Apple Pay With Express Transit Mode Goes Live for D.C. Metro Riders

Apple Pay with Express Transit mode today appears to have gone live for the Washington Metro.

MacRumors reader Errin submitted screenshots showing the SmarTrip fare card ready for public transport use in the Wallet app on iPhone. Several Twitter users have also shared news of the card appearing in the Wallet app for them, too.

‌Apple Pay‌ SmarTrip is live in Wallet. Add virtual or transfer plastic cards pic.twitter.com/C4aofLn4jH

— Ata Distance (@Kanjo) September 1, 2020

Riders in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area should now be able to add their reloadable SmarTrip fare card to the Wallet app, and simply hold their ‌iPhone‌ or Apple Watch near a contactless payment reader at Metrorail stations or on Metrobus buses to pay their fare.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced in December 2019 that ‌Apple Pay‌ with Express Transit would be coming to the Washington Metro this year.

Express Transit mode allows for tap-and-go payment, eliminating the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. The device does not need to be waked or unlocked, either.

Tag: Apple Pay

This article, "Apple Pay With Express Transit Mode Goes Live for D.C. Metro Riders" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3jD4MRn

Facebook Threatens to Block All News Sharing on Its Platforms in Australia

Facebook has said it will stop users in Australia from sharing news on the social network if a proposed law from the country's competition regulator comes into force that would require it to pay local media companies for their content (via CNET).


The threat comes after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) submitted a draft regulatory code that would "address the bargaining power imbalances between Australian news media businesses and digital platforms" and allow Australian news publications to "negotiate for fair payment for their journalist's work."

If the proposed regulation becomes law, technology companies like Facebook and Google will have three months to negotiate with Australian media organisations. 

In a blog post on Tuesday, Facebook Australia and New Zealand's managing director Will Easton pushed back against the draft regulation, claiming that the code "misunderstands the dynamics of the internet and will do damage to the very news organisations the government is trying to protect."

Assuming this draft code becomes law, we will reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram. This is not our first choice – it is our last. But it is the only way to protect against an outcome that defies logic and will hurt, not help, the long-term vibrancy of Australia’s news and media sector.

[...]

The ACCC presumes that Facebook benefits most in its relationship with publishers, when in fact the reverse is true. News represents a fraction of what people see in their News Feed and is not a significant source of revenue for us. Still, we recognize that news provides a vitally important role in society and democracy, which is why we offer free tools and training to help media companies reach an audience many times larger than they have previously.  

In a statement given to CNET, ACCC Chair Rod Sims said Facebook's threat was "ill-timed and misconceived."

"The draft media bargaining code aims to ensure Australian news businesses, including independent, community and regional media, can get a seat at the table for fair negotiations with Facebook and Google," said Sims.

"Facebook already pays some media for news content. The code simply aims to bring fairness and transparency to Facebook and Google's relationships with Australian news media businesses."

In a move possibly related to the ACCC's draft code, Facebook has sent a notification to all users, explaining that its terms of service will be updated from October 1 to allow it to remove or restrict access to any content it thinks could cause the social media company legal problems.

Google also opposes the draft regulation, and sent an open letter to the ACCC claiming that it would put the free services that it offers users at risk. The ACCC responded by saying the letter "contains misinformation" and said that "a healthy news media sector is essential to a well-functioning democracy." It also noted that charging users is not a requirement of the draft regulation, and if Google chose to go down that route, it would be Google's choice alone.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: Facebook, Australia

This article, "Facebook Threatens to Block All News Sharing on Its Platforms in Australia" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3bhEfG1

Kuo: mmWave 5G iPhone Shipments Likely to Be Weaker Than Expected in 2020-21

Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 models will all include 5G support, and several rumors have suggested that some if not all the new iPhones coming this fall will support both sub-6GHz and mmWave networks, which are two different 5G technologies that carriers are rolling out.

The fastest technology, mmWave, will be used in dense areas like major cities. The longer-distance sub-6GHz networks will be available more broadly in urban, suburban and rural areas. Due to the impact of the global health crisis, however, shipments of Apple's mmWave-enabled 5G iPhones could be weaker than expected this year and next year, according to reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


In a new investor's note for TFI Securities, seen by MacRumors, Kuo says shipment estimates for Apple's mmWave-enabled 5G iPhones are likely to be several million units lower than expected due to delays in the global rollout of mWave base stations.

We believe that due to the impact of [the health crisis], the global 5G millimeter wave base station installation is lower than expected. Therefore, we estimate that the shipments of millimeter wave iPhones in 2020 and 2021 will be about 4-6 million and 25-35 million, respectively, which is lower than the market consensus of 10-20 million and 40-50 million units.

Kuo's note harks back to a DigiTimes report in June that claimed shipments of mmWave 5G iPhones could be much weaker than expected this year because of a combination of production challenges and the impact of the health crisis.

However, that report said shipping estimates of mmWave-enabled 5G iPhones slated for launch this year would reach only 15-20 million units in 2020, compared to a previous supply chain estimate of 30-40 million units.

Prior to the global health crisis, Kuo said Apple was still on track to release both sub-6GHz and sub-6GHz-plus-mmWave ‌iPhone 12‌ models simultaneously in the second half of 2020, with shipments beginning in the late third or early fourth quarter. Kuo has not indicated whether those plans have since changed, but some analysts believe that models with support for ultra-fast mmWave technology will likely launch after sub-6GHz models.

Meanwhile, the latest Bloomberg report on Apple's product launch plans claims Apple plans to stagger its iPhone launches this year.

There are four new iPhones in the works in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch sizes. Bloomberg says the two lower-end 5.4 and 6.1-inch devices are expected to ship out ahead of the Pro devices, but it's not clear whether the phased launch relates in any way to different models supporting different 5G technologies.

Apple employees also told Bloomberg that a few testers have found 5G disappointing, with the current 5G networks "not improving connection speeds much."

Kuo has previously said he believes iPhone models with mmWave and sub-6GHz support will be available in main markets like the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan, while in some other countries, Apple may offer iPhones with just sub-6GHz connectivity. Sub-6GHz could also be disabled in countries that do not offer 5G or have shallow 5G penetration, allowing them to connect only to 5G networks.

Related Roundup: iPhone 12

Tags: Ming-Chi Kuo, 5G

This article, "Kuo: mmWave 5G iPhone Shipments Likely to Be Weaker Than Expected in 2020-21" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/31N1BjQ

Apple Working on New Apple TV With Faster Processor and Remote Equipped With Find My

Apple is working on a new version of the Apple TV that includes an upgraded remote with Find My-like capabilities, reports Bloomberg. The tidbit was shared in a wider report on Apple's fall product launch plans.


Apple has been rumored to be working on an upgrade to the 4K ‌Apple TV‌ for some time, and it's been believed that the device could launch at any time, but Bloomberg says that the new set-top box might not ship until 2021.

Along with a faster processor for gaming, the upgraded ‌Apple TV‌ is expected to include a redesigned remote, which is something that we've heard in prior rumors. The new remote is said to have a feature similar to Find My iPhone, which would make a lost remote easier to locate within the house.

We don't know much else about the ‌Apple TV‌ from prior rumors, except that it might come with higher capacity 64 and 128GB storage options.

Bloomberg does not provide details on when the new ‌Apple TV‌ might launch in 2021, but given that signs of the device have been popping up in betas since January 2020, it could see a launch early in the year.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 13, tvOS 14

Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

This article, "Apple Working on New Apple TV With Faster Processor and Remote Equipped With Find My" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/32GQ7gZ

Bloomberg: Apple Launching iPhone 12, Apple Watch Series 6, iPad Air, Smaller HomePod and AirPods Studio This Fall

Apple has a number of products in the works that are set to debut this fall, and this evening, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu shared details on Apple's launch plans, reiterating many of the rumors that we've previously heard about the upcoming product lineup.


There are four new iPhones in the works in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch sizes, with Apple planning to stagger the iPhone launches. The two lower-end 5.4 and 6.1-inch devices are expected to ship out ahead of the Pro devices, and the 2020 launch timeline is set to be the latest relase since the ‌iPhone‌ X came out in November 2017.

Bloomberg confirms design rumors that have indicated the 2020 iPhones will feature iPad Pro-style squared edges and a new dark blue color option for the Pro models, which will replace midnight green. Pro models will feature stainless steel edges while standard models will use aluminum, similar to the current ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

As for LiDAR, "at least" the largest of the Pro phones will get the same LiDAR Scanner that was built into the 2020 iPad Pro models. Apple employees have told Bloomberg that the 6.7-inch display of the largest ‌iPhone‌ is one of this year's "most notable improvements," and a few testers have found 5G disappointing with the current 5G networks "not improving connection speeds much."

Apple is preparing to build 75 million 5G iPhones, which Bloomberg says suggests demand for the ‌iPhone‌ is "holding up" despite the ongoing public health crisis. Apple anticipates shipments of the iPhone 12 lineup could hit 80 million units in 2020.

As for other fall launch products, Apple is working on an ‌iPad‌ Air with an edge-to-edge ‌iPad‌ Pro-style display, and though not mentioned by Bloomberg, prior rumors have suggested it will either feature under-display Touch ID or a ‌Touch ID‌ power button and a 10.8-inch display.

Other products coming this fall include two new Apple Watch versions (Series 6 and a new replacement for the Series 3 that will serve as a low-cost option), over-ear headphones that prior rumors have suggested will be called the AirPods Studio, and a smaller, more affordable HomePod. Past rumors have indicated that the ‌Apple Watch‌ models will feature blood oxygen monitoring, but Bloomberg does not confirm or deny the rumor.

AirTags are in the works with no information on a launch timeline, and while Apple is developing a new Apple TV with a faster processor and upgraded remote control, Bloomberg believes it might not ship until 2021. The remote is expected to come with a new feature similar to Find My for locating the remote when it's lost inside the house.

There are no specific launch details included in the report beyond the mention of the staggered ‌iPhone‌ release, so it's still unclear when we can expect to start seeing new devices from Apple. Leaker Jon Prosser said that we can expect iPads and ‌Apple Watch‌ models to launch as soon as next week, while Japanese site Mac Otakara today said that Apple will unveil the iPhones, ‌AirTags‌, and new ‌Apple Watch‌ models at an October event. Both Prosser and Mac Otakara have mixed track records when it comes to rumors.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 6, watchOS 7, HomePod, iPad Air , iPhone 12, AirPods Studio

Tags: Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Don't Buy), HomePod (Caution), iPad Air (Caution)

This article, "Bloomberg: Apple Launching iPhone 12, Apple Watch Series 6, iPad Air, Smaller HomePod and AirPods Studio This Fall" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/2YN5d3x