MacRumors

The Linux Foundation today announced the launch of a new Linux Foundation Public Health Initiative (LFPH) (via TechRepublic) that uses open source technologies including Apple and Google's Exposure Notification API to help public health authorities combat COVID-19.

The LFPH includes Cisco, doc.ai, Geometer, IBM, NearForm, Tencent, and VMWare, and is launching with two exposure notification projects: COVID Shield and COVID Green.

COVID Shield and COVID Green are apps that use the Apple and Google-designed privacy-focused exposure notification API, with the apps rolling out in Canada, Ireland, and some U.S. states.

"To catalyze this open source development, Linux Foundation Public Health is building a global community of leading technology and consulting companies, public health authorities, epidemiologists and other public health specialists, privacy and security experts, and individual developers," said Dan Kohn, LFPH general manager. "While we're excited to launch with two very important open source projects, we think our convening function to enable collaboration to battle this pandemic may be our biggest impact."

COVID Shield, developed by a volunteer team at Shopify, is in the process of being deployed in Canada, while COVID Green was developed by a team at NearForm as part of the Irish Government's response to the pandemic. Both of the apps are being made available to public health authorities around the world to use and customize to create their own contact tracing apps.

Apple released its ‌Exposure Notification‌ API in May 2020 with the launch of iOS 13.5, but the API, designed in partnership with Google, has not yet seen wide adoption. Switzerland, Latvia, Italy, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and Denmark have launched contact tracing apps that use the API so far.

Some states like Alabama, North Dakota, and South Carolina are working on a contact tracing app, but no apps using the Apple and Google API have been released in the U.S. so far. Contact tracing is believed to be of value as it is designed to let people know when they've been exposed to COVID-19 so they can quarantine themselves and cut down on the spread of the virus.

Ustwo Games, the studio that created the popular Monument Valley and Assemble With Care games for iPhones and iPads, today unveiled a new upcoming title, "Alba: a Wildlife Adventure."

Little has been revealed about the game at this time, but it will feature titular character and activist Alba, with players able to experience a "Mediterranean Summer filled with friendship, family and nature" as Alba visits her grandparents to explore wildlife with her friend Ines.

Based on a description of the game, Alba sees an animal in danger and decides to do something about it, forming a wildlife league to save the animals of the island.

Alba: a Wildlife Adventure is set to be released this winter and it will be available for iOS, macOS, tvOS, PCs, and consoles.

Apple's U.S. iPhone sales were down 23 percent in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter of 2019, according to new sales estimates shared today by Counterpoint Research. Though sales were down, the iPhone SE was seen as something of a "bright spot," selling above expectations.

Overall U.S. smartphone sell-through was down 25 percent year over year in Q2 2020, but Apple and Samsung were able to maintain sales somewhat better than other brands due to a strong online presence. In Apple's case, the new 2020 iPhone SE, released in April, also helped Apple's sales volumes throughout the quarter.

Priced starting at $399, the ‌iPhone SE‌ has been selling well in both postpaid and prepaid channels. More than 30 percent of ‌iPhone SE‌ buyers were upgrading from an ‌iPhone‌ 6s or older, and more than 26 percent of ‌iPhone SE‌ users came from an Android device, which Counterpoint says is a higher than normal Android to iOS switch rate.

Apple volumes grew through the quarter and were especially helped by iPhone SE volumes. It was not a typical Apple launch with large fanfare and a launch event at the Steve Jobs theatre, which normally also includes a blitz of TV ads. However, the device has been successful and selling above expectations in both postpaid and prepaid channels. Since the iPhone SE launched, carrier stores and national retail have been re-opening. Some channels saw large promos to draw shoppers back to stores. This was especially true within Walmart, Metro by T-Mobile and Boost.

Apple's ‌iPhone SE‌ sales are "unlikely" to cannibalize sales of the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ 12 models because ‌iPhone SE‌ purchasers are "more pragmatic" about price, less concerned with 5G connectivity, and the smaller display is "not considered a hindrance."

According to Counterpoint Research, mid-March through mid-April saw the weakest sales in the overall smartphone market, but things began picking up again in the back half of April after consumers received stimulus checks and retail stores began reopening. Smartphone sales for May through the end of June grew week over week, and June 2020 sales were ultimately stronger than June 2019 sales.

Christian Selig, developer of popular Reddit app Apollo, is today hosting a fundraiser that will see all Apollo in-app purchase proceeds from today donated to his local SPCA animal shelter.

Selig hosts a similar fundraiser each year, and last year, was able to raise $27,000 to help shelter animals in Nova Scotia, marking the largest donation the SPCA had ever received.

Apollo is a free Reddit app that can be used in a read only kind of capacity at no cost, but it offers "tip" options at $3.99, $6.99, or $9.99 to unlock Apollo Pro features like post submissions, multiple account support, auto dark mode, gesture customization, filtering, live comment updating, custom color themes, and more.

There's also an extra Apollo Ultra tier for $0.99 per month, $9.99 per year, or $24.99 for a lifetime unlock that provides realtime notifications, app theming, and a custom app icon every month. All Apollo proceeds from in-app upgrades will be donated today.

To celebrate the fundraiser and encourage donations, Selig has also released a new pet-themed SPCA Home Screen icon option created by artist David Lanham, which can be set as the icon on the iPhone or iPad's ‌Home Screen‌. The icon is an extra $4.99 purchase that also includes an Apollo Pets photo album and wallpapers.

Customers who have already upgraded to Apollo Pro or Ultra can purchase the extra icon package to donate to the SPCA.

Apollo for Reddit can be downloaded from the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Belkin in January announced a new HomeKit-enabled Wemo WiFi Smart Plug, which is available for purchase starting today.

The Wemo WiFi Smart Plug is the smallest plug to date in the Wemo lineup, making it an appealing option for those who are looking for a slim HomeKit-compatible plug option.

With the Wemo app, Siri commands, or the Home app, Apple HomeKit users can wirelessly control lamps, heaters, fans, and more with Belkin's Smart Plug. It's also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

The Wemo WiFi Smart Plug can be purchased from the Belkin website for $24.99. A three pack is also available from Best Buy for $49.99.

Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup will feature 5G support for the first time, and several rumors have suggested that the new iPhones coming this year are expected to support both sub-6GHz and mmWave networks, which are two different 5G technologies that carriers are rolling out.

mmWave, the fastest 5G technology, will be used in dense urban areas like major cities, while sub-6GHz networks will be available more broadly in suburban and urban areas. Sub-6GHz technology is faster than 4G, but not as fast as mmWave and not responsible for some of the blazing fast speeds advertised when companies talk about 5G technology.

DigiTimes is out today with a new preliminary report that indicates all 2020 iPhones will feature support for mmWave and sub-6GHz networks, but suggests Apple will take a different approach in 2021.

Some of the 2021 ‌iPhone‌ models may feature single 5G band support, working on either mmWave or sub-6GHz networks, but not both.

Apple's 2020 series of iPhones will work on both sub-6GHz and millimeter wave 5G networks, and the vendor is considering introducing its iPhones supporting either mmWave or sub-6GHz for specific markets next year, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

The iPhones with limited support would be introduced in specific markets where one technology is more predominantly used than the other. Some countries, for example, will not have support for mmWave networks, which makes the inclusion of mmWave support less important and could cut down on modem costs for future iPhones.

There have been some 2020 iPhone rumors, including from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, that have suggested Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup will also feature devices that may not have mmWave support enabled in some countries.

All of the 2020 iPhones are expected to have the same modem hardware that supports all 5G bands, but Apple could disable mmWave in countries where it is not operational or turn off 5G entirely in countries without 5G networks to reduce its production costs as antennas are required to work with the modem hardware.

DigiTimes' report suggests that the 2021 iPhones could perhaps have different hardware that only supports one network, rather than Apple disabling hardware, but we'll have to wait to see what happens with the 2020 iPhones to get a better picture of what we can expect for the 2021 ‌iPhone‌ lineup as the rumors about which iPhones will support which networks are somewhat confusing at this time.

‌DigiTimes‌' report today is a preliminary report and it will be updated with more information in the future, and if there's more detail to include, we'll update this article. For more on what to expect from the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, make sure to check out our iPhone 12 roundup.

While it seems hard to believe, it has already been nearly a month since the WWDC 2020 keynote, where Apple unveiled its latest software updates and confirmed that it will be transitioning to Macs with custom-designed processors. A last-minute rumor suggested that Apple also planned to unveil a redesigned iMac with thinner bezels at the event, but there ended up being no hardware refreshes.

The wait for new hardware could soon be over, however, as proven leaker "L0vetodream" has suggested that Apple has at least some new products "ready to ship." As usual, the tweet was rather cryptic, providing no further details.

The same Twitter account has revealed several accurate details about upcoming Apple hardware and software, including the launch timing of new iPhone SE and iPad Pro models earlier this year, the marketing name macOS Big Sur, the hand washing feature in watchOS 7, the handwriting-to-text feature Scribble in iPadOS 14, and much more.

It's unclear which Apple products could be imminent, but the iMac is a strong candidate. Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple plans to refresh its existing Intel-based iMac in the third quarter of 2020, which runs through late September, prior to launching an iMac with Apple Silicon later this year. It is unclear if the Intel-based iMac refresh would include a redesign, or if that would be saved for the Apple Silicon model.

We're also still waiting for Apple's rumored AirTags items trackers, which would compete with Tile. MacRumors leaked several details about AirTags last year, but we haven't heard much on this front since Apple accidentally leaked the AirTags name in a support video back in April. It remains unclear if and when Apple will release the accessory.

Apple is also rumored to be planning high-end, over-ear headphones for release this year, but again, an exact timeframe remains unclear.

A new Apple TV is certainly overdue, with the box having last been updated in September 2017. We've heard rumors about a new Apple TV with an A12 chip or later for awhile now, but no announcement has transpired.

As for the HomePod, rumors have suggested that Apple is working on a smaller, lower-priced model for release this year. There has been some signs that a new HomePod could be on the horizon, such as inventory running low at times and Best Buy repeatedly offering the speaker on sale for $199.99, but there is still no word on a specific release date.

iPhone and lower-end iPad refreshes are not expected until the fall, followed by new AirPods and a larger 8.5-inch iPad mini in 2021.

Apple Card users are reporting the credit card is now showing up on Experian credit file reports. Reporting of Apple Card information was previously limited to credit bureau TransUnion (via Reddit).

Though not officially confirmed by Apple or Goldman Sachs, several Reddit users have noticed the creditor addition to their Experian credit reports. Some users, however, have not seen any credit report changes, so the reporting may still be rolling out.

Like any credit card, Apple Card credit reporting can either positively or negatively impact users' credit scores based on how the card is used.

When the Apple Card card first launched last August, credit data was reported to neither of the three United States credit bureaus, and it wasn't until December that Goldman Sachs began reporting Apple Card information to TransUnion.

Although it appears Apple Card information is now being reported to both TransUnion and Experian, it remains to be seen as to when credit reporting may begin to Equifax.

To apply for an ‌Apple Card‌, simply open the Wallet app on an iPhone running iOS 12.4 or later, tap the plus button in the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen steps. The process takes just a few minutes, and if approved, a digital ‌Apple Card‌ will be ready for purchases immediately. A physical titanium-based Apple Card is also available for use at retail stores that do not accept contactless payments.

Key Apple Card features include color-coded spending summaries in the Wallet app, no fees beyond any applicable interest, and up to three percent cashback on purchases paid out daily.

In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted utilities app "Glarm," business app "Orbit," and utilities app "Smart NFC" as three apps that are worth checking out. We've also compiled a list of apps that received major updates this week.

Apps to Check Out

• Glarm (iOS, Free) - Utilities app Glarm lets users set location-based alarms in a simple manner. Glarm can be really useful when traveling, as it will alert users when they are at or approaching a set destination. Location data is tracked by iOS when outside the app which helps in keeping battery consumption to a minimal, according to the app's developer. When creating alarms, users can set both a location and a radius around the desired location that will be used to trigger an alarm.
• Orbit: Time Tracking (Mac, Free) - Orbit is an app that easily keeps track of the time users spend on tasks throughout the day. The app lets users set time tracking across projects and features a dashboard that conveniently displays an overview on how time is allocated over certain time periods. Orbit also allows users to automatically generate invoices from timed entries. The developers of the app have emphasized the importance of privacy, and the app has been built with no ads, tracking of metadata, and selling of personal data. Users can try the app in "tourist mode," a read-only version of the app, before creating an account or subscribing to a premium plan. The app's premium plan, which is required to take the app out of its read-only mode, is available in both monthly and yearly subscriptions priced at $7.99 and $79.99 respectively.

• Smart NFC (iOS, $1.99) - Smart NFC, an app that lets users read and write NFC tags, features an easy-to-navigate interface that makes accessing app's full capabilities quite simple. The app allows users to permanently lock tags, erase existing tags, easily add NDEF formatting, and more. The app is compatible with iPhone 7 and later, and the ability to use Background Tag Reading to interact with NFC tags without an app is limited to iPhone XS and later.

App Updates

• Facebook Messenger - Facebook this week announced a new screen sharing feature that lets users share a live view of an iPhone screen with others. Users can simply expand the bottom menu and tap the "Share Your Screen" option when in a video call to activate the feature.
• Skype - Skype's iOS app was updated this week with a new background blur feature. The feature uses artificial intelligence to detect a person while intelligently blurring the background.
• Spotify - Spotify this week added new charts that show top and trending podcasts to users in their respective regions. Users can navigate to the Podcasts category and tap on "Podcast Charts" to find the new charts.
• Ulysses - Writing app Ulysses received a new update this week with a redesigned dashboard and new grammar and style checking tools. The grammar and style check is currently only available in the Ulysses Mac app, but support for Ulysses' iOS version is planned for this fall.

Are you using a great new app we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll check it out for next week's App Recap. Are you a developer of a unique app you'd like us to consider? Send us a message through our tip line at the top of the page and we'll check it out.

Apple this weekend has honored the life of late politician and civil rights leader John Lewis with a full-page tribute on its website. A photo of Lewis is accompanied by a quote of his: "Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday commemorated Lewis in a follow-up tweet.

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 today shared two new "Behind the Mac" videos on its YouTube channel, offering a look at how Macs can be used in creative workflows. The new videos feature photographer Tyler Mitchell and musician James Blake.

Among the new additions to the series is a spotlight on New York photographer Tyler Mitchell. The video reveals how Mitchell shoots and edits his new portrait series using elements only from his own bedroom, within 24 hours. Apple says that remote cameras were set up around the photographer's apartment, capturing his natural creative process.

The second of the new videos features James Blake as he uses Logic Pro X to create his new song "Ask For More," also shot within 24 hours. This is the second video in Apple's Behind the Mac series that has focused on James Blake, the first of which was released last week.

The new videos are a continuation of Apple's "Behind the Mac" series, launched in 2018, which highlights how various high-profile creative individuals use the Mac for their work on a daily basis.

While much of our attention has been focused on iOS 14 over the past weeks, Apple was finishing up some final updates for the iOS 13 series of releases, and this week delivered iOS 13.6 and associated updates for other platforms to the public. New iOS features include audio stories for Apple News+, support for digital car keys, and more.

One incredibly popular story (and in fact one of our most popular stories in years) was about a new Apple support document warning users to be careful about installing physical webcam covers on their Mac notebooks. Other top stories included a major Twitter security breach that saw Apple's official account tweet out a Bitcoin scam, the opening of filing for cash payments in the iPhone "Batterygate" lawsuit, and more.

Check out our video above and read on below for more on all of this week's biggest stories!

Apple Warns Against Closing MacBooks With a Cover Over the Camera

In a new support document this month, Apple has advised customers not to close the lid of a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro with a cover over the webcam, noting that this practice may cause damage to the display and might also interfere with the ambient light sensor and prevent features like automatic brightness and True Tone from working.

Apple said that customers should instead look for a green indicator light to know when the webcam is active, and decide which apps can use the camera in System Preferences. Apple ensures that the camera is engineered so that it can’t activate without the light also turning on.

Apple Releases iOS 13.6 With Car Key, Apple News+ Audio, and More

Apple this week publicly released iOS 13.6 with a handful of new features, including support for digital car keys in the Wallet app, audio stories for Apple News+ subscribers, and a toggle switch for enabling or disabling the automatic downloading of iOS updates.

At launch, the Car Key feature is limited to select BMW models manufactured after July 1, 2020, including the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4.

Apple also publicly released macOS 10.15.6, watchOS 6.2.8, tvOS 13.4.8, and a HomePod update.

Apple's Twitter Account Hacked by Bitcoin Scammers

Apple, Uber, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West were just some of the high-profile brands and individuals involved in a major Twitter security breach this week.

All of the compromised Twitter accounts tweeted out a similar message that claimed users could send Bitcoin to a certain address and receive double the amount in return. The hackers appear to have received more than $100,000 worth of cryptocurrency before Twitter took action.

Twitter continues to investigate the breach, which it described as a "coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools."

iPhone Users Can Now File to Receive Around $25 From Apple Over 'Batterygate'

Earlier this year, Apple agreed to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit that accused the company of "secretly throttling" older iPhone models, and affected customers can now claim their share of the settlement.

Apple will provide a cash payment of approximately $25 to each eligible iPhone owner who submits a claim, with its total payout to fall between $310 million and $500 million. The exact amount that each iPhone owner receives could vary slightly based on the number of claims submitted.

The class includes any U.S. resident who owns or previously owned an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and/or iPhone SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later, and/or an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later, before December 21, 2017. Class members must have experienced "diminished performance" on their devices in order to qualify.

Five Mac Apps Worth Checking Out - July 2020

Each month, we share a video highlighting a handful of Mac apps worth checking out. This month's selections focus on productivity and feature great tools for working from home.

For more of our Mac app picks, check out our essential Mac apps archive.

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 exploring new Apple Pencil technology that could allow the device to sample colors from the real world to use in digital art, drawings, edits, and more, according to an Apple patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office this week.

Titled "Computer System With Color Sampling Stylus," the patent describes a computer stylus that "may have a color sensor."

The color sensor would be equipped with several photodetectors able to measure light for different color channels, which would let it detect and sample a color from a real world object, like a flower.

The stylus could also be equipped with a light to make it easier for the photodetectors to accurately determine a color, and the rest of the patent describes an Apple Pencil-like design with an elongated body, a tip, and an opposing end, with the tip able to work with a touch-sensitive display.

Apple says the color sensor functionality could be located at the end of the stylus, at the tip, or coupled to the tip through a light guide.

With this kind of technology, ‌Apple Pencil‌ users would be able to do something like hold the ‌Apple Pencil‌ against an object in the real world, with the ‌Apple Pencil‌ reading the color. It could be used for photorealistic paintings or just sampling of unique colors from grass, plants, existing art, and so much more.

According to the patent, the stylus would detect the color and then put it in a color palette in a drawing program, where the color could be assigned to a brush. Apple also suggests that color sensor could perhaps be used for other purposes such as calibrating displays, calibrating printers, making health-related measurements, and identifying paint colors for home projects, which would make the ‌Apple Pencil‌ even more versatile.

Optical color sensors like this already exist and have been used in various ways. In fact, we've tested a simple, rudimentary optical color sensor in the Sphero Specdrums, a product meant to turn color into sound. This product includes a little finger ring that can be tapped against real world objects to make sounds based on the color it senses, but Apple's implementation would presumably be much more precise.

Apple patents all kinds of different technologies, some of which seem plausible to implement and others that are quite fantastical. There's never any guarantee that Apple's patents will be used for real products, and in fact, most patents are for technologies that never get released.

For that reason, there's no word on whether Apple actually plans to add a color sensor to the ‌Apple Pencil‌, or if this is simply an idea that's never going to make it out of the possibilities phase.