It’s been widely reported that voice control systems like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri use people in their quality-improvement process, not just algorithms. But Siri and others might be accidentally overhearing to what we say more than we realize, and humans in the loop are getting an earful.
A new report warns that Apple contractors have heard “confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex.”
Apple has a slender percentage of Indian handset sales, but there’s cause for optimism. We spoke with Anshika Jain, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, to see whether the changes Apple has been making to its business practices in India started to bear fruit during the second quarter of this year, and what they might mean for the future.
We can press and swipe our way to productivity with the touch screen on a smartphone. But the nerve endings in our fingers still long for the tactile engagement – that click – from pressing a button.
Snap, a company with the ideal name, is working with Columbia University on a smartphone case with mechanical buttons and dials to control our favorite phone functions.
The $1 billion Apple spent on Intel’s modem business is the second-largest acquisition in the company’s 42-year history.
Still, while a huge amount of money by most normal standards, rival tech giants regularly dwarf Apple’s big spend on Intel. For a variety of reasons, Apple just doesn’t roll that way.
We already know that Apple has completely made over the Reminders app in iOS 13, adding a new, more powerful layout, and some excellent quick-entry tools so you don’t have to tap the screen like a million times just to remember to take out the trash when you get home.
But Reminders has also gotten its virtual claws deeper into the rest of iOS. Today we’ll see two great integrations that you might not have heard about yet.
The most yawn-inducing Apple earnings call of the year is just days away, and Wall Street is eagerly anticipating the results — though maybe for reasons you wouldn’t expect.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri are scheduled to hop on the phone with investors at 2 p.m. Pacific next Tuesday for Apple’s Q3 2019 earnings call. Even though Apple doesn’t reveal quarterly sales for iPhones anymore, there are a lot of metrics to look for that could clue us in on how well or poorly the company is performing lately.
Keep an ear out for these five things during Apple’s July 30 earnings call.
The US Department of Justice just signed off on the biggest telecommunications deal in many years. This was the last real hurdle in the $26 billion merger of Sprint into T-Mobile.
The carriers had to agree to sell off some assets to win this approval. Still, every iPhone owner who’s a Sprint customer will soon be hearing from T-Mobile.
This week on The CultCast: A new report gives us a price tag and release date for the upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro. Then: A new hire signals that the Apple Car is far from dead; and there’s finally a way to get podcasts recommendations tailored just for you. Plus, stayed tuned for our favorite shows and Comic-Con trailer in an all-new What We’re Into!
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
It’s your last chance to save 20% on Ullu’s outstanding Pocket Wallet for iPhone.
The slimline sleeve wraps your iPhone in luxurious Italian leather, and comes in nine gorgeous finishes. It also has space for your credit cards so you can leave your old wallet at home.
Get yours now before the discount disappears on Sunday!
With a constant stream of new, console-quality games in the iOS App Store, and subscription gaming service Apple Arcade on the way, there’s arguably never been a better time to be an Apple gamer. Yet despite all the great new iOS games, sometimes you just want to relive your misspent youth.
This week, Paul Cuisset’s classic Mac platformer Flashback blasted its way into the App Store. To mark the occasion, we dug up some of the best classic games that graced vintage Macs but now can be played on your iOS device. Check them out.
President Donald Trump said Friday that Apple will not receive special treatment for Mac Pro components made in China.
Apple submitted multiple requests asking the Trump administration to exclude certain Mac Pro parts from a 25% import tariff. But Trump says the U.S. government will not extend any special waivers or relief to Cupertino.
“Make them in the USA,” Trump tweeted.
The eagerly anticipated Apple Card is set to launch in the first half of August, a new report claims.
Apple originally promised a “summer” release for the credit card. Given that summer starts in late June and ends late September, this would put it exactly halfway through the season. Just in time for some vacation spending!
When you go online, you face tons of lurking threats to your security and privacy. You also can encounter annoying content restrictions based on your location or IP address. All these problems can be addressed by a virtual private network, so why aren’t you using one?
Apple wants to start shipping its own 5G modems as soon as 2021, according to a new report.
The news comes after Apple confirmed it is splashing $1 billion to acquire the majority of Intel’s modem chip business. But we won’t see the back of Qualcomm for some time.
Apple has teamed up with investors including Foxconn, Microsoft and… the National Bank of Kazakhstan to participate in a new “technology mega fund.”
The $108 billion fund is organized by SoftBank Group Corp. The goal is to focus on investing in A.I. related technologies.
You’ll be able to tune into CBS All Access on Apple TV Channels next week.
CBS has confirmed that support for Apple’s new service will be rolled out on Monday, July 29. It’s not yet clear how much it will cost for those who subscribe through the TV app, however.
Right from the start, Apple Music offered a three-month trial to new users to try and get them to subscribe. In some cases, this even extended all the way up to a six-month free trial before users would have to pay a dime.
Apple may be shifting away from this strategy, though. A new banner ad on Apple’s website mentions a one-month tryout period for the streaming music service.
Your MacBook Pro’s pricey Touch Bar is no longer useless when you’re running Windows 10.
A third-party developer has gotten the tiny second screen to work under Microsoft’s operating system. You can use it to access the Start menu and quickly switch between the apps you have running.
IOGear has a simple, wireless replacement for HDMI cables. The SharePro Mini creates its own little Wi-Fi network to stream video between a small transmitter and receiver, connecting your MacBook and TV without a wire. There are some limitations, of course.
We’re been testing this gadget for weeks. Tune in to see if it’s something you need for your living room, or for your next presentation.
Apple is exploring ways to build augmented reality into Apple Maps. Rather than top-down views of roads and intersections, the company is considering overlaying route information onto live views of the road ahead of the car.
Apple Maps has always lagged behind Google Maps. Building in AR could help it jump ahead.
Apple will pay $1 billion to acquire Intel’s smartphone modem business in a deal that was announced by the two companies this afternoon..
Apple will absorb patents, equipment and about 2,200 Intel employees if the deal meets regulatory approval. The two companies hope to close the deal by the end of the year.
Updated Sept. 10: Apple has taken the wraps off the 2019 iPhone models. As hoped, the replacement for the iPhone XR costs $50 less. However, the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are priced the same as last year’s models.
There are solid reasons to be optimistic that Apple will actually drop the price of the flagship 2019 iPhone models. Recent moves by the company signal a willingness to lower the cost of its other computers, and information leaking out about the replacement for the iPhone XS series indicates that it will be cheaper to make.
Most importantly, the company needs to respond to the plethora of evidence that it charges more than most people are willing to pay for even high-end handsets.
Noise-canceling headphones are fantastic. They cut down on traffic noise, airplane rumble and even — to a certain extent — the racket from that never-ending construction work across the street. Not only is life more pleasant without this noise pollution, but less background noise is also healthier for your ears.
Because you’re not trying to drown out the ambient noise with your music, you can set the volume lower, thus preserving your hearing (as well as your sanity).
Today we’ll see how to choose from the different kinds of available noise-canceling headphones, and how to use them. What this won’t be is a buyer’s guide — although I do have some recommendations based on personal use.
One of the worst problems with the MacBook Pro and other Apple notebooks is finally going to get fixed this year.
Apple reportedly will move away from its controversial butterfly keyboard in favor of a more reliable design. And according to the best Apple analyst in the game, the new keyboard will come to the 16-inch MacBook Pro first.
Billboards promoting iPhone’s strict approach to privacy have now made their way to Europe.
Apple fans started noticing the ads in Germany today after they popped up in the U.S. and Canada earlier this year. Each features a clever, location-based tagline that sends one clear message.