Official WWDC app gains dark UI, Apple TV support ahead of June 13 keynote kickoff

The official WWDC app was updated on Friday with a new dark user interface, universal app support for tvOS, live streaming on iOS and tvOS, and support for multitasking on iOS 9 on iPad.

The WWDC app is a free download compatible with iOS, tvOS and Apple Watch. It requires iOS 9.3 or later and is an 18.1-megabyte download.

Version 5.0 features a new dark user interface, a contrast from the white background featured in the 2015 edition of the app. The icon has also been updated to feature a white Apple logo on a dark background.

The update allows users of the new fourth-generation Apple TV to stream and download videos from WWDC 2016, as well as previous conferences.

Apple's annual developers conference will kick off on June 13 with a keynote presentation, where the company is widely expected to introduce iOS 10, as well as the next generations of Mac OS, tvOS, and watchOS. While Apple undoubtedly has surprises in store, it is not expected that the company will introduce new hardware at this year's event, keeping it a software-focused developer show.

The full list of features in the WWDC 2016 app update, according to Apple, are:

Watch live streamed sessions on iOS and tvOS.
Stream or download WWDC videos from this year and previous years.
Start watching on one iOS device, and pick up where you left off on another iOS device or on the new Apple TV.
Browse times, locations, and descriptions for sessions, labs, and special events.
Mark schedule items as favorites.
Keep up with the latest news, get important notifications, and see new photos throughout each day.
View accessible maps to find your way around Moscone West.
Provide feedback on content and speakers for each session.

Review: Moxiware Apple Pencil Magnet is simple, affordable and functional

Though the Apple Pencil is expertly designed to not roll away on a table, there's still not an ideal place to put it when it's not in use, especially when being used on your lap or while standing. Moxiware's new Apple Pencil Magnet aims to fix that with a simple and affordable accessory, though its aesthetics may not be for everyone.

The Apple Pencil Magnet is priced at $16.95 direct from Moxiware. For this review, AppleInsider purchased the blue version, though it's also available in black, green, yellow, red, and a white version that matches the Pencil's own color.

The concept of the Apple Pencil Magnet is so simple, it's almost a no-brainer: It's a rubberized sleeve with an integrated magnet that allows you to attach the Pencil to the front or back of an iPad Pro. It works as advertised, though there are some small quirks.

Design


The look of the Moxiware Apple Pencil Magnet will likely make or break the purchase for most users. I didn't find the baby blue color I picked to be particularly offensive, but one of my coworkers saw it and exclaimed that I had turned the $100 Apple Pencil into something that resembled a cheap Bic pen.

To each their own.

If you're turned off by the color-on-white contrast, as some undoubtedly will be, Moxiware thankfully offers a plain white version that matches the look of the Apple Pencil.

The rubberized sleeve slides onto the Pencil with relative ease. And once it's in place, it won't move without some effort, ensuring it will stay snug on your stylus.

The magnet embedded in the sleeve sticks out on one side, creating a flat edge that protrudes. When the sleeve is on the Pencil, the magnet is located high enough that it won't get in the way of your fingertips while holding the accessory.

The magnet portion will rest in the area between your index finger and your thumb, though we didn't find this to be uncomfortable in any way. And since the magnet is only on one side of the Pencil, you can always rotate it to face outward if it does happen to bother you.

Usage


Considering the design of the iPad Pro was not intended to support the Moxiware Apple Pencil Magnet, we were surprised at just how well it actually works.

Ideal placement of the Pencil-plus-magnet is on the right side of the iPad Pro. There, it securely snaps against the front bezel, or even on the edge and rear of the tablet.

The magnetic connection is solid. You won't be concerned about your Pencil going anywhere once it's placed against the iPad Pro.

For someone who might be using the Pencil while working on their feet, particularly with the more portable 9.7-inch iPad Pro, we see the Moxiware Apple Pencil Sleeve being a huge benefit. Rather than having nowhere to put your Pencil, you can simply place it down against the right bezel of the iPad Pro, and the accessory will stay securely in place.

Because the magnets within the iPad Pro also hold the sleeve on the right rear side of the tablet, you can also leave the Pencil attached while the front of the iPad is covered by Apple's Smart Cover. The magnetic strength is so strong that it'll even work through the Smart Cover, with the screen covered, staying atop the cover.

Attaching to the right edge also allows the left edge with Smart Connector to remain open for accessories.

This is not to say that the magnet is perfect. The iPad Pro wasn't designed with this accessory in mind, so placing the Pencil and sleeve against the iPad in different spots provides inconsistent results.

For example, on the right bezel, there are multiple locations where the Pencil securely attaches. Sliding the sleeve and Pencil up and down the right side causes the Pencil to jump, as a result of the various magnet placements within the iPad Pro.

The Pencil also attaches to other areas on the iPad Pro, with varying degrees of magnetic strength. For example, the sleeve has a strong magnetic attachment to the upper left and right corners of the iPad Pro in portrait mode. Weaker magnetic connections can be found on the bottom, to the left and right of the home button.

On the left side of the iPad Pro, where the Smart Connector resides, the magnetic connection is there, but it's frankly too weak to advise placing the Pencil there. This could prove problematic for left-handed iPad Pro users who want to hold the tablet with their right hand (along the right bezel). For them, putting the Pencil down along the upper left or right corners might be better.

And while the magnet works fine with the traditional Smart Cover, the magnetic connection is very weak through the bulkier Smart Keyboard accessory. In this case, you're better off sticking the Pencil to the side of the iPad, rather than atop the cover.

Really, though, these are all minor points to consider. The fact of the matter is the Moxiware Apple Pencil Sleeve works as advertised — it creates a secure magnetic connection to the right front bezel and side of the iPad Pro, and it's a convenient way to stash your Pencil, especially when you're using it in a place where you can't set it down on a flat surface.

Conclusion


Priced under $20, the Moxiware Apple Pencil Magnet is an easy recommendation for anyone who doesn't mind the aesthetics.

The Apple Pencil is brilliantly designed, including internal weighting that prevents it from rolling away on a desk. But what if you aren't using your iPad near a flat surface?

Sure, you could stow your Pencil by plugging it into the Lightning dock to charge. But if you're on the go, that's an easy way to lose the Pencil cap, or even potentially snap the Lightning connector. The Moxiware Apple Pencil Magnet is a much better alternative.

In fact, using Moxiware's product got us wondering why Apple didn't do something similar. Simply sticking your Pencil against the iPad when not in use is convenient and easy.

Apple, of course, already makes accessories that stick to — and are powered by — the iPad Pro through its Smart Connector port. It's easy to see how a future Apple Pencil might feature its own Smart Connector attachment, giving users an easy way to stow and charge their stylus on the iPad. It's certainly a much simpler way than the current Lightning connector option.

Regardless, Apple Pencil 1.0 how it is today works extremely well with the Moxiware Apple Pencil Magnet. It's an affordable, simple accessory that works as advertised. An easy recommendation.

Score: 4.5 out of 5


Pros

Magnetic connection to right side of iPad Pro is strong, safe
A convenient way to stow your Apple Pencil while not in use
Reasonably priced and easy to use


Cons

Magnet placement may not be ideal for every use case
Aesthetics critics may not want to conceal the Apple Pencil design

Tony Fadell, "father of the iPod," steps down from CEO post at Google's Nest

Tony Fadell, the founder and chief executive of Nest—the hardware firm acquired by Google in 2014 for $3.2 billion—has announced that "the time is right to 'leave the Nest.'"

Tony Fadell and his Nest thermostat


In a blog posting, Fadell wrote that the "transition has been in progress since late last year and while I won't be present day to day at Nest, I'll remain involved in my new capacity as an advisor to Alphabet and Larry Page."

He added that "Marwan Fawaz is joining Nest as the company's new CEO." Fawaz was formerly an executive at Motorola Mobility, which Google also acquired, failed to turn around, and eventually sold off to Lenovo.

Fadell had earlier worked at Apple, where he played an instrumental role in bringing the iPod to market, a role that had the media calling him the "father of the iPod." He and former Apple engineer Matt Rogers went on to cofound Nest Labs, best known for the company's smart home thermostat. Nest and Apple had a close partnership that fell apart in 2014, when Google acquired the company for $3.2 billion.

Last year, a reorganization within Google placed Fadell in charge of the company's wearable Glass project. Fadell also remained in charge of Nest, which is now technically separate from Google under the firm's new umbrella company known as Alphabet.

A troubled tenure


Shortly after Google acquired his company, it was forced to suspend sales of its Protect smoke & carbon monoxide alarm over safety concerns.

Earlier this year, a buggy software update for Nest thermostats caused many users to wake up in the cold, as the devices quickly drained their batteries and shut down, taking user's heating and cooling systems offline.

In February, Fadell was profiled in a scathing report that cited former employee who claimed "Nest's every step is administered to death" by its CEO, creating an environment where it's "always crunch time," as last-minute design changes result in unrealistically tight deadlines that force employees to work late nights and weekends.

Another former employee remarked, "I worked there. It was literally the worst experience of my career - and I have worked at all of the hardest charging blue chips and two successful startups - so it is not about high expectations - but abuse," one commenter wrote. "I still wake up with something like PTSD occasionally from getting yelled at and bullied by Tony Fadell almost literally every day while I was there."

With Touch ID rumored for Apple's new MacBook Pros, PC makers prep trackpad fingerprint readers

Apple is rumored to bring its Touch ID fingerprint sensor to the MacBook Pro later this year, but Windows PC makers could potentially beat it to the punch, thanks to new technology from Synaptics that's nearing release.

Secure logins via Touch ID are expected to be a major improvement to the MacBook Pro lineup, allegedly due for a hardware refresh later this year. If true, this would be the first non-iOS implementation of the biometric security system.

On iPhone and iPad, the Touch ID fingerprint scanner is embedded in the home button. It's unknown how Apple apparently plans to integrate Touch ID on the Mac, but a new method from Synaptics shows how it's possible to seamlessly integrate it into a notebook's trackpad.

Engadget got a sneak peek at Synaptics' special next-generation glass trackpad with fingerprint sensor, dubbed SecurePad, at Computex this week. IG Innotek is another company also working on similar technology.

In the Synaptics version, the fingerprint sensor sits underneath the glass layer, allowing the user to use the entire trackpad area for standard cursor and gesture controls. That's a change from its earlier iteration, which featured a separate fingerprint reader.

Synaptics trackpad fingerprint reader, via Engadget.


Godfrey Cheng, Synaptic's vice president of marketing, told Engadget he believes all laptops will feature fingerprint readers in some form within the next three years. The Synaptics solution was said to be responsive in hands-on tests, suggesting it could be made available to PC makers soon and launch in laptops this year.

Apple, meanwhile, is expected to launch its new Touch ID-enabled MacBook Pro in the fourth quarter of 2016. Whether or not Touch ID is embedded in Apple's all-glass Force Touch trackpad, or found elsewhere, remains to be seen.

The Cupertino, Calif., company is also rumored to be looking to include Touch ID in the touchscreen display of its 2017 iPhone revamp. Reports have suggested a radical redesign is in the works for next year, with an edge-to-edge display that would also hide the FaceTime camera and speaker within an advanced OLED screen.

Grubhub, Seamless app updates add Apple Pay checkout option

Apple Pay gained the support of two major on-demand food delivery services on Friday, as Grubhub included Apple's payments service as a checkout option in updates to its Grubhub and Seamless iOS apps.

With Apple Pay integration, customers ordering food through the new Grubhub and Seamless apps have access to a streamlined checkout procedure that could shave minutes off the ordering process, reports TechCrunch. As with any e-commerce service, low friction payments equal higher conversion rates. 

"We're always looking for ways to make it easier for our diners to find and order the type of food they want, when they want it, from their favorite local restaurants," said Sudev Balakrishnan, SVP of Product for Grubhub. "We're thrilled to bring the ease of use of Apple Pay to our diners. It offers another quick and convenient way for them to pay for their meals, whether they're at home or on the go."

Grubhub's support is viewed as a big win for Apple's payments service, which has seen lukewarm interest from online retailers since launching in 2014. 
Following a 2013 merger with competitor Seamless, Grubhub boosted sales to $2.4 billion last year, 60 percent of which came through mobile orders.

Routinely overshadowed by its NFC touchless capabilities, Apple Pay's in-app functions are equally important to the product's success. Like industry stalwart PayPal, Apple Pay not only handles transactions, but saves users time by supplying pertinent information like shipping addresses and phone numbers to retailers. Built on tokenized transactions protected by Touch ID authentication, the service is also highly secure. 

While Apple's network of supporting banks and credit card companies continues to grow internationally, retail adoption has been comparatively slow. According to Apple's website, Apple Pay is currently accepted at just over 90 major chains in the U.S. Apple has not released figures on its nascent payments service, but a report this week estimates Apple Pay handled some $10.9 billion in transactions last year, most of which originated in the U.S. domestic market.

As can be expected, the company is working to build out international support for Apple Pay, with a current focus on Asia and Europe.

The latest Grubhub and Seamless app versions with Apple Pay integration can be downloaded for free from the App Store.

AT&T to lean on 'iPhone 7' promotions to temper subscriber decline, analyst says

AT&T is looking to iPhone to protect its postpaid mobile subscriber base from incursions made by carriers and "Un-carriers" alike, a strategy expected to result in attractive "iPhone 7" promotions later this year, according to investment bank Nomura Securities.

With traditionally thin margins on handset sales, a strong "iPhone 7" launch is unlikely to be a significant revenue driver for AT&T, but it could put a positive spin on postpaid customer stability in the fourth quarter, Nomura analyst Jeffrey Kvaal said in a note shared with AppleInsider. AT&T is looking to alleviate declining net subscriber additions after 363,000 postpaid subscribers left the network in quarter one (PDF link).

Along with DirecTV and Sunday Ticket, AT&T will promote the expected next-generation iPhone in an effort to "defend a slightly lower tier slice of its mobile sub base," Kvaal said. 

Nomura forecasts AT&T iPhone upgrades to hit 7 to 8 percent in the second half of 2016, up from 5 percent in three month period ending in March. About 72 percent of AT&T's postpaid customers are on the company's Mobile Share Value plans, which require a steady diet of upgrades. Kvaal's predictions for "iPhone 7" fall about 3 percent short of gains realized with 2014's iPhone 6 release, which pushed AT&T upgrade levels above 10 percent. 

The wireless carrier's second half push is expected to net about 1.01 million postpaid additions, delivering stability after a string of quarters that saw it lose more ports to T-Mobile than it secured. During the third quarter of last year, AT&T gained one T-Mobile customer for every two it lost.

T-Mobile has given all three of its rivals a run when it comes to selling Apple products and services. Last December, the self-styled "Un-carrier" offered existing AT&T customers 128GB iPhone 6s handsets for the price of the 16GB model as an incentive to switch over. Before that, it announced that customers who bought iPhone 6 could immediately upgrade to the iPhone 6s when it released a few months later.

Apple is expected to follow its usual launch cycle and release a refreshed iPhone this fall. Current rumors suggest the next-gen handset will come with enhanced cameras — a dual-lens setup for the 5.5-inch Plus model — and other updated internals, but should otherwise be aesthetically similar to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. The most recent rumblings claim Apple plans to offer a new 256GB storage tier, twice that of current top-end models.