As live TV streaming services continue to increase prices and make viewers look toward lower-cost services, or return to cable altogether, Sony today announced that it’s bowing out of the race completely. PlayStation Vue’s servers will shut down for good on January 30, 2020, nearly 5 years after soft launching in March of 2015.

According to Sony’s Deputy President of Sony Interactive Entertainment, John Kodera, the company has decided to “remain focused” on its core gaming business and step away from OTT streaming services. “Unfortunately, the highly competitive Pay TV industry, with expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than we expected,” said Kodera.

We are very proud of what PlayStation Vue was able to accomplish. We had ambitious goals for how our service could change how people watch TV, showcasing PlayStation’s ability to innovate in a brand-new category within the Pay TV industry. We want to thank all of our customers, some of whom have been with us since PlayStation Vue’s launch in 2015.

PS4 owners will still be able to rent and purchase films and TV on the PlayStation Store, and the console will still support media apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime. The only thing going away is PlayStation Vue, which includes all of its connected apps, including those on iOS and tvOS.

In other live TV streaming news, AT&T this month announced that it would be increasing the price of its AT&T TV NOW grandfathered plans by $10 per month. Additionally, AT&T will increase the price of the new PLUS and MAX plan tiers by $15 per month, all starting on November 19, 2019 (via Cord Cutters News).

For the new tiers, this means that AT&T TV NOW will start at $65 per month for PLUS and increase to $85 per month for MAX. This is the second major price hike for the service in 2019, after another $10 per month increase back in March, when it was still called DirecTV Now.

This article, “Sony’s ‘PlayStation Vue’ Live Streaming TV Service Shutting Down January 30, 2020” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released macOS Catalina 10.15.1, the first update to the macOS Catalina operating system that was released in October.

‌macOS Catalina‌ can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free using the Update feature in the System Preferences app, and it is available to anyone who has a compatible Mac.

macOS Catalina 10.15.1 is a fairly significant update, introducing new emoji characters that were added in iOS 13.2 earlier this week, adding support for the AirPods Pro that are launching tomorrow, and bringing Siri privacy controls to the Mac to allow users to opt out of sharing their Siri recordings with Apple.

HomeKit Secure Video support is included, as is support for adding AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in scenes and automations in the Home app. There are also quite a few bug fixes for Photos, Messages, Contacts, and more. Apple’s release notes for the update are below:

The macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update includes updated and additional emoji, support for AirPods Pro, HomeKit Secure Video, HomeKit enabled routers, and new Siri privacy settings, as well as bug fixes and improvements.

Emoji

– Over 70 new or updated emoji, including animals, food, activities, new accessibility emoji, gender neutral emoji, and skin tones selection for couple emoji

AirPods

– Introduces support for AirPods Pro

Home app

– HomeKit Secure Video enables you to privately capture, store, and view encrypted video from your security cameras and features people, animal, and vehicle detection

– HomeKit enabled routers let you control how your HomeKit accessories communicate over the internet or in your home

– Adds support for AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in scenes and automations

Siri

– Privacy settings to control whether or not to help improve Siri and Dictation by allowing Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions

– Option to delete your Siri and Dictation history from Siri Settings

This update also includes the following bug fixes and improvements:

– Restores the ability to view file names in the All Photos view in Photos

– Restores the ability to filter by favorites, photos, videos, edited, and keywords in Days view in Photos

– Fixes an issue where Messages would only send a single notification when the option to repeat alerts was enabled

– Resolves an issue that caused Contacts to launch to the previously opened contact instead of the contact list

– Adds a two-finger swipe gesture for back navigation in Apple News

– Resolves issues that may occur in the Music app when displaying playlists inside folders and newly added songs in the Songs list

– Improves reliability of migrating iTunes library databases into the Music, Podcasts, and TV apps

– Fixes an issue where downloaded titles were not visible in the Downloads folder in the TV app

macOS Catalina is a major update that eliminates iTunes in favor of new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps, nixes support for 32-bit apps, adds a new Find My app, brings a new Photos interface, and includes multiple privacy enhancements and other app refinements.

For full details on what’s new in macOS Catalina, make sure to check out our macOS Catalina roundup.

This article, “Apple Releases macOS Catalina 10.15.1 Update With New Emoji and AirPods Pro Support” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released watchOS 6.1, the first major update to the watchOS 6 operating system that’s designed to run on modern Apple Watch models. watchOS 6.1 comes more than a month after the launch of watchOS 6.

‌‌watchOS 6‌‌.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated ‌‌Apple Watch‌‌ app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the ‌‌Apple Watch‌‌ needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.

No major changes were found during the watchOS 6.1 beta testing period, but according to Apple’s release notes the update introduces support for the AirPods Pro and brings ‌watchOS 6‌ to older models that didn’t get it yet.

watchOS 6.1 introduces support for ‌AirPods Pro‌ and includes improvements and bug fixes. This update also brings ‌watchOS 6‌ to ‌Apple Watch‌ Series 1 and Series 2.

watchOS 6.1 works with the Series 1 and Series 2 ‌Apple Watch‌ models and is the first version of ‌watchOS 6‌ to run on those devices.

When ‌watchOS 6‌ launched, it was limited to the Series 3 ‌Apple Watch‌ and later, with Apple promising ‌watchOS 6‌ for older ‌Apple Watch‌ models at a later date.

Apple has also released watchOS 5.3.3 with security improvements for ‌Apple Watch‌ models not updated to ‌watchOS 6‌. ‌watchOS 6‌ requires a newer iPhone that can run iOS 13, so ‌Apple Watch‌ owners who do not have a compatible iPhone must continue to use watchOS 5.

This article, “Apple Releases watchOS 6.1 With Support for AirPods Pro and Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch Models” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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This article explains how to delete your Siri audio interaction history and opt out of sharing audio recordings with Apple on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

• How to Opt Out of Siri Audio Sharing
• How to Delete Your Siri Audio History

Earlier this year, it was discovered that Apple hired contractors to listen to a small percentage of anonymized ‌Siri‌ recordings to evaluate the virtual assistant’s responses with the purpose of improving accuracy and reliability.

The Guardian revealed that Apple employees working on ‌Siri‌ often heard confidential details while listening to the audio recordings. Apple was subsequently criticized for not making it clear to customers that some of their ‌Siri‌ recordings were being used to improve the service.

Soon after the report, Apple suspended its ‌Siri‌ grading practices and promised users that it would introduce tools in a forthcoming update that would allow them to opt out of sharing their audio recordings.

With the release of iOS 13.2 in October, those new tools arrived. Apple now includes an option on iPhone and ‌iPad‌ that allows users to delete their ‌Siri‌ and Dictation history and opt out of sharing audio recordings. The following steps show you how to do both.

How to Opt Out of ‌Siri‌ Audio Sharing

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone, ‌iPad‌, or ‌iPod touch‌.
2. Scroll down and tap Privacy.
   
   
3. Scroll to the bottom of the Privacy screen and tap Analytics & Improvements.
4. If you don’t want to let Apple review your recordings, toggle off the switch next to Improve ‌Siri‌ Dictation.
   
   

Note that you can tap the link under the toggle for more information relating to Apple’s ‌Siri‌ analytics policy.

How to Delete Your ‌Siri‌ Audio History

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone, ‌iPad‌, or ‌iPod touch‌.
2. Scroll down and tap ‌Siri‌ & Search.
   
   
3. Tap ‌Siri‌ & Dictation History.
4. Tap Delete ‌Siri‌ & Dictation History.

Apple will inform you that your request was received and that your ‌Siri‌ and dictation history will be deleted. That’s all there is to it.

In addition to these new ‌Siri‌ and Dictation-related privacy features, Apple also says it is making further changes to its human grading process that will minimize the amount of data that reviewers have access to.

This article, “How to Delete Your Siri Audio History and Opt Out of Siri Audio Sharing” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple has outlined replacement costs for the AirPods Pro on its website for customers that skip out on AppleCare+.

If you lose or damage the AirPods Pro, the left and right AirPod will cost $89 each to replace in the United States, totaling $178 for a pair. The wireless charging case is also $89 to replace if lost or damaged.

The fees are lower if a customer has purchased AppleCare+ for Headphones. The plan costs $29 upfront, plus charges a $29 fee to replace a pair of damaged AirPods Pro or their case. This coverage applies for up to two years from the date AppleCare+ is purchased and is limited to two incidents.

AppleCare+ for Headphones does not cover lost or stolen AirPods Pro.

This article, “Replacing a Pair of AirPods Pro Costs $178, or $29 With AppleCare+” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple unveiled AirPods Pro on Monday via press release, and speculation is now rife that Apple plans to trickle out further product announcements this week, with Apple’s widely anticipated 16-inch MacBook Pro rumored to be next.

Apple’s plans to release a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ were first revealed by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo back in February. Kuo said Apple was working on a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with an all-new design, including the return of a more reliable scissor mechanism keyboard, for release by the end of 2019. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has also reported that the notebook is coming in 2019.

On Monday, Gurman noted that Apple’s new AirPods require macOS 10.15.1 to work on Macs, but Apple hasn’t released this to the public, despite launching iOS 13.2 with AirPods Pro support. Gurman speculates that Apple could be holding back the next macOS update until later today because it may contain references to the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ that Apple doesn’t want to draw attention to just yet.

The ‌AirPods‌ ship Wednesday and require macOS 10.15.1, which was not released today despite iOS 13.2 launching. So it probably has some 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ references that Apple wants to hide. So the Pro should be tomorrow? Keyboard is a “delight,” though we’ve heard that before.

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 29, 2019

Technically, that horse bolted earlier this month, when icons likely depicting a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ were found in the first two betas of macOS Catalina 10.15.1 released to developers. Still, it’s possible Apple doesn’t want to let the cat out the bag completely by shipping the update to the general public.

Stoking expectations further last week was hit-or-miss industry publication DigiTimes, which cited supply chain sources claiming the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ will be available by the end of October.

DigiTimes‘ sources said Quanta Computer had already begun volume shipments of the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, which would have an “ultra-thin bezel design,” the aforementioned scissor keyboard, and Intel’s latest Coffee Lake Refresh or Ice Lake processors (although Intel has yet to announce Ice Lake chips appropriate for a high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌).

MacRumors confirmed files likely referencing a new ‌MacBook Pro‌ in the second beta of macOS 10.15.1 b2

The slimmer bezels would result in the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ being around the same size as the existing 15-inch model, despite having a larger display. IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin believes the notebook’s resolution will be 3,072×1,920 pixels.

Apple is expected to position the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ at the high end of its notebook lineup, with existing 15-inch and 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models remaining available and following suit with scissor keyboards in 2020, according to Kuo.

In his latest tweet, Gurman says he has heard that the new scissor keyboard on the rumored 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is a “delight,” although he also notes that “we’ve heard that before” in relation to Apple’s much-derided butterfly mechanism keyboard. Hopefully it won’t be long before the public can gauge any improvements themselves.

In March of this year, Apple quietly trickled out new ‌AirPods‌, iPads, and Macs over the course of three consecutive days. Does the company have more staggered releases in store the same week it announces its September-quarter financial results? Could we see the new Mac Pro, so-called “AirTags,” or something more in the lead-up to the official launch of Apple TV+ this Friday? Watch this space.

This article, “Could We See a 16-inch MacBook Pro Announcement Today?” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has reportedly boosted component orders for the iPhone 11 after better-than-expected demand but reduced those for the iPhone 11 Pro Max after flat sales of the larger device, according to sources from Taiwan’s supply chain (via DigiTimes).

Apple has increased ‌iPhone 11‌ components orders by 15%, and cut those for ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌ by about 5%, the sources said.

Today’s report corroborates a similar report earlier this month that said ‌iPhone 11‌ and iPhone 11 Pro are seeing the strongest demand, with Apple revising orders for the ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌ down slightly to balance production with demand.

DigiTimes‘ sources speculate that brisk ‌iPhone 11‌ sales could influence Apple’s 2020 iPhone plans, suggesting the company could choose to keep an LCD-based smartphone in next year’s flagship lineup instead of adopting OLED wholesale.

According to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple intends to complete its transition to an all-OLED iPhone lineup in 2020 with new 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch devices.

Kuo also believes Apple will sell around 10 percent more iPhones in the first quarter of 2020, thanks to strong replacement demand for its ‌iPhone 11‌ series devices and the launch of the “iPhone SE 2” in March.

In addition, sources in today’s report indicate that King Yuan Electronics (KYEC) continues to see strong demand for Intel baseband chips that Apple uses for the ‌iPhone 11‌, iPhone 8 and iPhone XR.

At the beginning of October, Apple reportedly asked suppliers to increase production of its new ‌iPhone 11‌ and ‌iPhone 11 Pro‌ lineup by up to 10 percent, adding up to 8 million units to its earlier production plans as it sought to meet better-than-expected demand.

This article, “Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone 11 Component Orders But Cuts Them for iPhone 11 Pro Max” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released new 13.2 software for the HomePod with long-awaited features like Handoff and voice detection for different family members, but unfortunately, some users are running into problems with the update.

According to multiple people on the MacRumors forums and Reddit, the 13.2 update “bricked” their HomePods, rendering them unusable. Users who are seeing problems are experiencing a “white swirl” on both of their HomePods, or an endless reset loop. From the MacRumors forums:

I have two HomePods with the same issue you describe after the update 13.2. HomePods both stopped responding after the update. I reset both HomePods hoping to fix the problem, but now I have a white swirl on top of both, and the install pop-up does not work on either HomePods, and I can no longer reset both HomePods because the long press on top no longer functions. Just an endless white swirl. I will wait a while to see if others have similar issues before contacting Apple support.

Some people had issues immediately after installing the new software, while others have had problems after resetting their devices following the update. Some users have also reported that the problem happened installing the 13.2 software before updating to iOS 13.2. From Reddit:

Updated ‌HomePod‌ remotely through ‌HomePod‌ before updating phone, once back at home updated phone to 13.2. Now the phone update was complete I never saw the new features splash screen so started looking through menus to see if new features were showing, although maybe nothing had change in menu anyway on 13.2, either way I removed the ‌HomePod‌ from the home app to begin a hard reset. On powering back up to begin red ring reset, ‌HomePod‌ appeared to be constantly reboot every 8-10secs not allowing enough time for the red ring to reset.

We thought that the perceived ‌HomePod‌ issues may have been linked to an Apple Music outage lasting for a few hours today right after the 13.2 software came out, but that may not be the case.

Some people with affected HomePods have already contacted Apple Support and have been able to arrange replacement devices. From Reddit:

My update worked but the voice recognition wasn’t working so I removed it from Apple home. Then I tried to factory reset it and boom. Hit a brick wall. Quite literally. Home pod is now bricked. Been into support earlier this evening and they are sending me a box to send it in for repair.

Given the multitude of reports about malfunctioning HomePods, those that have not updated to the new software should avoid doing so. If you have updated, you should avoid resetting your ‌HomePod‌ at the current time.

This article, “New 13.2 Update Bricking Some HomePods” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Earlier today, the public release of iOS 13.2 revealed information suggesting Apple may be planning to call its rumored Tile-like item tracking accessory “AirTags.”

Looking into the status of any trademark activity surrounding the term, we’ve come across some curious recent developments that could be signs of Apple acquiring the trademark rights, although we’ve yet to find a smoking gun concretely linking Apple to the activity.

Citing an international application made in June 2016, a Russian entity known as “Intelligent Systems of Business Control” Ltd in October 2018 filed a trademark application on the AirTag name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The description of the goods and services to be covered by the trademark bear a remarkable similarity to Apple’s rumored AirTags:

Systems of radio frequency identification comprised of RFID tags, RFID tag readers, and downloadable software for operating RFID readers; radio frequency identification (RFID) labels; RFID tags in form of cards, tags or key rings; RFID markers in the form of RFID signal receivers; RFID tag bracelets; RFID tag disks; RFID tag stickers; RFID tag stamps; RFID printed circuits; RFID tag boles; RFID ear tags; RFID tags in plastic or glass flasks; RFID tags in the form of keys; flexible cases especially adapted for RFID tags with a graphic image; RFID readers; blank smart cards with integrated circuit cards; computer software, recorded, for maintaining a record of issuance and control of RFID tags; all of the above designed to allow users to automatically identify them to obtain keyless access control for interlocking doors, access to various services, such as public transportation, banking, social events and various loyalty programs and not designed to work with data loggers

After an initial denial and some back-and-forth between the applicant’s attorney and trademark examiners, the application was approved in August 2019 to be published for opposition, which gives third parties 30 days to object to the proposed trademark.

On August 28, the same day the USPTO officially served notice that the trademark application would be published for opposition on September 17, the attorney on the application was changed to the Moscow office of Baker & McKenzie, a major law firm that Apple has worked with on a number of occasions in several countries.

A month later, on October 1, ownership of the trademark application was officially transferred to GPS Avion LLC, a company that was only just created in July 2019 and appears to have no public presence. GPS Avion was created in Delaware through the Corporation Trust Company, which is a process Apple has used quite a few times to create shell companies in order to hide its identity when dealing with intellectual property issues.

We have a sneak peek of the AirTag setup process!

Apple logo is a placeholder pic.twitter.com/niEqfoW6TX

— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) October 28, 2019

So while there’s no evidence directly linking Apple to this AirTag trademark application, the timing of the ownership change and the acquisition by a company seeking to remain anonymous certainly raise suspicions. The use of Baker & McKenzie as the new attorney is also consistent with Apple’s past behavior, and at a minimum hints that a major player is behind the acquisition given the firm’s prominence.

While we’ve seen increasing signs of Apple’s work on AirTags in recent months, we still don’t know when they will debut. An October event would have been a good opportunity to introduce, perhaps as an iOS 13.2 feature, but with that software having been released today and Apple apparently not planning a media event until early next year, it doesn’t necessarily look like an AirTags launch is imminent.

This article, “Did Apple Just Acquire Trademark Rights to the ‘AirTag’ Name?” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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