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DuckDuckGo Integrates Apple Maps for Map and Address Searches

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Privacy-focused browser DuckDuckGo today announced that it is using Apple's MapKit JS framework to power the map and address-related searches that its users conduct on both mobile and desktop.

MapKit JS allows DuckDuckGo to provide users with improved address searches, new visual features, enhanced satellite imagery, and continually updated maps without sacrificing privacy.

DuckDuckGo says that Apple Maps will be available embedded within private search results for relevant queries and from the Maps tab on any of the search result pages.

To bring up a map option, users can search for an address, a geographical place, a local business, a type of business, or places nearby.

DuckDuckGo does not collect or share any personal information from DuckDuckGo users, a policy that extends to the Apple Maps integration. Identifiable info like IP address is not provided to Apple, and for searches where approximate location is gathered by the browser, it is discarded immediately after it's used.

Tags: Apple Maps, DuckDuckGo

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Deals: Save on Pad & Quill's iPhone Cases, New 4K Films for $10 on iTunes, and More

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This week is seeing notable discounts hit Pad & Quill's leather iPhone cases, Apple Watch Series 3 at Best Buy, brand-new 4K films on iTunes, and much more.

At Pad & Quill this month, you can save some money on the company's leather iPhone cases. The sale takes as much as $25 off accessories like the Heritage Bella Fino Leather iPhone XS Case, and you can also use Pad & Quill's ongoing PQ16 code to take an additional $10 off your order. Check out all of the cases on sale in the list below (note that these prices are before the $10 off code), and head to Pad & Quill to place your order before the sale ends at the end of January.

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

Heritage Bella Fino Leather iPhone XR Case - $74.95, down from $89.95
Heritage Bella Fino Leather iPhone XS Case - $74.95, down from $99.95
Bella Fino iPhone XS Wallet Case - $74.95, down from $89.95
Bella Fino Leather iPhone XS Max Case - $79.95, down from $89.95
Luxury Pocket Book iPhone XS Wallet Case - $92.50, down from $109.95
Luxury Book iPhone XS Max Wallet Case - $94.95, down from $109.95
Heritage Pocket Book iPhone XS Wallet Case - $99.95, down from $119.95

On iTunes, a new crop of 4K films debuted on sale today for just $9.99, including recent releases like A Simple Favor, Bad Times at the El Royale, and Book Club. Below we've made a full list of all the 4K films on sale, and be sure to check out iTunes Movies on tvOS, macOS, or iOS to download the movies before the discounts end next week.

$9.99 4K Movies

Best Buy has also kicked off a new sale on Apple Watch, offering the Apple Watch Series 3 for as low as $229.00 in 38mm Aluminum and $259.00 in 42mm Aluminum. Cellular and other band options are also available, starting at $279.00. The retailer also has a sale on Philips Hue lights happening this week, where you can save as much as 20 percent on the HomeKit-compatible accessories. This marks the price of the Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 LED Starter Kit down to $109.99, from $149.99.

Below we've listed a few other quick-mention discounts that you can nab today on Amazon:

Anker 10W Wireless Charging Stand for $17.99, down from $25.99 (1/15 only)
Koogeek RGB Wi-Fi Light Bulbs for $18.19 with code TXKWN4D5, down from $39.99 (use the code and clip the on-page coupon to lower the price to $18.19)
iPhone X Leather Folio Case for $49.99, down from $99.00 (Taupe); or $59.99, down from $99.00 (Berry and Cosmos Blue)

Head to our full Deals Roundup to catch up with more information on this week's best sales.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Asus Chromebook Flip C434 release expected in March, starting around $569

via About Chromebooks http://bit.ly/2ALZkr6

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Reportedly on Intel's List of Potential CEOs

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Intel has been searching for a new CEO since Brian Krzanich resigned nearly seven months ago, and Axios now reports that Intel's list of potential successors includes Johny Srouji, Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies at Apple.

Srouji joined Apple in 2008 to lead development of the A4 chip, the first Apple-designed system on a chip in the iPhone 4, and now oversees custom silicon and hardware technologies including batteries, application processors, storage controllers, sensors silicon, and other chipsets across Apple's entire product line.

It's unclear if Srouji is interested in leading Intel, where he worked between 1990 and 2005 in both his native Israel and the United States, according to his LinkedIn profile. Srouji also worked at IBM between 2005 and 2008.

Apple's custom A-series chips lead the mobile industry in terms of performance, so losing Srouji would certainly be a major blow for the iPhone maker, although the company obviously has a larger team of engineers working on the silicon. Back in 2017, Srouji said his team was already working on chips for 2020.

Apple is rumored to use an Intel wireless chip in its first 5G-capable iPhone in 2020.

Tags: Intel, Johny Srouji

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Netflix Plans Latest Price Hike, Standard Plan Increasing From $11 to $13/Month

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Netflix today announced that it will raise the prices for all of its subscription tiers, the latest price hike since November 2017. Specifically, the cheap "Basic" tier will rise from $8 to $9/month, the popular HD "Standard" tier will rise from $11 to $13/month, and the 4K "Premium" tier will rise from $14 to $16/month.

According to CNBC, the changes take effect immediately for new customers signing up for Netflix, while current subscribers will be grandfathered in to their existing prices for now, and see the price hike emerge over the next three months. The increase represents a jump of between 13 percent and 18 percent, which is Netflix's biggest price increase since it launched streaming 12 years ago.

Today's report says that the extra cash will be used to pay for Netflix's lofty investment in original shows and films, as well as finance the debt it's recently taken on to "ward off streaming threats" from Apple, Disney, and others.

Netflix is boosting its original catalog of shows and movies as more companies remove their content from its service and build their own platforms, just like Disney will do with Marvel and Star Wars movies sometime this year. After they're removed from Netflix for good, Disney's streaming service "Disney+" will be the exclusive streaming home of these franchises.

Netflix is also gearing up for new competition in the streaming market, particularly from Apple's upcoming original television shows. Apple is planning to debut its first string of shows at some point in 2019, and they'll reportedly be free for Apple device owners in the company's TV app, likely taking some streaming time away from Netflix for users who stream on Apple TV.

In total, this is the fourth price hike for Netflix subscribers in the streaming service's history. The HD Standard tier was priced at $10/month in 2017 before it rose to $11/month in November of that year, and now it will be priced at $13/month.

During one of the first price hikes in 2016, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings noted that the company saw an "unexpected" loss of subscribers when raising the Standard tier from $8 to $10/month. "Whatever the price is for something, people don't like for it to go up," Hastings admitted at the time.

Tag: Netflix

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Verizon Reportedly Adding Apple Music as Free Perk on Select Unlimited Data Plans

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Verizon subscribers with an iPhone or Android smartphone and a Beyond Unlimited or Above Unlimited data plan will soon have unlimited access to Apple Music at no additional cost, according to documentation obtained by 9to5Mac.

The report claims the Apple Music perk will not be on a trial basis, but rather will be offered on an ongoing basis. Verizon's lower-priced Go Unlimited plan with reduced data speeds will continue to offer a six-month Apple Music trial, as the Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited plans currently do.

The perk will be available to both new and existing subscribers starting this Thursday, January 17, the report adds. Verizon's documentation suggests there is no catch, with the Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited plans expected to remain priced at $50 per month and $60 per month respectively.

The perk will compete with T-Mobile's offer of free Netflix to subscribers who have two or more unlimited data lines with the carrier.

Tags: Verizon, Apple Music

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