Just hours after The Wall Street Journal said that Apple was perhaps planning to release some of its upcoming Apple TV+ movies in theaters, Apple has set release dates for several of the films.
According to Variety, “The Banker,” “Hala,” and “The Elephant Queen” will all be released in theaters before coming to Apple TV+.
“The Banker,” starring Samuel L. Jackson and Mackie as real estate and finance moguls in the Jim Crow era, will be in theaters on December 6, coming to Apple TV+ later in January.
“The Elephant Queen,” which premiered in New York this week, will be in theaters on October 18 and will be available on Apple TV+ in November.
“Hala,” a movie about a Muslim girl reconciling her family traditions with modern life will be in theaters on November 22, coming to Apple TV+ at some point in December.
Apple TV+ is set to launch on Friday, November 1. It will be available for $4.99 per month, but Apple is offering a free subscription to customers who purchase an Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Along with the above listed movies, Apple TV+ will also feature quite a few TV shows at launch, including “Dickinson,” “For All Mankind,” “Helpsters,” “Ghostwriter,” and “The Morning Show.”
LG recently rolled out a firmware update to customers who own an LG TV in the UHD UM7X series, enabling HomeKit and AirPlay 2 functionality. LG originally said that this firmware update would be available in October, but the software has come out early.
LG UHD UM7X TV owners can download the new 04.70.03 software update to enable the new functionality. AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support first began rolling out on LG TVs in July.
With AirPlay 2, LG TV users can stream TV shows and movies from an iOS or macOS device directly to the television, with no Apple TV set-top box required. A movie can be started on an iPhone and AirPlayed right to a TV, plus content can be mirrored from a Mac or iOS device to the TV.
AirPlay 2 lets multiple audio sources to play the same content, so a song can be played on a single television set, multiple television sets, or a TV and other AirPlay 2 devices such as speakers for whole home audio.
The AirPlay 2 functionality in LG TVs is linked to HomeKit, so LG TV sets with the new firmware will show up in the Home app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In the Home app, LG TV users can do things like switch inputs, turn the television on and off, and adjust the volume. Siri can also be used for these commands, so a simple “Hey Siri” voice request on an iOS or macOS device can adjust the volume or turn the TV on or off, much like other HomeKit products.
LG also plans to enable HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support on its LG UHD UM6X series television sets as well as the LG NanoCell SM83 series or below, but those software updates have yet to be released.
Apple’s newest iPhones, the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, are equipped with a new feature called Night mode, which is designed to take crisp, clear photos even when lighting conditions are poor, such as at night.
Night mode, as the name suggests, lets you take photos in the evening, with lighting that has never before been possible on an iPhone thanks to new hardware and new machine learning algorithms. Though Night mode brightens photos, it also preserves the night time feeling, balancing the light and dark elements of an image.
Android smartphone makers like Google and Samsung have had special modes for brightening up evening shots for a while now, and with the 2019 iPhones, Apple is on equal footing with these other smartphone cameras.
How Night Mode Works
Night mode takes advantage of the new wide-angle camera that’s in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro models. It’s equipped with a larger sensor that is able to let in more light, allowing for brighter photos when the light is low.
Night mode uses the new sensor along with machine learning and the Neural Engine in the A13 processor to create Night mode shots.
When Night mode is engaged, the cameras in the iPhone analyze the available amount of light and then the iPhone chooses the number of frames needed to create a suitable image. The camera then takes a series of images for a set amount of time, such as one second, three seconds, five seconds, or in some situations, even longer.
The images are taken at different exposures, some with longer exposures and some with shorter exposures, similar to what’s done when the iPhone composes an HDR image. This lets the iPhone pull out the best parts of the scene, highlighting what’s important.
You’ll need to hold the camera steady when using Night mode, and optical image stabilization also works to reduce shake as you take the photos. After the set amount of time, the A13 chip in the iPhone analyzes each photo that was taken, aligns them to account for movement, tosses out the images that are too blurry, and then fuses all the sharpest images of the bunch.
The resulting photo is the end image that you get when using Night mode, with Apple’s software algorithms adjusting color, eliminating noise, and enhancing details to create a night time shot that preserves an impressive amount of detail.
Taking and combining several images allows Night mode to pick up more light than would be available in a single shot, which is why you can see so much more detail than the lighting conditions would normally allow for.
All of the Night mode calculations are done behind the scenes — you’ll only see the final shot, rather than being able to choose from a series of images as you can do in Burst mode even though it’s a similar concept.
In a nutshell, Night mode is the result of a better camera sensor and some behind the scenes magic from Apple’s A13 processor.
Activating Night Mode
Night mode turns on automatically when the lighting conditions call for it, so there’s no need to enable it. Tapping the moon icon at the top of the Camera app will let you access the Night mode settings, though, allowing for the time length of photos to be adjusted in some situations.
Turning Night Mode Off
To turn off Night mode, tap on the moon icon at the top of the Camera app interface to open up the Night mode slider and then slide it all the way to the left to turn the feature off entirely for a photo.
Night mode will need to be turned off on a photo by photo basis, as it is meant to come on automatically. There is no setting to disable it permanently.
Night Mode Lenses
On the iPhone 11, Night mode is limited to the wide-angle camera as it is the only camera with optical image stabilization and because Night mode requires a camera with 100 percent focus pixels to analyze and align images.
On the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, Night mode can be used with either the wide-angle camera or the telephoto camera because both of these lenses support optical image stabilization and the other necessary features for Night mode to work.
Night mode images look best with the wide-angle camera as it is the better lens, but the telephoto is an option when needed. The ultra wide-angle camera in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro models doesn’t work with Night mode.
Using Night Mode’s Time Intervals
The iPhone 11 and 11 Pro are able to analyze the lighting in a situation and will provide a recommended interval for Night mode, which is usually somewhere between one and five seconds, though it can vary based on how much ambient lighting is available.
You can tap on the moon icon at the top of the Camera interface to get to the Night mode settings, where you can change the interval from the recommended level to a longer level if desired, which can alter the look of the photo that you’re capturing.
The darker the photo subject, the longer time period options your iPhone will offer up. At sunset where there’s still a decent amount of light, your exposure options might max out at around 3 to 5 seconds.
In full darkness, when taking a photo of the night sky, as an example, you might see longer time intervals available, and selecting a longer time interval in this situation may allow you to see more of the night sky in the resulting image than you might have been able to capture with a shorter exposure. For maximum time, a tripod is required.
The different time intervals are worth experimenting with to get the specific look that you want for a particular image, but Apple’s default shot length is calculated using a multitude of factors and almost always results in a nice looking low light shot.
Getting the Best Night Mode Shots
Night mode takes a series of shots and is similar to a long exposure photo, so techniques used for long exposures can also be useful for Night mode.
Apple uses optical image stabilization and software to cut down on blur, but for the absolute best Night mode shots, it’s a good idea to use a tripod. A tripod means there won’t be any shake when capturing the multiple images that are used for a Night mode shot.
A tripod isn’t needed, but when the iPhone is stable and detects that it’s being held steady, it will offer longer 10 second exposure times than you can get when holding the iPhone yourself. If you want a 10 second Night mode shot of the night sky, for example, you’re going to need a tripod to do it.
Even with shorter time intervals, Night mode can result in blur, so if you don’t have a tripod, do your best to hold the iPhone as steady as possible. Stabilizing your arms can help.
Night mode shots work best on images where there aren’t moving people, pets, or objects. Since the iPhone is taking multiple shots of a subject and stitching them together, there needs to be minimal movement. A pet that’s running around or an active child isn’t going to make for a good night mode shot, but you can get good night time portraits of people and pets if your subject can stay still.
Night mode isn’t going to work for every photo because it can result in dramatic colors, high contrast (especially in situations where the ambient lighting is an odd color like the yellow of a street light), excessive shadows, and issues with light reflection, but more often than not, it produces incredible images and allows iPhone users to capture scenes that simply couldn’t be captured with an older iPhone.
Night Mode Availability
Night mode is a feature on the new 2019 iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. It isn’t available on earlier iPhones, but like other camera additions, will continue to be a feature for future iPhones and is likely to see improvements over the years.
Night Mode vs. Earlier iPhones
Night mode is a feature that’s unmatched by earlier iPhones, as can be seen in comparison photos between the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the iPhone XS Max. The iPhone 11 models can get a whole new level of detail in lower lighting conditions that just wasn’t possible before. It’s a major step forward in camera technology and is going to result in much better photos than were possible with the iPhone XS line and earlier.
Comparisons With Android Smartphones
Night mode isn’t new — and in fact, it’s something that Google popularized last year with its Pixel 3 smartphones. Google introduced a feature called Night Sight in the Pixel 3 that blew people away.
Night mode vs. Night Sight on Google Pixel 3, image via TechCrunch
Other Android smartphone manufacturers have also added similar features to their smartphones too, so this isn’t a feature that originated with Apple. Below, we’ve shared some comparison videos and photos between Night mode in the iPhone and other Android phones with a similar feature.
Pixel 3 XL (right) vs iPhone (left), image via PCWorld
Pixel 3 (left), iPhone 11 Pro (right), via The Verge
Apple’s technology isn’t too far off from the technology used by other smartphone makers, and as with any camera setup, image preference is going to vary from person to person.
Guide Feedback
Have questions about Night mode, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.
For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Adonit to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an Adonit Note stylus designed for the iPad, which works as a more affordable alternative to the Apple Pencil.
Priced at just $49.99, the Adonit Note is similar to the Apple Pencil as it does not require Bluetooth to connect to an iPad. Just turn it on and it works.
The Adonit Note has a tiny tip much like the Apple Pencil, so it has the precision needed for note taking, sketching, drawing, and more. It comes in either gold or black, and it looks a lot like a regular pen.
Many of the Apple Pencil features are available in the Adonit Note. You can tap on the iPad with the tip of the Adonit Note to activate the Notes app, so you can jump right into taking notes from the Home screen of the iPad.
The Adonit Note features a replaceable tip so when it wears down, you can pop it off with a twist instead of purchasing a whole new stylus, and it features a long 12-hour battery life. A four minute charge through the micro-USB port lets you use it for an hour, while a 45 minute charge gives you the full battery life.
We reviewed the Adonit Note earlier this year and found that it works just as well as the Apple Pencil in terms of latency and palm rejection. You can rest your hand on the display just like you can with the Apple Pencil, so the experience is similar, but there is no pressure sensitivity.
The Adonit Note is compatible with the third-generation iPad Air, the fifth-generation iPad mini, the sixth and seventh-generation iPad, and the third-generation 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models.
We have 10 of the Adonit Note styluses to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, 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 MacRumorsFacebook 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 (September 27) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 4. The winners will be chosen randomly on October 4 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Apple today shared trailers and teasers for several of its upcoming Apple TV+ shows on its Apple TV+ YouTube channel, highlighting “Helpsters,” “Ghostwriter,” and “Snoopy in Space.”
“Helpsters” is a new TV show created in partnership with Sesame Workshop, and it is aimed at children. The show is designed to teach preschoolers the fundamentals of coding with main character Cody and a team of monsters who love to solve problems.
As with other Sesame Workshop shows, like “Sesame Street,” the stars in “Helpsters” are all puppets.
Whether it’s planning a party, climbing a mountain, or mastering a magic trick, the Helpsters can figure anything out–because everything starts with a plan.
Ghostwriter, also aimed at children, is a remake of an older TV show, following four children brought together by a mysterious ghost in a bookstore. The children team up to release fictional characters from works of literature.
When a ghost haunts a neighborhood bookstore and starts releasing fictional characters into the real world, four kids must team up to solve an exciting mystery surrounding the ghost’s unfinished business.
“Snoopy in Space” has been previewed in the past, but Apple today released the official trailer. “Snoopy in Space” follows Snoopy as he pursues his dream to become an astronaut.
Blast off with Snoopy as he fulfills his dream to become a NASA astronaut. Joined by Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang, Snoopy takes command of the International Space Station and explores the moon and beyond.
“Helpsters,” “Ghostwriter,” and “Snoopy in Space” are some of the TV shows that will be available when Apple TV+ launches on Friday, November 1.
Apple TV+ will cost $4.99 per month for up to six users, but there is a free trial and customers who purchase an Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, or Mac can get a free one-year subscription.
Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 13.1.1, updates to the iOS and iPadOS 13.1 software that was released on Tuesday.
The iOS and iPadOS 13.1 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update.
iOS and iPadOS 13.1.1 are minor update that focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. It addresses a third-party keyboard vulnerability, for example, which Apple outlined earlier this week. According to Apple’s release notes, the iOS 13.1.1 update addresses the following bugs:
– Fixes issues that could prevent iPhone restoring from backup
– Addresses an issue that could cause battery to drain more quickly
– Resolves a problem where Safari search suggestions may re-enable after turning them off
– Addresses an issue that could cause Reminders to sync slowly
– Fixes a security issue for third-party keyboard apps
There are also separate release notes for the iPad, but the update addresses the same issues:
– Fixes issues that could prevent iPad restoring from backup
– Addresses an issue that could cause battery to drain more quickly
– Resolves a problem where Safari search suggestions may re-enable after turning them off
– Addresses an issue that could cause Reminders to sync slowly
– Fixes a security issue for third-party keyboard apps
iOS 13.1.1 could soon be followed up by iOS 13.2, an update that’s already been spotted in analytics and could be released in a beta capacity in the coming weeks.
The prior iOS 13.1 update introduced Share ETA, expanded audio sharing options, Shortcuts Automations, directional AirDrop on new iPhones, and more. For additional info on what’s new in iOS 13, make sure to check out our roundup.
With the release of tvOS 13, Apple brought new features like Apple Arcade to Apple TV as well as a number of changes to the set-top box’s interface. One of those changes includes autoplaying trailers on the Home screen.
The new content previews on the Home screen make interacting with your Apple TV a little different. For example, in previous tvOS versions, using the Siri Remote to highlight Apple’s TV app would make your Up Next queue appear in the Top Shelf of the Home screen. Now, it plays video trailers advertising content available on the iTunes Store.
This is similar to what you’d expect to see on Netflix, which routinely auto-plays trailers in the hope that it will help you discover content more easily. Not everyone wants to see the same behavior on their Apple TV though, and the good news is that you can turn it off with an option buried in the device’s settings.
Launch the Settings app on your Apple TV.
Select General -> Accessibility -> Motion.
Toggle off the switch for Auto-Play Video Previews.
You can also move the TV app from the top row of the your Apple TV‘s Home screen and the videos should stop autoplaying. To do so, hover the selector over the TV app, then click and hold down on the Remote’s touch surface for a couple of seconds.
The app icon will start jiggling, at which point you can swipe to place it where you want. Simply click the touch surface again once you have moved the TV app from the top row to another location.
A security researcher who goes by “axi0mX” on Twitter today released “checkm8,” which he claims is a bootrom exploit for iOS devices equipped with A5 through A11 chips, including the iPhone 4S through iPhone X, several iPad models dating back to the iPad 2, and the fifth-generation iPod touch and later.
This would be the first publicly released bootrom exploit since the iPhone 4 in 2010 and pave the way for a permanent, non-patchable jailbreak on hundreds of millions of affected iOS devices. Since the bootrom is read-only, Apple cannot patch this type of exploit with a software update.
EPIC JAILBREAK: Introducing checkm8 (read “checkmate”), a permanent unpatchable bootrom exploit for hundreds of millions of iOS devices.
Most generations of iPhones and iPads are vulnerable: from iPhone 4S (A5 chip) to iPhone 8 and iPhone X (A11 chip). https://t.co/dQJtXb78sG
The bootrom exploit has many other possibilities on affected devices, including downgrading iOS versions without SHSH blobs or APTickets, dual booting iOS, and running custom firmwares, according to jailbreak enthusiasts.
This is significant news in the jailbreaking community, as the last bootrom exploit known as “limera1n” was released by George “geohot” Hotz nearly a decade ago for devices with A4 chips and earlier, including the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch, and the original iPad.
Anker has a new crop of sales that are nearing their expiration dates, and you can find all of these notable discounts in the list that we’ve created below. This includes markdowns on wireless charging mats, Bluetooth speakers, wall chargers, and more. Anker also recently announced the all-new PowerCore Slim portable battery in Midnight Green that matches Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max models of the same color.
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.
For the new PowerCore Slim, Anker’s accessory is a 10,000 mAh portable charger with one USB-C Power Delivery port and one USB-A port. With 18W Power Delivery on the USB-C port, the PowerCore Slim supports fast charging on compatible iPhones, and can provide up to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.
The Anker PowerCore Slim can be purchased for $31.99 with coupon code MIDGREEN, down from $39.99. You can purchase Anker’s battery now, but it won’t ship for a while and stock has a delivery date for mid-November.
Visit our full Deals Roundup for more deals on Apple accessories and products.
Spotify has added Siri support to the latest beta version of its iOS app, allowing users to ask Siri to play songs, albums, and playlists in Spotify on an iPhone running iOS 13 or later, as noted by The Verge‘s Tom Warren.
Apple opened up its SiriKit framework to third-party music, podcasts, audiobooks, and radio apps in iOS 13 and iPadOS, enabling users to use Siri to control audio playback in supported apps. It is now up to third-party apps to take advantage of this functionality, with Spotify and Pandora among the first to do so.
When asking Siri to play a song, album, or so forth, users must specify “on Spotify” or else the feature defaults to Apple Music.
Spotify’s inability to offer the same Siri integration as Apple Music was one of the tentpoles of its anticompetitive complaint against Apple that it filed with the European Commission earlier this year.
Spotify has not provided a timeframe for rolling out Siri support to all users, but we will provide an update when that happens.
