Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Apple-Acquired Dark Sky Delays Shutting Down Android App Until August 1

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Apple in March purchased weather app Dark Sky, and at that time, Dark Sky's developers said that the Dark Sky for Android app would be discontinued on July 1, 2020.


Now that it's July, Dark Sky's developers today announced that the discontinuation of the Android app will be delayed, and it will be available until August 1, 2020.

The Android app will be shuttered on August 1, and Android users will no longer be able to use it. Subscribers who are active at that time will be provided with a full refund.

Dark Sky also plans to shut down the weather forecasts, maps, and embeds available on its website on August 1. Dark Sky previously said that its API will continue to function through the end of 2021, but no new API signups are being accepted.
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iCloud Website Down for Some Users

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Apple's iCloud.com website is down for some users, according to a report on Apple's System Status page. The issue began at 3:25 p.m. Pacific Time, and is ongoing.


Affected users who visit iCloud.com run into a message that says the iCloud website can't be found. "‌iCloud‌ can't find that page," it reads.


Apple is working on fixing the issue, though it is not clear when the website will be back up and running.
Tag: iCloud

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Apple Now Offering Radeon Pro W5500X for Mac Pro

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Apple's Mac Pro can now be configured with a Radeon Pro W5550X with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, a graphics card option that's a step above the entry-level Radeon Pro 580X but not as expensive as the W5700X graphics card that Apple introduced as an option in April.


Upgrading a ‌Mac Pro‌ with the Radeon Pro W5550X costs an additional $200 over the base price of the machine.
The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X with 8GB of GDDR6 memory is based on AMD's RDNA architecture, featuring up to 5.6 teraflops of single-precision performance or 11.2 teraflops of half-precision computing. It supports up to four 4K displays, one 5K display, or one Pro Display XDR.
The Radeon Pro W5500X can also be purchased as a standalone half-height MPX Module for $600.
Related Roundup: Mac Pro
Buyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Buy Now)

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UK Regulators Call Google's Search Engine Deal With Apple a 'Significant Barrier' for Competitors

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Google pays Apple to be the default search engine on Apple's Safari web browser on iPhones and Macs, which causes a "significant barrier to entry and expansion" for rivals in the search engine market, said the UK Competition and Markets Authority in a report released today (via Reuters).


The relationship between Apple and Google impacts Microsoft's Bing, Verizon's Yahoo, and independent search engine DuckDuckGo. Apple allows users to set these search engines as their default in the Safari settings, a privilege the search engines pay for, but Google Search remains the default on a new device.

Apple received the "substantial majority" of the $1.5 billion (1.2 billion pounds) that Google paid to be the default search engine on various devices in the United Kingdom in 2019, according to the report.
"Given the impact of preinstallations and defaults on mobile devices and Apple's significant market share, it is our view that Apple's existing arrangements with Google create a significant barrier to entry and expansion for rivals affecting competition between search engines on mobiles," the regulators wrote in the report.
UK regulators believe that enforcement authorities should be provided with a range of options to address the arrangement between Apple and Google to provide a more level playing field for other search engines.

Apple could be required to provide "choice screens" that would let users decide which search engine to set as default during device setup, or could be restricted from monetizing default search engine positions, a move that Apple said would be "very costly."

Apple and Google have never confirmed exactly how much Google pays to be the default search engine on Apple devices in the UK, the United States, and other countries, but it's rumored to be in the billions.
Tags: Google, Safari

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Chromebooks will soon borrow this useful Android feature


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Apple Closing Stores in Southern California, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Texas, Utah and More

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As COVID-19 cases in the United States continue to climb, Apple is closing more of its retail stores in multiple states. This week, Apple is shuttering additional stores in California, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, and Oklahoma.


The coronavirus has been spreading rapidly in Florida, Southern California, Texas, and other states where Apple is shutting down access to its retail locations, and as of this week, 77 stores that had reopened have been closed once again.

9to5Mac has been keeping up with all of the stores that are closing this week and has published a full list of the stores that will be closed today and tomorrow.

California

  • Glendale Galleria

  • Northridge

  • Pasadena

  • The Grove

  • Third St. Promenade

  • Century City

  • Manhattan Village

  • Beverly Center

  • Sherman Oaks

  • Topanga

  • Los Cerritos

  • The Americana at Brand

  • Valencia Town Center

  • Victoria Gardens

  • The Oaks


Alabama

  • The Summit


Georgia

  • Cumberland Mall

  • Perimeter

  • Lenox Square

  • Avalon

  • Mall of Georgia


Idaho

  • Boise Towne Square


Louisiana

  • Baton Rouge

  • Lakeside Shopping Center


Nevada

  • Fashion Show

  • The Forum Shops

  • Town Square

  • Summerlin


Oklahoma

  • Penn Square

  • Woodland Hills


Florida

  • St. Johns Town Center

  • University Town Center


Mississippi

  • Renaissance at Colony Park


Texas

  • Barton Creek

  • Domain Northside

  • La Cantera

  • North Star

  • Knox Street

  • Northpark Center

  • Galleria Dallas

  • Ciello Vista Mall

  • Southlake Town Square

  • University Park Village


Utah

  • Station Park

  • Fashion Place

  • City Creek Center


For stores that are closing this week, Apple is allowing customers to pick up existing online orders and repaired devices through Friday, July 3. There is no word on when stores will reopen.

This is the fifth wave of store reclosures, which started two weeks ago in states that include Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

When Apple first began reopening stores in the United States in May, the company warned that it could end up closing some locations again depending on local conditions. "These are not decisions we rush into - and a store opening in no way means that we won't take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant," said Apple's retail store chief Deirdre O'Brien.

Apple's decisions to close or reopen stores are based on data evaluation, such as local cases, near and long-term trends, and guidance from national and local health officials. In a statement to CNBC Apple said that it is closing stores out of an abundance of caution.
Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas. We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible.
In store locations that have reopened, Apple has implemented safety measures that include mandatory masks, social distancing, frequent cleaning, temperature checks, and more. In some locations, stores are open only for repairs and curb-side pickup, while others are open but with a limited number of people allowed in at one time.
Related Roundup: Apple Stores

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Display Analyst Once Again Says No 120Hz ProMotion Display Coming to iPhone 12 Pro

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Apple's iPhone 12 models will not feature an upgraded 120Hz ProMotion display, according to display analyst Ross Young. Young previously said that Apple would not implement ProMotion technology until it adopted low-power LTPO display technology, a move Apple is not expected to make until 2021.


In a tweet shared this morning, Young said that the none of his contacts have been able to corroborate rumors that the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro models will feature 120Hz displays, with his sources instead indicating 120Hz technology will be coming in the 2021 iPhone refresh.


There's been a lot of back and forth on the ProMotion display rumors, with some leakers suggesting 120Hz support is in the works. These rumors kicked off in 2019 when leaker "Ice Universe" said that Apple was considering a switchable 60Hz/120Hz refresh rate for at least one ‌iPhone‌ in 2020.

Taiwanese site DigiTimes has also said that Apple is planning to release an ‌iPhone‌ with a 120Hz display, as have leakers Max Weinbach and Jon Prosser.

Young, who has display expertise, has maintained that Apple will implement ProMotion in 2021 alongside the adoption of low-power LTPO displays which will allow for a variable refresh rate that preserves battery life. Adding a ProMotion display to the ‌iPhone‌ without the technology could result in undesirable battery drain, though it's worth noting the iPad Pro uses ProMotion without LTPO.

Last week, Ice Universe again claimed that the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro Max models will offer displays capable of refresh rates up to 120Hz. "A reliable source, if there is no accident, ‌‌iPhone 12‌‌ Pro and ‌‌iPhone 12‌‌ Pro Max have basically determined the maximum 120Hz refresh rate," he said.

There's also an accessibility setting in iOS 14 that appears to limit the frame rate of the ‌iPhone‌ to 60 frames per second, which could be indicative that future iPhones will support higher frame rates. The setting does not show up for all beta users, however, and could be a bug.

ProMotion technology on the ‌iPad Pro‌ is able to dynamically adjust the display to the movement of content, resulting in more fluid scrolling, smoother motion, and improved responsiveness. The frame rate changes based on the content on the screen, preserving battery life.

Given the mixed rumors about ProMotion display technology, we may not know for sure if the new iPhones will have the feature until their debut this fall. Current rumors suggest Apple will unveil the new iPhones in September, but a launch for some or all models could be delayed until October or November.
Related Roundup: iPhone 12

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