TVs announced this week feature Sony's artificial intelligence technology, known as the Cognitive Processor XR, for continuously optimized picture and sound quality. Other features and specs include Google TV support, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa integration, HDMI 2.1 compatibility, and more.

Roku has reached an agreement to acquire the rights to content from the now-defunct video streaming service Quibi (via The Wall Street Journal).

Roku reportedly paid less than $100 million to acquire the rights to Quibi's library of original content until 2022.

Quibi was a short-form video subscription service launched in April of last year. Executives believed that the service would be able to garner approximately 7.4 million subscribers during its first year, but it massively fell short with an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 subscribers. After courting a number of tech companies, including Apple, to see if it could be sold off, the service announced that it was shutting down in October 2020.

Roku is the biggest streaming media player in the United States, with a library of more than 40,000 movies and TV shows, and the acquisition of Quibi's content will offer a boost of more than 75 shows and documentaries.

Quibi's content will also be among the minority of exclusives on the platform, as the majority of Roku's programming is also viewable elsewhere. The acquisition is expected to give Roku more leverage in negotiations with advertisers, who may pay more to show their ads alongside shows that viewers are unable to see elsewhere.

Apple Pay appears poised to launch in South Africa at some point this year, with at least two participating banks in the country at launch.

Over the last few days, several MacRumors readers have alerted us to Apple Pay terms and conditions for some South African banks beginning to appear in the Wallet app on iPhone after changing the device's region to the United States. At launch, it appears that participating banks will include Nedbank and Discovery Bank.

Apple has yet to confirm that Apple Pay will be expanding to South Africa, so exact timing remains uncertain. Apple Pay has expanded to over 40 regions since first launching in 2014, and the service is set to expand to Mexico later this year.

To add a debit or credit card to Apple Pay, open the Wallet app, tap on the plus sign in the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen instructions.

(Thanks to Ben, Shelin, and Ludolph!)

"Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon" is now available on Apple Arcade, featuring a 16-bit style, randomized maps, and local co-op multiplayer.

Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is the third game in the popular Oceanhorn series from developer Cornfox, set 200 years after the end of "Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm." Unlike previous entries in the series, Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon takes inspiration from 1990s 16-bit dungeon crawlers, but it retains the creatures, environments, and archetypes that Oceanhorn players will be familiar with.

The family-friendly game features cartoony action and balanced gameplay. Each dungeon is randomly-generated, ensuring that maps are always different. Heroes also start each game with different stats and each character has distinctive attacks and abilities. Local co-op multiplayer allows players to collaborate together and take advantage of their character's special abilities in new ways.

Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is available now on ‌Apple Arcade‌ for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.

A range of new Apple services could include "Podcasts+," "Stocks+," and "Mail+," according to a new report by Loup Ventures analysts.

Apple's subscription service products are increasingly important to its business model and is now almost the size of a Fortune 50 company by revenue, growing by 16 percent in 2020 to $53.7 billion. Loup Ventures highlights that Spotify accumulated 144 million paid subscribers over a period of 14 years, while Apple Music accumulated 85 million paid subscribers in just five years. "This illustrates the power of services built on top of default apps," the report says.

Loup Ventures claims that there is room for a number of additions to Apple's successful services segment. New subscriptions could be "hiding in plain sight," being built upon existing apps, and in turn aid the continued growth and adoption of Apple's products and services.

Podcasts+ would form a tier in the existing Podcasts app, offering a selection of exclusive premium shows. Spotify has moved aggressively into podcasts, acquiring the exclusive rights to popular shows and removing them from other services. Podcasts+ would enable Apple to claw back space within the field. Apple has been repeatedly rumored to be moving into exclusive podcasts, even holding talks to acquire podcast network Wondery before it was bought by Amazon.

According to the report, Podcasts+ is expected to be bundled as a part of Apple One as well as ‌Apple Music‌, with no added charge for existing paid subscribers. Podcasts+ would also help to "drive incremental interest" in ‌Apple Music‌ and ‌Apple One‌ as a result, "generating high-margin, recurring revenue."

Stocks+ could build upon Apple's move into personal finance with Apple Card, offering financial services such as investment accounts. Apple could "replicate its success with ‌Apple Card‌ and offer low-fee, private, secure, simple brokerage accounts," and present integrated information on cost basis, market value, gain, and loss. In addition, Apple could offer trading services similar to Robinhood and robo-advisory services like Wealthfront.

Furthermore, Mail+ could be the first Apple service related to personal productivity. Taking cues from existing services such as Invisible and Calendly, Mail+ could offer advanced inbox management, automation, and scheduling.

The report also tentatively outlines two additional services titled "Maps+" and "Health+," but provides much less information about what forms they could take. Maps+ could present advanced suggestions for destinations based on a desired outcome and be heavily integrated into the rumored Apple Car. Health+ could leverage the data Apple currently gathers via its Health app and present an offering that moves into digital healthcare and telemedicine.

Key to any new Apple services, the report explains, is a high level of integration. Apple Fitness+ serves as a case study of how an Apple service can move into a new space and offer a product that competitors are unable to match due to deep integration with existing products and services, such as the Apple Watch, Activity rings, and ‌Apple Music‌.

Loup Ventures believes that new Apple services will capture value in new ways and drive the company toward a three-trillion dollar market cap. The firm has also speculated in the past that Apple will launch a combined hardware and software subscription.

Spotify has introduced a new CarPlay interface in the latest beta version of the app that is now available via TestFlight.

Notably, the redesigned UI adds a new queue system that brings the Spotify ‌CarPlay‌ experience a lot closer to the way Apple Music works.

Users can now see which tracks are queued up without having to look at their iPhone, thanks to a "Go to queue" button on the Now Playing screen. Users can now also navigate to an artist's Spotify page by tapping the artist's name.

Elsewhere, the ‌CarPlay‌ app includes four tabs at the top of the screen for quick access to Home, Recently Played, Browse, and Library, while more album artwork and new accents add a lick of color to the interface.

It's not known when the updated version will arrive in the App Store, but its presence in TestFlight is a good indicator that it should be on the way soon.

In November, Spotify rolled out support for standalone streaming through the Spotify app for Apple Watch, allowing users to listen to music or podcasts from Spotify over WiFi or cellular without having to have an ‌iPhone‌ nearby.

Encrypted messaging app Signal faced big delays in verifying the phone numbers of new accounts on Thursday because of a sudden surge in people trying to join the platform.

In messages posted from its official Twitter account, the non-profit Signal Foundation said verification codes were delayed across several cellular networks, and that it was working through the backlog as quickly as it could.

While the issue is now said to have been resolved, the surge in Signal signups followed recent privacy policy changes highlighted by rival messaging platform WhatsApp.

On Wednesday, WhatsApp began rolling out its latest terms and privacy policy, which allows the popular messaging app to share a significant amount of user data with Facebook. The changes, which are set to take effect on February 8, 2021, are mandatory and users will not be able to continue using WhatsApp unless they accept the terms.

Users who agree to the terms can expect their WhatsApp account registration and phone number, transaction data, service-related information, interaction information, mobile device information, IP address, and other data to be shared with Facebook.

Facebook told The Verge the updated terms related to messaging with businesses, and that nothing is changing for regular users, however the lack of an opt-out option and the amount of data sharing highlighted by the updated policy has raised privacy concerns.

Last month, WhatsApp publicly protested Apple's requirement that developers submit information about what user data they collect for privacy labels on the App Store, saying that it could give its messaging app a competitive disadvantage.

Signal's uptick in users was also linked to tweets posted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently became the world's richest person. As noted by The Verge, Musk continued a trend of criticizing Facebook with a Twitter post on Wednesday evening, following the attack on the U.S. Capitol building.

Musk shared a meme suggesting the founding of Facebook had ultimately led to the day's events, and followed it up with a tweet suggesting his 41.5 million followers "use Signal," presumably instead of a Facebook-owned product like WhatsApp. Musk's suggestion was later retweeted by Edward Snowden, another prominent Signal fan.

Notably, the Signal Foundation was co-founded and funded by Brian Acton, the former WhatsApp co-founder who left the company after it was bought by Facebook in 2014. Acton later urged his Twitter followers to delete Facebook.

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