Italian carmaker Lamborghini announced Wednesday it will reveal its newest supercar, the Huracán EVO RWD Spyder, using Augmented Reality and Apple’s AR Quick Look on Apple iPhones and iPads beginning May 7.
TiVo Stream 4K challenges Apple TV 4K with long-awaited release, but no Apple TV app support
After months of anticipation and weeks of social media teasing, the TiVo Stream 4K was released Wednesday, a streaming box that brings together on-demand and live streaming services into one device without having to switch from app to app to find and watch shows.
At an introductory price of $49.99 with no monthly subscription for TV scheduling data, the TiVo Stream 4K will take on the Apple TV 4K with a starting price of $179 and the top-selling Roku streaming device.
The disappointing news for Apple TV app users and Apple TV+ subscribers is that TiVo’s newest product currently will not support the app or integration of Apple’s programming as Apple does not have an Android app.
Twitter testing new threaded conversation layout on iOS and web
Twitter announced Tuesday it has started testing a new way threaded conversation layout meant to make it easier for its users to see who is communicating to whom.
The new layout – being tested on Twitter’s iOS app and via the web – is meant to help users keep better track of long threads and people responding to sub-tweets coming off an original thread.
Apple broadens Apple Maps mobility trends to all 50 states, more regions
Apple has expanded the data available through its Mobility Trends Reports tool. A report indicates all 50 states are now covered along with about 580 new sub-regions.
The data is meant to help healthcare authorities analyze the spread of coronavirus and slow the spread of COVID-19. It was initially introduced to aggregate data from major cities and 63 countries or regions.
Apple adds AFI Movie Club favorites to Apple TV app
The American Film Institute announced Tuesday it has launched a dedicated AFI Movie Club collection of chosen films on the Apple TV app.
The club is not a subscription service but simply recommendations of content that can be bought through iTunes for $14.99 or rented through Disney+, Hulu, or HBO for $3.99 each.
Firefox now warns of leaked passwords and dangerous reuse
Mozilla released Firefox 76 Tuesday with an improved manager to protect from password leaking and reuse. Firefox 76 now lets users know when a password is used on another website and advises when they have been used too many times.
Twitter for iOS to test warning users of ‘harmful’ language
Twitter will soon test a new feature designed to discourage people from using “offensive or hurtful language” in their replies, the company said Tuesday.
Apple’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference to begin June 22
Apple announced Tuesday it will host its 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference virtually, beginning June 22. It will be available to view using the Apple Developer app, streamed on the Apple Developer website and free for all registered developers.
Apple did not give any details of a keynote event to announce various products, but is expected to hold one on the conferences opening day.
France threatens Apple in standoff over COVID-19 contract-tracing privacy
A French official accused Apple on Tuesday of hampering the effectiveness of the country’s COVID-19 contract-tracing platform by blocking access to data via Bluetooth.
France minister for digital technology Cedric O told BFM Business TV that Apple “could have helped us make the application work even better on the iPhone. They have not wished to do so.”
Apple questions U.S. government interference in Corellium copyright suit
Apple is disputing the interference of the U.S. Justice Department in a copyright suit against software maker Corellium as questions arise as to why the federal government is now involved in the case.
The Department of Justice has now intervened in the case asking Apple to delay its request for a deposition of Corellium cofounder Chris Wade, and inquiring to what evidence Apple is planning on presenting before its lawyers question Wade.
The Morning Show producer signs multiyear extension with Apple TV+
Apple TV+ executive producer and showrunner Kerry Ehrin inked a multiyear extension of her deal with Apple. Under the new pact, she will continue producing exclusive content, including The Morning Show, which should enter its second season soon.
Apple and Google’s contract-tracing system to ban Location Services access
Apple and Google released additional details about their coronavirus contact-tracing system Monday, informing public health officials that they will not be able to use Location Services to track people. The companies also said they will limit use of the contact-tracing API to one per country.
Both companies also showed off what an app might look like on people’s smartphones — and shared sample pieces of code local governments could use in their own mobile apps.
Adhesive sensor might spot coronavirus symptoms using an iPad
An adhesive sensor much like a Band-Aid has been developed by Northwestern University to monitor for early signs of COVID-19 infection when connected wirelessly to an iPad.
Announced Monday, the device sticks to the throat and looks for coughing and various onset symptoms of COVID-19 to aid treatment of patients with the deadly virus.
Apple to reopen first retail store in Europe May 5 since pandemic shutdown
Apple will reopen its store in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday, as its retail operations slowly emerge from a worldwide shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vienna store is Apple’s first outside of China and South Korea to reopen after the company shuttered its brick-and-mortar locations in March.
According to Austria’s Heute newspaper, the only store in Austria will reopen with additional security precautions, including social distance and adjusted opening hours. Customers will be required to wear a protective mask and will be checked for a fever.
Automatic Labs shuttering connected car service May 28
Automatic Labs is shutting down is vehicle monitoring service which worked with the iPhone beginning May 28, saying Friday its business has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The service provides various data via a diagnostic port on many vehicles as well as warns authorities when a car has been in an accident.
Apple updates COVID-19 screening app with new CDC guidelines
Apple updated its COVID-19 screening app Friday with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including additional symptoms of the disease and tips on using cloth masks.
Apple signs drama deal with veteran producer Annie Weisman
Veteran Hollywood writer and producer Annie Weisman has signed a longterm creative deal with AppleTV+ to develop televisions projects exclusive to the service, according to a published report Friday
Valve abandons Mac support for Steam virtual reality platform
With little fanfare and few details, Valve Corporation said Friday it has ended SteamVR support for the Mac to concentrate its efforts on more financially viable platforms like Windows and Linux.
The news comes as recent surveys show the acceptance of the platform by macOS users below 5%.
Apple reportedly plans store reopenings in Austria, Australia in next few weeks
Apple plans to reopen its retail stores in Austria and Australia sometime in the next one to two weeks, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said Thursday.
Cook told Blooomberg he believes that “just a few, not a large number” of stores in the United States will re-open in the first half of May.
Apple second-quarter revenue beats estimates in tough pandemic period
iPhone 12 prices rumored to stay close to current models, even with OLED screen upgrades
Pricing on Apple’s expected 5G-ready iPhones will remain mostly the same, even though they are predicted to include OLED screens, according to a new report.
Front Page Tech analyst Jon Prosser tweeted Thursday base pricing on what Cult of Mac has reported as four new iPhone 12 models coming later this year.
Thanks to the pandemic, universal smartphone manufacturing could see a record drop this quarter
Global smartphone production could see a record fall of up to 16.5 percent in the second quarter of this year thanks in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new research report.
Qualcomm predicts strong 5G smartphone demand into 2021, hinting at Apple’s iPhone plans
Chipmaker Qualcomm said Wednesday it expects the smartphone industry to ship 30% fewer mobile phones in the second quarter as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but predicted the demand for 5G smartphones will accelerate from the second half of 2020 into the new year.
As a provider of modem chips to Apple, the predictions give further evidence that the Cupertino-based high-tech giant is on track to release it’s first 5G-ready iPhone lineup later this year simply based on Qualcomm’s estimates of product demand.
Video DisplayPort standard ups its game with faster data speed and 16K display support
The Video Electronics Standards Association announced Wednesday the release of version 2.0 of the DisplayPort Alternate Mode standard that will support future compatible products with video data speeds up to 80 Gigabits per second and 16K displays up to 60Hz refresh rate.
The interface standard, which is part of USB-C connectors on Apple’s current Mac product line, is primarily used to connect a video source to a device like a flat-screen display, but can also carry audio, USB, and other forms of data.
Pandora updates Apple Watch app with Siri support
Music streaming service Pandora updated its Apple Watch app Wednesday with the addition of Siri support, letting users request music, stations and podcasts verbally.