Nintendo's New Dragalia Lost Game Earned $16 Million in Two Weeks

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In the two weeks following the launch of Dragalia Lost, Nintendo's newest title, the game has earned $16 million in revenue from the iOS App Store and Google Play, according to estimates from app analytics site Sensor Tower.

$13.5 million of the $16 million in revenue has come from Japan and the United States, with the game now ranking third when it comes to revenue earned by Nintendo mobile titles.


During the first two weeks of availability, Fire Emblem Heroes earned $34 million, Super Mario Run earned $15.6 million, and Animal Crossing earned $9.8 million.

Dragalia Lost, unsurprisingly, is performing best in Japan. 69 percent of total revenue has come from Japan, while 16 percent has come from the United States. The remaining 15 percent has come from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau.

Dragalia Lost is the 19th most popular iOS app in Japan at the current time, and the number 512th most popular app in Japan. In terms of revenue, it is ranked number 10 in Japan and number 62 in the United States.

Nintendo released Dragalia Lost two weeks ago on Thursday, September 27. The game is an original swipe-based action RPG developed in partnership with Cygames.

Dragalia Lost tasks players with conquering their enemies using powerful attacks and special skills, with players able to control characters who can transform into dragons to unleash their power on enemies.


In addition to battling monsters, players will also need to develop a holy citadel for dragon training. Limited time multiplayer raid battles are available for up to three players online, and an internet connection is required to play.

Like most of Nintendo's recent titles, Dragalia Lost is free to play and supported through in-app purchases.

Dragalia Lost can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Nintendo

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Kaspersky Lab Says Report Claiming China Hacked Apple's Former Server Supplier is Likely 'Untrue'

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Russia-based cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab today said that while "hardware supply chain attacks are a reality," evidence suggests Bloomberg Businessweek's report about Chinese intelligence tampering with server motherboards manufactured by Apple's former supplier Supermicro is "untrue."

Apple data center
Kaspersky Lab said the report "should be taken with a grain of salt" in its 14-page analysis of the alleged attack, obtained by MacRumors:

The stories published by Bloomberg in October 2018 had a significant impact. For Supermicro, it meant a 40% stock valuation loss. For businesses owning Supermicro hardware, this can be translated into a lot of frustration, wasted time, and resources. Considering the strong denials from Apple and Amazon, the history of inaccurate articles published by Bloomberg, including but not limited to the usage of Heartbleed by U.S. intelligence prior to the public disclosure, as well as other facts from these stories, we believe they should be taken with a grain of salt.

Kaspersky Lab added that the language in both Apple and Amazon statements denying the Bloomberg Businessweek report are "pretty strong" and "leaves little to no chance of retractions or denials at a later time." The firm added that the statements are regulated by the SEC in the United States.

The key part of Apple's statement was as follows:

On this we can be very clear: Apple has never found malicious chips, "hardware manipulations" or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server. Apple never had any contact with the FBI or any other agency about such an incident. We are not aware of any investigation by the FBI, nor are our contacts in law enforcement.

In a press release, Apple later said it is not under any kind of gag order or other confidentiality obligations.

Referring to Apple's mid-2016 detection of malware-infected firmware in specific Supermicro servers that were used internally only, Kaspersky Lab said it believes it is "quite possible that the Bloomberg journalists misunderstood the incident and included it in the hardware supply chain attack story."

The analysis said hardware-based attacks like the one alleged in the Bloomberg Businessweek report are sophisticated, difficult to implement, and expensive. "For instance, even if a server board is compromised during manufacturing, it is complicated to ensure that it finds its way to a certain target."

The accuracy of Bloomberg Businessweek's report has been questioned by not only Kaspersky Lab, but the Department of Homeland Security, the U.K.'s National Cyber Security Centre, and NSA senior advisor Rob Joyce.

Moreover, Apple's recently retired general counsel Bruce Sewell said he called the FBI's then-general counsel James Baker last year after being told by Bloomberg of an open investigation into Supermicro, and was told that nobody at the federal law enforcement agency knew what the story was about.

Apple's aggressive campaign to deny the report extends to unnamed senior executives within the company. Supermicro and Amazon, also named in the report, have likewise issued strongly-worded denials of the report.

Bloomberg Businessweek continues to stand by its reporting, and has since followed up with a second story that claims a major U.S. telecommunications company discovered manipulated hardware from Supermicro in its network and removed it in August, citing a security expert working for the telecom company.

The report, citing 17 unnamed sources, claimed that Chinese spies planted tiny chips the size of a pencil tip on server motherboards manufactured by Supermicro at its Chinese factories. The servers were then sold to companies such as Apple and Amazon for use in their respective data centers.

An unnamed government official cited in the report said China's goal was "long-term access to high-value corporate secrets and sensitive government networks," but no customer data is known to have been stolen.

The report claimed that Apple discovered the suspicious chips on the motherboards around May 2015, after detecting odd network activity and firmware problems. Two senior Apple insiders were cited as saying the company reported the incident to the FBI, but kept details about what it had detected tightly held.

Apple dropped Supermicro as a supplier in 2016, after the incident with the malware-infected firmware updates.

We've covered Bloomberg Businessweek's report in extensive detail over the past week, with all of our coverage available in our "The Big Hack" archive. At this point, it remains a stalemate between Apple and Bloomberg.

Kaspersky Lab itself has faced controversy, with several reports over the last year claiming its software was compromised by Russian intelligence. Nevertheless, Motherboard said the firm "continues to have a good reputation in the industry," particularly as it relates to its ability to discover malware.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: China, The Big Hack

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Apple's Covent Garden Store in London to Reopen on October 26

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Apple's flagship Covent Garden store in London is set to reopen on Friday, October 26 following a three month renovation period, Apple announced today in its Apple Store app.

Covent Garden is set to reopen on the same day that the colorful new iPhone XR debuts, and to celebrate the store's relaunch, Apple has designed a cheery reopening graphic.


The Covent Garden store closed on June 27 to be overhauled with the new store design first introduced at the Union Square location in San Francisco back in 2016.

Since Apple revamped its San Francisco Apple Store layout with the Genius Grove for getting help, The Avenue for shopping, a Forum for viewing presentations, and an area for Today at Apple classes, the company has been expanding the design to new and existing retail stores across the world.

Covent Garden is the latest store to be updated, and its unveiling follows the recent re-opening of Apple's Palo Alto flagship store in California, which has been updated with a living wall of greenery, a large television screen at the back, redesigned accessory walls, new tables, and indoor trees, all signature features of the new store design.

When it opened back in 2010, Covent Garden was Apple's largest retail location in the world, and it has always been one of the best-known Apple stores due to its unique interior with tall arched windows, stone columns and archways, and vaulted ceiling.

Apple's Covent Garden store in 2015
Given the store's one-of-a-kind interior design, Apple is likely to keep much of the original look intact, but we won't know the full extent of the changes until the October 26 unveiling.

Apple retail locations that debut on device launch days often open early, so while the Apple Store app doesn't yet list a specific time when the doors will open at Covent Garden, customers should be able to get in right around 8:00 a.m. local time for iPhone XR purchases. Apple will provide additional information as the launch date approaches.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores

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Facebook Launches 3D Photos Feature That Uses Portrait Mode Images From iPhone

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Facebook today announced the launch of a new 3D photos feature that uses the Portrait Mode feature of the iPhone and other smartphones with dual lens cameras.

Facebook manipulates the Portrait Mode photo to display the scene in 3D, using the depth information between the subject in the foreground and the background.

Whether it's a shot of your pet, your friends, or a beautiful spot from your latest vacation, you just take a photo in Portrait mode using your compatible dual-lens smartphone, then share as a 3D photo on Facebook where you can scroll, pan and tilt to see the photo in realistic 3D--like you're looking through a window.

According to Facebook, 3D photos can be uploaded by starting a new post, tapping on the three dots for more options, and choosing the 3D photo option.

Facebook has several tips for creating ideal 3D photos using Portrait Mode, including choosing scenes with a clear difference in depth between the subject and the background, taking advantage of high contrast, and capturing images with some texture.

All Facebook users can view 3D photos in the News Feed and via VR starting today, with the ability to create and share 3D photos rolling out to all users over the coming weeks.

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Review: The HyperJuice Adapter Lets You Charge Your AirPods Wirelessly, But It'll Cost You

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With Apple's AirPower still missing in action, accessory makers have started coming up with alternate solutions to allow the AirPods to charge using a Qi-based wireless charger.

Hyper's HyperJuice Wireless Charger Adapter is one such solution, adding wireless charging support to the AirPods for $50. The HyperJuice Adapter, which is made from a white plastic to match the AirPods, snaps on to the AirPods Charging Case.


One side of the HyperJuice Adapter is shorter than the other, and this side is meant to be positioned at the back of the case to leave the Bluetooth button on the back of the AirPods accessible. The front side of the adapter is longer and comes up close to the lid of the AirPods.

I guess one side of the HyperJuice had to be longer to house the wireless charging coil, but with the long side of the HyperJuice Adapter positioned right at the lid of the case, it's a little bit harder to open the lid one handed with a thumb.


Having the longer side at the front also made the whole setup feel backwards to me, especially because the front of the HyperJuice features the HyperJuice logo and FCC regulatory information.


Inside of the adapter, there's a Lightning connector that plugs into the Lightning port of the AirPods Charging Case, which is how the wireless charging works. On the bottom of the adapter, there's a small green LED that lets you know when the HyperJuice Adapter is successfully charging with a wireless adapter.


Size wise, the HyperJuice Adapter adds some bulk to the AirPods. The case isn't quite as pocketable as it is while naked, and while it wasn't an unreasonable amount of bulk, part of the appeal of the AirPods is the small, sleek case. The HyperJuice Adapter is meant to stay on the Charging Case all the time, so the extra plastic is something to be aware of.


Because I only charge my AirPods once a week I didn't feel like the bulk the HyperJuice Adapter adds was worth the convenience or the cost, but someone who uses the AirPods more frequently and charges more often may not mind the tradeoff.


You could use the adapter only when charging, but having to attach a case to charge feels like it would defeat the purpose of the wire-free solution.


Charging the AirPods with a wireless charger was relatively quick, but not quite as fast as charging with a Lightning cable. I drained the battery of the AirPods and the case and then charged for an hour on a 7.5W Belkin charger, certified to work with Apple's iPhones.


In an hour's time, both AirPods had charged to 100 percent, while the case had charged to 72 percent. It normally takes just about an hour for the AirPods and the Charging Case to charge completely over Lightning, so the wireless solution is a bit slower.

Hyper's website says it's supposed to take about an hour and a half to charge the AirPods to full with the adapter, which is in line with my charging results.


It's worth noting that Hyper's website says the case is meant to work with any 5W Qi-based wireless charger, but it does also work with the 7.5W versions. My AirPods and Charging Case did feel warm with the wireless charging
(both 5W and 7.5W) and I'm not sure if that has the potential to cause problems over time. With wired charging, my AirPods stay relatively cool.

Bottom Line

If you're transitioning to an all wireless setup and are tired of waiting for Apple's own AirPower charging mat, the HyperJuice Wireless Charger Adapter for the AirPods will let you charge sans Lightning cable.

Charging without a cable doesn't come cheap, though, because Hyper is charging $50 for the accessory. That's a lot pricier than a Lightning cable, but it's less expensive than the AirPower will be when it launches.

The current AirPods Charging Case won't even be compatible with the AirPower, so for customers who don't want to upgrade to a new model, a solution like the HyperJuice Adapter is the only way to get access to wireless charging.

The HyperJuice Adapter is not without its flaws, but it works as described and provides a wire-free charging solution for existing AirPods cases.

Whether the $50 price tag is worth it for wireless charging instead of charging with a Lightning cable will depend on your personal setup and willingness to pay for the convenience of a wire-free charging experience.

How to Buy

The HyperJuice Wireless Charger Adapter for the AirPods can be purchased from the Hyper website for $49.99.

Note: Hyper provided MacRumors with a Wireless AirPods Charger for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
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Apple Says iOS 12 is Now Installed on 53% of Active Devices

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Apple's iOS 12 operating system, released on September 17, is now installed on 53 percent of active devices introduced in the last four years.

Apple shared the installation statistics on its App Store support page for developers, which was updated today.

iOS installation rates are being broken down in a new way. The 53 percent statistic applies only to devices released in the last four years. Amid all devices, 50 percent are running iOS 12.


Of devices released in the last four years, 40 percent are running iOS 11 and 7 percent are running an earlier version of iOS. Among all devices, 39 percent continue to run iOS 11 while 11 percent use an earlier version of the operating system.

Apple's data is in line with iOS 12 adoption rates that we've been monitoring from analytics site Mixpanel. A week ago, Mixpanel suggested right around 46 percent of devices were running iOS 12.

iOS 12 adoption has outpaced iOS 11 adoption rates at the same time last year. In early October of 2017, iOS 11 was only installed on approximately 38.5 percent of devices. It took until early November for iOS 11 adoption to hit 50 percent, based on Apple's official numbers.

iOS 12 adoption rates are in line with iOS 10 adoption rates in 2016. On October 11, 2016, iOS 10 was installed on 54 percent of active devices.

It is not a surprise that customers are choosing to install iOS 12 at a more rapid pace given the speed improvements introduced with the update. On older devices, performance enhancements can make iPhones and iPads feel much faster.

On the iPhone 6 Plus, for example, apps launch up to 40 percent faster, while the keyboard can appear up to 50 percent faster. Opening the camera on the Lock screen to take a photo can be done 70 percent faster.

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Apple has made animations smoother and more responsive across the operating system, so accessing Control Center, scrolling in apps, or swiping up when multitasking feels more fluid.

iOS 12 also includes optimizations for when the operating system is under load. Apps launch up to twice as fast under a heavy load, as does the Share Sheet.

iOS 12 adoption is likely to see a decent bump with the launch of iOS 12.1, an update that is being beta tested. iOS 12.1 introduces eSIM functionality on the iPhone XS and XS Max, brings Group FaceTime, a feature that was removed before iOS 12 launched, and includes new emoji.

Related Roundup: iOS 12

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