Mobile menu toggle

News - page 490

Apple plans move to gigantic new Manhattan office

By

Apple New York office building. Reportedly.
Apple is supposedly headed for some fancy new digs at Penn 11, across the street from Madison Square Garden.
Photo: Vornado Realty Trust

A certain phone maker is taking the phase “Big Apple” as a suggestion. Apple reportedly signed a lease for 220,000 square feet in a historic building in New York City. That’s far larger than the company’s current NYC office.

But this won’t become an enormous Apple Store. This is office space.

App Store Confidential author ‘surprised’ by Apple’s attempt to halt book

By

Apple's not happy about former Apple employee Tom Sadowski's new book, App Store Confidential.
It's the book Apple tried to ban. Or, at least, slow down.
Photo: Murmann Verlag

The author of App Store Confidential says he is “surprised” by Apple’s attempt to halt sales of the book, and by the company’s allegations that the German-language memoir reveals trade secrets.

Tom Sadowski, a former App Store manager who worked at Apple from 2009 through 2019, told Cult of Mac he’s not sure which parts of his new book Cupertino objects to. “I’d love to [know], but unfortunately I don’t,” he said. “I am accused of betrayal of secrets without specifying it more precisely.”

Apple’s ‘She Creates’ sessions celebrate International Women’s Day all March long

By

mac
The 'She Creates' sessions will be available all of March.
Photo: Apple

Apple plans to celebrate International Women’s Day throughout the entire month of March with some special Today at Apple sessions that encourage women to explore their creativity.

The new ‘She Creates’ series of sessions will be available at Apple Stores from March 1 to March 31, giving visitors hands-on training for coding, photography, augmented reality and more.

Apple reportedly boosts iPhone 12 chip orders amid coronavirus chaos

By

Right to Repair
Apple's first 5nm chips are expected to ship in iPhone and iPad this year.
Photo: iFixit

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak will have no impact on Apple’s plans for its next-generation 5-nanometer chip rollout, one reliable analyst reported today.

Apple is believed to have aggressively increased its orders for the new processors, which will power this year’s iPhone and iPad Pro — as well as Apple’s first Arm-powered Mac that is said to be scheduled for early 2021.

Apple’s first Mac with a custom chip expected in early 2021

By

MacBook Pro review
It's about time!
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple’s first Mac with a custom processor is expected to make its debut in the first half of 2021, according to one reliable analyst.

Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities reports it will be a 5-nanometer chipset — like the upcoming A14 SoC that will power the next iPhone and iPad Pro. Apple is said to be increasing its orders after the coronavirus outbreak.

iPhone 12 might sport super-fast new type of Wi-Fi

By

iphone xs upgrade
iPhone 12 might include a short-range wireless networking standard about 40 times faster than Wi-Fi 6.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 12 will include an ultra-quick version of Wi-Fi, if an unconfirmed report is correct. This could enormously increase the data transfer speeds of this handset, even outstripping some versions of Ethernet.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Apple appeal in patent suit with VirnetX

By

App Store monopoly lawsuit might make Supreme Court. This is the latest chapter in a long-running case involving Apple.
Apple VirnetX patent infringement appeal is rejected by Supreme Court.
Photo: Supermac1961/Flickr CC

The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to hear Apple’s appeal of a $440 million judgment in one of many patent infringement suits brought by internet security firm VirnetX more than ten years ago.

The justices rejected Apple’s appeal in the long-running case in which a federal jury in 2016 found that Apple had infringed VirnetX’s patents and awarded $302 million. A judge later increased that amount to $439.7 million including interest and other costs.

Late 2020 iPad Pro could be the first with a next-gen Mini LED display

By

2018 iPad Pro sizes: 2018 iPad Pro sizes
Apple has big plans for iPad Pro in 2020.
Photo: Apple

An upcoming iPad Pro refresh could be the first to introduce a next-generation Mini LED display, a new report reveals.

Innolux is said to be joining Apple’s supply chain this year specifically to supply new iPad Pro panels. Jingdian, another Mini LED supplier, is expected to be the primary supplier and may have already started shipping orders.

Signal is the European Commission’s encrypted messaging app of choice

By

Signal app
Signal is all about privacy.
Photo: Signal

The European Commission doesn’t want its staff using WhatsApp or iMessage for internal communications. Instead, they must start using end-to-end-encrypted messaging app Signal as part of a push toward greater security.

“Signal has been selected as the recommended application for public instant messaging,” noted an instruction that reportedly appeared on internal EC messaging boards in early February.

Apple subpoenas major bank and intelligence contractor in ongoing battle with Corellium

By

Company that ported iOS to browsers hits back at Apple
Corellium makes software that allows people to simulate iOS on browsers.
Photo: Corellium

Apple has reportedly subpoenaed Santander Bank and $50 billion intelligence contractor L3Harris Technologies as part of its ongoing battle with cybersecurity startup Corellium.

Apple wants to know how both groups are using Corellium’s software. This software lets companies run virtual versions of iOS for security and functionality testing.

Nonprofit seeks old Apple Watches to donate to people in need

By

App Home Screen Apple Watch Series 4
Recycle Health is a wearables charity working out of Tufts Medical School.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Have an old Apple Watch you want to donate to a good cause? Recycle Health, a nonprofit working out of Tufts Medical School, is collecting fitness-tracking wearables to donate to underserved populations.

These include homeless people, veterans, people in senior living homes, and intellectually disabled adults, in low-income communities. The hope is that the fitness-tracking devices could lead to “sustained behavior change” among those who need it.

Target employees leak inventory listings for new AirPods, Apple TV, iPod touch and more

By

Target inventory photos
Are these soon-to-be-released Apple products, supposedly uncovered by Target employees?
Photo: 9to5Mac

Unnamed Target retail store employees are sharing details of what some believe are soon-to-be-released Apple updates using purported images of product listings from the companies retail inventory system.

The supposed new products include Apple AirPods X Generation, a 10.5-inch iPad, a new generation Apple TV, a new iPod touch and a series of new Apple Watch bands. 

New iOS 14 multitasking system revealed in leaked images

By

iOS 14 multitasking system borrows from iPadOS
Look familiar? iPhones allegedly are borrowing iPad’s multitasking layout.
Photo: Ben Geskin/91mobiles

iPhones running iOS 14 will borrow the multitasking layout currently used by iPads, according to a reliable leaker.

This is apparently the first major leak about the next iPhone operating system, which is expected to be unveiled this June.

Is this the bold new look for iOS 14? [Cult of Mac Magazine 337]

By

Neumorphism might fix some current iOS problems.
Neumorphism might fix some current iOS problems.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Before iOS 7, skeumorphism’s cartoon realism ruled. Then things swung too far in the opposite direction, with flat white pages, skinny text and occasionally confusing visual cues. An emerging design trend called neumorphism could bridge the gap in iOS 14, according to Cult of Mac’s Charlie Sorrel. With subtle shading and helpful hints, neumorphism could influence the evolution of Apple’s mobile UI.

Read all about this hot emerging design trend in this week’s free issue of our iOS magazine. It also includes the week’s top Apple news stories, along with a passel of how-tos and product reviews.

NBCUniversal eyes buying Walmart’s Vudu streaming service

By

Vudu Apple TV
The peacock network might buy Vudu.
Photo: Vudu

Walmart is allegedly looking to sell its video-streaming service Vudu right as the streaming wars are starting to heat up.

NBCUniversal is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire Vudu from Walmart, which could give the company another valuable asset as it prepares to launch the Peacock streaming network in a couple of months.

Quibi preps for streaming wars battle with App Store pre-orders

By

Quibi
Quibi is taking a different approach with streaming.
Photo: Quibi

iPhone and iPad users can already sign up to download Quibi, the mobile-only streaming service created by former Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Quibi was quietly posted to the App Store at the end of last month. News that it’s available for pre-order just surfaced today. You won’t be able to start streaming Quibi shows until April, but if you want to make sure you don’t miss the launch you can pre-order it now.

Apple Maps brings brilliant Look Around to Boston, Philadelphia, Washington

By

Look-Around-NYC
Look Around in action in New York City.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple Maps’ brilliant Look Around feature (its own version of Street View) is now live for Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

The expansion comes less than a month after Apple rolled out major Maps improvements to all users in the United States. It means Look Around now supports a total of nine locations, with more likely to come in 2020.

Congress might give law enforcement a ‘backdoor’ into encrypted messages

By

Know how to hard-lock your iPhone in a hurry.
Congress might use child abuse as an excuse to weaken the encryption in Apple Messages and similar apps.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

No one could protest legislation aimed at curbing child sex abuse, but a bill that reportedly will be introduced soon in the US Congress could have much wider consequences. One result might be a legally mandated requirement that messaging services have a “backdoor” so that law enforcement can read all encrypted messages.

Low-end AirPods rumor gains traction yet remains ‘lite’ on credible details

By

They AirPods Pro fit in their case like nothing ever happened.
These AirPods Pro are full-strength.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Tossed into the swirl of rumors and reports about coronavirus and its impact on Apple production is an alleged new entry to the AirPods lineup called “AirPods Pro Lite.”

The quotes bookending the product name are because no one is sure what to make of what is essentially a rumor first reported by a Chinese website with a mixed record for accuracy.

In the last few days, reports have surfaced in DigiTimes of a second “lite” version supplier, giving further credence to the various reports.

New iPads Pros, new AirPods and AirTags are incoming! We discuss, on The CultCast

By

CultCast 428
Apple's got some new goodies on the way...
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: New iPads Pro, new AirPods and AirTags are incoming, but Apple warns coronavirus could mean big manufacturing delays. Plus: From cut and paste, to Newton, and more — we remember the inventions of tech folk hero Larry Tesler.

And stick around for an all new What We’re Into, where Leander pitches some of the most bizarre shows on TV.

Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters … head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.