FAANG companies -- Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google -- spent record amounts on respective bids to influence politicians over the course of 2019, with Apple bolstering its lobbying efforts to a new high of $7.4 million.
Apple has joined the likes of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO Max with its own exclusive streaming service, Apple TV+. The new service, which launched on November 1 last year, features a wide assortment of TV shows funded by Apple’s mountainous cash pile, and the Cupertino company is sparing no expense in its attempt to lure viewers with some of the best-known actors, writers, and directors.
Below, you’ll find a compendium of everything we know about the ambitious service, and we’ll keep it updated as we encounter credible rumors and get news from Apple itself.
Apple's enhanced privacy tools in Safari to prevent tracking can be used to continue tracking users, Google researchers intend to reveal in a paper, with a total of five different attack vectors identified in Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention system.
Apple has tasked processor supplier TSMC to increase its output of A13 Bionic iPhone processors this quarter due to higher-than-anticipated iPhone demand…
Google researchers discovered multiple security flaws in Apple's Safari web browser that let users' browsing habits be tracked despite Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature.
Google plans to publish details on the security flaws in the near future, and a preview of Google's discovery was seen by Financial Times, with the publication sharing information on the vulnerabilities this morning.
The security flaws were first found by Google in the summer of 2019, and were disclosed to Apple in August. There were five types of potential attacks that could allow third parties to learn "sensitive private information about the user's browsing habits."
Google researchers say that Safari left personal data exposed because the Intelligent Tracking Prevention List "implicitly stores information about the websites visited by the user." Malicious entities could use these flaws to create a "persistent fingerprint" that would follow a user around the web or see what individual users were searching for on search engine pages.
Intelligent Tracking Prevention, which Apple began implementing in 2017, is a privacy-focused feature meant to make it harder for sites to track users across the web, preventing browsing profiles and histories from being created.
Lukasz Olejnik, a security researcher who saw Google's paper, said that if exploited, the vulnerabilities "would allow unsanctioned and uncontrollable user tracking." Olejnik said that such privacy vulnerabilities are rare, and "issues in mechanisms designed to improve privacy are unexpected and highly counter-intuitive."
Apple appears to have addressed these Safari security flaws in a December update, based on a release update that thanked Google for its "responsible disclosure practice," though full security credit has not yet been provided by Apple so there's a chance that there's still some behind-the-scenes fixing to be done.
The United States and other governments need to investigate the hacking of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' iPhone, experts in the United Nations have urged, while details of the report show how the attack stemming from a message sent by Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman allowed attackers to acquire a considerable amount of data from the device.
US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has threatened new tariffs on UK carmakers after UK Chancellor Sajid Javid said the UK would not back down over the tax…
Another week, another iOS beta bugfix release. The staggered and piecemeal release of iOS 13 has been anything but smooth. When iOS 13.3 was released, we thought Apple might be done fixing bugs and adding features for awhile (at least until the new year). But lo and behold, the beta releases of iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 have begun.
Update 01/22/20: Apple has released the third beta of iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1 to developers.
What’s new in iOS 13.3.1
Networking & Wireless location
After some concerns that the new Ultra-wideband wireless chip allowed for tracking users' location, Apple has added a switch to disable location tracking for networking and wireless functions. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services to find it.
Amazon Music continues to gain momentum, and is presently in third place in the streaming music race with a paid user base of over 55 million subscribers.
Apple is now on its third round of developer betas, with new builds of iOS 13.3.1, iPadOS 13.3.1, watchOS 6.1.2, and tvOS 13.3.1 now available for testing.
Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 updates to developers, one week after seeding the second betas and more than a month after the release of iOS 13.3 with Communication Limits for Screen Time.
iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer center or over the air once the proper developer profile has been installed.
iOS 13.3.1 includes a "Networking & Wireless" toggle that turns off the U1 Ultra Wideband chip in the latest iPhones. The feature, located in the Privacy > Location Services section of the Settings app, turns off location for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ultra Wideband.
Apple added this location toggle after it was discovered that the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max continue to track user location even when location services options are disabled. This is because there are international regulatory requirements that mandate the U1 chip be disabled in certain locations.
The new toggle makes sure location tracking is off for the U1 chip at all times. Apple has also added a new "Play Again" button when replaying content that you've already watched in the TV app.
Along with these features, the iOS 13.3.1 update also likely includes bug fixes for issues unable to be addressed in the iOS 13.3 update. Specifically, it could address some issues with Communication Limits, fixing a workaround with the Contacts app that allowed children text someone who contacted them from an unknown number.
Pitaka is taking on multi-chargers with a unique design that is capable of powering an iPhone, a set of AirPods, an Apple Watch, and an iPad all at once with a surprisingly small footprint.
Foxconn founder Terry Gou pledged to start up a long-delayed electronics plant in Wisconsin this year. Gou said the plant will drive his company’s vision…
Foxconn will be getting its Wisconsin factory up and running in 2020, company chief Terry Gou has promised, insisting the Apple assembly partner will start mass production at the troubled facility at some point this year, despite its slow progress.
At least one iPhone 12 model will come in a new Navy Blue finish, according to XDA Developers writer and leaker Max Weinbach, who shared his information with YouTube channel EverythingApplePro.
Weinbach believes that Navy Blue could replace the Midnight Green finish available for iPhone 11 Pro models. In line with this, EverythingApplePro created a mockup of what the iPhone 12 Pro in Navy Blue could look like.
iPhone 12 Pro in Navy Blue concept via EverythingApplePro/Max Weinbach
Weinbach has accurately revealed a new iPhone color in the past. In May 2019, through his Twitter account PineLeaks, he said the successor to the iPhone XR would come in a new light green color. However, he said the green option would replace yellow, and the iPhone 11 is available in both green and yellow.
Weinbach also accurately predicted that the volume HUD would become less obtrusive in iOS 13, but he has also shared several Apple-related rumors that did not pan out, including the iPad getting a native Calculator app in iOS 13 and the HomePod launching in Austria and Italy within 2019.
The iPhone XR successor will come without the yellow color we saw last year, but with a new light green color. The shade of this green is comparable with the blue we currently have. It will be a quite bright color, but not too flashy.
Weinbach has a more established track record with Android-related rumors, most recently including alleged Samsung Galaxy S20 leaks.
Watch this EverythingApplePro video for a closer look at the Navy Blue concept:
Apple plans to release five new iPhone models in 2020, including the so-called "iPhone 9" or "iPhone SE 2" with a 4.7-inch display in the spring and a higher-end, OLED-and-5G lineup with one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model in the fall, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
As Apple looks to address a wider section of the global smartphone market, suppliers are slated to begin assembly of an all-new low-cost iPhone next month…
Midweek Apple deals see fresh price drops on AirPods and Apple's premium 16-inch MacBook Pro (complete with upgraded storage and graphics). Plus, save up to $200 instantly on iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro models.
The West Indies-based veterinary school joins the short list of universities to be recognized by Apple for providing an exceptional learning environment for students.
Apple today added a variety of charging solutions and other products to its online store from brands such as OtterBox, Mophie, Belkin, Ubio Labs, Native Union, STM, and Promise Technology.
OtterBox's stackable wireless charging system OtterSpot includes a base that can charge up to three disc-shaped 5,000 mAh batteries and an iPhone, AirPods case, or other device on the top simultaneously. The idea is that you can quickly pick up one of the batteries from the stack and charge any Qi-enabled device on the go.
Apple has added two BOOST↑CHARGE power adapters from Belkin, including one with a single 18W USB-C port for $39.95 and one with dual 18W USB-C and 12W USB-A ports for $44.95 for charging devices like iPhones and iPads. Each power adapter includes a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box.
Three more RAID storage systems are available from Promise Technology, including R4/16TB, R6/24TB, and R8/32TB options.
Last, there are new cases from Native Union and STM for the 10.2-inch iPad.
Trump demands Apple unlock iPhones - again. U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his stance on Apple’s refusal to unlock iPhones for investigators…
Apple assembly partner Wistron is increasing its production capacity in India, ramping up productivity for its third plant in the country after an initial trial by the firm, with iPhones thought to be the main produce from the newest operation.
Apple is reportedly negotiating to lease roughly 200,000 square feet of office space at 11 Penn Plaza in Manhattan. Apple is said to be at maximum capacity…
Sonos is dropping support for certain devices starting in May, and is warning users that legacy devices in a mix will prevent newer devices from gaining crucial updates as well.
The 2018 hacking of Amazon Jeff Bezos' smartphone led to the leaking of compromising information to a newspaper, a private investigation into the affair claims, with the hack allegedly involving a malformed video sent from the WhatsApp account of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump has continued his push for Apple to unlock iPhones on demand by law enforcement, claiming the company has "the keys to so many criminals and criminal minds."
If you want to breathe new life into static photos with minimal effort, there’s no better method than FotoMagico 5 for macOS, which we hailed as “more impressive than pulling rabbits out of a magic hat” in our May, 2016 review. For nearly 15 years, this slideshow creation software has been the go-to solution for casual shutterbugs and professional photographers alike.
Fortunately, FotoMagico is now available for iPad, providing a way to assemble great slideshows from anywhere. Best of all, Mac project files are interchangeable with the iPad version, so you can start a project on one device and finish on another.
A new supply chain report suggests that Apple will extend its new scissor switch keyboard beyond the MacBook Pro, with it set to be used in the iPad Pro Smart Keyboard.
Let’s face it: a lot of people may have created Apple IDs for their kids for convenience while skirting Apple’s rules about the age at which an account can be created. That’s 13 in the U.S. and many countries, unless you use the option within Apple’s Family Sharing to create a Child Account.
If you weren’t using Family Sharing, however, and—ahem—invented an earlier birthdate for one or more child, you can still rewind the clock and gain the advantages for age-based control within Family Sharing.
For our family, that includes not just using Screen Time to limit and monitor access to all their Apple devices, but—and the kids actually like this—remotely disabling Screen Time if they are on a sleepover or away on a school trip and we are willing to let them use their screens past our household limits. (That was a selling point to at least one kid, along with access to a much larger pool of shared iCloud storage.)
Whether you suffer from allergies or asthma or just want to optimize your indoor environment, these devices will give you insight into the air you're breathing.
Ready to cut the cord? You’ll need a quality antenna to pick up digital broadcasts. Here are our recommendations for best indoor and outdoor TV antennas.
Apple has reportedly tasked chip manufacturing partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. with increasing production of A-series processors in response to strong demand for this year's iPhone lineup, particularly the relatively low-cost iPhone 11.
Apple AirPods offer hands-free convenience with Siri support, as well as seamless integration with iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads and Macs thanks to Apple's H1 chip. We've rounded up the best AirPods deals going on right now, delivering instant cash savings and free shipping.
Adding to a raft of rumors surrounding a low-cost iPhone model tentatively dubbed "iPhone SE 2," a report on Tuesday claims the hotly anticipated iPhone SE-tier follow-up is going into production next month.
Apple will start mass production on the rumored low-cost iPhone that's in the works starting in February, reports Bloomberg. The new iPhone could launch as soon as March after production begins.
Rumors suggest the new iPhone will be similar in design to an iPhone 8, offering up a 4.7-inch LCD display, thick top and bottom bezels, a Touch ID Home button instead of Face ID, and a single-lens rear camera, but it will be equipped with a modern A13 chip and 3GB RAM.
iPhone SE and iPhone 8
The iPhone will be the first truly low-cost iPhone Apple has introduced since the iPhone SE, which has led to the device being called the "iPhone SE 2" in some rumors, even though it's not expected to be as small as the original iPhone SE. There has been some speculation that Apple could call it the "iPhone 9," a number that was skipped with the 2017 unveiling of the iPhone X, but it's not clear what it will be named.
Render of what the low-cost iPhone could look like, via OnLeaks
Given the $399 pricing of the original iPhone SE, which was also positioned as a more affordable iPhone option, the new low-cost device could potentially be sold at the same $399 price point, making it Apple's most affordable iPhone. The iPhone 8 is currently the lowest priced iPhone Apple sells at $449.
The low-cost iPhone will be Apple's first iPhone in 2020, with additional iPhone models slated for release in the fall of 2020 with higher-end all-glass designs like current flagship iPhones, 5G technology, and rear 3D cameras. For full details on what to expect from the low-cost iPhone, make sure to check out our roundup.
EA is ending support for its Tetris for iOS apps starting on April 21, 2020, the company announced today in app updates to Tetris Premium, Tetris 2011, and Tetris Blitz.
As noted on the MacRumors forums, updates to the Tetris apps say that the games are being retired, with no word on why. From the app updates:
Hello Fans, We have had an amazing journey with you so far but sadly, it is time to say goodbye. As of April 21, 2020, EA's Tetris(R) app will be retired, and will no longer be available to play. Kindly note that you will still be able to enjoy the game and use any existing in-game items until April 21, 2020. We hope you have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of this game and we appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you!
Customers who have purchased in-app items in one of EA's Tetris apps will need to use those items up before the game is retired on April 21, 2020. Though some apps remain available to play after being pulled from the App Store, it sounds like EA is removing access to the Tetris games entirely.
Tetris has been a staple iOS game since the iPhone launched, offering up well-known and well-loved block stacking puzzle gameplay. EA has offered several updates for its Tetris apps over the years, but prior to today's announcement about retirement, the apps had not seen an update since the summer of 2018.
Anker in December debuted a new LED flash accessory that's unique because it's the first iPhone flash option that's Apple certified with Made for iPhone approval.
Anker started accepting pre-orders for the flash earlier this month ahead of a launch in late January, and we were able to get our hands on the LED flash to try it out.
Priced at $50, the LED flash from Anker is designed to work with Apple's newest iPhones, which means it is compatible with the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.
There have been other flash accessories on the market in the past, but these have all worked over Bluetooth. Anker's LED flash has a Lightning cable that plugs right into the Lightning port on the iPhone, so it's perfectly synced with the rear cameras and goes off at just the right time.
Design wise, the flash is a little cube with an LED bulb at the front, a Lightning cable at the bottom, and a power button at the side. It comes equipped with a storage pouch and a little diffuser accessory to make the lighting less harsh for when you want a softer look. At the side opposite the power button, there's a tripod mount so you can mount it if desired, but holding it is an option too.
Anker's flash is equipped with a 700mAh battery, which is good for approximately 10,000 shots in flash mode or 50 minutes of light during video capture. Using the flash for video requires putting it into a flashlight mode, which can be done by pressing on the power button.
Once the battery has been exhausted, it will need to be recharged, which can be done with a 5W charger and a USB to Lightning cable. Recharging takes about 75 minutes.
Using the flash with the iPhone requires no setup because of the Lightning cable. Once it's plugged in, it works with the built-in Camera app of the iPhone when the flash is turned on, and it can also work in third-party apps.
According to Anker, the flash accessory is meant to offer 4x more light than the standard built-in flash of the iPhone, which has always been weak and often of very little use for most images.
Anker's flash provides more even lighting throughout the image, and it provides a cooler color temperature. You can see the difference between no flash, the built-in flash, night mode, and the Anker flash accessory in the images below.
The LED flash from Anker puts out quite a bit of light, which is useful for photos and videos alike in low lighting conditions. The diffuser is a useful tool too, as seen in these comparison images.
For those who are into iPhone photography, Anker's little cube flash is a tool that will give you more options when capturing images and videos, and it's certainly more useful than Apple's built-in flash.
Apple is considering creating original podcasts focused on TV shows and movies from its Apple TV+ streaming service, reports Bloomberg. The podcasts would be used to promote Apple TV+ content.
In the summer of 2019, Apple began asking podcast producers to pitch ideas for podcasts with connections to Apple TV+ shows, and has since discussed making podcasts with the producers of some of those TV shows.
Apple's streaming TV service, which launched in November, has less content than other streaming services like Hulu, Disney+, and Netflix, so podcasts could provide Apple with a way to draw in new viewers. Though Apple is new to streaming TV, some of its shows, like "The Morning Show" have already earned award nominations and wins.
Apple TV+ competitor Netflix creates podcasts that offer behind the scenes looks at TV shows, so Apple could potentially offer something similar for its own shows.
Apple's plans have not been finalized, and it's not clear when Apple TV+ podcasts might start rolling out if Apple does indeed decide to continue on with the project.
One of Apple Card’s most significant annoyances (at least compared to many other major credit cards) is that you can’t directly share transaction information with financial planning apps like Mint or YNAB. Apple provides lots of well-organized information about your spending in the Wallet app, but that doesn’t give you a complete picture of your finances as it doesn’t include your earning and other spending.
Fortunately, there’s now a workaround of sorts. Starting on January 21, Apple will allow you to export monthly transaction lists as a CSV (comma separated value) spreadsheet.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. built and oversees a $10 million high-tech forensics lab built expressly for the purpose of cracking iPhones, according to a new profile done by Fast Company.
The lab is equipped with "mind-bending hardware" and a team of technology experts, many of whom are ex-military. The facility itself features a radiofrequency isolation chamber that prevents iPhones being used in investigations from being accessed remotely to keep them from being wiped.
Vance's team has thousands of iPhones at the facility in various stages of being cracked. There's a supercomputer that generates 26 million random passcodes per second, a robot that can remove memory chips without using heat, and specialized tools for repairing damaged devices to make them accessible once again.
All of the iPhones are hooked up to computers that are generating passcodes in an effort to get into the iPhones, and sometimes that requires going through tens of thousands of number combinations. Those who work at the facility, including director Steven Moran, also attempt to narrow down possibilities using birthdays, significant dates, and other info that could be used in each specific case for an iPhone passcode.
Proprietary workflow software tracks all of the iPhones at the facility, including their software and their importance, for the purpose of deciding which iPhone to work on and which might be able to be cracked using a newly found third-party solution.
Vance has been a major critic of Apple and has called on the government to introduce anti-encryption legislation to make it easier for law enforcement officials to get into iPhones needed for criminal investigations. According to Vance, 82 percent of smartphones that come into the unit are locked, and his cybercrime lab can crack "about half."
Apple's frequent software updates continually make breaking into iPhones harder by making the process more complicated, which can make it close to impossible to breach an iPhone in a timely manner. "The problem with that, particularly from a law enforcement perspective, is, first of all, time matters to us," said Vance.
Vance believes that it's "not fair" that Apple and Google can prevent law enforcement officials from accessing smartphones. Vance says that law enforcement is entrusted with a responsibility to "protect the public" but Apple and Google have limited access to information "just because they say so." Vance is of the opinion that there should be a "balance" between protecting user privacy and getting justice for victims of crimes.
"That's not their call. And it's not their call because there's something bigger here at issue rather than their individual determination of where to balance privacy and public safety. What's bigger is you've got victims and you've got a law enforcement community who have strong imperatives that should be recognized and balanced equally with the subject decision-makers by the heads of Apple and Google. Today, I think it's unbalanced.
Apple's argument is that it provides iPhone data from iCloud without breaking into the iPhone itself, but Vance says that a serious criminal doesn't have an iCloud backup. A user can also choose what information is stored remotely, and "in many cases" smartphones do not backup between the time when a crime takes place and an iPhone is shut off.
Law enforcement officials can also obtain device metadata like the time and location of a phone call from SIM cards or phone carriers, but Moran says that's the difference between being able to read a letter and being limited to just the envelope the letter came in.
"Even if we are lucky enough to get into the cloud or even if we're lucky enough to get some of the metadata, we're still missing an awful lot of important information that's critical to the investigation."
Vance says that he's not "whining" about the encryption problem, but his lab is "not the answer" as most of the U.S. can't afford to do the work that the New York cyber lab does.
Fast Company's profile of Vance's cyber lab comes as Apple is gearing up for another battle with the FBI. Apple has been asked to unlock the iPhones used by Florida shooter Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, and while Apple has provided iCloud data, the company will fight requests to unlock the actual devices.
Note: Due to the political 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.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum conference and he plans to attend a breakfast with U.S. President Donald Trump, reports Bloomberg.
Cook and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty will brief Trump on a new campaign designed to highlight the multiple ways to get an education.
Tim Cook and Melania and Donald Trump in August 2018
Cook has attempted to have a cordial relationship with Trump, and recently took Trump to tour Apple operations in Austin, Texas, but there have been tensions between the two due to an ongoing trade dispute with China and more recently, Apple's refusal to unlock the iPhones used by Florida shooter Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani.
Ahead of the breakfast with Trump, Cook on Tuesday met with the prime ministers of Finland, Spain, and Croatia, but it's not known what was discussed.
Note: Due to the political 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.
For iPhone and iPad users who still connect their devices to a Mac for syncing and backups (and there are a lot of people who still do this), there are changes in the latest version of the Mac operating system. In macOS 10.15 Catalina, the iTunes app is gone.
Now you use the Finder, similar to how you see a hard drive or a server. Here’s how to use your device in the Finder and how to back it up.
Your iOS device in the Finder
When you connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac using a Lightning cable, it will appear in a Finder window. In macOS Catalina, your device is in the left column in the “Locations” section. (If this is the first time you are connecting the Mac and iOS device, you will be asked to pair the two on the Mac, and you’ll have to trust the Mac on your iOS device.)
It’s been over a year since Apple released the current 11- and 12.9 inch iPad Pros, so they’re due for an update—which means the rumor mill for these products is going to start churning more frequently. We’ll keep track of the latest rumors here, until the eventual release of the new iPads.
The latest rumor: iPad Smart Keyboard with scissor switches
According to the Taiwanese publication DigiTimes (which has an uneven reputation for rumors), Apple might release a Smart Keyboard with a scissor-switch design for the upcoming iPad Pro. As reported by MacRumors, this conflicts with an earlier report from reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed last July that the keys for the next iPad would still have a rubber dome design.
Among the TV shows, magazines, and games services unveiled at Apple’s “Show time” event was a surprise entry into a category that couldn’t be further outside Apple’s wheelhouse: a credit card. Dubbed Apple Card, it’s not a traditional plastic credit card that gives you points on things you buy. Rather, it’s a whole new way to shop online and offline. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
The Apple Card is an Apple-branded credit card from MasterCard. Unlike the current Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards, which is a partner card, the Apple Card is owned and operated by Apple.
When Apple Card launched last year, it didn't support importing transactions into various budgeting apps, which was a major negative for customers who use Quicken, YNAB, Lunch Money, Mint, and more.
As of today, though, Apple has a solution - an option to download a spreadsheet that has all Apple Card data, which can then be imported into many budgeting apps.
As outlined by TechCrunch, Apple Card users can follow these steps to access a document containing their monthly statements:
Open up the Wallet app.
Choose Apple Card.
Tap the "Card Balance" option.
Tap on a monthly statement.
Tap "Export Transactions."
The option to export transactions will show up when a monthly statement is available. The Apple Card transactions are exported in a Share Sheet format with a CSV document, but in the future, Apple also plans to add an OFX option.
Apple's newly added feature to download transaction data in a CSV format should be a welcome change for Apple Card users who use budgeting services that accept imports. Some apps, like Quicken, accept imports, but may need file format conversions prior to import. Quicken does not support CSV files, for example.
Apps that require API-level integration like Plaid or Co-pilot will still be unable to download Apple Card content, and there's no word from Apple on when and if support will arrive.
Apple may release a Smart Keyboard with a scissor switch design for its next-generation iPad or iPad Pro models, suggests Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes, although full details are not available yet.
A paywalled preview of the report vaguely claims that "Apple's next-generation iPad series reportedly will feature a scissor switch keyboard," which is presumably referring to an accessory rather than a built-in hardware keyboard. The full report should be released tomorrow with more details.
Apple switched to a butterfly mechanism for its MacBook Pro keyboard in 2016, and after years of issues with sticky or unresponsive keys, it finally returned to a scissor switch design with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro last October. Kuo expects the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air to follow suit in 2020.
We'll update this post when the full report is released.
Update: The full report claims that Apple will likely release new iPads with "glowing" scissor switch keyboards in the second half of 2020, which presumably means a backlit Smart Keyboard. The report also reiterates that a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a scissor keyboard will be released in the first half of 2020.
More than two years ago, Apple informed the FBI that it planned to roll out end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups, according to Reuters. Apple ultimately dropped the plan at some point after the FBI objected, although the report notes that it is unclear if the federal agency was a factor in the decision.
A former Apple employee told Reuters that the company did not want to risk scrutiny from public officials for potentially protecting criminals, being sued for making previously accessible data out of reach of government agencies, or the move encouraging new legislation against encryption.
"They decided they weren't going to poke the bear anymore," the person said, after Apple's legal battle with the FBI in 2016 over unlocking an iPhone used by a shooter in the San Bernardino, California attack. In that case, the FBI ultimately found an alternative method of unlocking the iPhone.
Apple faces a similar standoff with the FBI over refusing to unlock two passcode-protected iPhones that investigators believe were owned by Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, the suspect of a mass shooting at a Naval Air Station in Florida last month. Apple said it has provided the FBI with all data in its possession.
Apple has taken a hard line on refusing to create a backdoor into iOS that would allow the FBI to unlock password-protected iPhones to assist in their investigations, but it does provide data backed up to iCloud to authorities when lawfully requested, as outlined in its semiannual Transparency Reports.
Note: Due to the political 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.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the non-binary gendered and the otherwise non-binary gendered, it’s time again for another episode of the new game show The Macalope just made up: Here’s What’s Hilarious!
If you’ve followed this column at all over the years… well, The Macalope would just like to formally apologize to you. It’s mostly a thinly-disguised series of butt jokes sold as somehow Apple-related. That’s what we here at Macalope Industries call “the special sauce”.
Not to be confused with the actual “special sauce” we put on the alfalfa burgers in the cafeteria. Which is really just Thousand Island dressing.
Apple buys a lot of companies throughout the course of a year, with only a couple of them rising to the level of intriguing news. Last year’s purchase of Intel’s smartphone modem business certainly qualifies, as does the 2018 acquisition of Shazam, but for the most part, Apple scopes out companies that we’ve never heard of for reasons we’ll never know.
Its most recent acquisition might be different. The company, Xnor.ai, might not be one you’ve ever heard of, but they’re hardly unknown. Since last summer, the Seattle-based startup’s tech has been the brains behind the popular Wyze cam’s marquee feature: people detection. Simply put, it allowed the $20 camera to distinguish between faces, pets, and dust, and vastly improved its abilities, putting it a somewhat level playing field with the far-more-expensive Ring and Nest cams of the world.
Disney+ is coming to Europe sooner than we thought. Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom will now get the streaming service on March 24, Disney revealed today.
Additional Western Europe markets, including Belgium, the Nordics, and Portugal, will follow in summer 2020, said the company in a press release. Disney+ is already available in the Netherlands, where it launched as a free pilot trial back in September.
The new launch date is a week earlier than was initially scheduled. In November, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the launch date for European markets would be March 31.
Pricing has also been confirmed at £5.99/€6.99 per month, or £59.99/€69.99 for an annual subscription. Disney+ will be available on Amazon Fire devices, LG and Samsung smart TVs, Roku's streaming devices, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Xbox One, and PS4 at launch.
Users will access high-quality and commercial-free viewing, up to four concurrent streams, unlimited downloads on up to ten devices, personalised recommendations, and the ability to set up to seven different profiles, including the ability for parents to set Kids Profiles that have an easy- to -navigate, child-friendly interface to access age-appropriate content.
Over 500 feature films and over 7,500 shows will be available on the service including new original content like the critically acclaimed "The Mandalorian" and "The World According To Jeff Goldblum," along with timeless classics like "Lady and the Tramp" and the entire Pixar library.
If Apple really wanted its fledgling streaming service to nab more awards last year, it probably should have worked Little America into its launch lineup. This little "anthology" of eight unrelated half-hour episodes—each following immigrants from different countries—is the best thing we've seen from Apple TV+ to date. It's smart, both in content and how it handles casting. It's relevant, especially in an age when immigration dominates frightful headlines and lies at the heart of some of our country's worst contemporary sins. Little America has big things to say.
Apple is widely rumored to release four new iPhones in the fall, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, and Japanese blog Mac Otakara has offered a few details surrounding these devices. The information is said to come from sources within Apple's supply chain in China.
The translated report is quite difficult to decipher, but here are some details that are being suggested:
6.7-inch model will have a thickness around 7.4mm, which would be nearly 10% thinner than the iPhone 11 Pro Max at 8.1mm
All four new iPhone models will have OLED displays and Face ID
5.4-inch model's height would be between the iPhone SE and iPhone 8, while at least one of the 6.1-inch iPhone models would have a height that falls between the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro
6.7-inch model will be slightly taller than the iPhone 11 Pro Max
5.4-inch and lower-end 6.1-inch models will have dual-lens rear camera arrays identical to the iPhone 11
6.7-inch model will have a triple-lens rear camera with larger sensors than the iPhone 11 Pro Max
5.4 inch, 6.7-inch, and at least one 6.1-inch model will have different numbers of microphone holes along the bottom
At the time of writing, the refurbished models are available in Space Gray, Silver, or Gold with 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage through Apple's online store in the United States. All of the models are unlocked, aka SIM-free.
Refurbished models available:
iPhone XS - 64GB: $699, down from $999 in September 2018
iPhone XS - 256GB: $829, down from $1,149 in September 2018
iPhone XS - 512GB: $999, down from $1,349 in September 2018
iPhone XS Max - 64GB: $799, down from $1,099 in September 2018
iPhone XS Max - 256GB: $929, down from $1,249 in September 2018
iPhone XS Max - 512GB: $1,099, down from $1,449 in September 2018
Apple says all refurbished iPhone models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged with a new white box and all manuals and accessories. Apple also installs a new battery and replaces the outer shell, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between a refurbished and brand new iPhone.
Any refurbished iPhone model comes with Apple's standard one-year warranty effective on the date the device is delivered, which can be extended with AppleCare+ at a cost of $199 for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
Apple is not offering refurbished iPhone XR models at this time.
Starting in February, Apple is hosting its annual company wide fitness challenge for all of its employees, tasking them with closing all three Apple Watch Activity rings every day of the month.
Employees who successfully finish the challenge will be rewarded with a t-shirt that says "2020" in a logo with Apple Watch Activity-style rings, as shared by an Apple employee.
The employees who complete the challenge every day will earn a "gold" ranking and will receive a gold pin along with their t-shirt, and there are also silver and bronze rewards accompanied by silver and bronze pins.
Apple in 2018 and 2019 hosted similar challenges offering employees Activity-themed Apple Watch bands as prizes.
Apple's February fitness challenge is internal only and is limited to Apple employees, but Apple also regularly hosts public fitness challenges, though these do not come with physical rewards.
Tim Cook visited Ireland today to collect an award from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for Apple's 40 years of investment in the country. Apple's CEO also met with Irish musician Hozier and Dublin-based game studio WarDucks.
In 2016, the European Commission found that Apple received illegal state aid from Ireland and forced the company to repay 13 billion euros in back taxes. Apple and Ireland are both appealing the ruling. Apple has previously expressed confidence that the ruling "will be overturned" by European courts.
In that regard, Cook today called for global corporate tax reform, telling Reuters and others that Apple "desperately" wants the system to be fair. "It's very complex to know how to tax a multinational," he added.
"I think logically everybody knows it needs to be rehauled, I would certainly be the last person to say that the current system or the past system was the perfect system. I'm hopeful and optimistic that they will find something," said Cook, referring to the intergovernmental economic organization OECD.
What an amazing welcome back to Ireland! Thank you @Hozier for sharing your music with me, and for the chance to look around the studio. Feel free to reach out if you ever need some backup vocals. 🎶 pic.twitter.com/Opfka0j2UK
.@War_Ducks set out to create a game with fun, engaging and colorful characters, and they nailed it. Awesome to see how @NikkiLannen and her talented team in Dublin are embracing AR to take their games to the next level! pic.twitter.com/bjL15fWlPY
Celebrating 40 years of Apple in Ireland with our remarkable and growing team at Hollyhill! Your hard work and dedication to our customers and the communities we serve reflects the best of what we stand for. Here’s to the next 40! 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/ADiRz3yoOP
Update: IDA Ireland has issued a press release about Apple's award that includes a statement from Cook:
Ireland has been a second home for Apple for forty years and this honour is even more special for us because it recognizes the contributions of our incredible team here who work tirelessly to serve our customers around the country, and around the world. I believe deeply that our most important work together is still ahead of us, and I'm grateful to the people of Ireland for their commitment to openness, to innovation and to the cooperation that will make possible the next generation of world-changing ideas.
Note: Due to the political 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.
A former Apple executive who worked on the chips that power iPhones and iPads has had a request to toss a breach-of-contract lawsuit brought by the company rejected by the court in a tentative ruling.
Last August, Apple sued its former A-series chip lead, Gerard Williams III, for breach of employment contract. Williams was the lead designer of Apple's custom iPhone and iPad chips from the A7 to A12X, before he departed the company in March 2019 to start his own chip company, Nuvia Inc, with two other former Apple chip executives.
Apple accuses him of breaching the contract because it barred him from planning or engaging in any business activities that are "competitive or directly related to Apple's business or products." Williams argues that a provision in the contract conflicts with a California law that allows workers to develop new businesses while they're employed elsewhere.
However, Bloomberg today reports that Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Mark Pierce said the law doesn't permit an employee "to plan and prepare to create a competitive enterprise prior to termination if the employee does so on their employer's time and with the employer's resources."
The judge also dismissed a claim by Williams that Apple invaded his privacy by reviewing text messages he wrote to coworkers that were critical of the company. In one of the messages, Williams is said to have claimed that Apple would have "no choice but to purchase" his new company.
Williams sought to have those texts excluded as evidence in the suit. Pierce disagreed. "There are no allegations in the complaint establishing that the text messages were obtained as the result of eavesdropping upon or recording a confidential communication," he wrote.
The judge sided with Williams in dismissing Apple's bid for punitive damages, saying the company has failed to show how Williams intentionally tried to harm Apple by being disloyal.
Bloomberg notes that the tentative ruling regarding the California law doesn't address the merits of Apple’s claims, but it will allow the company to proceed with pretrial information-sharing if the judge decides to make it final.
Claude Stern, Williams' lawyer, said he would contest the judge's findings at a hearing in San Jose on Tuesday. He argues that Williams can't be sued for simply coming up with a new business idea while working at Apple, as opposed to taking inventions he worked on that belong to his previous employer.
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, an annual federal holiday commemorating the American civil rights movement leader.
Apple today honored the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a full-page tribute on its website. A photo of Dr. King is accompanied by an iconic quote of his: "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
On Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day in a follow-up tweet.
"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.” Let us all be so audacious, and work to make MLK’s dream a reality for us all.
Note: Due to the political 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.
Google researchers discovered multiple security flaws in Apple's Safari web browser that let users' browsing habits be tracked despite Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature.
