Wednesday, 31 July 2019

Fitbit cuts Q3 guidance as it admits ‘weaker than expected sales’ of Apple Watch competitor

Fitbit today reported its earnings for the second quarter of 2019, noting a major drop in revenue from its smartwatch business year-over-year. comes a day after Apple reported strong growth for its wearables business in the fiscal third quarter of 2019.

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Exclusive: Google now testing 'Play Pass' app and game subscription service

Earlier this year, Apple announced Apple Arcade, a monthly subscription service that gives you access to a library of mobile games (including some exclusive titles) on iOS devices. The service isn't live yet, but Google is already testing its own competing service, named Play Pass.

XDA Developers found evidence last year that Google was working on the Play Pass service, but now the company is starting to test it. We received the below screenshots from reader Dustin, which show the signup page for Play Pass and the $4.99 monthly cost.

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Quick Look: Langogo translator shows we’re not quite in Babel Fish territory yet

Fans of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will remember the Babel Fish.

The Babel fish is small, yellow, leech-like – and probably the oddest thing in the universe. It feeds on brain wave energy, absorbing all unconscious frequencies and then excreting telepathically a matrix formed from the conscious frequencies and nerve signals picked up from the speech centres of the brain, the practical upshot of which is that if you stick one in your ear, you can instantly understand anything said to you in any form of language: the speech you hear decodes the brain wave matrix.

With automated translation services and devices, we’re getting steadily closer to that dream. But with Google Translate available on our iPhone, is there any place for a dedicated translation gadget like Langogo?

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Deals: Save on iTunes Gift Cards, Anker Accessories, and Apple's Magic Trackpad 2 in Space Gray

There are a few notable deals going on today, including the latest 15 percent discount on iTunes gift cards, Anker's end-of-July discount codes, and a low price on Apple's Magic Trackpad 2 in Space Gray.

iTunes Gift Cards


Costco is back with a discount on iTunes Gift Cards, offering the $100 gift card for $84.49. As usual with Costco-related iTunes gift card sales, you'll have to be a Costco member to see the discount.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

iTunes gift cards are a great way to save on purchases made on the iTunes Movies and TV stores, your Apple Music subscription, Apple Books, iCloud, and more. A 15 percent discount has been the typical savings we've seen on $100 cards for the past few years.

Head to Costco to check out the gift card sale, which lasts through August 3. You can also get the $25 iTunes gift card for $21.49 during this time.

Apple's Magic Trackpad 2


Amazon has Apple's Magic Trackpad 2 in Space Gray at just $104.99, down from an original price of $149.00. The Magic Trackpad 2 pairs with your Mac and includes Force Touch sensors to detect differences in the amount of pressure applied to its surface.


This is the Space Gray color option that launched following the iMac Pro, but it will work with any model of the iMac. Stock is low at the time of writing so head to Amazon to check out the sale soon.

Anker's New Discounts


As July ends, Anker has a few codes that will expire later tonight, and some sales that will extend into early August. We've listed them all below.


July Codes


No Codes Needed


Netgear Orbi Mesh Router


Lastly, Netgear's Orbi Mesh Router system is being discounted to around $230 this week thanks to a new on-page coupon found on Amazon. This is the RBK23 model that includes one router and two extender nodes, providing up to 6,000 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage.


When you clip the on-page $20 off coupon, the router will be discounted to $228.56 in your cart, down from $299.99.

Check out our full Deals Roundup for more of the latest sales.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is official with Snapdragon 855 and improved S Pen, available September 6 for $649

Some people will tell you the market for premium Android tablets is all but dead, but Samsung doesn't believe that. After releasing the Tab S4 last year, Samsung is skipping a number this year with the Galaxy Tab S6. Samsung promises an improved S Pen experience, along with more powerful hardware. If you're the accessory type, there's also a better keyboard case for Samsung's premium tablet.

Samsung has heard complaints about the spec sheet on its previous high-end tablets, and the Tab S6 makes some changes.

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Post-it releases Android app to scan and organize sticky notes, only five years after iOS

Today Post-it is revealing something you might have already assumed it had: an Android app. The new Post-it app will allow you to digitally import content written on real-world Post-its, supplement them with more created on-device, organize them into groups, and share them with others in multiple formats. None of this is really new since the company's iOS app has been around half a decade now, but now the more populated platform has reached Post-it parity.

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LG's New UltraFine 5K Display Limited to 4K Resolution When Used With 2018 iPad Pro

LG yesterday released a new version of its UltraFine 5K Display with USB-C connectivity, allowing it to be used with 2018 iPad Pro models, but Apple has since confirmed that the iPad Pro cannot take advantage of the full 5K resolution.


In a new support document, Apple says the UltraFine 5K is limited to a 4K resolution of 3,840×2,160 at 60Hz when connected to 2018 iPad Pro models via USB-C. The full 5K resolution requires a 2016 or newer MacBook Pro, a 2018 or newer MacBook Air, a 2017 or newer iMac or iMac Pro, or a 2018 Mac mini.

The new UltraFine 5K Display is available to order for $1,299.95 on Apple.com. Like the previous model, it also supports Thunderbolt 3, with up to 94W of power for pass-through charging of any Mac or iPad connected to the display.

The new display has the model number 27MD5KL-B.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Tags: LG, UltraFine

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Logitech Harmony Smart Control down to $50 ($80 off) on Amazon

Even though most TVs in our living rooms are becoming smart ones, we often connect them to third-party devices such as set-top boxes, sound systems, and DVD/Blu-Ray players. Using a separate remote control for each can be a pain, mainly because at least one of them is likely to vanish, but also because it's simply inconvenient to switch between several controllers. With the Harmony Smart Control kit, Logitech offers to group all these remotes into a single one, and even control your devices using your phone or smart speaker.

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Verizon 5G service switched on in four more cities — with the usual caveat

Verizon 5G service has today been extended to four more cities: Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis. and Washington, DC. However, the extremely short-range coverage of the latest mobile data tech means that the usual 5G caveat applies…

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Castbox launches live audio streaming feature for podcasters with donation feature

Castbox is a really interesting podcast app that I’ve been watching for a while now. The app offers what you expect when you think of an iOS podcast application, but Castbox wants to add their own spin on it. Today, they’ve announced the launch of Livecast. Castbox Livecast is a free audio streaming service that lets podcasters go live to their audiences with the tap of a button. Livecast is available on Castbox mobile and desktop apps, so users can join wherever they are.

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Guy who smuggled 40,000 fake Apple products into US gets three years in prison

A Chinese national living in the US has been sentenced to 37 months in prison after being convicted of smuggling 40,000 fake Apple products into the country from China …

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Jamf boosting macOS security protection through Digita Security acquisition

Jamf has announced they are acquiring Digita Security to boost macOS security protection. While macOS is a very secure platform, malware still exists. Any IT manager will know that even the best security methods can be circumvented by a user who installs a fake version of Flash from a pop-up window. more…

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Samsung Q2 financials: Weak Galaxy S10 sales momentum contributes to 56% drop in operating profits

In view of Huawei's recent political troubles, you'd think Samsung would have been in pole position to capitalize and post impressive sales numbers in the second quarter of 2019. Smartphone shipments grew for both companies at a time when global shipments are down 2%, but that doesn't always translate to strong financials. While its Chinese rival managed to grow its revenue against the odds, Samsung has seen its profits drop by an eye-watering 56% year-on-year.

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Spotify Grows to 108M Paid Subscribers Compared to Apple Music's 60M

Spotify today announced that it has grown to 108 million paid subscribers globally as of June 30, 2019. That number is an increase from 100 million paid subscribers, which the company reported in April.


In total, there are 232 million monthly active users on Spotify, including the ones on the free version of Spotify. This is an increase of 29 percent year-over-year.

Comparatively, Apple Music was reported in June to have 60 million paid subscribers. Despite the difference in paid subscriber counts, Apple Music in early 2019 reportedly surpassed Spotify's paid subscriber total in the United States. Apple Music at the time had somewhere around 28 million U.S. subscribers, compared to Spotify's 26 million.

Spotify now predicts that it might have as many as 125 million paid subscribers by the end of Q4 2019.


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Vizio Begins Rolling Out AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to 2016 and Newer SmartCast TVs Following Beta Testing

Following months of beta testing, Vizio today announced that AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are now rolling out to its 2016 and newer SmartCast TVs via an over-the-air firmware update. The rollout will continue over the coming months.


AirPlay 2 support enables users to stream videos, music, podcasts, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to a compatible Vizio TV, with no Apple TV necessary. And with HomeKit, users can easily control the TV's power, volume, and more using Siri or the Home app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are rolling out to the following Vizio TVs:

  • VIZIO P-Series Quantum X (2019)
  • VIZIO P-Series Quantum (2019 and 2018)
  • VIZIO P-Series (2018, 2017 and 2016)
  • VIZIO M-Series Quantum (2019)
  • VIZIO M-Series (2018, 2017 and 2016)
  • VIZIO E-Series (2018, 2017 and 2016 UHD models)
  • VIZIO V-Series (2019)
  • VIZIO D-Series (2018)
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are also available on select 2019 LG TVs, and both features will be rolling out to select Sony models later this summer. Samsung also offers AirPlay 2, but not HomeKit, on select TVs.


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Vizio now rolling out AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support to its SmartCast TVs

Vizio is today rolling out the firmware update for its SmartCast TVs, which enables AirPlay 2 streaming and HomeKit integration for Apple users.

The over-the-air SmartCast 3.0 software update is being released for TVs as far back as 2016. Vizio says the rollout is starting today and will come to new and existing SmartCast TVs over the next few months.

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Spotify paying subscribers hit 110M against Apple Music’s 60M

Spotify paying subscribers hit 110M by the end of June, up 31% year-on-year, announced the company this morning. This compares to 60M Apple Music subscribers as of the last number revealed by Apple, also in June.

Despite this impressive growth, however, Spotify admitted that the number is lower than it had hoped …

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Lenovo teases 3 new Chromebooks, moving from MediaTek chips to Intel 8th Gen

It's been nearly a year since Lenovo introduced its most recent budget Chromebook models, the 11" C330 and 14" S330. The company is gearing to follow them up this year with the new 11" C340 and 14" S340, as well as a third larger 15" C340, all of which forego the MediaTek processors in favor of Intel 8th Gen chips.

The news was teased in the YouTube video above, spotted by Chrome Unboxed.

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AAPL up 4% in pre-market trading despite iPhone revenue falling below 50% mark

AAPL stock is up more than 4% in pre-market trading after the company yesterday announced its Q3 results, despite iPhone revenue falling in both cash and percentage terms.

Earnings for fiscal Q3 (calendar Q2) were slightly higher than expected, at $53.8B. This was a little above the midpoint of Apple’s own guidance of $53.5B, and above analyst expectations of $53.39B. However, that wasn’t the only reason for the market reaction …

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Google Titan Security Key now available in Canada, France, Japan, and the UK

Google's two-factor authentication hardware key, the Titan Security, has been available in the US for almost a year. After disappearing from the Store for a few months and a Bluetooth flaw that required Google to send free replacements, it's now making its way to four other countries.

The Titan Security Bundle contains two keys: the USB-A security key with NFC, and the battery-powered, Bluetooth/NFC/Micro-USB key. It follows the U2F (Universal 2nd Factor) standard, and lets you secure your accounts with a physical key only you have access to.

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Jaybird's new Vista true wireless earbuds last for 6 hours and charge over USB-C

Jaybird was one of the first companies to popularize the true wireless earbud form factor, but its Run and Run XT products weren't without their fair share of issues. These new Vista models will hope to right the wrongs of their predecessors, offering a smaller/lighter design, better battery life, and a USB Type-C port for charging.

As before, these earbuds are intended for use during running and other types of exercise.

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Google Pay adds support for 25 more banks across Europe, Asia, and Australia

I'm a huge fan of mobile payments, mostly because it's convenient and  I don't have to take my wallet with me to run small errands. Seeing Google Pay expand to more countries is always pleasant, especially when the services added include prepaid cards in addition to traditional banks. The list of supported services has further grown since our last post, as Google Pay now supports 25 more services in 14 countries in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

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Tuesday, 30 July 2019

Apple Details Products Eligible for Upcoming State Sales Tax Holidays

Apple this afternoon sent out emails reminding customers in six U.S. states about upcoming sales tax holidays, which will allow customers in these areas to purchase Macs, iPads, and other products with no reduced sales tax or no sales tax.

Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Virginia all have sales tax holidays coming up in August, with Apple outlining which products are eligible for the sales tax break in each state.


Every state has different rules for products that can be purchased during the tax holiday, so customers in Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Virginia should check out Apple's tax holiday website for specifics. Dates are as follows:

  • Florida - August 2-6

  • Massachusetts - August 17-18

  • Missouri - August 2-4

  • New Mexico - August 2-4

  • South Carolina - August 2-4

  • Virginia - August 2-4


Many Apple products are eligible for the promotion in each state, including Macs, iPads, the iPod touch, and accessories like the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, though there are varying dollar value caps in each state. Virginia's tax holiday is the most limited, applicable only to cell phone batteries and chargers with a value of $60 or less.

There were also sales tax holidays in Tennessee and Alabama, but those took place in July and are now over.


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Apple Pay transaction volume and new user growth outpacing PayPal, Tim Cook says

Apple Pay was a notable topic of discussion on Apple’s Q3 earnings call this afternoon, helping Apple reach an all-time revenue record for Services. On the call, Tim Cook said that Apple Pay is gaining fast on PayPal, both in users and transactions.

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[Update: Downloads] OnePlus 5 and 5T get native screen recording in latest OTA update

  • Downloads for both phones have also been posted as of today: OnePlus 5T OnePlus 5 Full images clock in at 1.77/1.76 GB. If you weren't able to secure the image previously

Not to be left out today, the OnePlus 5 and 5T are also getting a new update. OxygenOS 9.0.7 is starting to roll out for the company's 2017-era flagships, bringing last month's security patches, the company's snazzy screen recorder, a landscape quick reply feature (which isn't quite as simple as it sounds), and a handful of other tweaks.

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Huawei ekes out growth from a turbulent Q2

Huawei has just announced its revenue for the first half of 2019, the first time we've had numbers that demonstrate the impact its drama with the US government may have had on its bottom line. Depending on how you choose to look at them, the company has either successfully shrugged things off as it continues to grow, or sales have begun to stall. While the company is seeing a 23% year-over-year (and quarter-over-quarter) revenue increase, still an overall rise compared to last year, smartphone shipments are flat across Q1 and Q2.

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DirecTV NOW rebranded as ‘AT&T TV NOW’ with overhauled app

AT&T has announced today that it is rebranding its DirecTV Now streaming service ‘AT&T TV Now.’ The effort is seemingly part of AT&T’s work to streamline its online TV platforms and move everything into a single application.

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Origem's HS-3 wireless earbuds are the premium Bluetooth headphones you've been looking for [Sponsored Post]

If you're looking for a new pair of Bluetooth earbuds, Origem has you covered with the company's new premium HS-3 wireless earbuds. It's the world's first pair of Bluetooth earbuds with an HDR (High Dynamic Range) audio algorithm, which automatically maps, culls, mixes, and optimizes sound across all frequency levels for an incredible audio experience.

The Origem HS-3 is equipped with 10mm graphene drivers, powered by a CSR8675 audio chipset with DSP and Bluetooth 5.0 support.

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Shot on iPhone campaign captures 16 artists on tour including Florence + the Machine, FKA Twigs, more

Apple has launched its latest Shot on iPhone campaign that features 16 artists on tour. The behind the scenes look at some of today’s most popular artists includes new YouTube videos and billboard ads of Florence + the Machine, FKA Twigs, Kacey Musgraves, Skrillex, Travis Scott, Kamasi Washington, and more.

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Apple Stores to Offer New Augmented Reality Experiences, Including Interactive Art Walks Around Major Cities

Apple today announced it has opened registration for three new art-based augmented reality experiences at its stores around the world.


First up, select Apple stores in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo will be hosting interactive "[AR]T Walks" featuring augmented reality works by some of the "world's premier contemporary artists."


Second, every Apple Store will be offering a 90-minute in-store "[AR]T Lab" session that teaches the basics of creating augmented reality using Swift Playgrounds. Attendees will go hands-on with "whimsical objects and immersive sounds" created by New York artist and educator Sarah Rothberg.

Third, an augmented reality art installation will be viewable in every Apple Store worldwide. Using the new "[AR]T Viewer" feature in the Apple Store app, users can initiate artist Nick Cave's interactive "Amass" piece, allowing them to experience a "universe of positive energy."


The new sessions and experiences will be available beginning Saturday, August 10. Visit the Today at Apple website to register.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores

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