Today’s podcast is somewhat shorter in length, which should be useful for those of you who forgot today was Valentine’s Day and are still rushing around trying to buy gifts and set up restaurant reservations…
- The Apple Watch Series 3 finally appears in the refurb section of the online Apple Store, although GPS+Cellular watches are not available yet
- Apple has published an ARKit/Augmented Reality mini-site that includes details on ARKit, phone technology, and apps that use ARKit
- A Barclay’s analyst thinks that Apple’s 2019 iPhones may add a rear-facing 3D sensor for AR purposes
- YouTube TV adds a number of Turner networks today, but also announces a higher monthly fee for new subscribers starting March 13
The text version of the podcast can be read below. To listen to the podcast here, click the play button on the player below. Apple News readers need to visit Apple World Today in order to listen to the podcast.
Text Version
This is Steve Sande for Apple World Today, and you’re listening to the AWT News Update podcast for Wednesday, February 14, 2018. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Apple fans who have been waiting for the Apple Watch Series 3 to be reduced in price can now look in the refurbished section of the online Apple Store and get a nice discount on the latest Apple Watch. A GPS-only version is available for as little as $279 depending on the watchband selected. Sadly, there are none of the cellular versions available at a discount…at least not yet. The refurbished watches are 15 percent off the usual new price and include a 1 year warranty, which means when the GPS+Cellular version finally makes it to the refurb store, it will sell for as little as $339.
A while back, the AWT News Update reported that apps using Apple’s ARKit augmented reality platform weren’t doing all that well. In an effort to step up acceptance of AR apps and keep the market moving forward, Apple has created a new mini-site that’s all about AR, the technology in the latest iPhones and iOS 11, and the top apps that are available on the App Store. Among those apps are Complete Anatomy, Sky Guide, a number of games including Pokémon GO, and a prototype app from American Airlines that overlays real-time information onto your surroundings while you walk around airport terminals. If you’ve been thinking that augmented reality is just a lot of hype, the mini-site may change your impressions.
Speaking of AR, a Barclays analyst today reported that Apple’s 2019 iPhone may add a rear-facing 3D sensor in order to make the iPhone the top platform for augmented reality. This would be similar to what the forward-facing TrueDepth system currently does for a users’s face, but would also include a laser or ultrasonic time-of-flight sensor to determine distances to more remote objects in the real world.
Cable cutters who have been thinking about subscribing to Google’s YouTube TV should make the jump as soon as possible. The service added a bunch of Turner networks today — including CNN, TBS, TNT, truth, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim — but also said that new subscribers will soon have to pay a higher monthly fee. Starting on March 13, new subscribers will be charged $40 monthly for the service while those who have already subscribed will still pay $35 per month.
That’s all the news for today – join me tomorrow afternoon for another edition of the AWT News Update.
