Samsung today announced that it will be rolling out AirPlay support for its series of hotel room TVs, allowing iPhone and iPad users to wirelessly stream videos, music, photos, and more from their device to the TV in their room.


The feature allows you to scan a unique QR code on the hotel room TV to establish an AirPlay connection, allowing you to wirelessly stream content from your iPhone or iPad. After the pairing process, your device will also automatically be connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi network. The device must be updated to iOS 17.3 or iPadOS 17.3 or later.

AirPlay on hotel room TVs works with apps and services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade for games, Apple Fitness+ for workouts, and much more.

Samsung said no personal info is ever stored or saved for this AirPlay feature, and the paired device is automatically removed when you check out of the hotel.

Samsung did not reveal which hotel chains will be offering its AirPlay-enabled TVs. The feature launched earlier this year on LG hotel room TVs at select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with more locations to follow.

Google has long offered a similar Chromecast streaming feature on many hotel room TVs that works with both iPhones and Android devices.
This article, "Samsung to Begin Rolling Out Hotel Room TVs With AirPlay Support for iPhone and iPad" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today published a lengthy whitepaper that highlights the company's approach to device repairability and longevity. In the document, Apple revealed that iPhones will better support third-party displays and batteries later in 2024.


First, Apple said True Tone will work with third-party iPhone displays later this year:

True Tone requires precise calibration to function properly, and it is not possible to engage a default calibration for third-party displays, which can result in unexpected behavior. For this reason, Apple disables the True Tone feature when third-party displays are used, but enables all other aspects of the display. In an effort to offer more complete support for third-party parts, starting later in 2024, Apple will allow consumers to activate True Tone with third-party parts to the best performance that can be provided.

They will be able to deactivate True Tone in Settings if the display does not perform to their satisfaction.

True Tone automatically adapts the color of the display to match the light in your environment.

Second, Apple said battery health metrics such as maximum capacity and cycle count will work with third-party iPhone batteries later this year:

Currently, battery health metrics such as maximum capacity and cycle count are not presented to consumers whose devices have third-party batteries. This is because the accuracy of these metrics cannot be verified by Apple. In fact, an Apple internal analysis has found that some third-party batteries sold as new are actually secondhand, with battery health metrics manipulated to appear as new. In an effort to improve support for third-party batteries, starting later in 2024, Apple will display battery health metrics with a notification stating that Apple cannot verify the information presented.

Apple said the third-party battery metrics are not guaranteed to be accurate.

These changes will presumably be rolled out with iOS 18 updates later this year, but Apple did not provide more specific timing in its document.
This article, "Apple Says iPhones Will Better Support Third-Party Displays and Batteries Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced that it now offers a diagnostics tool for self-service iPhone, Mac, and Studio Display repairs in Europe. This software lets customers complete the System Configuration process following self-service repairs by placing the device into Diagnostics Mode and following the on-screen prompts, without needing to contact Apple.


Apple says the diagnostics tool is now available in 32 countries in Europe, including the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands, and others. The tool, which was previously limited to technicians at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers, first became available for self-service repairs in the U.S. last year.

Launched in 2022, the self-service program provides customers with access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and manuals to repair select iPhone, Mac, and Studio Display models, allowing for some do-it-yourself repairs.

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macOS Sequoia expands a long-existing accessibility feature on the iPhone and iPad to the Mac: Headphone Accommodations.


On the macOS Sequoia beta, the Headphone Accommodations options are in the System Settings app under Accessibility → Audio. The settings allow you to customize the audio for all AirPods and select Beats headphones. For example, Apple says you can amplify soft sounds and adjust certain frequencies to help music, phone calls, and more sound more crisp.

When a user configures Headphone Accommodations settings for second-generation AirPods Pro on macOS, the adjusted audio will persist when the headphones are connected to other audio sources, according to a note on Apple's developer website.

These settings were previously only available in the Settings app on the iPhone and iPad.

macOS Sequoia is currently in beta for developers, with a public beta to follow in July. The update will likely be widely released in September or October.
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The Information today reported that shortly after COVID-19-related lockdowns and protests in China impacted iPhone assembler Foxconn in late 2022, Apple's senior vice president of operations Sabih Khan instructed managers to reduce the number of workers on iPhone assembly lines by as much as 50% over the following few years.


To achieve this goal, Apple allegedly began approving high-cost automation projects for iPhone assembly that it previously shied away from. The report claims these efforts resulted in a "significant amount" of automation being involved for iPhone 15 production, but automation has still posed challenges for Apple due to manufacturing complexities.

For example, the report claims that Apple had to cancel some automation processes for the iPhone 16 series due to a "high rate of defects":

This year, Apple sought to build on some of its automation successes by using machines to install the iPhone's buttons, receiver, speaker and main logic board into its chassis, according to three people who worked in Apple's supply chain. But the machines stumbled in properly fastening those components, which have to be carefully screwed into position at odd angles, the people said.

Apple's push for automation could allow it to move even more iPhone assembly to countries outside of China, such as India, Vietnam, and Thailand, as part of the company's efforts to diversify its supply chain in Southeast Asia.

More details can be found in The Information's report.
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Apple today announced that the second beta of iPadOS 18 extends alternative app marketplaces and other app-related changes to the iPad in the EU.


Apple first introduced these changes on the iPhone in the EU with iOS 17.4 earlier this year, to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act. The expansion of the changes to the iPad in the EU comes nearly two months after the European Commission said iPadOS is also a gatekeeper platform under these new regulations.

The other changes include alternative payment options in the App Store, a default web browser selection screen in Safari, the ability for web browsers to use web engines other than Apple's WebKit on the iPhone and iPad, and more. Apple's existing terms extend to the iPad, including the Core Technology Fee for alternative app marketplaces.

iPadOS 18 is currently in beta for developers, with a public beta to follow in July. The update should be widely released in September.
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Antstream Arcade has announced that its cloud-based game streaming service will be available on the iPhone and iPad starting Thursday, June 27. The app will provide subscribers with access to over 1,300 licensed games from a variety of retro consoles, including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, SEGA Genesis, and more.


Earlier this year, Apple updated its guidelines to permit game streaming apps in the App Store worldwide, allowing for a selection of games to be offered within a single app. These services, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce NOW, were previously only accessible via the web on the iPhone and iPad. Antstream Arcade is set to become the first popular service of its kind to take advantage of the rule change.

The primary benefit of Antstream Arcade compared to emulators is that you do not need to provide your own games downloaded from the internet, but this will come at a cost. According to MacStories, the service will cost $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year, following limited-time $3.99 per month or $29.99 per year pricing at launch. In addition, Antstream Arcade requires a Wi-Fi or cellular connection to stream games, and the service offers only a handful of games for consoles like the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and PS1.

Antstream Arcade is already available on platforms such as Android, Windows, and Xbox.
This article, "'Antstream Arcade' App With Over 1,300 Retro Games Launching on iPhone and iPad Next Week" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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