News - page 384

China’s state-backed China Advertising Association is already looking for ways to get around Apple’s upcoming App Tracking Transparency feature, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

The organization’s approach reportedly involves something called a “CAID.” This can supposedly act as an alternative means of tracking users to the iPhone’s ad identifier, or IDFA. TikTok parent company ByteDance issued a guide for app developers that describes how marketers “can use CAID as a substitute if the user’s IDFA is unavailable.”

Apple devices sold in Russia will come preinstalled with Russian-made software approved by the government starting next month, a report published Tuesday suggests.

This is in response to a law, coming into force April 1, designed to promote the domestic tech sector. It affects all smartphone manufacturers, not just Apple.

Apple is apparently preparing to release iPhone security updates separately from iOS updates with feature changes. The just-released fourth beta of iOS 14.5 gives users a new, separate toggle to choose whether to automatically install security updates.

However, at this point this feature doesn’t work quite as many might expect.

Take your iPhone back to Apple’s roots with a set of replacement iOS icons inspired by early Macintosh computers. Keep the links to your 2021 applications on your iPhone, but sub in icons that have the look of the first Mac’s 72 dpi screen thanks to the iOS (Old School) collection from designer Ben Vessey.

Redditor brazzy2010 has a super-simple setup with a tremendous asset to go along with an M1-powered MacBook Air. It’s a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display from more than a decade ago. Its exact age is unknown, but it could be up to 16 years old.

Not only does the elderly display still work — with the right connectors, it still dazzles.

Apple TV+ has picked up its first ever Oscar nominations — although it still looks like a bit of an underachievement for the Cupertino tech company.

With Academy Award noms now announced, Apple has picked up two: Best Animated Feature Film for Wolfwalkers and Sound Design for Greyhound. The results will be announced April 25.

We don’t know anything about iOS 15 yet. And I’m totally OK with that. By comparison, this time last year we already knew plenty about iOS 14. This year, Apple’s somehow managed to keep leaks to virtually zero — despite the fact that many Apple engineers are working from home right now.

Here’s why I’m not shedding any tears over the lack of leaks. And why, frankly, I’d be happy if that same secrecy extended to other Apple products, too.

Apple shows off the untethered joyfulness and Active Noise Cancellation/Transparency features of its AirPods Pro in a new ad, titled “Jump,” which Apple debuted over the weekend.

The ad depicts an AirPods Pro user breaking social distancing rules as he moves through a vibrant city, playing jump-rope and otherwise pulling off some impressive acrobatic moves. It’s a fun two-minute ad set to the 2020 song “Fallin’ Apart” by Young Franco.

The massive growth days of the AirPods may already be over, according to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a new note to clients seen by Cult of Mac, Kuo said he anticipates a year-over-year decline in AirPods shipments in 2021. If true, this would be the first year in AirPods history that sales didn’t experience explosive growth.

The iMac Pro was sleek and fast and capable and ultimately … uninspired.

That’s Cult of Mac writer Luke Dormehl’s take on Apple’s recently expired pro all-in-one. He serves up a compelling “Dear John” letter to a weird period in Mac history. And it doubles as a lovingly hopeful look at what the future holds.

If you want to peer even deeper into the Cupertino crystal ball, we’ve got a hot mess of new rumors and leaks this week as we speed toward a probable Apple event on March 23. Catch up with this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it to enjoy on iPhone or iPad, or get the stories below in your browser.

The $299 version of Apple’s HomePod smart speaker has been discontinued. The company is already selling out of its remaining supply.

But that doesn’t mean Apple is getting out of the smart speaker business — it’s pleased with the launch of the more affordable HomePod mini.

You might want to put the HBO Max app on your iPhone after all. WarnerMedia said Friday there’ll be a more affordable version of the streaming service starting in June. But it’ll require watching ads.

And don’t expect to watch movies the same day as they appear in the theaters on the ad-supported version.

The team that created McMillion$ is making a new documentary series for Apple TV+ about an outrageous Pepsi ad from the 1990s that seemingly promised a Harrier combat jet as the ultimate grand prize in a contest. The Jet will cover someone’s attempt to collect enough points in the “Drink Pepsi, Get Stuff” contest to win the aircraft.

A growing number of voices predict that the next-generation iPhone will come with a fingerprint scanner built into its screen. If true, it will mark the welcome return of Touch ID to Apple’s premium models after several long years.

If one thing catches your eye first about Redditor arnaki_gkioulmpasi’s setup, it’s probably the interesting light show on the wall behind it. That array is made up of Nanoleaf Shapes that can be arranged any which way.

Those cool-looking lights, along with a Yeelight Screen Light Bar Pro atop the Dell 32-inch curved 4K monitor and a standing lamp next to the desk, keep eyestrain to a minimum.

The arrival of the Apple car could push Apple’s market capitalization to an almost unimaginable $3 trillion, analysts at Citigroup and Wedbush claim.

Since Apple is currently worth $2.05 trillion, that would mean a surge of approximately 50% on its present value. Apple is already the most valuable public company in the world.

Google promises improvements to the Chrome browser to keep “your Mac cooler and those fans quiet.” The latest version of the browser uses less memory and achieves lower Apple Energy Impact scores.

Casetify’s brilliant Apple Watch bands are available in a bunch of spectacular styles that are sure to turn heads.

Whether you’re after a rush of color, subtle sophistication, or a trend-setting statement piece, the latest Saffiano collection has you covered. And it’s available right now!

Cherry, a movie starring Tom Holland as an Iraq war veteran who degenerates into robbing banks, is now available to watch on the Apple TV+.

Apple has teamed up with grocery and meal deal services Instacart, HelloFresh, and Daily Harvest for its latest Apple Pay offer.

Running from now through March 17, users can receive two free months of Instacart Express membership, plus $5 off their first order, along with reductions on HelloFresh, and Daily Harvest. Check out more details below.

Apple filed a lawsuit against Simon Lancaster on Thursday, accusing the former employee of leaking company secrets to the media.

He worked at Apple as a materials engineer for over 11 years, helping to design upcoming products. That gave him access to information not publicly available. Apple alleges he traded that info for personal gain.

Apple TV+ now has a first-look deal with Imagine Entertainment, who produced films like A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13. The agreement could bring movies from this long-running production company helmed by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer to Apple’s streaming video service.

Apple’s move away from Qualcomm modems could begin in 2023. Analysts predict that all the iPhone models released in that year will use 5G modems Apple designed itself.

This is another example of Apple developing critical components for its products in-house rather than depending on an outside company.

UK-based Redditor linden_park just updated their setup while working in the early development phase of a new life simulator game set in space among multiple planets and space stations. Covering all that intergalactic territory, it helps to have both wide and tall screens.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is gathering data for a report on whether Google and Apple abuse their ability to pick default web browsers and search engines in their operating systems to squeeze out smaller competitors.

And Australia is just one of many countries probing the business practices of big tech companies. These investigations might eventually be followed by lawsuits or legislation that forces Google, Apple, Facebook, etc. to change the way they do business.