Posts in news

Apple Adds a Families Section to Its Website with Information for Parents

Apple has introduced a new webpage that highlights the tools it makes for parents to limit kids’ use of the company’s devices, keep them safe, and make sure they are viewing appropriate content. The page provides an overview of:

  • The Kids section of the App Store
  • The App Store’s Ask to Buy feature, which requires children to get an adult’s permission to download apps
  • Restrictions that allow parents to block In-App Purchases and viewing of certain media
  • Settings that block adult content or limit browsing to certain sites on the Internet
  • Location Services, including Find My Friends and Find My iPhone
  • Media sharing
  • Health and Safety Features, including the Emergency SOS and Medical ID features of the iPhone
  • The Apple Watch’s fitness features
  • Privacy features like Face ID and Touch ID
  • The Classroom app

Each section links to additional resources on Apple’s website.

Apple was recently criticized by certain institutional shareholders in advance of its annual shareholders’ meeting for doing too little to help parents protect children that use their devices. The company responded swiftly with a statement:

“We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them,” Apple said in the statement. “We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids.”

Apple’s new Families webpage doesn’t include any new features. Instead, it’s a useful one-stop resource for parents looking for guidance about the tools already at their disposal. Apple has said, however, that additional features and enhancements to parental controls in the works.

Apple Commissions Videos by Artists That Showcase the iMac Pro’s Power

Apple has published a trailer and six short films by artists showcasing the power of the new iMac Pro. Apple also posted six behind-the-scenes videos explaining how each artist used the iMac Pro to create their film.

The videos each begin with the tagline ‘The Most Powerful Mac Ever’ followed by ‘Pushed to the Limit.’ The artists were tasked with creating a project that put the iMac Pro’s hardware through its paces. The six shorts combine CG effects, animation, and bring other techniques to bear using professional-grade apps with stunning results.

The behind-the-scenes videos explain how each film was created along with commentary by the artists who all walked away impressed by the iMac Pro’s capabilities.

Below is the trailer for the film series. The full videos and behind-the-scenes features are available after the break.

Read more

Spotify Is Testing Voice Control of Its iOS App

Spotify is testing a voice navigation feature that lets users search for and play songs, albums, and playlists in the music streaming service’s iOS app. The feature, which was first reported by TechCrunch, is found under the Spotify app’s Search tab, but it’s currently only available to a small number of users.

Casey Newton of The Verge got a chance to try the feature:

I got early access to the test and tested out the feature set. In short, it’s an excellent step forward for navigation in app that has historically required too much tapping and typing to get where you’re going.

Spotify confirmed the test to both TechCrunch and The Verge but declined to provide any details.

If you have the feature, it appears as a microphone icon inside a circular white button in the search view. According to Newton, voice search provided ‘mostly accurate results.’

Spotify’s experiment with voice commands is notable because rumors have been circulating that it is developing a smart speaker to compete with offerings from Apple, Amazon, and Google. It’s not as useful as having built-in voice search functionality, but unless Apple opens up Siri to other music services, building the feature into its iOS app is also the closest Spotify can get to working like Apple Music on the HomePod.

Apple Announces That WWDC 2018 Will Return to San Jose June 4 - 8, 2018

Apple today announced that WWDC will return to the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California from June 4 - 8, 2018. Last year, the annual developer conference switched venues from the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco to San Jose. The change came as quite a surprise, as did the timing of the announcement, which in past years came closer to the event. By and large though, the move was well-received by developers and easier for Apple engineers due to the venue’s proximity to Cupertino, so it’s not surprising to see WWDC return to San Jose for 2018.

According to Apple’s press release:

Every year, WWDC provides an opportunity for millions of developers to learn more about how to create new experiences across Apple’s platforms for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac and HomePod.

Tickets are available now through March 22nd at 10 a.m. PDT. According to Apple’s press release:

Tickets are issued through a random selection process, and developers will be notified of application status by March 23 at 5 p.m. PDT.

Philips Hue Outdoor Lights Arrive This Summer

Philips has announced the launch of a major expansion in Hue lighting products into the great outdoors. Just in time for the season of neighborhood BBQs, the assortment of outdoor Hue products includes standard lighting units for mounting on your home’s exterior, along with a couple products uniquely suited for occupying the grounds surrounding your house.

The new Lily product is a spotlight for highlighting different areas of your landscaping; it will be available in a 3-pack for $279. The Calla bollard is ideal for placement along a pathway, or at central gathering places in your yard; it will retail for $129. Both of these products feature the full range of color options available with many other Hue lights, while the wall-mounted lights will be limited to a white range and start at $49.

Hue’s outdoor products will work similarly to its existing lineup of indoor lights, with the Hue bridge acting as a hub for them all, and full HomeKit support. They are scheduled to release in the U.S. and Europe in July.

Philips has established a strong reputation for its Hue products as the go-to smart lighting option, and for those invested in that ecosystem already, it’s great to see new and diverse products continue to be made available.

Apple and Ito World Strike Bike Sharing Data Deal

Bike sharing data in Apple Maps got a big boost today in a deal struck with Ito World, a real-time transit data company. Apple Maps already included some bike sharing data, but according to TechCrunch, the partnership means Apple Maps now has bike sharing data in more than 175 cities in 36 countries.

If you type ‘bike sharing’ into Apple Maps, it will scroll to the bike sharing station closest to you. The app also supports searches near other locations, using queries like ‘bike sharing near Chicago Union Station.’ Each entry in Apple Maps provides the address of the bike sharing station and a link to the website of the company that operates it, but there are no details about the number of available bikes or parking spots.

Apple has struck several deals with third parties over the past couple of years to add data like electric vehicle charging stations and parking lot data to Apple Maps. I expect we will continue to see third-party arrangements like the one with Ito World because it’s a faster way for Apple to try to close Google Maps’ local data lead over Apple Maps than collecting the data itself.

FlightLogger: Real-Time Flight Tracking for Worry-Free Travels [Sponsor]

Air travel can be stressful. FlightLogger, which is available on iOS and Android, reduces the stress of travel by making it simple to search and save your flights, get up-to-date notifications on any changes to gates and terminals, share your travel plans with friends and family, and much more.

Too many flight tracking apps are a cluttered mess. FlightLogger’s design reduces the number of taps and information you have to input. Combined with a clear, glanceable timeline of your itinerary, FlightLogger is the perfect companion for the modern traveler.

FlightLogger is packed with innovative features:

  • Track the flights of over 1500 airlines and 30,000 airports worldwide for worry-free travel.
  • Add flights in-app or by forwarding flight confirmation emails to FlightLogger.
  • Track departure and arrival times, delays, cancellations, and gate and baggage claim information.
  • Receive flight status notifications on your iOS devices and Apple Watch.
  • Track flights on your Apple Watch and other iOS devices with iCloud sync.
  • View the approximate location of aircraft during flights.
  • Keep family and friends up-to-date by sharing your travel details.
  • Organize flights by trips, so you only see the information you need, when you need it.

The spring and summer travel seasons are just around the corner. Make your life easier by heading over to FlightLogger’s website to learn more and download the app today.

Our thanks to FlightLogger for sponsoring MacStories this week.

Apple Acquires Texture, a Digital Magazine Subscription Service

Today Apple announced the completion of its latest acquisition: Texture, a digital magazine subscription service.

Texture brings over 200 of the world’s best magazines to life, providing an easy way for users to read high-quality stories and entire issues of their favorite titles. With Texture, users enjoy the magazines they know and love, while discovering new content that fits their passions and interests.

Texture’s iOS app was previously featured by the App Store editorial team as one of the best apps of 2016. Currently, you can still sign up for the service’s $9.99/month subscription. There’s no word in Apple’s press release regarding whether Texture’s existing app will shut down or continue running as-is.

Texture’s Netflix-style model of subscription service feels like a perfect fit for future integration in Apple News. Individual subscriptions to publications like The Washington Post are currently available inside News, but this acquisition creates the potential for an official Apple service, similar to Apple Music, that bundles together the various magazine articles included in Texture. With Texture’s existing catalog as a starting base, Apple could also be in the market for additional acquisition targets that would serve to beef up a future News-related service before its launch. Texture could just be the beginning.

Apple Confirms It Will No Longer Accept New iTunes LP Content After March 2018

In 2009, Apple introduced iTunes LP content as an enticement for music fans to purchase full albums. The format bundled an album with additional material like bonus tracks, liner notes, videos, and other extras. Earlier today, the UK-based website Metro reported that it had seen an email message from Apple to music industry professionals announcing that it will not accept iTunes LP content after March 2018, which Apple subsequently confirmed to The Verge.

The format, built from a bundle of JavaScript controller files, CSS, HTML, XML, an iTunesMetadata.plist file, images, and videos, never took off.1 Contrary to Metro’s initial report that Apple is deprecating iTunes LPs entirely though, Apple told The Verge that:

While iTunes LP submissions will end this month, existing iTunes LPs will not be depreciated. Not only will these iTunes LPs continue to be available, but users will still be able to download any previous or new purchases of iTunes LPs at any time via iTunes.

The decision to no longer offer new iTunes LP content is not surprising in light of the decline of music sales industry-wide and the rise of streaming services like Apple Music.

  1. If you’re curious which albums are available as iTunes LPs, there’s a list on Wikipedia. ↩︎