Category: Apple Insider

Apple revealed a “first look” at the upcoming show in a press release Thursday, calling the series a “fresh, intensely romantic tale” of a talented but struggling performer in New York.

Little Voice follows Bess King (O’Grady) as she navigates the music scene and copes with life issues like love and family. Also starring are Sean Teale, Colton Ryan, Shalini Bathina, Kevin Valdez, Phillip Johnson Richardson and Chuck Cooper.

The series is produced by Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Bareilles, Ben Stephenson (“Westworld”) and Jessie Nelson (“I Am Sam,” “Stepmom,”) are listed as executive producers, with the latter writing and directing the first episode.

Nelson previously partnered with Bareilles on the musical “Waitress,” which made its Broadway debut in 2016.

Little Voice streams on July 10 and joins an eclectic collection of Apple TV+ originals including Golden Globe-nominated and Critics Choice and SAG award-winning series The Morning Show, sitcom Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, Beastie Boys Story, The Banker and sci-fi epic See.

While the streaming service has yet to find a breakout hit, Apple is forging ahead with plans to build out its catalog beyond original series, movies and specials. Most recently, the company this week reached a $70 million deal for exclusive streaming rights to Tom Hanks vehicle “Greyhound.”

While Verizon was among the first to roll out a functional 5G network in the U.S., the speedy protocol was restricted to data downloads with uploads handled by 4G LTE. That changed on Wednesday when the carrier enabled 5G uploads, saying customers will see an average 30% speed increase over LTE.

It’s worth noting that a Verizon footnote points out that “5G upload coverage area differs from 5G download coverage area.” The carrier didn’t elaborate on what, exactly, that means.

Since it’s still early in 5G’s rollout, there are still some major caveats for most consumers. Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband is only available in select parts of certain cities and requires a 5G-compatible smartphone. Apple is expected to release its first 5G-enabled iPhone sometime in 2020.

Verizon also announced that San Diego will become the 35th market to receive 5G Ultra Wideband service on May 28.

“Our customers’ need for 5G is accelerating. We’re building our 5G Ultra Wideband network to develop and enable the 5G innovations that will support the changing behavior of consumers, businesses and entire industries,” said Verizon CTO Kyle Malady.

Verizon’s low-band 5G networks, which will make up the second part of its 5G deployment, are due to launch later in 2020.

In April, the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) began letting new users sign up for Google Fi using the eSIM embedded in iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max and 2020 iPhone SE. With Google Fi version 2.5, which was released on Monday, Google is starting to slowly introduce eSIM support so that its MVNO members can free up the physical SIM slot on their dual-SIM iPhones.

Officially, the feature hasn’t rolled out completely, but several of the aforementioned Redditors have made it work by uninstalling and reinstalling the Google Fi app. After reinstallation, Google Fi will prompt the users about switching to eSIM.

To complete the process, users must then head to Google Fi’s quick setup webpage to scan a QR code, and then set up wireless data and MMS.

In addition to leaving the physical SIM slot open, the feature will also speed up the process of subscribing to Google Fi for future customers.

Google’s official documentation still says that eSIM is only available for new users, but that text is likely to change as the support for existing users completes its rollout.

The company has given a straight-to-series order in a seven-figure deal for the docuseries, undoubtedly slated for Apple TV+. It won the rights in what Deadline describes as a “highly competitive situation.”

The new docuseries, which is currently untitled, “tells the unbelievable true story of one of the largest scams in government history,” Deadline reports. The series will be produced through Lazarte’s and Hernandez’s Fun Meter Productions.

Lazarte and Hernandez are known for their HBO docuseries “McMillion$,” which explored the true story of a criminal mastermind who stole $24 million from the McDonald’s Monopoly game in the 1990s.

The docuseries joins a growing slate of unscripted Apple TV+ original content, including “Home,” “Beastie Boys Story,” and “Visible: Out On Television.”

Earlier in May, Apple poached the BBC’s documentary chief to produce unscripted content for its streaming platform.

The ChargeHub X4 is one part nightlight, one part four-port charging solution, making it an ideal fix for those of us who are low on outlet space but not on devices.

The hub utilizes smart charging, meaning you’ll be able to fast charge larger electronics, such as the iPad Pro, but also charge low-power electronics like earbuds, accessories, and the first generation Apple Pencil.

The ports on the ChargeHub X4 are somewhat perplexingly placed on the bottom of the device, rather than the side, which makes plugging something in for the first time a bit annoying.

If you’re the type of person who routinely grabs a charging cord to take it with them when they leave, the design of the ChargeHub 4X doesn’t lend itself to having cords endlessly tugged out of it. Additionally, this charger won’t work in any outlets that you’ve also plugged a grounded power strip into, either.

The manufacturer’s images seem to suggest the ideal use case is for a horizontally-oriented power outlet. These often are found on the side of kitchen islands and near some kitchen counters — though we didn’t have one on hand.

That being said, if you’re looking to set up a tech-charging area, this is the perfect solution. Four charging ports give you enough to keep your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and wireless headphones topped up as needed, without the need to take up multiple outlets.

Throwing it behind the couch with a couple of extra-long cables means you and a friend or multiple kids can keep their devices charged while they use them.

The nightlight feature

The nightlight feature is a nice bonus as well. The light is 50 lumens, making it a nice ambient light for kitchens, hallways, or living rooms. In the event that you find the light too bright, a tap on the front touch sensor allows you to adjust the light or turn it off completely. During the daytime, the sensor on the top of the device will switch off the light to conserve power.

There is something we need to make mention of, though — When perusing the included manufacturer’s guide, we were a little concerned over how fragile the manufacturers made the ChargeHub seem. According to the booklet, if the ChargeHub is dropped or even bumped too hard, it is advised that you do not attempt to use it and that you should immediately dispose of it.

This leads us to believe that this may not be an ideal product for homes with young children or particularly rowdy pets, such as dogs.

Still, barring it being pitched across the room by a particularly destructive toddler, we feel reasonably confident in saying that this is still a good charging hub. If you’d like to get your own, you can head to Amazon and snag one for $40.

The drama is thought to be setting records with higher viewing figures and audience engagement than most other shows on Apple TV , with “Defending Jacob” proving to be a highly-compelling series to audience. Within the first 10 days of availability, it is claimed by members of the entertainment industry that the show’s audience grew by five times, and is behind only “The Morning Show” as the most popular Apple TV show altogether.

Part of this is due to the writing, which had Mark Bomback performing screenwriting duties on the 2012 New York Times best-seller of the same name by William Landay. However, in an interview with Deadline, there was a chance the show could have been a film instead.

“It was sent to me initially by Anonymous Content, with the idea it would be a film,” Bomback explained, referring to receiving the pitch from the show’s production studio. “I started reading it and immediately I was, for better for worse, thinking this is gonna be a battle to make this as a film, this isn’t the kind of film you really make anymore. Certainly in a way that would do it justice.”

Realizing its potential beyond a film, Bomback called Anonymous Content back “and said I’m not really interested in doing the film version of this, but I would love to try to do a limited-series version of it.”

In reference to his script-writing for major films ranging from “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “Race to Witch Mountain” to “Fifty Shades of Grey,” Bomback was asked about the show’s nature of being similar to a film in many respects, including the use of Chris Evans as its main star.

“I guess we brought a filmic sensibility to it,” the screenwriter suggests, before referring to the show’s “Scandinavian” feel, which was brought through from the book despite being set in Bostin, offering bleakness and humanity similar to other shows in that style.

The first six episodes of “Defending Jacob” are available to watch on Apple TV+, with new installments weekly.

U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Davila in a Zoom call today informed Apple and a number of plaintiffs that he intends to extend final approval deadlines by a few weeks due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, reports Law360.

Under terms of the deal, class members, which include iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus and SE device owners who performed certain software updates, will receive $25 each for their troubles. That payout could reach up to $500 per instance should collective claims and attorneys fees not reach $310 million.

Class counsel is asking for 30% of the $310 million pool, or $93 million, and $1.5 million in expenses.

Calling the agreed-upon arrangement “fair, reasonable and adequate,” Judge Davila on Friday gave his initial approval. Attorneys noted turnout for the $25 claims should be high as Apple has email addresses for most members of the class.

Apple’s settlement applies to dozens of identical cases that were consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 2018. The company was brought to task for false advertising, alleged unfair business practices, trespass to chattels, breach of contract and unjust enrichment for its part in issuing an iOS feature that temporarily throttles iPhone’s processors during instances of heavy load. Apple released the hardware management feature in iOS 10.2.1, and all subsequent iOS versions, to mitigate negative effects of aging iPhone batteries, specifically unexpected shutdowns suffered by certain iPhone 6 and 6s devices.

Critics claimed Apple failed to adequately inform users about the feature and its ability to slow down handset performance without user consent. Release notes accompanying the 10.2.1 release state only that the update “improves power management during peak workloads to avoid unexpected shutdowns on iPhone.”

A Reddit user ultimately uncovered the CPU throttling function through benchmarking testing, with the results touching off a firestorm of complaints and rekindling rumors of a so-called planned obsolescence scheme.

Further testing from third parties confirmed the presence of an undisclosed throttling process, prompting Apple to issue an apology to iPhone owners for a lack of transparency. To make up for the alleged indiscretion, prices on out-of-warranty battery replacements were cut and the company later introduced a battery health tool that allows users to disable the throttling feature manually.

Multiple class-action lawsuits and government inquiries followed Apple’s announcement. After years of legal back-and-forth, Apple and class counsels reached a $500 million deal in March.

The new safety guidelines were revealed on Thursday in Apple’s annual Supplier Responsibility Progress report. It opens with a public letter from Khan that thanks supply chain partners across the globe, as well as details how the company is ensuring protections for workers at factories and plants during the coronavirus crisis.

Khan said the 2020 report is a “look back” on past sustainability and safety efforts, but also includes some of the actions that Apple is taking to “address COVID-19’s unprecedented challenges.”

“From the outset, we worked with our suppliers to develop and execute a plan that puts the health of people first,” Khan wrote. “Thousands of Apple employees have worked tirelessly to execute that plan in partnership with our suppliers around the world.”

Some of the actions that Apple has taken at supply chain facilities include health screenings, requiring the use of personal protective equipment, givings masks and sanitizer to all employees, and enforcing social distancing and decreased density at workplaces.

Additionally, Apple facilities now feature reconfigured and redesigned floor plans at factories when needed, as well as more flexible work hours to allow for the aforementioned social distancing measures. The company also said that it’s sharing its workplace health and safety plans with others to help establish better worker protections across the industry.

Some of the usual details that Apple includes in its annual report are here as well. The company said its Zero Waste program is now fully integrated, there was a 53% annual increase in suppliers committing to zero-waste practices, and it saved nearly 30.5 billion gallons of freshwater to date.

Apple created the 2020 report based on interviews with 52,000 workers across it supply chain. The company also audited suppliers in 49 countries in 2019, up from 30 the year before.

“Our work to protect people and the planet may never be finished — but we’ve never been more confident that our brightest days are still ahead,” Khan wrote.

The chipmaker seems to have replaced that chip with the Core i7-1068NG7 SKU, the 10nm, 28-watt processor found in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, as well as a new Core i5-1038NG67 chip.

Per NotebookCheck and Geekbench results, the “N” designation in the moniker is reserved for Apple-exclusive chips. In other words, Intel now appears to be marking certain 28W Ice Lake processors as chips unique to Apple notebooks.

According to Variety, Coppola will write and direct the Apple TV+ limited series, based on the 1913 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a Midwestern girl named Undine Spragg who tries to integrate with New York City society.

Coppola said that Undine Spragg is her favorite “literary anti-heroine” and that she is excited to bring the character to the screen for the first time.

The potential limited series would be Coppola’s second project for Apple TV+, which is gearing up to release feature film “On the Rocks.” Coppola wrote the script for and directed “On the Rocks,” which will star Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. The film emerged from a partnership between Apple and film studio A24.

Coppola is known for her film work, including the Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning screenplay for “Lost in Translation,” which stars frequent collaborator Bill Murray. Other films include “Marie Antoinette,” “The Virgin Suicides” and “The Beguiled.”

The Edith Wharton adaptation will be Coppola’s first entr&eacutee into episodic television, though she isn’t entirely new to the TV world. Previously, she co-wrote and directed “A Very Murray Christmas” and has also worked on TV commercials.