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FaceTime bug lets you listen in before a call starts
Apple's FaceTime might make it a little too convenient to drop in on a friend. Reports have emerged of a bug that lets you listen to the other side's audio before a call has even started. All you have to do is start a FaceTime call, add a person, and choose your own phone number when prompted. If you try that, you effectively start a group call while the other side's device is still ringing. It's not necessarily eavesdropping, especially when the other side can hear you, but it could easily lead to catching someone off-guard.
Apple bans apps that trick you into subscriptions
Ever had an app trick you into a more expensive subscription than you were expecting, or hide the real terms in fine print you were never going to read? Apple wants to put a stop to it. The company has revised its guidance for App Store subscriptions, and they now include explicit rules for how developers can ask for your cash. Most notably, the pricing has to be crystal clear. The largest text has to represent how much you'll actually pay -- if you're buying a full-year subscription, for instance, a company has to highlight the total cost instead of using the per-month equivalent rate to fool users.
Apple may be working on a game subscription service
Apple could be joining the likes of Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and EA in launching its own games subscription service. It opened talks with developers over the last few months about such an option, according to Cheddar.
Vizio will soon test SmartCast 3.0 with AirPlay 2 support (update)
One of Vizio's biggest reveals at CES this year was a new version of SmartCast that works with Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. And soon, the electronics-maker will start testing* its updated smart TV platform with the intention of rolling it out to all its TVs with SmartCast Home by the second quarter of the year. Once you get SmartCast 3.0, you'll be able to beam videos, photos and music from your iPhones, iPads and Macs to Vizio's SmartCast TVs. Yes, including any 4K and Dolby Vision HDR movies and shows you purchase from iTunes.
Apple's next low-cost iPads might skip Face ID
If the redesigned iPad Pro gave you hope that Apple would deliver a similar overhaul for lower-cost iPads, you might want to temper your expectations. Code sleuther Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered that the iOS 12.2 beta references four new iPad configurations that don't include Face ID, suggesting they'll stick to Touch ID and thus a more conventional design. This isn't shocking when Apple is likely sticking to a lower price point, but it does suggest that it could be a while before the company's depth-sensing camera tech is truly affordable.
Apple Smart Battery Case review (2019): A basic, effective iPhone add-on
Sad as it seems sometimes, few things in life are as uniquely stressful as using a phone whose battery is on the brink of death. It's little surprise then that battery cases have become so popular. But unfortunately, owners of Apple's 2018 flagship smartphones haven't had many great options to choose from.
Apple's next-gen AirPods could respond to 'Hey Siri'
The beta version of iOS 12.2 comes with a pretty strong indication that you'll be able to use Apple's next-gen AirPods to summon Siri. 9to5Mac has discovered a new setup screen for the wireless earbuds within 12.2, clearly stating that you'll be able to talk to the voice assistant via the AirPods. While the earbuds you can buy right now don't support the feature, rumors suggest that Apple is developing a new version that can.
Microsoft Office is finally available on Apple's Mac App Store
Just as Apple promised back at WWDC last year, Microsoft's Office 365 suite is finally available on the Mac App Store today. It's pretty much what you'd expect: the entire collection of apps, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive, all purchasable within a few clicks on the store. You can also subscribe to Office 365 from within the apps, as you'd expect. Notably, it's the first time Apple has offered a bundle of software on the Mac App Store -- a surprisingly late addition for the company that helped popularize the concept of centralized software downloads.
Apple hires former Samsung exec to lead its battery division
Apple has poached the head of Samsung's battery division to lead its own battery development efforts. Cupertino hired Samsung SDI's Soonho Ahn to become its Global Head of Battery Developments, Bloomberg has reported after spotting the major career move on his LinkedIn profile. Ahn has started working with Apple back in December 2018 after four years with Samsung, two years of which he spent as the SVP for Next Generation Batteries and Materials Innovation. He was in charge of developing new battery technologies not just for mobile devices, but also for electric vehicles and ebikes.
Apple lays off 200 employees working on self-driving cars
Apple's secretive self-driving car division, codenamed Project Titan, has undergone a major restructuring process under new leadership. Unfortunately, that entails dismissing over 200 employees this week, according to CNBC. An Apple spokesperson has confirmed the layoffs to the publication and also revealed that some employees previously under Titan have been transferred to other divisions.
Tech companies spent more than $64 million on lobbying in 2018
The biggest companies in tech spent more money lobbying the government in 2018 than in any year previous. According to a report from Reuters, Google dropped $21.2 million on lobbying efforts in 2018, a new record for the company and the most it has spent on lobbying since 2012. Likewise, Facebook cranked up its lobbying efforts by dropping $12.62 million, the most the social network has ever spent on political influence.
Apple fixes a host of bugs for iOS, Apple Watch and HomePod
Don't look now, but you'll have a lot of updating to do if you live deep in the Apple ecosystem. Apple has released updates that tackle a host of issues for iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS and HomePod. For iPhone and iPad users, iOS 12.1.3 mostly addresses specific but annoying bugs. It'll prevent photos from displaying artifacts when you send them from a share sheet, prevent some CarPlay systems from disconnecting from newer iPhones and solve audio distortion if you use external audio input devices with the latest iPad Pro. It likewise addresses a problem scrolling through images in Messages while looking at the Details view.
Apple Pay is now accepted at Target and Taco Bell
Some of the last holdouts on tap-to-pay services are finally hopping aboard. Target, Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, Hy-Vee and Speedway have all introduced support for Apple Pay (and services like Google Pay by extension), making it trivially easy to check out when you need to run an errand or crave a Taco Supreme. The rollout will be gradual in some cases. Target expects all its 1,850 locations to support the technology in the "coming weeks," while Taco Bell and Jack in the Box expect to complete their deployments in the "next few months."
Abode will add HomeKit to its new smart home hub
Brilliant isn't the only smart home hub creator hopping on the HomeKit bandwagon. Abode has revealed its Gen 2 gateway, and it's "100% committed" to bringing HomeKit support to the platform. More details will come "soon," the company said. However, this already makes it one of the more flexible hubs to date. It can already communicate with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT, and it supports a raft of smart home devices using Z-Wave Plus, Zigbee and Abode's own abodeRF.
Apple gets first crack at documentaries from Ron Howard
Apple may have more than a few documentaries on tap for its upcoming streaming video service. Variety has learned that Apple has a "first-look" deal with Imagine Documentaries, the production company from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. The move will give Apple the chance to snap up non-fiction works before other companies can jump in. While this won't guarantee that Apple will buy everything Imagine makes, it could leave competitors with shows that Apple either doesn't think will sell or don't fit its family-friendly culture.
iPhone SE goes back on sale as a $249 clearance item
Do you deeply regret passing on the iPhone SE before Apple cut it out of the lineup? You now have another chance to get it. Apple has quietly resumed selling the iPhone SE as a clearance item in the US, starting at $249 for a 32GB model (down from the original $349) and $299 for a 128GB version (a sharp drop from the initial $449). These aren't used models, either -- they're shiny new, or at least as shiny new as you can get for a phone that went mostly unchanged since its 2016 debut.
Swiss watchmaker's latest jab at the Apple Watch has no hands
Swiss watchmaker H. Moser & Cie is no stranger to taking digs at the Apple Watch. Its latest form of social commentary, however, is rather unique. The company has unveiled the Swiss Alp Watch Concept Black, a mechanical watch that once more riffs on Apple's design but doesn't even have hands or a dial -- the only thing on the front is a flying tourbillon mechanism to counteract the effects of gravity. Instead of looking at the watch to check the time, you're suppose to sound a minute repeater whose chimes will tell you if you're running late. This is supposed to be a callback to a time when you needed a repeater to tell the time in the dark, but it also happens to resemble an Apple Watch with the screen turned off.
Tim Cook calls for a regulatory body to oversee data brokers
Apple chief Tim Cook has always been a vocal champion of privacy, even going so far as to publicly criticize other tech giants' data practices. Back in 2018, he called for GDPR-like laws in the US -- now he's calling for a regulatory body to oversee the business of selling data in an OP-ED piece for Time.
Sprint lets you chat with customer service reps through iMessage
Apple's Business Chat, which lets you chat with companies through iMessage, was announced in 2017, though adoption has been somewhat slow. From today, however, Sprint customers can connect with customer service reps directly using the Messages app on their iPhone or iPad.
Verizon unlimited subscribers get permanent Apple Music access
Last year, Verizon (which owns Engadget's parent company) offered unlimited subscribers six months of free access to Apple Music. Now the carrier is expanding that partnership and officially bundling Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited subscriptions with the service. Starting on January 17th, all new and existing customers will be able to enjoy Apple Music at no additional cost. So, those who took advantage of the offer last year will be able to continue accessing the streaming service without having to pay its $10-a-month fee.
