News - page 306

Accessory-maker mophie launched three new portable batteries in its powerstation go rugged series Wednesday. Each one is capable of charging mobile devices, powering lights and more during a power outage, or even jump-starting a car if necessary.

“The addition of rugged to our existing powerstation go lineup gives customers another option for power while on-the-go,” said Gavin Slevin, managing director of mophie parent company Zagg International, in a press release. “We are excited to equip users with another multifunctional and affordable portable power option for peace of mind while on the road.”

Pixelmator Photo is one of the best photo editors for iPad, and it got even more mobile with an iPhone version debuting Thursday. It offers desktop-level editing tools on a mobile device.

And to celebrate the iPhone launch, the application is half off.

Apple is currently building two smaller, more affordable alternatives to its 32-inch Pro Display XDR, according to a leaker. The company is also said to be working on a new high-end display with a built-in A13 chipset.

The new screens in early development reportedly use LG panels. And it remains unclear when they might hit the market.

Apple CEO Tim Cook emailed corporate employees on Wednesday to confirm the company is yet again delaying its return to offices. He also said Apple will give all employees $1,000 to spend on home office equipment.

Apple told employees in November that they were expected to return to their workstations on February 1. But with Covid-19 cases again on the rise around the world, that date is now “yet to be determined.”

Swift Playgrounds 4, the newest version of Apple’s official development app for iPad, is now available from the App Store. The update lets you build iOS and iPadOS apps using nothing but your iPad for the first time.

When you’ve finished building, you can upload directly to the App Store. And if you also use a Mac, it’s now easy to transfer projects back and forth between Swift Playgrounds and Xcode using App Projects.

Ted Lasso is back like you’ve never seen him before in a new Christmas movie from Apple. The animated short sees the world’s most lovable soccer coach mysteriously lose his mustache ahead of the holidays.

Ted’s team members — voiced by the series’ original actors — come together to find his missing facial hair before he has a FaceTime call with his son. And, as you might expect from the Ted Lasso cast, hilarity ensues.

El Deafo, a sweet and poignant three-part animated series for kids and families, will premiere on Apple TV+ in early January. It’s based on an award-winning graphic memoir.

Watch a trailer for the series for a preview of the action.

A new international whodunit is coming to Apple TV+. It’s Suspicion, a limited series starring Uma Thurman and Noah Emmerich. The streaming service said the show debuts with two episodes on February 4, 2022.

The third season of Servant is now scheduled to premier on Apple TV+ in January. And the streaming service is so pleased with the horror (and sometimes darkly humorous) show it went ahead and committed to a fourth season.

A new trailer should whet fans appetites for the upcoming new season.

Disney+ just got a new update that adds SharePlay support on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. The feature allows up to 32 people to get together and watch the same TV shows and movies simultaneously over FaceTime.

SharePlay is available across content from all Disney brands, including Marvel, National Geographic, Star Wars, and more. But you’ll need a device running iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, or tvOS 15.1 to take advantage of it.

UPDATE 12/16: Apple has told The Verge that its CSAM photo-scanning plan is still on hold, and that plans to roll it out later haven’t changed.

Apple has quietly removed all references to its controversial plan to scan iCloud Photos libraries for child sexual abuse material from its website. Back in August, Cupertino announced its intention to trawl through users’ pictures to detect CSAM material.

However, after encountering significant criticism from experts, rights groups and even its own employees, Apple shelved the feature. The company said in September that it had “decided to take additional time” to collect input and make improvements to the feature. But it’s now unclear whether it will go ahead with CSAM photo scanning at all.

The latest Apple TV update adds new Aerials screen savers that will mesmerize you with rugged scenery. tvOS 15.2 also includes a fresh user interface for Memories in the Photos app, support for the new Apple Music Voice Plan and other cool new features.

If you’re using Apple’s streaming device, you don’t want to miss this update.

The Kensington StudioDock is now compatible with the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9 thanks to a new version of the docking station that launched Tuesday. The desktop stand adds numerous ports to the tablet, and wireless chargers too.

There were already models for the 2020 and earlier versions of Apple’s largest tablet, as well as the 11-inch ones.

Earlier this year, accessories maven Nomad made its popular Base Station Mini wireless charger — suitable for juicing up one iPhone — MagSafe-comptible. Now it has added magnets to another popular product, the Nomad Base Station Hub, which can top off up to four devices at once.

A growing number of Covid 19 cases has reportedly forced Apple to reinstate the face mask mandate at all its U.S. retail locations.

The Mac-maker had begun relaxing the mask requirement in the fall when cases were dropping. But Apple has now reversed course because of a surge.

Cyber Acoustics launched its new USB speaker bar with an integrated monitor mount on Tuesday. Perched on your display, it offers well-projected audio while helping to keep your desktop clutter-free.

Adobe added the smudge and sponge tools to Photoshop for iPad on Tuesday. These are just the latest improvements to the tablet edition of this image-editing application. They’re part of a long-term strategy the software developer has used since the touchscreen-enhanced version of Photoshop launched in 2019.

The Department of Labor is investigating Apple over claims the company repeatedly retaliated against employees who raised concerns about alleged mistreatment.

Ashley Gjovik, a former Apple engineering manager who spoke out about what she deems an unsafe and hostile work environment, confirmed that she filed a whistleblower complaint in an effort to seek justice and protect other Apple employees. And in a letter sent to Gjovik, the Labor Department confirmed it launched a formal investigation.

SpotCam recently unveiled its new SpotCam Pano 2, a smart, 5-megapixel cloud security AI camera with free, full-time, continuous cloud recording to make sure you always have your footage. The company, founded in Taiwan in 2013, said it’s the only camera brand to offer that.

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says Apple and Google have unfairly “developed a vice-like grip” on how we use our smartphones and that “millions of people” are losing out.

In addition to dominating the smartphone market, Apple and Google also “set all the rules,” the CMA said in a report published Tuesday. The two companies are accused of limiting innovation and choice, and driving up smartphone prices.

WhatsApp is stepping up your privacy by automatically hiding your “last seen” status from unknown numbers. The move automatically prevents other people from seeing when you were last active until you add them as a contact.

WhatsApp says the change doesn’t affect your privacy settings for friends, family, and businesses you have saved or interacted with in the past.

Camera updates could again be a big reason to upgrade to the newest iPhone lineup next year, with Apple expected to pack new 48-megapixel sensors — by far its biggest to date — into iPhone 14 Pro.

The sensors would enable 8K video recording on iPhone for the first time, as well as provide greater augmented reality experiences. iPhone 14 Pro will also pack up to 8GB of RAM, according to one analyst.

With its launch Monday of the Creative Cloud Express mobile and web app, Adobe bundles tools from its Creative Cloud Suite and Acrobat PDF into a simple platform amateurs can use to create a variety of projects. The app means to make it simple to make social media posts, promotional posters, invitations, videos and more.

Apple TV+ received almost a dozen Golden Globe nominations on Monday. That includes the film CODA, which is up for best drama. And the The Morning Show was nominated for best drama series while Ted Lasso got a nom for best comedy series.

Plus, Jennifer Aniston and Denzel Washingon were nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their roles on Apple TV+ shows. And there are plenty more.

Apple on Monday rolled out a brand-new Android app that allows users to identify unexpected AirTags nearby. Tracker Detect can also recognize other Find My-compatible devices from third-party companies.

The app also makes it possible for those who do not own an iPhone or iPad to scan a tracker they have discovered and learn more about it — or disable it so that it can no longer report their location.