Normally, Apple keeps mum about its self-driving car program but it has officially acknowledged a bit of restructuring in the project. This involved a reduction in its headcount.
The employees weren’t fired, and the move is being positioned as a restructuring after a new manager joined the program in August.
Apple‘s new global head of battery developments is very familiar with these critical components. Most recently, new Apple hire Soonho Ahn served as a vice president at Samsung SDI, a division of the Korean conglomerate that specializes in battery tech.
If Ahn’s new title doesn’t seem familiar, that’s because he appears to be the first person to hold this position at Apple.
It’s been a banner week for Apple Pay with big new retailers adopting this payment service. And now the company is piling on with a trio of short videos urging users to send money via the Messages app with Apple Pay Cash.
Like many of this company’s videos, the entries in “They send, you spend” are both funny and informative.
Watch them now:
A recent unconfirmed report indicated that Foxconn, who produces handsets for Apple, had laid off thousands of employees. But the company itself says it’s actually hiring 50,000 people, a sign that iPhone sales aren’t a weak as some fear.
Still, there are indications of a slowdown in Foxconn production, just not a dramatic one.
Back Market, a marketplace dedicated to preowned electronics, now offers a range of iPhone models refurbished by Apple. Before going to Back Market, Apple checks over these units and always replaces some of the components that typically wear out.
In addition, this reseller refurbishes iPhones itself, just not as thoroughly. These sell for considerably less, however.
Every MacBook Pro since 2016 harbors a hidden design flaw that inevitably will require an expensive repair, according to DIY repair website iFixit.
The problem supposedly lies in “delicate” ribbon cables that connect the screen with the display controller inside the main body of the laptop. Opening and closing the clamshell case eventually causes these to wear out and begin to tear, iFixit says.
Imagine letting a friend connect to your Wi-Fi network just by tapping a hockey puck-sized chunk of wood. That’s the promise of Wifi Porter, an accessory from Ten One Design that saves guests from having to type in a password to get on the net.
It uses NFC and doesn’t require users to install any software.
A new concept called the Mac Evo seeks to bring faster performance through liquid cooling. The computer would be just three times the size of Mac mini but offer greater speed by lowering the temperature of the processor.
The Intel chips Apple uses in its OS X computers often have to be throttled down to keep them from overheating. Liquid cooling is one solution.
Apple will scrub 3D Touch, the feature that powers Quick Actions and other handy shortcuts, from all 2019 iPhones, according to multiple sources.
The tech, which lets the iPhone tell how hard someone is pressing on its display, will apparently fall victim to Apple’s attempts to lower the price tag of future models.
An artist has compiled many of the recent 2019 iPhone leaks into a video that might — or might not — portray Apple’s next handset.
It includes features like the smaller notch that’s many people are hoping for, and a much larger camera bump that no one wants.
Watch it now:
To honor the life of service of Martin Luther King Jr., Apple is highlighting charitable contributions made by its employees.
Thanks to matching funds from the iPhone-maker’s Giving program, donations by employees in time and money have reached considerable sums.
The Dodocase Two Tone brings a retro look to iPad or iPad Pro. You could almost write “Trig” on the cover in Magic Marker and feel like you’re in high school again.
And this case is very lightweight while still doing double duty as a stand. There’s even an Apple Pencil holder.
The Dodocase Two Tone is available for a wide range of iOS tablets, including the 2018 iPad Pro models. Prices start at $64.95.
Making your iPad Pro more useful is the theme of a series of short videos released today by Apple. Each takes a common task and briefly shows how it can be tackled with a iOS tablet and Apple Pencil.
There’re suggestions on creating presentations and podcasts, going paperless, and more. Watch all five videos now.
New versions of the iPod touch and iPad mini are reportedly coming out this year, and one graphic designer imagines what would happen if Apple combined these into one.
The proposed device would resemble an iPhone XS Max but with an even larger display: 7 inches.
A new service allows Apple Music access through a web site without requiring any new software to be installed on the computer. Musish is free to use, and is far more secure than one might think.
The simple design of this portal is reminiscent of the Apple Music app.
Apple is looking into making your iPhone smart enough to know you wanted to take a picture just because you aimed the camera at something.
And that’s not the only gesture it’s investigating. The company proposed a complex system to let users control their Apple Watch with wrist movements, with no need to touch the screen.
Apple has reportedly approved a 10-episode sci-fi series co-created by Simon Kinberg, who has written many of the X-Men movies going back to 2006. This show will apparently be part of the streaming video service Apple is expected to launch this year.
Not much is known about Kinberg’s latest creation yet, though it’s scheduled to start filming this summer.
The next version of the iPhone XR could offer significantly faster cellular connections than the current one, according to industry analysts. That’s because the new model is supposedly getting 4×4 MIMO — the iPhone XS series are currently the only Apple devices with this speedy tech.
Only a small percentage of phone users expressed real concerns in a recent survey about how much time they spend on their device. And a large number of respondents were fine with it.
Still, a significant percentage of people use the tools offered by Apple and others to track their screen time.
One rumored change to the 2019 iPhone might not happen: a generally reliable source indicates that Apple’s next handset will hold onto its Lightning connector.
And the same source says the iPhone XI will have very high-resolution front- and rear-facing cameras.
Apple clearly says its new battery cases aren’t compatible with the iPhone X but some users of that handset claim that they’ve gotten the two to work together.
The designs of new iPhone XS and older X are nearly identical and the 2017 model mostly fits in the Smart Battery Case. Nevertheless, the handset gets power only under some conditions.
Apple’s self-driving car development could be headed for a cliff. Maybe. A questionable report from industry analysts says that there are layoffs in this division and the whole project might even be scrapped.
The cause is supposedly the slowdown in iPhone sales caused by the weakening Chinese economy. The reduction in revenue leaves less room for non-core programs.
Leather is a popular choice for Apple Watch bands but the latest from Nomad takes this material in a slightly unusual direction: it’s as untreated as possible. The intent is that this light-colored band will take on a patina over time.
Nomad also just introduced an AirPods case of the same material.
Several rumors about the next iPhone point to it having three camera lenses but don’t agree on how they’ll be arranged. The latest leaked render shows it with the lenses neatly lined up in a row.
This unconfirmed image also shows a smaller notch.
DuckDuckGo teamed up with Apple to protect user privacy for map and address-related searches. Their agreement gives users of the search engine access to continually updated maps, enhanced satellite imagery and more without exposing their data.
The pairing seems natural as both Apple and DuckDuckGo have taken strong stances on protecting user privacy.