Leaked document finds Apple acknowledging some iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models disabled mics during calls

What’s considered an integral part of making phone calls might be experiencing some issues on a limited number of Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus units. MacRumors got its hands on an internal document being distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers this week that says some users of the aforementioned devices that run iOS 11.3 or later experience greyed-out speaker button during calls. It’s also supposedly preventing them from being heard during phone calls or FaceTime video chats. It doesn’t seem to be a widespread issue but complaints have popped up online on various platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and Apple Support Communities.

If you’re experiencing the issue, schedule an appointment with an Apple Authorized Service Provider or with the Genius Bar. The service providers have been instructed what to look out for with this problem. You might be asked to disconnect or power off any Bluetooth or audio accessories connected to your iPhone. When the speaker button is greyed out during calls, they’ll need to run audio diagnostics. Affected units will show “device couldn’t detect dock” or “accessory not supported” in the diagnostic pane, they can then start repairs on the iPhone. For this particular issue, it seems they’ll even fix phones no longer covered by warranty. But the document didn’t specify if this repair is completely free of charge. And since Apple hasn’t confirmed the issue publicly, some Apple employees might be unaware of the issue. MacRumors suggest you escalate the issue to a senior Apple Care advisor if you can.

Gboard beta app lets you make your own GIF

If you’re using the beta version of Google’s Gboard keyboard, there’s one new feature for you to check out: you can now make your own GIFs. It’s rather simple to make one. All you need to do is head to the keyboard and select the Emoji icon. From there, tap on the GIF button and you should see the Make a GIF option. When you select this, your camera app will open and it’ll let you make a GIF using either front or rear cameras. It’ll let you add effects before you start recording.

Source: Android Authority + Android Police

Marvel reportedly met with 65 possible directors for standalone Black Widow movie

Marvel Studios

It seems a standalone Black Widow movie is in our future but Marvel is being “extremely thorough” with it, as tweeted by Variety editor Justin Kroll. Marvel has reportedly met with over 65 directors for the film. His tweet follows a story from Hollywood Reporter claiming Marvel has met with a number of female directors like Deniz Gamze Erguyen (Mustang), Chloe Zhao (The Rider), and Amma Asante (A United Kingdom). But the search seems to still be ongoing. A report back in January claimed Marvel hired TiMER writer Jac Schaeffer to pen the script for the movie. In 2017, Johansson and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige have discussed the film and it’s said the initial talks have been positive. What’s keeping the movie from moving forward is the timing and schedule for both Marvel and Johansson. Perhaps, if Marvel finds a director, it might move forward.

Source: GameSpot

Pocket Casts app acquired by consortium of US radio stations

The Pocket Casts app has been arguable the best podcast app on Android with versions for iOS and the web. A consortioum of buyers comprised of NPR, WNYC, WBEZ, and This American Life have purchased Pocket Casts and collectively hope to improve the growing podcast space. What does this mean for the app? Nothing right now since it should work normally. NPR allready has an NPR One app but that could be folded into Pocket Casts in the future.

Source: 9to5Google