Apple plans to release its next Mac operating system, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, at the end of October, according to sources with knowledge of the launch plans. This comes despite claims and speculation that Apple will release OS X Mavericks and iOS 7 in tandem this month. iOS 7 is set to ship alongside the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C later in September. There has also been chatter about Apple holding the iPad iOS 7 release back until October....
Earlier today we reported that the kernel of the first developer preview of iOS 10 is unencrypted – a first for any iOS version. At the time, we weren’t entirely sure if Apple had deliberately done this or if was an error and would get reverted in the next beta of the operating system. Apple has confirmed to TechCrunch, however, that making the kernel unencrypted was an intentional move. In a statement, an Apple spokesperson explained that the kernel cache does not contain any user information and by unencrypting it, performance can be better optimized and security is not compromised....
Less than a week after seeding the initial build of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.1 (build 12B13), Apple has followed up with a new build to developers. The beta, coming in at build number 12B17, has no known issues. Apple asks developers to focus on Active Directory, iCal, Microsoft Exchange in Mail, PAC proxies in Safari, SMB, USB, and WiFi and audio when connected to an Apple Thunderbolt Display. 10.X.1 OS X updates are usually maintenance updates released soon after the initial 10....
While Apple itself doesn’t break out Apple Watch sales in its own earnings reports, we can generally get a good idea of the device’s performance thanks to research companies. Today, Canalys is out with a new report covering the smartwatch industry during Q3, and Apple Watch continues to grow at a solid rate… According to the data, Apple shipped 3.5 million Apple Watch units worldwide during Q2 2018, up 30 percent compared to the same quarter last year....
Apple has brought some great updates to Safari with macOS Big Sur, including a new design, support for WebP images, HDR videos, and more. Now, the company is teaming up with Google, Mozilla, and Microsoft to improve universal browser extensions for Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. In June last year, Apple added support for WebExtension API in the macOS version of Safari. This API is a cross-platform technology for offering the same extension in different web browsers, including Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge....
The latest in-development original content that will make its way to Apple TV+ includes the drama Palmer starring Justin Timberlake and a drama/thriller series called Echo 3 that is based on the Israeli show When Heroes Fly. Reported by Vulture, Apple has acquired the rights to a new drama that features Justin Timberlake in the lead role: Joining Timberlake as co-stars are Juno Temple and June Squibb with the film directed by Fisher Stevens....
Apple has made a notable hire this month with a storied career in the automative industry. As first reported by Bloomberg, Steve MacManus has joined Apple as a “Senior Director” working out of Apple Park in Cupertino. It’s unclear what specific areas MacManus will focus on at Apple, but Bloomberg notes that he has extensive interior design skills. These skills “may be applicable at Apple beyond the development of a car,” the report says....
France-based Hardmac reports that Apple is readying a remote iOS device testing tool for deployment to its service personell. It is web based and will send the diagnostic information, relatively anonymously, to Apple technicians. A tool of this sort is already in use by Apple technicians but Hardmac claims that this once can be used remotely. This would be a pretty clever and powerful tool to do basic diagnostics on iOS devices which could help technicians diagnose and fix device problems over the phone, saving both the customers and Apple time and effort....
After almost a month since the first beta of 11.2, Apple has released the macOS Big Sur 11.2 beta 2 for developers as well as the public. Update 1:06 pm PT: macOS 11.2 beta 2 is now also available for those running the public beta. Check for the update in System Preferences > Software Update. It’s not clear yet what changes macOS 11.2 beta 2 will include but we’ll be diving in shortly to discover just that....
Apple issued pre-release versions of Safari for OS X Mountain Lion, Mavericks, and Yosemite today for developers. The Safari beta versions include Safari 8.0.1, 7.1.1, and 6.2.1 for OS X 10.10, 10.9, and 10.8, respectively. As part of the pre-release software, Apple asks users to focus on these areas for testing: • General website compatibility • Extension compatibility • WebGL graphics on Retina displays • Password AutoFill when passwords are synchronized across multiple devices • Syncing history between devices (OS X Yosemite only) • Importing usernames and passwords from Firefox (OS X Yosemite only)...
Apple’s Pro Display XDR has been announced as one of the “Displays of the Year” by The Society for Information Display. These awards are presented to the displays with the “most significant technological advances and/or outstanding features.” Other winners this year include Samsung’s foldable display, Audi’s OLED Virtual Mirror System, and BOE Technology’s 65-Inch UHD BD Cell Display. The Pro Display XDR is praised for its excellent high-dynamic-range (HDR) performance, particularly in comparison to many of the OLED panels on the market....
There’s long been much talk about Apple’s China problems, a topic given new impetus this year by the company revealing that falling iPhone sales in the country was almost the sole reason for missing its original holiday quarter guidance. CEO Tim Cook said in January that revenue in China fell $4.8B year-on-year, while sales increased elsewhere. Two more analysts have commented this week, with Credit Suisse taking the more pessimistic view …...
Apple’s iPhone is driving the mobile industry forward. Where Apple steps, competitors very soon follow. A decision by Apple to adopt a specific technology inside a product soon translates into a rush to secure that specific component. From SSD flash storage to touchscreens we’ve seen the followers take their place. And it seems the same for gyroscopes, movement sensors and other microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices, where Apple’s decision to put these inside its products has driven a fast market expansion....
Apple’s highly-focused approach means that it spends a smaller percentage of its revenue on research & development than almost any other tech company. But it ramped up R&D spending significantly in its most recent fiscal quarter. The WSJ noted that Apple increased its R&D spend by 15% in the quarter ending in July, hitting a total of $11.2B for the 12-month period. Things get more interesting, argues the paper, when you view it in percentage terms …...
Apple’s suppliers in Taiwan are complaining that their profits are being squeezed due to currency fluctuations. Touch-panel supplier, Wintek, estimates that it is losing half a percent off of its margins. Another firm, Largan Precision Co., a camera-lens supplier for Apple, said a 1 percent appreciation knocks 0.4 point off the measure of profitability. The effect? Wintek CFO Jay Huang told BusinessWeek: A lot of the technology firms in Taiwan are export- oriented, so if the strong currency continues we might have to think about raising prices....
Update: Apple shared two more ads, one for AirPods called “Notes” and another for Apple Watch focused on Activity. View them below. Apple today has shared two new advertisements for its truly wireless AirPods. The new videos mark the first advertisements for the AirPods from Apple and come in at 15 seconds each, with the first highlighting the pairing process and the second highlighting Siri support. The first ad is called “iPhone 7 + AirPods – Pairing” and depicts a user opening the AirPods case to pair them to his iPhone 7....
When I purchased the early 2020 MacBook Air, at the time, I said it was the ideal laptop for K-12. In a fashion that only Apple can do, they’ve topped their computer just a few months after its release. After switching to the M1 Apple Silicon MacBook Air a few weeks ago, it’s undoubtedly the best laptop ever built for education. About Making The Grade: Every other Saturday, Bradley Chambers publishes a new article about Apple in education....
Apple today has pushed a minor update to the Apple Store application on iOS. The update brings the app to version 4.2 and while it doesn’t add any major new features, Apple says it is full of under-the-hood improvements. The update’s change log is about as simple as can be, with Apple simply saying there are various improvements related to performance and other areas. The Apple Store application for iOS allows users to easily shop for the company’s products, view order status, and other tasks....
According to analytics firm DisplaySearch, Apple has officially passed HP (by nearly 4 million units) to become the top PC manufacturer worldwide with a 21.1% share. However, these numbers are somewhat controversial given the fact it includes iPad sales in the stats, a device that makes up 80% of Apple’s total PC shipments in Q2. The research notes tablet shipments are up almost “70% Q/Q and over 400% Y/Y”, while notebook shipments were down 2% Q/Q....
In addition to the improvements to the consumer iMac today, Apple has also made some very minor adjustments to the iMac Pro lineup. The base model iMac Pro now includes a 10-core Intel Xeon processor, but unfortunately, the iMac Pro misses out on the new nano-texture glass option. With today’s changes, Apple has dropped the 8-core iMac Pro from the lineup completely, and instead moved the 10-core iMac Pro down into that spot....
