Apple adds live news to its TV app

As promised, Apple has added live news to its TV app for iOS and tvOS, the platform powering its hockey puck-shaped streaming box. As 9to5Mac notes, the feature currently supports a range of US-centric news organisations including CBS News, CNN, Fox News, Cheddar, CNBC and Bloomberg. Just swipe across to ‘Watch Now’ and you’ll find the News carousel partway down the page. To watch a channel, however, you’ll need to download the network-specific app first; Apple’s TV app uses single sign-on to manage your various subscriptions and cable-linked access.

Apple announced live news at the launch of its Apple TV 4K box last September. The feature was revealed alongside live sports, which was rolled out to US customers as part of an update three months later. Together, they make the TV app — and by extension, tvOS — feel smarter and more helpful. That’s important given the Apple TV has few other advantages (okay, automatic 4K movie upgrades are nice) over its 4K and HDR-streaming rivals. With live news, it’s now a little easier for people to find what they want, when they want it — an important factor as households weigh up which boxes to buy and keep hooked up to their TV.

Source: 9to5Mac

Twitter may have forgotten to purge Kremlin Vine accounts

Twitter may be getting better at removing Russian propaganda bots from its service, but that doesn’t mean it’s still not a little bit careless. CNN believes that the company may have purged some offending Twitter accounts, but forgot to check if any of them had Vine profiles as well. Consequently, it took until this week and CNN’s intervention, before a string of notorious six-second video clips were taken down.

Twitter shut down Vine at the tail-end of 2016, but pledged that specific clips from certain notable accounts would remain available. Last fall, Twitter handed over a list of more than 2,750 usernames that it believed were linked to the Kremlin connected disinformation bureau the Internet Research Agency. But those accounts, including @Guns4life_me and @PoliceStateMe, had publicly-viewable clips in Vine’s archive.

Since CNN’s story broke, the accounts have been suspended, but it’s thought that between them, videos were looped more than 14 million times. In a statement, Twitter said that had “suspended all known Vine accounts” that it was able to link to the Internet Research Agency. That doesn’t seem to be good enough for the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Mark Warner, who said that Twitter needs to “take responsibility and be proactive about stopping Russians and other bad actors who are abusing its platform.”

Source: CNN

Detroit begins enforcing its new Airbnb ban

Detroit authorities are turning up the heat on Airbnb hosts, now that the city’s new zoning rules are in effect. According to Detroit Metro Times, the local government has begun sending cease and desist letters to owners, particularly those renting out units in the R1 and R2 (single- and double-family properties) residential zones. Detroit approved an update to the city’s zoning code in November, which makes it illegal to rent out homes and rooms in those residential zones, unless it’s a secondary property.

Metro Times says a lot of officials thought the update was just minor rewrite to “clean up ordinance language.” Turns out there’s a part targeting Airbnb hosts — it doesn’t address rentals other than those that accept paid overnight guests — hidden within 200 pages of text. That part reads:

“Use of a dwelling to accommodate paid overnight guests is prohibited as a home occupation; notwithstanding this regulation, public accommodations, including bed and breakfast inns outside the R1 and R2 Districts, are permitted as provided in Sec. 61-12-46 of this Code” (subsection of 61-12-392).”

While several officials were apparently unaware of that part in the updated rules, it isn’t exactly a secret that hotels and home owners along the waterfront have been pushing back against the rise of Airbnb in the city. Jamie Murphy, a city planner at the Detroit Planning Commission (which wrote the updated zoning rules), told Metro Times that the changes “were in response to some resident complaints and were generally a way to begin regulating short term rentals while a more comprehensive ordinance is written.”

According to company spokesperson Ben Breit, Airbnb is pretty big in Detroit. There are 430 hosts in the city, most of whom rent out residential homes (or rooms in them) in R1 and R2 zones. Those hosts served 47,000 guests in 2017 and generated $5.2 million in income overall. The company says it’s disappointed by this turn of events, because Airbnb serves as an “economic engine for middle class Detroiters.”

The short-term rental service is facing similar crackdowns in many other parts of the globe. It recently deleted half of its listings in San Francisco, for instance, after a new law that requires hosts to register their properties with the city kicked in.

Via: Curbed Detroit

Source: Detroit Metro Times

PayPal on eBay Has $100 App Store & iTunes Cards on Sale for $85

Following a Target BOGO deal earlier in the week, PayPal on eBay has now launched a better discount on App Store & iTunes cards: you can get the $100 iTunes card for $85 while supplies last. Similar to previous sales on PayPal’s Digital Gifts eBay storefront in the lead up to Christmas last year, you’ll get the iTunes code delivered to you via email, and it’s valid only on purchases made in the United States App and iTunes Stores.

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.

You will need a PayPal account to complete the purchase, but a promo code is not required. As usual with email delivery sales on iTunes cards, you can either enter your own email address and send the code to yourself, or enter the email of a friend or family member to send it as a gift.

These iTunes card sales are a great way to stock up on iTunes credit at a cheaper price, which you can then use to rent and buy movies on iTunes, pay for your Apple Music and iCloud subscriptions, purchase a new app, expand your iBooks collection, and much more.

Head over to our full Deals Roundups for more of this week’s sales.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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How to Disable Personal Requests on HomePod

You can use Siri on your HomePod to access your messages, notes, and reminders, all of which are what Apple calls Personal Requests. As a rule, these only work when the device that was used to set up HomePod is connected to the same local network, which Siri interprets to mean that you’re home.

That’s nice to know, but it doesn’t account for the fact that anyone within earshot of HomePod can still make personal requests to services synced to your iCloud account. That’s not so good news if you share your living space with others, or invite guests over to stay, for example.

If you’re already using your HomePod, you may recall being asked during the setup process whether or not you’d like to enable Personal Requests. Regardless of what you selected during setup, you can turn Personal Requests on and off from your iPhone or iPad whenever you like. Here’s how to do it.

How to Enable/Disable Siri Personal Requests

Open the Home app on your iOS device.
Tap the location arrow icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
Under the People section, tap your profile picture.
Under “Siri on HomePod”, toggle on/off the Personal Requests button.

Related Roundup: HomePodBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Buy Now)
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DirecTV Now Sweetens Deal: Prepay Three Months of Service for $105 and Get a Free 32GB Apple TV 4K

DirecTV Now has updated its Apple TV 4K deal today with an even lower price point: if you prepay for just three months of the streaming TV service for a total of about $105, you’ll get the 32GB Apple TV 4K for free. The deal is an improvement on the original DirecTV Now offer of prepaying for four months of the $35/month service (that’s the entry price point), which ended up costing $140 for the 32GB Apple TV 4K.

This makes DirecTV Now’s deal the best sale price currently available online for the Apple TV 4K, with the $105 price tag up to $75 cheaper than the device’s current going rate of about $170 to $180 at retailers like B&H Photo and Best Buy. You could also opt for the higher cost packages of DirecTV Now when prepaying for three months, with the service increasing to $50/month, $60/month, and $70/month for additional channels.

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.

Once ordered, the Apple TV 4K arrives in the mail within a few weeks, and if you don’t want to continue to pay for DirecTV Now at the end of the three month prepaid period, you can cancel it before you’re billed again and keep the Apple TV 4K. The offer is limited to new DirecTV Now subscribers in the United States, but existing customers can take advantage of it by using a different email address. There’s also a limit of one offer per DirecTV Now account and two per shipping address.

Below you’ll find more of the fine print on the refined deal:

4K Apple TV (32 GB): Must prepay first three months of service at full price. Online orders will be shipped via FedEx ground to address provided. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Offer limited to 1 per DIRECTV NOW account; 2 per shipping address. Not combinable with select offers. 4K HD not available with DIRECTV NOW.

The company notes on the updated page for the deal that it is a limited time offer and “won’t last,” suggesting that it could return to the normal four months of prepaid service fairly soon. If you’re interested, head over to DirecTV Now’s landing page for the deal, click “Redeem & Stream,” and make sure to add the free Apple TV 4K to your plan during the sign-up process.

For more information on discounts happening this week, visit our Deals Roundup.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, Apple DealsTag: DirecTV NowBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Apple to Charge $279 to Repair or Replace a Damaged HomePod Without AppleCare+

Apple today updated its HomePod support website with out-of-warranty service pricing for the speaker, which is arriving to customers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia starting today.

HomePod owners who do not purchase AppleCare+ will pay $279 in the United States, £268.44 in the United Kingdom, and $399 in Australia for Apple to repair or replace a HomePod with any damage, unless the issue is the result of a manufacturing defect covered by Apple’s limited one-year warranty.

HomePod service can be obtained with an appointment at an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Apple also offers to send customers a box to ship their HomePod to its repair center for an additional fee of $19.95, £13.44, and $29.95 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia respectively.

HomePod costs $349 in the United States, £319 in the United Kingdom, and $499 in Australia, so Apple’s replacement fee is cheaper than buying a brand new one, but a lot more expensive compared to AppleCare+ fees.

AppleCare+ extends a HomePod’s hardware coverage to two years from its original purchase date, and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a $39 service fee in the United States, £29 in the United Kingdom, and $55 in Australia, plus the upfront cost of the plan.

We’ve put together a chart to compare the potential costs of replacing a damaged HomePod with and without AppleCare+ in each country:

AppleCare+ for HomePod: United States / United Kingdom / Australia
Since the HomePod is more of a stationary product placed on a desk or kitchen countertop, many customers may opt against purchasing AppleCare+ for the speaker. But if you are worried about dropping it, or it getting splashed in the kitchen, then it may be worth considering the plan for its potential savings.

Related Roundup: HomePodTag: AppleCareBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Buy Now)
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You can build your own smart home hub with Mozilla’s Project Things

If you have a connected home featuring tons of smart devices, you probably also have a platform like the Amazon Echo, Google Home, or Samsung SmartThings to help you control all the units from one location. Mozilla, the creator of Firefox, has come up with a platform called Project Things that claims to let you control all those smart home devices from the web, by utilizing a Raspberry Pi to set up the network. Mozilla believes this self-created platform will give users more control and customization, so people don’t have to be tied to any one preset platform, such as the Amazon Echo.

With Project Things, users can build a gateway connecting their smart home products directly to the internet, with each unit then receiving its own URL. Users can then control these products using the web interface or via voice controls, although the latter is still in the experimental stage. Project Things lets you set up If This Then That commands to determine how your devices should interact, and you can even upload floor plans that show where the devices are located in your home.

As of now, Project Things only supports a small selection of smart home devices. A recent release just added the ability to support light dimmers and smart plugs, and Mozilla anticipates more add-ons to come in future releases.

Project Things is still considered a work in progress. “Please note that this is experimental pre-release software and at this prototype stage is not ready for production use. It is intended as an early preview for hackers, makers, and web developers to get their hands on with the Web of Things,” writes the company on its website.

If you’re interested in getting started with Project Things, Mozilla has guidelines on how to set up a network with the help of Raspberry Pi 3, which has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support capabilities. Not familiar with Raspberry Pi? Another developer board such as an Arduino can suffice, and according to Mozilla, users also have the option to use a laptop or desktop computer. However, the company notes that Raspberry Pi 3 will “currently provide the best experience.

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Google may be reattempting to enter the console market with a streaming service

Android “consoles” seem to come and go like the latest trend, but Google apparently wants to keep the dream alive by providing its own game-streaming platform and possibly a first-party console. The latest rumor pins down a project codenamed as “Yeti” targeting a subscription-based streaming service playable on Google’s Chromecast devices. That could mean Google plans to release a new version of Chromecast packing Bluetooth connectivity, and a compatible game controller. 

According to an unnamed source, Google developed Yeti for two years. The company originally had the service locked and loaded for a holiday 2017 launch, but reportedly decided to delay the project. So far there’s no indication of when — or if — the Yeti project will ever go retail. An updated Chromecast, however, is inevitable regardless of Yeti’s status. 

Unfortunately, there is no information about the rumored “console.” There is also no information about what Google plans to stream: Will the company simply offer Android games, or team up with Steam to provide a service that supports high-quality desktop-class games?

Possibly fueling Google’s Yeti project is Phil Harrison, who now serves as a vice president and general manager under the search giant’s roof. His previous experience includes three years on the Xbox team, as an advisory for Sony’s Gaikai streaming service, as a board member at Atari, and three other roles at Sony. Bringing Harrison on board at Google may be why the company chose to push back the launch of its Yeti project. He reports directly to Google’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Rick Osterloh. 

Currently, the most popular Android “console” on the market is Nvidia’s Shield TV. It’s an Android TV set-top box at heart, powered by the company’s Tegra-branded mobile processor. But it also focuses on gaming: Android-based games installed on the device, and PC games that you can stream through Nvidia’s GeForce Now service. This may be the market Google is addressing with its unannounced Yeti project. 

Nvidia is currently rolling out a beta of GeForce Now for Windows and MacOS-based PCs. The service creates a virtual desktop in the cloud powered by Nvidia’s GTX 1080 graphics cards.  You install your favorite Steam-based games in this virtual environment and then stream those games to low-end machines. 

Google could likely be backtracking to do something similar along with providing the service on the Chromecast or a micro-console. This could prove to be a great benefit for Chromebook owners who purchased a low-end device, but still want the benefits of playing high-quality desktop games. 

Google attempted to create an Android-based console in 2014 but scrapped its plans given the lackluster retail performance of the Ouya Android console. Ouya started out as a highly successful Kickstarter project that landed $8.59 million in funding but faced a retail roadblock because it didn’t support Google Play apps. Other clones came and went with very little success.

Sony already provides its Gaikai-backed PlayStation Now service that streams more than 600 PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 games. Microsoft plans to enter the streaming market with an Xbox-branded service within the next several years. 

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Intel’s Vaunt glasses are the first, most important step toward the AR revolution

Intel’s Vaunt smart glasses are important. They’re probably the most important AR wearable we’ve ever seen, and there’s a simple reason for that: They’re wearable. These glasses aren’t packed to the gills with the most impressive AR hardware on the market, they’re not going to conjure up an immersive mixed-reality experience like Microsoft’s Hololens, or the Magic Leap. No, those devices are for recreation. They’re high tech toys. The Intel glasses are for everyday use, and that’s an important step.

The use-cases Intel outlined in the video over at The Verge don’t exactly sound like groundbreaking features. Getting directions, viewing restaurant ratings, maybe getting the occasional email notification. These are things your current devices do, but the interesting angle here is how they will translate when they move to a different platform.

How will we respond to notifications when they appear in our peripheral vision? Will we want them to be smaller, shorter, less frequent? What about directions? How will those change when we receive them in a completely different way? These are exciting, if mundane, questions that the Vaunt will answer once people start getting their hands on it.

Just like the first smartphones carried over the basic features of standard cell phones before they started creating new and exciting features of their own, the Vaunt as a platform echoes what your current devices do as a tentative first step.

Intel knows this, that’s why their first priority with the Vaunt was creating a device you’d actually want to have with you all the time. Not some weird thing hanging off of your glasses, or some big blocky cell phone. Something that fits seamlessly into your everyday life with just a couple interesting features.

Think about the first smartphones. Not the iPhone, the other ones. The Blackberries, the Palms, the products that aren’t really around anymore. Intel’s Vaunt could end up being one of those, an influential trailblazer that ends up paving the way for better products. It might not be what Intel would like us to see in this product, but it’s an important step nonetheless. In that way, the Vaunt is an appetizer, and personally I can’t wait to see what the main course looks like.

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