Last week, MacRumors revealed new details about Apple’s upcoming Tile competitor, with internal iOS 13 code suggesting that Apple plans to release small, circular “tags” that can be attached to electronic devices, backpacks, keys, and other personal belongings to keep track of their locations.

Apple Tags concept by MacRumors

Now, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has thrown his weight behind this rumor. In a research note with TF International Securities today, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said he expects Apple’s tags to feature ultra-wideband or “UWB” technology. As he has said previously, Kuo also expects all three 2019 iPhones to support UWB.

Ultra-wideband is a short-range, low-power radio technology that is able to provide more precise indoor positioning than Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi, suggesting that Apple’s tags will be more accurate at pinpointing the location of lost items than Tile‘s current item trackers, which rely on Bluetooth LE.

The distance between two UWB devices — such as an upcoming iPhone and Apple Tag — can be measured precisely by calculating the time that it takes for a radio wave to pass between the two devices, according to Electronic Design, which notes that UWB is up to 100× more accurate than Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi:

In practice, UWB signals are able to effectively measure distance between two devicesNo with 5- to 10-cm accuracy, compared to roughly 5-m accuracy for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. When implemented in a system of fixed beacons tracking tag locations, the locations can be calculated to within 10-cm accuracy.

It is unclear if Apple’s tags will rely solely on UWB, which would seemingly limit their compatibility to 2019 and newer iPhones, or if they will also incorporate Bluetooth LE for use with older devices.

Last week, MacRumors revealed that Apple’s tags will be closely integrated with the new “Find My” app in iOS 13, which merged the Find My iPhone and Find My Friends apps into one package. Specifically, Apple has been working on an “Items” tab in the app for tracking the location of Apple-tagged items.

iPhone users will receive a notification when they are separated from a tagged item, according to an internal version of the “Find My” app obtained by MacRumors. If necessary, users can then tap a button in the app that will cause Apple’s tag to chime to help them locate the lost item.

“Safe Locations” can be set where the user will not be notified if this item is left in those locations, and users will also be able to share the location of items with friends and family members, based on internal iOS 13 code.

If users are unable to find an item, they can place the attached tag into a “Lost Mode.” Then, if another iPhone user comes across the lost item, the owner will be instantly notified. The stranger will also be presented with the owner’s contact information, possibly via push notification or in the Find My app.

Like the Pixie Tracker, the Find My app will likely incorporate functionality from Apple’s ARKit platform. An internal build of iOS 13 includes an asset for a 3D red balloon that could help a user pinpoint a lost item after scanning a room with their iPhone. There’s also an image of a 2D orange balloon.

“Walk around several feet and move your iPhone up and down until a balloon comes into view,” a string in the internal Find My app bundle reads.

Apple is hosting an event at Steve Jobs Theater next Tuesday, where it is widely expected to unveil new iPhone and Apple Watch models. It certainly seems like development of Apple’s tags has reached an advanced stage, but it is unclear if the product will be introduced at the keynote or later.

This article, “Kuo: ‘Apple Tags’ to Feature Ultra-Wideband Technology, Likely Far More Precise Than Tile’s Trackers” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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New sales for the brand-new 2019 MacBook Pro have emerged this week, with some all-time-low prices on a few different models. Discounts have hit both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro, and reach as much as $400 off.

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Notable new low prices include the 13-inch MacBook Pro (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $1,599.99, down from $1,799.99; and the 15-inch model (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $2,399.00, down from $2,799.00. These sales and more can be found on Amazon and are all listed below:

2019 MacBook Pro Sale

13-inch

• 1.4 GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD – $1,199.99, down from $1,299.00 ($100 off)
• 2.4 GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $1,599.99, down from $1,799.00 ($200 off, lowest ever)
• 2.4 GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $1,749.00, down from $1,999.00 ($250 off)

15-inch

• 2.6 GHz 6-Core, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $2,099.99, down from $2,399.00 ($300 off)
• 2.3 GHz 8-Core, 16 B RAM, 512GB SSD – $2,399.00, down from $2,799.00 ($400 off, lowest ever)

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales.

This article, “Deals Spotlight: 2019 MacBook Pro Discounted by as Much as $400 (Including Lowest Prices Ever)” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is working on a new Siri feature for release by iOS 15 in fall 2021 that will allow users to have a back-and-forth conversation about health problems, according to internal documentation obtained by The Guardian.

The report does not offer any further details about the feature, but Siri will presumably become more capable of responding to physical and possibly mental health questions. Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly said that Apple’s health-related initiatives will be the company’s “greatest contribution to mankind.”

Apple has increased its presence in the health and fitness space over the past few years. In 2018, for example, it launched an ECG app for the Apple Watch that can detect signs of atrial fibrillation, a condition that can lead to potentially life-threatening complications such as stroke and cardiac arrest.

Also in 2018, Apple rolled out Health Records, a feature that allows patients to view medical records from multiple hospitals and clinics directly in the Health app on the iPhone, including allergies, vital signs, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures, and other information.

Apple’s Health app in iOS 13

Apple’s internal documentation, which The Guardian obtained from a former Siri grader, also reveals the company’s efforts to ensure that Siri responds as neutrally as possible to sensitive topics such as feminism:

In explaining why the service should deflect questions about feminism, Apple’s guidelines explain that “Siri should be guarded when dealing with potentially controversial content.” When questions are directed at Siri, “they can be deflected … however, care must be taken here to be neutral”.

For those feminism-related questions where Siri does not reply with deflections about “treating humans equally”, the document suggests the best outcome should be neutrally presenting the “feminism” entry in Siri’s “knowledge graph”, which pulls information from Wikipedia and the iPhone’s dictionary.

In a statement, Apple said it aims for Siri to be “factual with inclusive responses rather than offer opinions”:

Siri is a digital assistant designed to help users get things done. The team works hard to ensure Siri responses are relevant to all customers. Our approach is to be factual with inclusive responses rather than offer opinions.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.

This article, “Apple Working on Siri Feature Allowing Back-and-Forth Conversations About Health Problems” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Sphero today announced the launch of two new versions of its popular Sphero Mini robotic ball, debuting a new soccer-themed Sphero Mini along with an activity kit.

The Sphero Mini Activity Kit combines a clear Sphero Mini robotic ball along with several accessories. The Sphero Mini itself is equipped with a gyroscope, accelerometer, LED lights, and a rechargeable battery, and it can be used with the Sphero Play and Sphero Edu apps to play mini games, access drive modes, and more. The kit offers buildable mazes and tunnels, pins and cones, plus 15 Activity Cards to work with.

There are guided activities included on Activity Cards that can be used with the Sphero Play app, and the app is also gaining a new Block Drive mode. Block Drive mode offers an introduction to basic coding. Movement blocks instruct the Sphero Mini where to go, while Light Blocks add LED effects.

For more advanced users, there’s the Sphero Edu app for programming the Mini to learn additional coding skills.

Sphero is also introducing the Mini Soccer, which is a Sphero Mini with a custom black and white shell that looks like a soccer ball. It comes with eight cones for creative challenges and it can be used with the Sphero Play and Sphero Edu apps.

The Sphero Mini Activity Kit will be priced at $80 and it is set to launch on October 2, while the Mini Soccer will be priced at $50 and will launch on September 16. The new Sphero devices will be available from the Sphero website and through other retailers.

This article, “Sphero Launches New Sphero Mini Activity Kit and Mini Soccer” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Southwest Airlines has added Apple Pay support to its mobile app, enabling customers to pay for tickets, in-flight meals, baggage options, and other ancillary services using Apple’s mobile wallet.

As an alternative payment method to debit and credit cards, Apple Pay offers more security by allowing customers to make transactions without storing their payment details in another commercial database.

In a press release announcing the support, Southwest said the airline’s new Apple Pay integration would enable users to “purchase tickets from the carrier’s app – with Apple Card if they so choose – and store it in the Wallet for redemption at the gate.”

“Providing modern digital payment solutions to our Customers is critical,” said Christopher Priebe, Director, Treasury, Payments and Risk at Southwest Airlines. “The launch of Apple Pay enhances our ability to sell flights, as well as ancillary products using one of the most widely-used digital wallets in North America.”

The Apple Pay integration is the result of a partnership agreement with Southwest Airlines and digital commerce provider, CellPoint Digital, with help from airline-owned payment network UATP.

The partnership allows airlines to deploy new payment methods quickly using, including major global wallets like Apple Pay, Visa Checkout, WeChat Pay, Alipay, Google Pay or Pay Tm, along with bank transfer, installments and cash-based payment options.

This article, “Southwest Airlines Mobile App Gains Apple Pay Support” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has inked a deal for an upcoming TV series called “Mr. Corman” written and executive produced by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, reports Variety.

The drama series follows an elementary school teacher “grappling with adulthood” in Los Angeles. It’s not known if Gordon-Levitt also plans to star in the series.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is known long-running TV series “3rd Rock from the Sun” along with movies like “500 Days of Summer,” “Inception,” “50/50,” “Looper,” “and “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Apple has dozens of original films and television shows in the works for its upcoming Apple TV+ streaming service, which is set to launch this fall.

There’s no specific launch date available yet, but rumors suggest Apple is aiming to debut the service in November. Pricing is also unclear, but there has been speculation that Apple will charge $9.99 per month for Apple TV+.

This article, “Joseph Gordon-Levitt Developing ‘Mr. Corman’ TV Show for Apple” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today launched a new Apple Music web experience, which is available to all users in a beta capacity.

The Apple Music website is similar to the Apple Music app on Macs, offering up dedicated “For You,” “Browse,” and Radio” sections, along with playlists, recommendations, and more.

Apple Music users can sign in to Apple Music to access their customized content, and Apple is offering free trials for those who are new to the service.

You do need to sign up for Apple Music through Android, iOS, or Mac, as at the current time, there is no option to sign up on the web. Apple does plan to offer web signups in the future.

Content played on Apple Music for web plays right in the web player, with access to the entire Apple Music library on the left side of the interface.

With Apple Music on the web, the Apple Music service is accessible on any device that has a web browser, including Windows 10, Linux, and ChromeOS machines. Apple is aiming to make Apple Music as widely available as possible, allowing the company to better compete with other services like Spotify.

According to TechCrunch, over the course of the beta testing period, Apple will be soliciting feedback from customers as it works to streamline features and take care of bugs.

Those who want to give the new Apple Music web experience a try can visit beta.music.apple.com.

This article, “Apple Launches Apple Music on the Web Beta” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple in iOS 13 introduced a change that limits data collection practices using VoIP APIs, which has consequences for messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

According to a new report from The Information, the makers of encrypted messaging apps like Signal, Wickr, Threema, and Wire are now scrambling to overhaul their software to protect key privacy features that they believe may be compromised by the changes.

In a statement to The Information, an Apple spokesperson said that Apple is working with developers to alleviate their concerns.

“We’ve heard feedback on the API changes introduced in iOS 13 to further protect user privacy and are working closely with iOS developers to help them implement their feature requests.”

Julia Weiss, a spokesperson for Threema, said that Apple’s changes may actually result “in the opposite of the privacy goals the changes were supposed to achieve.”

What Apple is doing is limiting the PushKit API, which was designed to be used for VoIP calls but over time, has also been used for other purposes such as collecting data and, in the case of messaging apps, encryption. In iOS 13, the PushKit API is limited to internet calls, with Apple eliminating its other uses.

Encrypted messaging apps currently use the VoIP APIs Apple is restricting for decrypting messages on the iPhone in the background, and the change disables that functionality.

App developers will be able to work around Apple’s changes, but Tom Leavy, a VP at encrypted Messaging app Wickr said that it’s a “significant engineering effort” that was unexpected. Makers of encrypted messaging apps are said to be exploring “alternative tools” in iOS to work, but they’re said to be “way inferior” to the existing PushKit option.

Apple is giving app developers until April 2020 to comply with the changes to the PushKit API, but developers who want to update their apps for iOS 13 and take advantage of new features must follow PushKit restrictions sooner.

This article, “Private Messaging Apps ‘Scrambling’ to Overhaul Software Following Apple Privacy Changes” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is set to unveil its latest flagship iPhones on Tuesday, September 10, and ahead of that date, the company has updated its Apple Special Event app for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models and the Events channel for older Apple TV devices.

Apple is planning to live stream the “By Innovation Only” event, and the live stream will be available through the aforementioned Events app and on Apple’s Events website.

The live stream will kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, which is Cupertino’s local time. On the east coast, it will start at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Apple is set to show off three new iPhones with upgraded camera capabilities, new Apple Watch models, and perhaps a few additional surprises such as the rumored “Apple Tag.”

For those unable to watch the live stream, MacRumors will provide full event coverage both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

We’ll also be providing a spoiler-free article that will offer up a direct link to the presentation for those who plan to watch it at a later time but don’t want to see spoilers.

This article, “Apple Updates Apple TV Special Event App Ahead of September 10 iPhone Debut” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Ahead of the upcoming Galaxy Fold launch, Samsung canceled pre-orders for customers who had previously signed on to purchase the device earlier this year.

Samsung this morning sent out emails to pre-order customers letting them know that their existing pre-orders, many of which were placed back in April, have been canceled. Samsung cites a rethinking of the customer experience as the reason why pre-orders were canceled.

Ensuring that you have the best possible experience with this revolutionary new technology is our top priority. We are taking the time to rethink the entire customer experience – from purchase to unboxing, to post-purchase service – so in the meantime, we have, regrettably, decided to cancel your existing pre-order. While not an easy decision to make, we believe this is the right thing to do.

Customers who had pre-orders will need to place orders once again when the Galaxy Fold launches in the United States later in September. Samsung is planning to launch the Galaxy Fold in South Korea on Friday, September 6, but the U.S. rollout is being delayed.

Part of the new ordering process will include Samsung’s “Galaxy Fold Premier Service,” which offers customers “direct access” to Samsung experts and an optional one-on-one onboarding session that walks users through the Galaxy Fold features.

Pre-order customers who had their orders canceled are receiving a $250 Samsung credit that’s redeemable for anything on the Samsung.com website.

Samsung initially delayed the Galaxy Fold after multiple reviewers ran into issues with the device. Some experienced screen failures, while others mistakenly removed a protective screen component that wasn’t meant to be removed.

Samsung reengineered the Galaxy Fold to address the problems and improve durability. The top protective layer of the display was extended beyond the bezel so that it looks integrated and not like a screen protector to be removed.

The top and bottom hinge areas were strengthened with protection caps to prevent dust from getting under the display, additional metal layers under the display were included for reinforcement, and the space between the hinge and the body was reduced.

The Galaxy Fold is Samsung’s first smartphone with a foldable display, able to convert from a 4.6-inch smartphone when folded to a 7.3-inch phablet when opened up. It features a 7-nanometer processor, 12GB RAM, 512GB storage, six cameras, and an operating system designed for the folding mechanism.

The Galaxy Fold is priced starting at $1,980, and its new September launch date will put it in competition with Apple’s 2019 flagship devices, which will be unveiled at a September 10 event next week.

This article, “Samsung Cancels Galaxy Fold Pre-Orders in the U.S., Offers $250 Credit as Compensation” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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