Google introduced an updated Smart Display interface alongside the Nest Hub Max, and now you don't need that new hardware to see what the fuss is about. The 9to5Google team has discovered that Google is rolling out the refreshed interface to the Nest Hub (formerly the Home Hub) and, presumably, third-party devices. The new home screen ditches the all-white Material Design appearance in favor of a more personal carousel of cards that keeps your wallpaper in the background. You won't see as much of the weather forecast, but you should have more overall info at a glance.
The change isn't just a fresh coat of paint. Google is partly prepping for the Nest Hub Max, which uses face detection to show Duo messages and reminders on the home screen when you gaze at the camera. In that light, this is as much about setting a new direction for Smart Displays as it is ensuring harmony in the smart home.
In this week's Apple Core roundup we're breaking down the latest rumors about the iPhone XR sequel, along with production updates regarding the rest of Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup. This week Apple also released the last major software updates to iOS, MacOS, WatchOS and TVOS before WWDC. Find out what new features to expect on your iPhone and other Apple devices once you upgrade.
Apple begins production of a key iPhone 11 part
We are less than four months away from meeting the next batch of iPhones, which means mass production of these devices is inching closer and closer. According to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple is about to start mass producing its A13 chips, the next-generation processors that are expected to power their new batch phones. The report also mentions the 2019 iPhones are expected to have reverse wireless charging, like Samsung's Galaxy S10, and a three-camera array on the back.
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New leaks show iPhone 11R color options and camera bump
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The iPhone XR may look different this year
The internet has been flooded with concept photos and videos detailing what the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max will look like with a three-camera array on the back. Most of the leaks at this point seem to have settled on a the same design: three lenses on the back of the phone enclosed in a large, protruding square. The design hasn't had a very positive reception among Apple fans, and now it looks like the 11R may share the same design fate.
This week Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman tweeted an image showing a 3D render of the iPhone 11R along with the rest of the lineup, showing it has the same large, square bump on its back despite the fact that it only has two lenses. The iPhone 11R is rumored to be adding a telephoto lens this year, while the other, more expensive models will get a super-wide-angle lens.
But at least some flashy new colors may help distract from the bump. According to supply-chain blog Macotakara cited in 9to5Mac, the iPhone 11R will add lavender and green to its color palette, adding to last year's white, black, yellow and red options. (Last year's coral and blue hues are being phased out.)
Software updates for your iPhones, Macs, and Apple Watches
Apple just released its last major software updates for iOS, MacOS, WatchOS and TVOS, before the company reveals the next generation of its operating systems at WWDC 2019 on June 3.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can expect some bug fixes with iOS 12.3 and improvements for Apple's News+ service, Apple Music, the Apple TV Remote and CarPlay as well as AirPlay 2 support for compatible smart TVs so you can watch content on the biggest screen in your house.
What's new in the TV app?
But one of the biggest changes to come with iOS 12.3 is for the Apple TV app (not to be confused with Apple TV, the company's physical streaming box, or Apple TV Plus, the new Netflix style subscription service Apple announced in March). This is the app that comes preloaded on most iPhones and iPads, which until now might have been ignored by a lot of users.
That may change with the latest iOS update. Whereas in the past, the app pretty much displayed all your video content in one place, it now has a refreshed look and does a better job at curating your content, floating things you may be interested in to the top of your feed. It also has a new dedicated kids section that you can sort by age.
You can also watch the video directly on the TV app now instead of getting kicked back to the original source to watch shows. However that only works if you've subscribed through the TV app.
The new Channels section actually lets you subscribe without leaving the TV app and offers some pretty big incentives to do so, aside from just being able to watch it all in one place. The biggest one: you can view content offline, even shows that didn't have this option in their own app, such as HBO. So download the entire season of Game of Thrones to binge watch on the plane.
The other benefit is your content is streamed directly from Apple's servers. In theory, this should mean you have a faster, more stable connection.
Each service comes with a 7-day trial and similar monthly subscription prices as what you'd find outside the app. Netflix is notably absent from the list of options.
Apple's Macs apparently won't be getting the Apple TV app until later in 2019 with the release of MacOS 10.15.
Respawn Entertainment has revealed how they are finally going to fix the long-standing hit registration issues in Apex Legends with their next update.
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Apex Legends released back on February 4 to much fanfare as Respawn made their first foray into the crowded battle royale market. While success was instant, some players have slowly moved away from the game, returning to Fortnite Battle Royale and PUBG.
Those loyal players that have remained are gearing up for the release of content in the form of season two - which is expected to drop sometime in June - yet, issues still remain in the current build of the game, including hit registration, audio, and general performance errors.
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Respawn Entertainment
Respawn have been hard at work to rectify the problems that are still rearing their heads. On May 17, they announced just what players can expect in the next update - including a resolution for the long-standing hit reg issues.
Players will now see network problem indicator icons in the upper right of the screen “more frequently” than they currently do. The developers explained that these icons are now “pickier about your connection quality”
While this may not be the almighty fix that some players may have been hoping for, Respawn added that the changes in network detection will be “useful” in helping them “narrowing down the cause of any bugs that we continue to see.”
Screengrab via Reddit
The full explanation from Respawn on the Hit Reg issues.
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The developers are still urging players to share any videos and report the remaining errors that appear when it comes to hit registration in-game. The update is set to drop “early next week,” which could indicate either May 20 or May 21 but Respawn did not reveal a specific date as to when it will go live.
However, for one reason or another, things could change and the patch could be delayed. It remains to be seen as to when exactly the game will receive an update.
In news that will come as no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention, CNBC reports on a list of your purchases managed by Google, pulled from email receipt data in your Gmail account.
This has long been a feature of Gmail – it's how Google Assistant can alert you to package deliveries, for example – and you can see the list here or by typing "my purchases" into Google search (if you're signed in).
Google mines plenty of other information about you through your Gmail account: try typing "my flights" or "my trips" into Google search (while signed in) to see some of it.
The aim is to give you pertinent information (like flight delay alerts) when you need it – Google says only you can view this data and that it isn't sold on to third parties or used to serve up advertising.
Private destination
As CNBC notes, the purchases list includes everything you've bought that there's a receipt for in Gmail, whether you got it from Google or not. It's also difficult to scrub this list without deleting the receipt.
"To help you easily view and keep track of your purchases, bookings and subscriptions in one place, we’ve created a private destination that can only be seen by you," Google told CNBC in a statement.
While Google has been collecting data from your Gmail account for some time, the new report is a reminder that using Google's apps and services comes with a trade-off in terms of privacy and data collection.
At the recent Google IO 2019 developer conference, Google reiterated its commitment to keeping user data protected and safe – the company promises it can be trusted with info like your history of purchases, but it's always worth remembering just how much Google knows about you.
Lady Gaga was invited by Apple to be the first artist to perform inside the new Apple Park in Cupertino, as part of the grand opening on May 17.
Gaga took to the stage playing a shorter version of her Enigma show for over 15000 Apple employees, exceeding original predictions of a 12000 crowd, on the Rainbow Stage, built as a tribute to the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The crowd enjoyed the private concert much more those at the Sapphire Conference last week, where Lady Gaga had to motivate the developers many times during the show. The stage was fairly different to the usual setup, including her name in the Enigma font in large LED lights as part of the design.
Here are our favorite moments:
When Gaga asked the crowd to tell her to go Fuck Herself:
Lady Gaga dedicated Million Reasons to Laurene Powell late's husband.
"If we could all, 15 thousand of us for one minute, that I will time, I would like silence, in honor of your late husband. I think it takes a true genius like Steve Jobs to be able to make so many people talk and communicate, and also, to leave us speechless. Laurene, you do so much for the world, with the Emerson Collective and so much more that you do. You help people, you're kind. This is the most important thing in the universe, kindness. This is what heals the whole world. So I hope you take this as a true sincere kind gesture. I would not only like to dedicate this to your late husband, but to you for carrying on his legacy."
When she talked about being a nerd.
"In moments like these I remember having really frizzy hair and a retainer in my mouth at school, and now i go like what the fuck, I'm the first performer at Apple Park. And it's even more exciting because I'm a nerd, and I fucking love nerds and you're just a bunch of fucking nerds. Because you're so fucking smart and so brilliant. And I used to feel so weird and now I don't. I don't feel so weird cause I'm not alone."
When she asked the Apple Developers to create a "Be Kind" Emoji.
"I'd also like to say thanks to Zane Lowe, because you know, he's always really encouraged me to do whatever the fuck I want. So I'm gonna ask you something, I actually think have to go through a different company and you guys have to approve it. But I would like, if you know anybody, an emoji that says 'Be Kind'. So I'm going to get to work on that."
Google's Jump VR platform will go offline by the end of June, and it has started telling users to download their data before it shuts down completely. The tech giant launched Jump back in 2015 to simplify the creation of 3D 360-degree videos using shots and videos captured by compatible camera rigs, which are typically composed of over a dozen action cameras. Once uploaded, Google uses the power of the cloud to automatically stitch them together.
In an email sent to users and a notice posted at the top of the Jump FAQ page, the tech giant said the platform will stop accepting uploads for processing at 11:59PM Pacific on June 26th. Those who want a copy of the data they uploaded to the cloud will have until June 27th to download them all. On June 28th, Google will start erasing Jump's cloud data and deactivating accounts.
Based on what the company told users, the declining userbase compelled it to shut the service down. "...[We] have seen the emergence of a number of good alternative solutions for creators, including VR180. As these new cameras, formats, and editing tools became available, we saw usage of Jump Assembler decline." Thankfully, camera rigs that support Jump, such as GoPro Odyssey and the Yi Halo, will still work with third-party video editing software -- they cost tens of thousands of dollars, after all.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 took itself off of the Epic Games Store temporarily rather than take part in the recent "Mega Sale"
Epic's first "Mega Sale," launched yesterday, is causing some pricing and availability hiccups for a few publishers. As Kotaku lays out, a couple of games in the store's small catalog seem to have removed themselves from the platform rather than participate in the temporary price reductions.
Paradox Interactive's Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 and Klei Entertainment's Oxygen Not Included are no longer available on the Epic Games Store as of this writing. Bloodlines 2 was actually removed shortly after being listed at a reduced sale price, a state of affairs that Epic's Sergei Galyonkin said happened because Paradox was unaware of the "sale mechanism."
"If a developer or publisher chooses to not participate in our sales, we will honor that decision," an Epic representative told Kotaku. "Paradox Interactive has chosen to not participate in the Epic Mega Sale and the game has been temporarily removed from sale. If you’ve purchased Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 during the period when the discount did apply at the time of check out, Epic will honor that price."
Paradox also noted in a statement that the game will "return to the store soon," presumably after the sale is complete.
Epic's Mega Sale, which offers a reduced price for every game currently available on the platform, also includes an additional $10 discount for games prices $14.99 and over, covered by Epic itself. But those steep discounts can cause an awkward price discrepancy for publishers that also offer their games on Steam, where Valve's larger revenue cut can create a different value proposition. Some publishers also might be wary of effectively devaluing a new release by offering such a large price reduction so soon after launch.
Meanwhile, the Epic Mega Sale also caused some brief pricing confusion for Supergiant's hack-and-slash title Hades. After the game was briefly listed at $6.99, its sale price was reset to $14.99. The game's base price, however, was listed at $24.99, up from its original listing of $19.99. Supergiant later reset both the base and sale prices to $19.99 and apologized for raising the base price without advance warning.
