Filming resumed today on the second season of "For All Mankind," despite the ongoing pandemic, reports Deadline.
When filming was halted in mid-March on almost all TV shows and movies, the cast of "For All Mankind" had two episodes left to shoot from the season two order.
"For All Mankind" was one of the Apple TV+ debut shows that launched last November, and with filming underway, it could be one of the first shows to have a second season premiere. Apple has renewed all of its launch shows for a second season, including "See," "Dickinson," and "The Morning Show."
The show is being filmed on the Sony lot in Culver City, as Sony Pictures TV has been working to return scripted series to production with safety precautions in place.
Created by Ronald D. Moore, "For All Mankind" is a sci-fi series that imagines what the world might have been like if the global space race had never ended and the space program had remained a priority. The story is told through the lives of NASA astronauts and engineers, along with their families.
The show stars Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Wrenn Schmidt, Shantel VanSanten, Sarah Jones, and Jodi Balfour.
Apple is extending the amount of time that customers have to purchase or subscribe to its AppleCare+ after an initial device purchase, reports Bloomberg.
Right now, customers have 60 days after buying a device to sign up for AppleCare+, but that's extending to up to one year for some device purchases in the United States and Canada.
Bloomberg does not specify whether this applies to all AppleCare+ plans or just plans designed for the iPhone. Apple's own support documents on AppleCare+ have not yet been updated.
Apple shared the news about the AppleCare+ extension with retail staff and customer support employees this morning, explaining that the change gives customers "another opportunity to protect their device and have access to all the AppleCare+ benefits."
The extended AppleCare+ purchase option is available for customers who pay for AppleCare+ in full or for those who subscribe via installments on the Apple Card credit card. Those who want to upgrade to AppleCare+ after having a device for some time will need to have their devices screened by a retail employee to check for damage prior to purchase.
Bloomberg speculates that amid slowing AppleCare sales due to the pandemic, providing customers with more time to buy AppleCare+ could increase AppleCare+ sales and boost Apple's services revenue.
Apple is planning to terminate Epic Games' entire access to its App Store and app development tools, Epic Games said today. Apple told Epic that by August 28, all access will be ended.
That includes Epic's access to the development tools necessary to create software for the Unreal Engine that Epic offers to third-party developers for their games. In response, Epic has filed a court order asking a Northern California court to stop Apple from removing Epic's App Store access. [PDF] From the filing:
It told Epic that by August 28, Apple will cut off Epic's access to all development tools necessary to create software for Apple's platforms--including for the Unreal Engine Epic offers to third-party developers, which Apple has never claimed violated any Apple policy.
Cutting off Epic's access to Mac and iOS developer tools could have a significant impact on all of the apps and games that use Epic's Unreal Engine. Apple in its letter to Epic Games letting it know about the upcoming account closures says that Epic can avoid having its access revoked by following Apple's App Store guidelines. From Apple's letter to Epic:
Upon further review of the activity associated with your Apple Developer Program membership, we have identified several violations of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Therefore, your Apple Developer Program account will be terminated if the violations set forth below are not cured within 14 days. [...]
If your membership is terminated, you may no longer submit apps to the App Store, and your apps still available for distribution will be removed. You will also lose access to the following programs, technologies, and capabilities:
- All Apple software, SDKs, APIs, and developer tools - Pre-release versions of iOS, iPad OS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS - Pre-release versions of beta tools such as Reality Composer, Create ML, Apple Configurator, etc. - Notarization service for macOS apps - App Store Connect platform and support (for example, assistance with account transition, password reset, app name issues) - TestFlight - Access to provisioning portal for certificate generation, and provisioning profile generation - Ability to enable Apple services in-app (i.e. Apple Pay, CloudKit, PassKit, Music Kit, HomeKit, Push Notifications, Siri Shortcuts, Sign in with Apple, kernel extensions, FairPlay Streaming) - Access to Apple-issued keys for connecting to services such as MusicKit, DeviceCheck, APNs, CloudKit, Wallet - Access to Developer ID signing certificates and Kernel Extension signing certificates - Developer Technical Support - Participation in Universal App Quick Start Program, including the right to use the Developer Transition Kit (which must be returned to Apple) - Engineering efforts to improve hardware and software performance of Unreal Engine on Mac and iOS hardware; optimize Unreal Engine on the Mac for creative workflows, virtual sets and their CI/Build Systems; and adoption and support of ARKit features and future VR features into Unreal Engine by their XR team
We hope that you are able to cure your breaches of the Apple Program License Agreement and continue to participate in the program.
Epic is asking the court to prevent Apple from taking "any adverse action" against it, including restricting, suspending, or terminating Epic's access to the Apple Developer program. Epic also asks that the court restrain Apple from removing, de-listing, refusing to list, or otherwise making the Fortnite app unavailable, or modifying the Fortnite code.
The dispute between Apple and Epic kicked off last week when Epic made a calculated decision to defy Apple's App Store rules and introduce a direct payment option for in-game currency in Fortnite, skirting Apple's in-app purchase system.
Apple swiftly responded by removing the Fortnite app from the App Store, prompting Epic Games to file a pre-planned lawsuit against Apple accusing the Cupertino company of being a "the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation" and imposing "anti-competitive restraints" and using "monopolistic practices in markets" against App Store developers.
Epic also released an anti-Apple video based on Apple's famous 1984 ad, which encourages people to "join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984."
At this point in time, Fortnite remains unavailable from the App Store, and barring court intervention or a decision to comply with the rules, all of Epic's developer accounts will be terminated at the end of the month.
Adobe holds an annual event called Adobe MAX each year to highlight new Adobe software releases for design and advertising professionals. Adobe MAX normally takes place in person, but like many events, the 2020 conference will be held digitally from October 20 to October 22.
Adobe MAX 2020 is a free event for everyone who wants to attend, and registration is open as of today. Those interested in signing up for Adobe MAX can do so on the Adobe website.
According to Adobe, there will be 56 hours of "inspiration and learning," which will include live content demos, speakers, sneak peeks, celebrity appearances, and musical performances.
Special guests will include actor Keanu Reeves, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, photographer Annie Leibovitz, and recording artist Tyler, the Creator.
Those who register will be entered into a sweepstakes to win a free MAX t-shirt and can begin crafting a schedule for virtual events they want to attend. Registering also provides access to instructor files and presentation downloads and an opportunity to engage with Adobe product experts.
Apple is getting into music competition TV shows with "My Kind of Country," an upcoming country music competition series on Apple TV+ that will feature a "groundbreaking global search for unconventional and extraordinary country music talent."
"My Kind of Country" will be produced by Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine, along with Jason Owen and Izzie Pick Ibarra. Owen is the CEO of Sandbox Entertainment and manager to country music stars like Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, and Faith Hill, while Izzie Pick Ibarra is the showrunner behind popular series "The Masked Singer" and "Dancing With the Stars."
According to Apple, "My Kind of Country" will have a fresh, documentary sensibility that will also break down cultural and musical barriers in the country music space to let musicians "unleash their authentic voices and take center stage."
There's no release date for "My Kind of Country" at this time, but it will premiere on Apple TV+. It will join other shows produced by Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, including "The Morning Show" and "Truth Be Told."
Apple today updated its TestFlight app for iOS to version 2.7.0, and according to the release notes, the update adds stability improvements and bug fixes. There's one other hidden addition that went unmentioned -- a new icon.
Old icon on left, new icon on right
Apple has once again refined the TestFlight app icon to introduce a new design. The icon continues to feature a propeller, but the new look adds a 3D effect and does away with the simplicity of the prior icon.
TestFlight is Apple's app that developers are able to use to provide beta versions of apps to media, testers, and others to get their apps ready for release.
As expected, Apple today introduced a bundle deal that allows Apple TV+ subscribers to subscribe to CBS All Access and Showtime for $9.99 per month combined. The bundle can be redeemed through the Apple TV app in the United States.
CBS All Access and Showtime usually cost $20.98 per month combined, so this bundle provides an over 50 percent discount.
CBS and Showtime are available through Apple TV Channels, a feature that lets Apple device users sign up for and watch various subscription television services right within the Apple TV app. Users still need to pay for the streaming services, but without the hassle of downloading an app and signing up separately.
MacRumors and Anker have partnered up again this month to provide our readers with a new collection of discount codes on products including wireless chargers, portable chargers, wall chargers, and more. These savings represent up to 37 percent off Anker's products on Amazon, and they'll last through this Friday, August 21.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Sales start with Anker's PowerWave Base Pad wireless charger for $11.79, and also include the PowerCore Essential 20,000 mAh portable charger for $32.99, the PowerPort Atom III wall charger for $27.99, and much more. Be sure to check out all the products on sale with our exclusive discounts in the list below.
Apple today announced that it has expanded its Independent Repair Provider Program to include Mac computers, as reported by Reuters. The program, launched in the U.S. last year, was previously limited to out-of-warranty iPhone repairs.
Image: iFixit
Apple's website has more details about the program, but it has yet to be updated to reflect the inclusion of Mac repairs. For the iPhone, the program provides participating repair shops with access to the same Apple genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals, and diagnostics as Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers.
For the iPhone, repair shops need to have an Apple-certified technician who can perform the repairs to qualify for the program.
Verizon today announced updated Mix & Match Unlimited wireless plans, with access to services like Apple Music and Disney+, and for the first time Hulu (with commercials) and ESPN+ are being added. Verizon calls plans with Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ "The Disney Bundle."
Plans start with the "Just Kids" option at $35 per line per month, with unlimited 4G LTE data and unlimited talk and text to 20 contacts, with parental controls and location tracking. Next up is the "Start" unlimited plan at $35 per line per month with 4G LTE data, Disney+ for six months, and Apple Music for six months.
In the middle tiers lie "Play More" and "Do More" unlimited plans, both running for $45 per line per month. They both include 5G, unlimited mobile hotspot with 15GB of 4G LTE data, and premium network access. The price per line will increase if you have more than four lines on any one unlimited plan.
The perks differ, however, with "Play More" getting Apple Music for six months, and unlimited access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. The "Do More" plan gets Disney+ for six months, Apple Music for six months, and 50 percent off unlimited connected device plans and 600GB of Verizon cloud storage.
On the high-end, there's the "Get More" unlimited plan at $55 per line per month with unlimited 5G ultra wideband, 30GB of 4G hotspot data, unlimited access to Apple Music while you're on the plan, as well as Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
In terms of changes, Verizon's made a few notable tweaks with these updates. Previously, Disney+ was free for the first year on included plans. Now, for "Start" and "Do More" it's been dropped to six months, while "Play More" and "Get More" customers will have access permanently as long as they remain on these plans.
For Apple Music, the only major change comes in the "Play More" plan. Previously on this plan customers would gain access to Apple Music for the entire time they remained on the plan. Now, access will only be given for the first six months, and afterwards they will have to pay Apple Music's $9.99/month fee if they choose to remain with the service.
These new plans will launch August 20, 2020, and customers must enroll with Verizon by February 28, 2021 to gain access to the plan perks.
Apple Card is starting to show up on Equifax credit reports, but not yet for all users, according to a Reddit discussion today.
Apple Card info is now being reported to all three major credit bureaus in the United States, with the other two being Experian and TransUnion. As with any credit card, Apple Card usage can positively or negatively one's credit score based on factors such as payment history, credit utilization, and age of the account.
To apply for an Apple Card, 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 Apple Card can also be requested through the Wallet app for use at retail stores that do not accept contactless payments.
Apple Card's key features include color-coded spending summaries in the Wallet app, no fees, and up to three percent cashback on purchases, paid out daily.
Amazon this week has a discount on Apple's iPad mini 5, introducing $50 markdowns on the 64GB and 256GB Wi-Fi models of the 7.9-inch tablet.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can get the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 5 for $349.99, down from $399.00, and the 256GB Wi-Fi model is on sale for $499.99, down from $549.00.
While these aren't quite the lowest ever prices that we've tracked for the iPad mini 5, discounts on this tablet have been infrequent this year, so if you've been waiting for a sale Amazon's discounts are solid options.
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
Apple is holding off on expanding production in Vietnam until workers' conditions improve, according to local news reports.
The reports indicate that Apple representatives visited Vietnam earlier this month to investigate existing Luxshare-ICT facilities. Luxshare-ICT has apparently not met Apple's welfare requirements yet, which include adequate dormitories and living conditions for workers. Luxshare-ICT has set out to improve the conditions to expand production for Apple.
"The Apple side continually surveyed the workshop of Luxshare-ICT Vietnam in Bac Giang on iPhone production conditions. Apple is impressed by the speed at which our facility is built here. At the same time, through practical research, Apple highly appreciates the potential in Bac Giang province and hard-working workers," said Tang Due Bang, Foreign Affairs Manager of Luxshare-ICT Vietnam.
Apple demands that manufacturers offer dormitories for workers near manufacturing plants. As Luxshare-ICT Vietnam cannot meet the huge demand for workers, the company has sought to hire workers from further afield. Apple is concerned that this would mean workers have to travel too far to work, and is therefore asking for more nearby dormitories to be built. Construction is waiting on permission from local government.
In May, AirPods Pro manufactured in Vietnam began circulating, and it has been widely rumored that Apple has already begun production of the upcoming AirPods Studio there. Luxshare hopes to expand to manufacture iPhones and Apple Watches in the region.
Major Apple manufacturing contractors Foxconn, Pegatron, and Compal Electronics are reported to be expanding production in Vietnam. Companies are increasingly reducing reliance on China and diversifying supply chains to prevent concentration risks. Vietnam is emerging as a major manufacturing and assembly hub for large technology companies, and Samsung manufactures as many as half of its smartphones there already.
Apple partner Wistron is reportedly hiring up to 10,000 extra staff to man its iPhone plant in Narasapura, India, claims a new report today.
According to The New Indian Express, the Taiwanese contract manufacturer is expected to start the commercial production of iPhones at its plant in the Kolar district in the next few days.
The manufacturing facility in Kolar is expected to generate around 10,000 jobs. As per the Karnataka Industrial Policy, 70 per cent of jobs should be given to locals. Accordingly, at least 7,000 people from Karnataka are expected to get jobs here. The company is believed to have already recruited about 2,000 people so far.
"We are happy to note that recruitment process has begun," said Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary to India’s Industries and Commerce Department. He added that they are “going to start production soon." Wistron has not yet confirmed the news.
The new plant, which came online in April, is about 40 miles outside of Bengaluru, and is believed to specialize in PCB assembly.
A PCB serves as a bed for key iPhone components like processors, storage, and memory, and usually accounts for about half the cost of a smartphone. That makes PCB assembly in the country a major boon for Apple, as it avoids taxes levied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to boost local manufacturing and create new jobs.
Apple has been setting up iPhone manufacturing hubs in India ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi began promoting his "Made in India" initiative, which requires that 30 percent of products sold by foreign companies be manufactured or produced within the country.
India is also the world's second largest smartphone market, but just one in four Indians are said to own a smartphone, providing Apple with an opportunity to sell iPhones to millions of new customers, while also diversifying its supply chains and moving away from its heavy reliance on China as an operations base.
A report from The Times of India earlier this month claimed an unnamed Apple supplier is planning to move a significant amount of production operations to India, with the aim of accommodating the export of $5 billion worth of devices from India.
Apple suppliers Wistron, Pegatron, Foxconn, and Samsung, are all expected to set up production facilities in India, and Foxconn has already announced that it plans to invest as much as $1 billion in India, and has already established its first manufacturing plant in the country.
Facebook's long-term plan to integrate Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp chat platforms appeared to kick into gear over the weekend as Instagram users in the U.S. were notified of a "new way to message" on the photo-sharing social network that merges the app's chat feature with Facebook Messenger.
Image via The Verge
As a result of the merging of the chat services, the change means Instagram users will be able to chat with Facebook users and vice versa. After the update is applied, some features previously only available on Facebook Messenger can be accessed in Instagram, including colorful chats, more emoji reactions, and swipe-to-reply.
In addition, the regular paper airplane DM icon in the top-right corner of the Instagram UI is replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo, and the Messenger features noted above are applied.
Image via The Verge
However, as The Verge notes, it's still not possible to message Facebook users from Instagram, but unification is clearly the plan, as Facebook explained back in January 2019.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly wants all the apps to incorporate end-to-end encryption, like WhatsApp does now. When the unification is complete, the services will continue to operate as their own standalone apps, but the company's work will make them interoperable with one another.
Ultimately, by stitching the apps' infrastructure together, Zuckerberg seeks to increase keep their billions of users highly engaged inside the Facebook ecosystem, in an attempt to ward off rival texting apps like Apple's iMessage.
Secure messaging app Telegram has announced the launch of a video calling feature for its iOS app that the company says is end-to-end encrypted, just like phone calls and text-based messages conducted over the chat platform. Calls can be started from a contact's profile page.
All video calls are protected with end-to-end encryption. To confirm your connection, compare the four emoji shown on-screen for you and your chat partner – if they match, your call is 100% secured by time-tested encryption also used in Telegram's Secret Chats and Voice Calls.
The feature is an alpha version, so there's more work to do on it before it's fully robust, but it already includes support for switching from audio to video and vice versa at any time, as well as picture-in-picture mode, which means users can read and respond to other messages while they're chatting to the person on the other end of the call.
Telegram originally announced in April that it planned to introduce group video calls later this year. In its latest post, the company said group video calls will arrive in the coming months, offering users an alternative to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, WhatsApp, and other rival video-conferencing enabled platforms.
Security researchers at Trend Micro have discovered a new kind of Mac malware which can "command and control" a target system.
The researchers described the malware, which is part of the XCSSET family, as "an unusual infection related to Xcode developer projects." The malware is unusual because it is injected into Xcode projects, and when the project is built, the malicious code is run. A developer's Xcode project was found to be able to contain the malware, which "leads to a rabbit hole of malicious payloads."
The discovery poses a significant risk for Xcode developers. Trend Micro identified developers affected by the malware who share their projects via GitHub, leading to a potential supply-chain attack for users who rely on repositories for their own projects. Google's VirusTotal scanning software managed to identify the malware, which indicates the threat is at large.
The malware spreads via infected Xcode projects because it can create maliciously modified applications. Specifically, the malware was found to be capable of abusing Safari and other browsers to steal data. It can use a vulnerability to read and dump cookies, create backdoors in Javascript, and in turn modify displayed websites, steal private banking information, block password changes, and steal newly modified passwords. It was also found to be able to steal information from apps such as Evernote, Notes, Skype, Telegram, QQ, and WeChat, take screenshots, upload files to the attacker's specified server, encrypt files, and display a ransom note.
Affected developers may unwittingly distribute the trojan to their users in the form of compromized Xcode projects and built applications. The malware is particularly dangerous because verification methods, such as checking hashes, would not identify infection as the developers would be unaware that they are distributing malicious files.
To protect against this type of threat, Trend Micro encourages users to only download apps from official marketplaces and consider multilayered security solutions.
In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted health and fitness app "Heart Reports," productivity app "HibiDo: To-Do List & Notes," and weather app "Weather on the Way" as three apps that are worth checking out.
Apps to Check Out
Heart Reports (iOS, $1.99) - Heart Reports is an app that lets users generate reports based on data from the Health app. Several forms of data can be aggregated into a report like heart rate, number of steps, sleep time, calories burned, blood sugar and pressure (if entered into the Health app), and more. As for privacy, all data is handled offline within the app. Heart Reports provides an easy way to export data, as all generated reports can be created and stored in either a PDF or a CSV file.
HibiDo: To-Do List & Notes (iOS, Subscription) - HibiDo features an easy way to manage tasks and notes together in a single app. Reminders can be customized with a deadline, priority flag, checklist, note, or by being designated as a recurring task. Users can subscribe to the app's premium version priced at $1.49 per month or $15.99 per year to access collaboration and sharing features, a sync across multiple devices, automatic note backup, and the creation of an unlimited number of tasks and notes.
Weather on the Way (iOS, Subscription) - Weather on the Way lets users enter a start and end point for a trip, and the app will intelligently display detailed weather information like temperature, precipitation, and wind speed at any point. This can be useful when planning for the best possible time to travel. Once trip details have been entered, users can select a route with the best weather. The app's developers have emphasized the importance of user privacy, as the app doesn't collect any personal information as well as location or driving route data. Weather on the Way is free to download, but some features like alternative routes, road visibility, wind speed, and UV index are limited subscribed of the app's Pro plan. The Pro plan is available in monthly and annual subscription options as well as a lifetime purchase priced at $0.99, $9.99, and $29.99 respectively.
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.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
