Netflix Updated With Picture in Picture Support for Compatible iPads
Netflix for iOS was today updated with a highly desired and long-awaited new feature, Picture in Picture support. Introduced in iOS 9, Picture in Picture is an iPad multitasking capability that allows a video that’s playing to be minimized to a corner while other apps are open.
With Picture in Picture support, iPad users can now watch TV shows and movies on Netflix while doing other things on their iPads.
Picture in Picture is available on the iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. iOS 9.3.2 is required to take advantage of Picture and Picture in Netflix.
Today’s Netflix update also includes unspecified bug fixes and stability improvements.
Netflix can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Apple’s new file system revolves around encryption
One of Apple’s quietest announcements at WWDC might also be its most important. The company has introduced a brand new file system, simply called Apple File System (APFS) that makes security its centerpiece. It offers a unified encryption method for virtually every device Apple makes, ranging from the Apple Watch to the Mac. That includes multi-key encryption, which makes it tough to crack even if you have physical access to the storage. In short, the FBI won’t be happy: Encryption is now a core part of the operating system, not just something bolted on after the fact.
APFS also acknowledges the advances in technology in the nearly two decades since Apple’s current file system, HFS+, hit the scene. It’s optimized for flash storage, uses extremely fine-grained time stamps (down to the nanosecond) and supports a whopping 9 quintillion files on a single volume. You’ll also see “snapshots” (read-only instances of the file system) that make Time Machine-style backups easier.
The file system is available to developers in preview form right now, and it should launch in earnest in 2017. However, unlike the usual operating system previews, you don’t even dare try this unless you’re writing apps where it’d be a factor. The pre-release APFS can’t be used to boot a device and doesn’t support many Mac staples, such as Fusion Drives or Time Machine. There’s no certainty that the data you put on a drive now will be readable by later versions of APFS, for that matter. Nonetheless, its very existence is noteworthy: It’ll likely dictate the features of Apple gadgets for years to come.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
Source: Apple (1), (2)
Apple iOS 10 uses AI to help you find photos and type faster
Apple is making artificial intelligence a big, big cornerstone of iOS 10. To start, the software uses on-device computer vision to detect both faces and objects in photos. It’ll recognize a familiar friend, for instance, and can tell that there’s a mountain in the background. While this is handy for tagging your shots, the feature really comes into its own when you let the AI do the hard work. There’s a new Memories section in the Photos app that automatically organizes pictures based on events, people and places, complete with related memories (such as similar trips) and smart presentations. Think of it as Google Photos without having to go online.
AI plays a role even when you’re punching out a message, for that matter. QuickType text suggestions now lean on Siri intelligence to understand the broader context of what you’re trying to say. It’ll be aware of what you’re doing that day, and suggest things based on elements like your contacts or your location. If a friend asks for someone’s email address or wonders where you are, you can share it with one tap. QuickType is better at handling multiple languages and schedules, as well.
These features were somewhat expected — until now, Apple was one of the few big tech companies that wasn’t focusing heavily on AI as a helper for all your day-to-day tasks. We’re not going to knock a serious upgrade, though, and that local support might come in handy for those times when internet access isn’t always guaranteed.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
Apple-backed Chinese Uber Rival Didi Chuxing Raises Another $600 Million
Chinese car-hailing service Didi Chuxing revealed today that it has secured a $600 million investment from China Life Insurance Company Ltd, one month after it raised $1 billion courtesy of Apple (via Fortune).
China Life is the largest insurer in the Asia-Pacific region by market value. The agreed investment reportedly includes equity of $300 million and a long-term borrowing commitment of $305 million, the companies said in a statement.
“The two parties will also collaborate on investment opportunities in mobile transportation and related sectors in China and beyond,” the statement said.
The company’s fund-rasing efforts are aimed at helping it fend off Uber’s encroachment into China. Earlier this month, Uber raised $3.5 billion in resources from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, while Apple CEO Tim Cook called Apple’s investment in Didi a strategic move that would help the Cupertino company better understand the Chinese market.
In related news, Uber announced last week that users of the service will now be able to reserve rides from 30 minutes to 30 days in advance.
The pre-booking option was introduced in Seattle on Thursday and will extend to other “top business travel cities” in the near future, Uber revealed in a blog post.
The feature is currently limited to the company’s low-cost Uber X service, which operates its fleet of non-luxury cars.
Users of the Uber app need only to select “uberX” and tap “Schedule a ride”, whereupon they can set a pickup date, time, location, and destination, confirm their details, and tap “Schedule uberX”.
The decision to offer a pre-booking option marks a shift away from the company’s original “on-demand” ethos, and follows in the footsteps of Lyft, which began testing a similar service in May in San Francisco.
“Scheduled rides have been a top requested feature at Uber since the very early days,” said Tom Fallows, Uber’s director of global experiences. “Even though we’re an on-demand company we totally get it. Sometimes you want that extra reassurance.”
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Google Also Planning to Adopt 85/15 Subscription Revenue Split for Developers
Just hours after Apple announced plans to implement App Store revenue sharing changes that will see developers getting an 85/15 revenue split for subscriptions maintained for longer than a year, Re/code says Google is planning on implementing a similar change for Android.
According to unnamed sources, Google is going to implement the same 85/15 split, but unlike Apple, Google will make the new revenue sharing changes available without the one year requirement. It is not known when Google will roll out its revenue changes to all developers.
Now Google plans to up the ante at its app store: It will also move from a 70/30 split to 85/15 for subscriptions — but instead of requiring developers to hook a subscriber for 12 months before offering the better split, it will make it available right away.
Sources said Google has already been testing the new split with some entertainment companies (so has Apple, to some extent). Google started running the new model over a year ago with video services as a way to get Play subscriptions to work with its TV streaming offerings like the Cast dongle.
Apple currently takes a 30 percent cut of subscription fees in the App Store with 70 percent going to developers, but that’s changing with a new policy that will implement an 85/15 split if a customer stays subscribed to an app for more than one year.
For example, if a customer subscribes to Netflix through the App Store and pays $7.99 per month, for the first year, 30 percent of that amount goes to Apple. If a customer stays subscribed, at the start of the second year, Apple’s share will drop to 15 percent, giving Netflix 85 percent.
In addition to a new revenue sharing model, Apple expanded App Store subscriptions to encompass all App Store categories, giving developers more options for selling their apps and earning revenue, and it introduced ads for App Store search results.
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Custom Built Case Allows Android to Work With an iPhone
Developer and Tendigi CTO Nick Lee, who previously got an Apple Watch to run Windows 95, today showed off a new project he’s been working on, which allows Android to work with an iPhone using a specialized iPhone case.
As seen in the video below, Lee created a 3D printed iPhone case and outfitted it with a built-in Lemaker HiKey board, a battery pack, and other hardware so it could support a version of Android. The case plugs into an iPhone’s Lightning port, turning the iPhone into a display and emulating touch events on Android. While the iPhone is able to display the Android operating system, the Android OS itself is powered by the hardware in the case.
Lee outlines the case’s creation process in a detailed post on Medium, explaining that he figured out how to clone the Android Open Source Project to make a customized version of Android Marshmallow, which is what is displayed on the iPhone.
Over several design iterations and experiments with 3D printing, Lee was able to shrink the case containing the parts down to a reasonable size and perfect the connection between the case and the iPhone. The result is an relatively thick iPhone case that lets the iPhone display and control a full version of Android.
Like Windows 95 running on the Apple Watch, Lee’s Android case is conceptual and not practical for real world use, but it’s an interesting take on getting Android to work with an iPhone.
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Apple Honors the Life of Muhammad Ali on its Homepage
Apple recently updated the homepage of its website with a tribute to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who died on Friday at age 74. Ali was admitted to a hospital earlier in the week due to respiratory ailments, which were further complicated due to a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The tribute on Apple’s website includes a quote that reads, “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” Apple has been a long-time supporter and admirer of Ali, showcasing the boxer in one of its famous “Think Different” campaign videos back in 1997.
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Rest in peace #MuhammadAli
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 4, 2016
Following the announcement of his death on Friday, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared a commemorative Tweet about Ali on his account, as did Phil Schiller. Ali’s family has also taken to Twitter to share more details about his passing and honor his life, including his daughter Hana.
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Apple’s App Stores, Some iCloud Services Experiencing Temporary Outage
According to Apple’s system status page, multiple store services are currently experiencing an outage. The App Store, Apple TV App Store, Mac App Store, iTunes in the Cloud, and the Volume Purchase Program are unavailable for some users.
The outage started just after 12:30 p.m., and we have also heard reports of problems with Apple Music and Apple News, though those are not service outages currently listed on the system status page.
Apple is investigating the issue and will bring the services back online as soon as possible.
Update: Several more iCloud services are now experiencing issues, as seen on Apple’s system status page.
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2016 Internet Trends Report: Global Smartphone User Growth Slowing as Android Outpaces iOS
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Mary Meeker recently shared her annual Internet Trends report for 2016, showcasing a presentation of 213 slides covering a range of topics from global life expectancy to the ongoing market battle between iOS and Android.
Concerning the specific battle between iOS and Android, Meeker notes that over the past six years iOS has seen just a two percentage point increase in market share, while Android has exploded from a 4 percent presence in the industry in 2009 to a massive 81 percent in 2015. The pattern is expected to continue, with Meeker projecting iOS will see a year-over-year loss of 11 percent in unit shipments as Android climbs another 7 percent in 2016.
Due to Apple’s introduction of the lower-cost iPhone SE — and the cheaper price tag of smartphones in the company’s expanding global markets — Meeker also expects Apple’s average selling price per unit to dip this year for the first time since 2012. In that year, ASP dropped only 4 percent (from $712 in 2011 to $686 in 2012), but now the company is predicted to see a 9 percent decline in ASP (dropping off from $717 in 2015 to $651 in 2016).
Unlike in years past, global smartphone unit shipments are slowing “dramatically,” for both Apple and Android-supported devices. Expansion for the smartphone market as a whole has stagnated, going from a peak in 2010 at nearly 80 percent year-over-year growth, to just about 15 percent in 2015.
Global smartphone user growth is seeing a similar slow-down; understandably, the largest markets with the least amount of smartphone proliferation have the biggest upticks in year-over-year increments. These include Asia-Pacific, which has seen a nearly 20-percentage-point increase in smartphone user share over the last seven years and now accounts for over half of the total market.
Apple has been attempting to gain a larger foothold in these countries, notably seeing strong performance in China in recent years and looking toward India as its next area of focus. Low-cost devices — and a larger number of potential customers without a smartphone — in areas like the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America also presumably helped those territories come out on top in the total rankings for global smartphone user growth.
Earlier in April, Apple reported its first year-over-year decline in revenue since 2003. The news led to a string of reports addressing the company’s declining stock value and various “peak iPhone” comments concerning its potential inability to continue to grow in certain markets, especially where its flagship smartphones see annual releases without much dramatic distinction between models.
Meeker’s tamped-down expectations for 2016 mirror these concerns, particularly regarding the increasing belief that the 2016 iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be iterative updates on the current iPhone 6s line, using a largely similar design but with new features like a dual-lens camera and Lightning-enabled headphone connector. An uptick is now projected for 2017’s “iPhone 8,” which is seeing rumors surrounding everything from a massively redesigned bezel-free display that features a dual-curve OLED screen to truly wireless charging.
Mary Meeker’s 2016 Internet Trends presentation, and a download of the full PDF, is available on KPCB’s website.
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Google for iOS Gains Accelerated Mobile Pages Support
Google has updated its eponymous voice-recognition search app with speed improvements the company claims will save users “a combined 6.5 million hours” this year.
“Each time you open the app or do a search, everything will load just a bit quicker,” said Google VP Tamar Yehoshua in a blog post.
Not only should the app feel faster overall, says Yehoshua, news articles that show up in searches should load almost immediately, thanks to wider adoption of the company’s open source Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project.
Introduced in February, the project aimed to make pages using AMP load four times as fast and use 10 times less data than traditional web pages. AMP-optimized stories are indicated by a lightning bolt icon and show up in the top stories section of search results.
In addition, the app now includes video highlights in select Google Now cards for NBA and NHL games.
Google for iOS is a free download on the App Store for iPad and iPhone. [Direct Link]
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