Apple TV+ pays $70 million to premiere Tom Hanks WWII movie Greyhound

By

Tom Hanks' World War II movie Greyhound will debut on Apple TV+.
Tom Hanks' World War II movie Greyhound will debut on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ reportedly secured the rights to upcoming World War II film Greyhound, written by and starring Tom Hanks. The film was originally scheduled to debut in theaters, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift in strategy.

The deal, which will see the movie premiere on Apple TV+ at an undisclosed date, shows just how serious Cupertino is about its streaming service.

iPhones retain lead in US smartphone satisfaction rankings

By

Apple_keynote-event_guests-iphone-11_091019
The iPhone continues to be a satisfying hit with U.S. consumers.

For the sixth straight year, iPhones rank as the smartphone with the highest customer satisfaction score among U.S. consumers, according to new data released Monday.

T-Mobile remains the undisputed network operator for the fourth straight year, according to the survey from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, an economic analytics group.

FBI attacks Apple for ‘no help’ unlocking Florida attacker’s iPhone; Apple rejects ‘false’ claims

By

A good password manager gives you some peace of mind after a security breach.
Accusations fly between Apple and FBI on unlocking iPhones.
Photo: Ervins Strauhmanis/Flickr CC

FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General William Barr criticized Apple Monday for “effectively no help” in unlocking iPhones belonging to the shooter behind December’s attack at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida that killed eight people. Apple responded saying the accusations were “false claims” and an “excuse” by the Justice Department to weaken mobile phone encryption and privacy.

More signs point to a new HomePod in our future

By

HomePod speaker
HomePod discounts give clear sign of a new model.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

From Best Buy discounting the HomePod to Apple employees now able to buy up to 10 of the smart speakers at a discount, there are clear signs Cupertino is trying to clear out its warehouses before a rumored new model this year.

At $100 off retail, Best Buy began selling HomePod for $200 Monday for a limited time. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman tweeted Monday that Apple employees can now buy up to 10 of the speakers at employee discount, commenting, “These things are clearly on the way out.”

FBI cracks alleged al-Qaida shooter’s iPhone without Apple’s help

By

FBI director says Feds still can't unlock iPhone in Pensacola shooting case
F.B.I. cracks iPhone, with little help from Apple.
Photo: Dave Newman/Flickr CC

U.S. authorities have reportedly broken through the encryption on one of the iPhones belonging to a mass shooter without the help of Apple who refused to create a backdoor saying it violated privacy rights.

CNN reported Monday that the FBI defeated the password on the iPhone belonging to Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a Saudi military trainee who went on a mass shooting at a Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida last December killing four and injuring eight.

Leaker counters claim of Apple AR glasses in 2022; affirms rollout next year

By

Apple glasses
Apple’s rumored augmented reality glasses ... coming 2021 or 2022?
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple’s widely rumored augmented reality glasses will be released sometime between March and June of 2021, according to leaker and YouTuber Jon Prosser, contradicting a report Thursday from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the product is on course for its debut in 2022.

Apple 2020 Supplier Responsibility study focuses on challenges of coronavirus in the workplace

By

apple-supplier-responsibility-report
Apple's 2020 Supplier Responsibility progress report focuses on protecting its supply chain partners in a new world of COVID-19.
Photo: Apple

Apple released its 2020 Supplier Responsibility progress report Thursday detailing what steps it is taking to increase safety and protect supply chain workers worldwide in the shadow of the ever-challenging coronavirus outbreak.

Written by Sabih Khan, Apple’s senior vice president of operations, a letter accompanying the report in PDF details changes that Apple has made to protect its supply chain partners, such as strict adherence to social distancing, limiting density, and health screenings.

Adobe issues Acrobat Reader security patch to stop undetected access on Macs

By

adobe.acrobat.logo
A security patch for Adobe Acrobat offers peace of mind.
Photo: Adobe

Adobe fixed 16 critical flaws across its Acrobat and Reader applications and a software development kit that, if exploited, could let someone take complete control over another user’s Mac without them knowing it.

The only requirement for exploiting the flaw is that a user has Adobe Acrobat installed.

Stanford study to probe if Apple Watch can detect coronavirus

By

Apple Watch alerts user of irregular heart rhythms in sleep
Apple Watch study to look for ways to spot COVID-19.
Photo: Apple

Could the Apple Watch detect if you have coronavirus using data of your heart’s rhythm and respiration? A Stanford University study is planning to find out.

New research, reported on Thursday by Gizmodo, is looking for people with various smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, to be part of a ‘Wearables Data’ study.

Apple Stores in Italy reportedly to commence reopening May 19 [Update]

By

Apple.Nave.de.Vero
"Benvenuto" will soon be heard at some Apple Stores in Italy.
Photo: Apple

[Update 9:30 am, 05/14/2020: Since our original story ran, the one Apple Store in Italy reportedly planning to reopen next week has changed its hours back to fully closed. We will monitor the situation and report any more details, if warranted.]

Apple reportedly will reopen 10 of its 17 retail store locations in Italy beginning May 19.

As in other locations around the world that have reopened, security measures will be in place to protect customers and employees.

AMD rolls out Radeon Pro VII workstation graphics card

By

radeon.pro.7.2
Destined for the Mac Pro as a standalone graphics card? A good chance.
Photo: AMD

AMD announced Wednesday the Radeon Pro VII, a high-end graphics card aimed at professional workstations, with reportedly up to 26% faster 8K image processing using Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve.

The new card will likely be available as a standalone option for those interested in using it with the Mac Pro in the future.

Gold Apple Watch keeps on ticking after 9 months underwater

By

jerry.rig.1
It's not a Timex, but this Apple Watch keeps on tickin'.
Photo: Zack Nelson

It wasn’t an experiment, but it might as well have been one.

YouTuber Dan Markham lost his limited-edition 24-carat gold Apple Watch Series 4 in deep water almost a year ago. After a failed attempt to find it, he and a colleague hit pay dirt at the bottom of a manmade lake along the Utah-Arizona border.

The rest is a story of resourcefulness and a little cleanup.

Apple to bring essential staff back to offices in phased return

By

Apple leases new offices near to Apple Park
Apple employees will return to work in a phased approach.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

Apple reportedly plans to gradually return its corporate employees to work over the next few months, likely starting with those focused on major hardware projects.

The phased plan will return thousands of Apple workers to locations around the world, including the company’s main campus in Silicon Valley, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.