Apple customers can now get reliable repair service from third-party shops

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Apple announced a new repair program that lets certified third-party repair shops fix the “most common out-of-warranty iPhone” problems so customers can be more at ease when they visit those shops for repairs.

As mentioned, these third-party repair shops will need to join Apple’s independent repair program that is now free of charge and once they get the AASP certification, Apple will provide them with the same genuine components, equipment, manuals, and training like the AASPs.

This is Apple’s effort to provide more reliable repairs to its customers. Just last month, the company tried to prevent users from unauthorized battery replacements by displaying an error message that says, “Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple battery. Health information not available for this battery.”

“When a repair is needed, a customer should have confidence the repair is done right. We believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested,” said the company in its press release.

Apple also expanded its authorized service network recently in the US, making sure every Best Buy store can provide authorized repair service.

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Apple silently removed the “Ratings and Reviews” tab from its online retail site

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Apple has removed its “Ratings and Reviews” tab without any warnings beforehand, and nobody knows why.

The buyer review section is now removed from Apple’s online retail store page, and this applies to the U.S., U.K., Australian and Malaysian Apple pages. Using the Wayback Machine, AppleInsider managed to discover the

estimated date of removal which is on November 17, as the reviews were still there on November 16.

Many believe that Apple may have removed the “Ratings and Reviews” tab due to a significant number of negative reviews, which is disappointing since Apple’s decision to keep those negative reviews proved that they’re being transparent. This is also why the removal of the tab could be a mistake and Apple may just bring it back.

One thing’s for sure, most of the hardcore Apple fans will still buy the products anyway — with or without the ratings and reviews.

apple
Ratings and Reviews


Apple removes all WhatsApp Sticker apps from App store

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Apple users will no longer be able to create their own customized WhatsApp Stickers. According to WABetainfo, Apple has started deleting WhatsApp Stickers apps from the Apple App Store as these apps have found to be violating the company’s guidelines for developers.

Apple has given three main reasons for the deletion. First, there are too many apps with similar behavior. Second, one has to install WhatsApp to use WhatsApp sticker apps which is against the company’s App Store guidelines which according to Apple, an app should not require another app to work. Last but not least, the designs of all of these apps are all the same.

WhatsApp had once announced that they supports third party developers to build sticker apps for Whatsapp on both iOS and Android back in October. After this announcement was made, it is reported that the Apple App Store began being flooded with different types of stickers apps. However, it will now be taken away for iOS users since Apple is deleting all the stickers apps from its App Store.

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Apple removes stalking app “Like Patrol” that lets you spy on other Instagram users

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The Like Patrol app has been removed from App Store due to Instagram’s claim that the app can be used to spy on others.

Just last month, Instagram has removed the Following tab where you can see what other Instagrammers (that you follow) have liked, commented or followed. Despite Instagram’s attempt to prevent their users from stalking each other, an app known as Like Patrol has surfaced — allowing users to do the exact opposite of what Instagram had in mind.

Like Patrol not only does what the Following tab can, but also offers notification to users when someone they follow interact with other users. Instagram believes that the app is scraping their users’ data, resulting in Instagram sending a cease-and-desist letter to the company near the end of October.

This app that is only available to iOS users is now removed from App Store, but its founder Sergio Luis Quintero intends to get the app back up.

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Apple removes Steam Link app from the App Store stating its a “business conflict”

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Sorry iPhone users, it seems that Apple is not very happy about the Steam Link app on the Apple App Store. The Steam Link app allows you to stream your Steam games to your phone so you can enjoy your PC games anywhere as long as Steam is open on your desktop.

Apple approved the app on 7th May but on 10th May, Apple retracted their approval saying that the app is a business conflict with the app guidelines that were not realized by the original review team. Steam did send an appeal stating that i is just a LAN-based remote desktop app which is similar to the many other apps on the store the functions generally the same. However, Apple has put their foot down and still denied the app from appearing on the App Store.

Steam Link can be downloaded on the Play Store and based on the few games I tested the app on, it works generally like a remote desktop app, as it allows you to not only use the app with your Steam client, it actually allows you to navigate your desktop and do other non-Steam related tasks. We are still not sure what the “business conflict” is but Steam is hopeful that Apple will reconsider the appeal in the future.

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Apple reported to launch 16-inch MacBook Pro this week and swaps out old keyboard for a new design

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Reports have surfaced recently of Apple releasing a 16-inch MacBook Pro that will replace the current 15-inch model. What’s even more surprising is that we could be seeing it as soon as this week!

According to a report by Bloomberg, several people who are “familiar with the situation (
product
 releases)”, have mentioned that the upcoming laptop will also sport a new keyboard design – one that replace the current butterfly switches, which have been problematic to the point that Apple had to run keyboard replacement programs to fix affected MacBook Pros.

The current 15-inch models are going for RM10,499 and the report claims that the 16-inch follow ups will cost the same. There was no mention of the 13-inch models, so we reckon those will remain.

With the increase in size and switch in keyboards, it looks like Apple is listening to its customers and making the necessary improvements to their high-end offering. There are no teasers or official word from Apple yet, so we’ll have to wait and see if we really get a new MacBook Pro sometime this week.

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Apple reportedly en route to building its own MicroLED screen

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…and it’s going to start with the Apple Watch first.

It may be the first that the company is designing and inventing their own device displays, but they seem very hopeful in the process of it. There have also been reports suggesting Apple using a secret manufacturing facility near its headquarters in California. Guess it’s high time for them to be going en route with this plan since their screen panels are provided by Samsung, Sharp, LG and Japan Display for all this while.

The work on displays hasn’t been a smooth journey for Apple though, since they’ve actually killed a project about a year ago. But it’s worth noting that there have been some improvements recently so it may actually transcend the company to a more advanced stage. And this project is said to be led by a long-time Apple employee, Lynn Youngs, who has now started working on the Apple Watch technology.

The report has also suggested that Apple’s MicroLED technology displays would use newer light-emitting compounds that make them brighter, thinner, and less power-intense than the current OLED displays. But as for when they’re going to be released to the public, it seems that it’s going to be few years away. Let’s be hopeful that this project will indeed be a successful feat for them.

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Apple reportedly investigating the potential of moving iPhone manufacturing to the U.S.

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Back when Donald Trump was campaigning for the Presidency, one of his promises was that if he were to be elected as President, he would get Apple to build their devices in the U.S. instead of outsourcing it to other countries. Now that Trump is scheduled to take over the White House in January, it seems that Apple has begun investigating the feasibility of moving the manufacturing of the iPhones back to the States.

In a report by Nikkei, Apple has asked both Foxconn and Pegatron, two of its key iPhone assemblers, to look into making iPhones in the U.S.. While Foxconn is said to have obliged, Pegatron has decided against doing so due to cost concerns.

While no one is quite sure if Apple is serious about moving iPhone production back to the States, many agree that doing so would cause the iPhone’s price to rise. A source told Nikkei that by moving iPhone manufacturing to the U.S., the cost to produce an iPhone would double. Cost isn’t the only factor in this equation as manpower is equally critical in its production. According to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, the U.S. simply does not have enough skilled workers for the production of iPhones. Additionally, an industry executive told Nikkei that mass production of the device will be difficult in the U.S. thanks to logistical concerns.

Those who are worried that this would affect the pricing of the recently released iPhone 7 need not be too afraid as these devices will still be manufactured in Asia. That said, the upcoming iPhone by Apple may be a different story altogether.

Source:
Nikkei

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Apple reportedly switching to Apple Maps for Find My iPhone service

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We know this moment is going to come, though Apple haven’t really perfected their Maps app especially here in Malaysia, the company has been reportedly been trying out its own proprietary mapping system on its Find My iPhone service, the current Find My iPhone service uses Google Maps, which works really well in our
case
. The switch to Apple Maps is the next sign of Apple wanting to be independent and stay far away from Google. It was also reported that last year, Apple posted a few job postings for developers to “design, develop, and maintain complex front-end code for a new secret project” that would include “an advanced web platform.”, which could probably mean its mapping service.

Of course, Apple’s mapping service is really beautiful as it uses lots of high quality graphics, we really hope they can improve the Malaysian maps it is still pretty bad here as we know of. Let’s see how well Apple can make us switch from Google Maps and if you want to try out, you can pretty much headover to the
iCloud beta site here
.

Source:
9to5Mac


Apple requires game developers to disclose loot box item odds

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The loot box controversy that came from EA’s Star Wars Battlefront II became so huge that government bodies in certain countries took it upon themselves to investigate if loot boxes should be considered as gambling and the China government has issued out a statement to game companies that they have to disclose the probability rates on obtaining the items in loot boxes.

Apple is the next company to take this loot box issue into their own hands by making it mandatory that all game developers will have to state the odds of receiving the rewards promised. This is also due to the fact that players want more clarity when purchasing this boxes as some games will have to be purchased at its full price but still has microtransactions in them which come as the mentioned loot boxes.

In a way, loot boxes are what sustains the company after the initial sales of the game copies. but some companies take shady measures to include powerful items from these boxes that will enhance the game or make the player’s character more powerful than the rest, which is a big problem, especially in multiplayer games.

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Apple responds to Spotify's allegations; claims that Spotify is asking for preferential treatment

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Last week, we’ve reported that
Spotify has claimed that Apple is squeezing them out of the App Store
 intentionally. Over the weekend, Apple has responded, and the story between both these companies have gotten a lot murkier.

In a letter sent to BuzzFeed News, Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell has stated that Spotify is asking for “preferential treatment” in the App Store’s approval process. “We find it troubling that you are asking for exemptions to the rules we apply to all developers, and are publicly resorting to rumours and half-truths about our service,” writes Sewell. “There is nothing in Apple’s conduct that ‘amounts to a violation of applicable antitrust laws.’ Far from it. I would be happy to facilitate an expeditious review and approval of your app as soon as you provide us with something that is compliant with the App Store’s rules.”

This is what
@Apple
 wants you to believe violates their rules. No offer, no purchase, no link to anywhere at all.
pic.twitter.com/WzLDvWw2In

— jonathan prince (@jonathanmprince)
July 1, 2016

Spotify has since responded in a Tweet as shown above. Needless to say, this is just the calm before the storm as it seems that neither Spotify nor Apple will be backing down in this case.

Source:
BuzzFeed News
,
The Verge

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Apple resurrects the HomePod smart speaker for US$299

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There was a bit of disappointment when Apple discontinued the HomePod smart speaker two years ago and introduced the smaller HomePod mini, as the HomePod is still a more impressive speaker that delivers big, room-filling sound than its mini sibling, and we are thankfully seeing Apple introducing the 2nd Generation HomePod.

Available in Midnight and White color options, the 2nd Generation HomePod looks rather similar to its predecessor, as the cylinder-shaped speaker has a fabric mesh wrapped around it and houses a 4-inch high-excursion woofer, powerful motor, five beamforming tweeters and internal bass-EQ mic.

Credit: 9to5Mac

Computational audio is available just like the AirPods, as the HomePod is now powered by a S7 chip that handles feedback from an all-new system sensor to run complex tuning models in real time to preserve dynamic range and maximize acoustic performance, the built-in mics will listen to sound reflections and automatically tunes the soundstage to optimal listening conditions regardless where it is placed.

One thing that will excite the smart home enthusiasts is that the 2nd Generation HomePod has support for Matter, a new connectivity standard that’s coming to many smart home accessories, it also supports Dolby Atmos when paired to an Apple TV 4K.

The 2nd Generation HomePod will be available on 3rd February onwards in the US and retails at US$299, it is also available in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and 11 other countries.

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Apple reveals iOS 13 at WWDC, including Dark Mode and Memoji stickers

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Apple’s iOS 13 is one of the announcements everyone is looking forward to at WWDC 2019 and Apple made sure its audience didn’t have to wait long as it was quickly revealed at the beginning of WWDC during the keynote speech.

iOS 13 has many improvements and upgrades, more than previous reports have led us to believe. The upgraded software is said to increase performance – 50% smaller app downloads, 60% smaller app updates and 2x faster app launch. In addition to that, the Face ID unlock will also be 30% faster.

Apple also gives us Apple fanatics what we’ve been waiting for – Dark Mode. The Dark Mode was demonstrated on an iPhone with dark layouts and themes, and Apple very smoothly slides in a feature iOS users has been missing out on – swipe to type on keyboard. It might seem like a minor upgrade, but believe me, iOS users will be eternally grateful for this feature. Music app will also be improved as iOS 13 will include time-sync lyrics.

Apple also mentioned several upgrades to Notes, Safari and Mail but more importantly, the Reminders app received major upgrades. It’s more intelligent now and can automatically detect when to remind its users if a place and time was included in the context. Apple also said that if you tag someone in the app, it will automatically remind both you and the person you tag when the time comes for you to do whatever it is you have to do.

iOS 13 also comes with enhancements when it comes to Camera and Photos. There will be new tabs that organizes your photos based on days, months or years, and it will come with advanced machine learning that will intelligently reduce clutters and help keep track of your moments. In addition, portrait lighting will be even better with the introduction of adjustment in every portrait lighting effect, and there will be a new effect called High Key Mono. Photo editing is also made easier with a new layout, where Apple users will be able to get a complete view of all their settings altogether. Can it get better? Yes, it can. iOS 13 will enable users to apply filters and various effects on their videos but more importantly, users can now rotate their videos.

Apple also makes sure to upgrade Messages in iOS 13, where users can now share their names and photos – or even Memoji – with the other party they’re texting. Memoji becomes a lot more fun with better customization that lets you customise your makeup, teeth, hair, accessories and even wear Apple’s AirPods. In addition, iOS 13 introduces Memoji Stickers, in which users will get to use Memoji stickers instead of emojis in their messages, and it will also be supported in other apps like Mail and WeChat.

Apart from that, iOS 13 will also focus on privacy and security, introducing Sign in with Apple – a more secure alternative compared to Sign in with Facebook or Sign in with Google. It allows user to sign in without being tracked because they are offered the option to hide their email addresses, in which Apple will create a random address so that users’ email addresses are not compromised. Every app that require a sign in will be provided with different addresses, but all will be forwarded to user’s original email. Furthermore, location services will come with more options in iOS 13 such as allow just once, background tracking alerts and Wi-Fi & Bluetooth protections.

iOS 13 also includes enhancement to HomePod, AirPods, CarPlay and Siri. Siri will be able to immediately read incoming messages via AirPods and users can respond to those messages swiftly without needing to use their iPhones. Moreover, users can share audio with their friends with a single tap when they’re using their AirPods. CarPlay dashboard will also have an updated design for a cleaner layout with more functionality, and HomePod will support over 100,000 radio stations so you’ll get a wide variety of stations to listen to.

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Apple reveals local prices for iPhone SE and 9.7" iPad Pro

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Did Apple’s reveal of the iPhone SE or the 9.7 inch iPad Pro made you shiver in anticipation? Well, you can’t exactly get your hands either devices yet, but Apple has revealed the official pricing of both devices today.

Let’s start with the iPhone SE. As shown in the image above, the 16GB variant of the iPhone SE will be priced at RM 1,949 while the 64GB variant costs RM 2,449.

As for the 9.7″ iPad Pro, prices for this tablet comes in two flavours: Wi-Fi only, or Wi-Fi with Cellular. For the Wi-Fi only option, the iPad Pro will have a starting price of RM 2,699 for the 32GB variant. For the Wi-Fi and Cellular option, prices start from RM 3,299 for the 32GB variant.

Do note that these are the prices that Apple is offering. It is entirely possible that the local telcos would be announcing their own package plans that would allow you to acquire either devices at a subsidized rate.

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Apple reveals tvOS 9.2 and iOS 9.3, will be released later today

267

Hardware aren’t the only things that took the spotlight at Apple’s event as the company reveals that they will be updating tvOS and iOS today.

For those of you who own the Apple TV media player, Apple will be launching tvOS 9.2 later today. This update will bring a slew of new features to Apple TV such as Siri voice dictation which allows you to browse the App Store via voice. tvOS 9.2 will also feature iCloud Photo Library, allowing you to finally access all of the images you’ve uploaded the Apple’s cloud and display it on the big screen.

The other big software update is iOS 9.3. Available later today, iOS 9.3 comes with a ton of new features for a seemingly incremental update. One of the newest features for iOS 9.3 is the F.lux-inspired Night Shift. This tool works by automatically reducing the amount of blue light emitting from the screen depending on the time and location of the device.

Apple will also be making some improvements to the Notes app. Aside from multi-user support, Notes can now be password protected and unlocked using Touch ID. The News app has also been improved upon with a ‘For You’ section that displays news based on your interests, suggestions and trending topics. Other minor improvements have also been made to Apple Health and CarPlay, with the former finally receiving Apple Watch integration.

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Apple rolls out beta 8 and public beta 7 for iOS 10

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While Apple fanboys remain on their toes awaiting the iPhone 7 which is slated to be launched next month, Apple has pushed out yet another beta, two betas to be exact for iOS 10. The Cupertino company has started rolling out beta 8 and public beta 7 of iOS 10 for you testers out there.

This could probably be the last beta for iOS 10 before its official release to the general public early next month. As per usual, pre-existing beta testers will be able to get their hands on this update from Software Update in the settings of their iPads or iPhones. If you still happen to be eager to try out iOS 10 though the software will go official next month, you can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program and follow the given instructions for you to get your beta iOS 10.

iOS 10 includes a slew of updates including a better designed Lock Screen, Home Screen with improved widgets, new looks for Music and News apps, additional features in the iMessage app, and the Home app for HomeKit, to name a few. Apple is expected to revamp their design of the iPhone, or partially at least when it unveils next month during its launch event. Till then, stay tuned!

Source:
9to5Mac

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Apple rumoured to release the new iPad Pro with 3D sensor next year, followed by AR headset and AR glasses

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Apple’s next few years are expected to be including AR and VR technology, starting with the iPad Pro sporting 3D sensors when it launches next year.

According to a
Bloomberg
 report, the new iPad Pro will be equipped with dual camera on its rear and the 3D sensor system will let people create “reconstructions of rooms, objects and people”. In addition, the Face ID sensor will also be enhanced and will be available on the newer Apple mobile devices. Next year’s iPhones will also come with 5G support and the 3D sensor.

After 2020, Apple is rumoured to release an augmented reality headset that’s codenamed N301. The device will be a slimmer version of Oculus Quest and support both AR and VR. After the release of N301, Apple is said to release a smaller pair of AR glasses which can be worn for long-term. There will also be a chance that Apple will use lenses that darkens when it’s being used so that others will know when the wearer is occupied by the AR glasses.

At least now we know what to expect from Apple for the upcoming years.

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Apple rumoured to be developing foldable iPhones/iPads; likely to launch in 2021

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard news about Apple’s foldable iPhone, but that doesn’t mean there’s no progress at all. Apple is supposedly working on the foldable technology for its devices and reports suggest that we might be able to see an Apple foldable device earliest by 2020.

However, UBS mentioned that “2021 is more likely” so let’s just expect 5G iPhones next year and no more than that. There’s also a possibility that a foldable iPad will debut before a foldable iPhone and personally, I think that’s a smarter move.

According to the survey UBS conducted, users are more willing to pay a premium price for foldable devices, especially Apple buyers who are even willing to pay more than the rest to get their hands on foldable devices. But just to be clear, the survey reveals that users are willing to pay around $400-$500 more, so the very pricey $2,000 Samsung Galaxy Fold is in fact out of the question. Simply put, smartphone brands will need to find a way to lower the price of their foldable devices if they’re trying to get consumers to adapt to the new technology.

As usual, Apple is late to the game since Samsung and HUAWEI have already announced and revealed their own foldable devices. Despite the few months delay caused by faulty components, Samsung is once again ready to launch the Galaxy Fold in September.

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Samsung penalised Apple for purchasing fewer OLED iPhone displays

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Selling fewer iPhones doesn’t just mean a decrease in profit; Apple recently paid Samsung $950 million for buying fewer OLED iPhone displays than promised.

Apple’s penalty fee turns Samsung’s operating loss into profit

In a report published by
Display Supply Chain Consultants
 (DSCC), Samsung revealed its revenues and operating profit for the second quarter of 2020, which is largely contributed by strong demand in semiconductors and also the penalty fee Apple had to pay. DSCC suggested that Apple’s payment was the main reason why display devices became an operating profit instead of a loss.

Apple also penalised in 2019

Without face mask

This is not the first time Apple had to pay a penalty fee to Samsung. In Q2 2019, Apple was also charged for purchasing fewer OLED displays than agreed.
9to5mac
 pointed out that Apple has agreements that allow it to purchase components for a lower price per unit, but they’ll have to make a minimum purchase in return.

It’s likely that Apple could not sell as many iPhones this year due to the whole COVID-19 situation. The pandemic has also increased the likelihood of the
iPhone 12 delay
.

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Apple says MacBook Pro CPU throttling issues a software bug

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The latest MacBook Pro has gotten a lot of users excited over its upgraded CPU, however all hopes were almost shattered when YouTuber Dave2D found out that there are serious throttling issues on the top spec Core i9 15-inch MacBook Pro when running video rendering tasks, the results have also proven to be relevant across other tech YouTubers’ experience. Apple has admitted that issue and has claimed that it is something to do with a bug on the current version of macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, which it is missing a ‘digital key’ that impacts the thermal management of the machine.

Therefore, a supplemental update has been issued today to rectify the issue, which customers can immediately download it on the Mac App Store, Apple says that the machines should return to its advertised speed, which the 15-inch MacBook Pro is 70% faster than its predecessor and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is 2X faster.

CPU throttling isn’t uncommon on notebooks, especially when manufacturers compromise thermal management for a slim form factor yet packing powerful internals. As in Apple’s case, there is definitely some truth to it as MacOS works very differently with its hardware, despite being the very same components used in Windows PCs, as it requires some certification in order to work properly, which the company may have missed that certification out when it shipped the new MacBook Pros with the same macOS High Sierra version.

Let’s hope Apple ships the MacBook Pros with the update when it gets here.

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Apple says the bent iPad Pros are not defects

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The “bendgate” issue that the new iPad Pros have been facing is now confirmed by Apple, but the company states that it is not a defect.

When the iPad Pro was launched at the end of October, soon consumers who bought the device realised that it’s either easily bent, or came to them already bent. This frustrated many of the users, especially those who did not get the Apple Care and can’t exchange the already bent iPad Pro for a new one. There was also one user who actually exchanged his bent iPad Pro for a new one, only to have his second iPad Pro bent within days of usage.

The new iPad Pros are so easily bent that many users are reporting that the devices get bent just by being placed in their backpacks as they travel around. Now Apple has responded to the matter, and they called it a “side effect” to the device’s manufacturing process.

Apparently, the iPad Pro is easily bent due to the cooling process of the metal and plastic components of the device. The device is also very slim and light, which could be an additional factor as to why it’s so easily bendable. That being said, Apple said that the bent iPad Pros are not defects and will still function perfectly well as intended. The company also stated that the bending will not worsen over time.

Still, a bent is a bent and we highly doubt that anyone would want to pay such a high price for a device that comes slightly bent and gets bent just over a few days of usage. It is indeed a shame that the iPad Pro that has been promoted to be so powerful lacks the physical structure durability that it needs.

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Apple scales back its car ambitions to focus on autonomous driving technology

359

Over the past year or so, reports and rumours were going around that Apple has expressed interest in developing its own self-driving car. At one point,
news reports linked
 Apple to British supercar manufacturer McLaren. However,
a report by Bloomberg
 today reveals that Apple is drastically scaling back its automotive ambitions, dropping the idea of building its own car to focus on the autonomous driving system instead.

According to Bloomberg’s report, Apple’s autonomous driving system initiative is known internally as Project Titan. By refocusing on developing an autonomous driving system, Apple would gain the flexibility to either artner with existing carmakers, or even return to designing its own vehicle. Apple executives have given the team responsible for Project Titan a deadline of late next year to prove the feasibility of the self-driving system and decide on a final direction.

This change in focus did not come without cost of course. Hundreds out of the original 1,000-man strong team have been reassigned, let go, or has left Apple on their own volition. Let’s just hope that Apple’s attempt at the autonomous driving technology would be successful this time around.

Source:
Bloomberg

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Apple sends out invites for a September 7th event

364

The next week or so will be a busy one as IFA 2016 takes place in Berlin tomorrow. Once the festivities in Berlin is done and dusted, Apple will be taking center stage as the Cupertino-based company has just send out invites for an upcoming event on the 7th of September.

While the invite itself is vague, with nothing more than out of focus lights and the words “see you on the 7th,” the rumours are saying that Apple will finally unveil the iPhone 7. The iPhone 7 has been the subject of numerous leaks of course. These leaks state that the iPhone 7 will come in 32GB, 64GB and 256GB variants. Also rumoured is the redesigned Force Touch Home Button, as well as a new dual-camera system. Of course, no iPhone 7 leak is complete without the mention of Apple allegedly removing the 3.5mm headphone jack. Whether or not all these rumours are true, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Of course, the event won’t only be focusing on the iPhone 7. The Apple Watch 2 as well as the new MacBook Pros are expected to be among the products showcased at the event. Needless to say, if you’re an Apple diehard, mark the 7th of September in your calendar.

Source:
9to5Mac

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Apple offers Service Program to fix the latest iPad Air’s blank screen problem

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Do you own the latest iPad Air and if you do, have you been experiencing sudden blank screen? Owners of the iPad Air 3rd generation have been complaining about this issue, leading to Apple offering a Service Program to solve the problem.

According to Apple, there are some iPad Air (3rd generation) units that may experience permanent blank screens. These devices should be manufactured between March 2019 to October 2019, so if your iPad Air has similar issues, you can get it fixed without getting charged.

However, you may have to pay if your iPad Air has any other damages that prevent the technician from fixing the blank screen issue. Let’s say your screen is cracked and affects the blank screen repairing process, then you’ll have to pay to fix the cracked screen.

Similar to the rest of Apple’s service programs, this program doesn’t extend the standard warranty and will cover the affected devices for two years from the first retail sale.

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Apple shows off Major updates on iOS 11 and the HomePod personal assistant

406

Apple’s WWDC 2017 day one presentation has just come to a close and they really went all out in pushing productivity and convenience to its audience. For now, we are going to look at the improvements that the company has brought to the iOS for both iPhone and iPad and a new device that they are releasing to rival the other home assistants that are out there, HomePod.

iOS iPhone

iMessage is the default messaging client that most of the people in the West use and now Apple has included a drawer where all the stickers will be stored, they have also enabled syncing to the iCloud allow you to carry your messages to any other device and you can make payments through the app, similar to what Facebook Messenger can do. The Photo app has also gotten an update and it comes in the form of grouping your pictures based on context like ‘growing up’, ‘Anniversary’ and more. It can also edit live photos, allowing you to select the particular frame you like and saving it as a photo. The Maps app is also updated showing you the speed limit and lane assists so you will not miss the turn, a more impressive feature is that it will show the plans for the mall or airport that you are heading to, giving you the chance to plan out your trip while in the destination.

Image Source: The Verge

The App Store is also updated where it would show you three tabs, the first being the Today tab where it will show you the latest apps that came out today and tell you the story of how that app was born straight from the words of the developer. The Game tab is dedicated to showing you the games that you might like and breaking down the games into a subcategory such as Action, Puzzle and more, there is also an App tab where it will show you apps that are not related to games.

iOS iPad

For the iPad’s version of iOS 11, Apple has added a dock at the bottom of the screen for you to add apps that you frequent too, making it easier to launch whatever you need, the dock is also accessible in full-screen apps but swiping from the bottom to bring up the dock, swiping the app from the bottom to top will show you a screen with all the other apps suspended and waiting for you to come back to them.

Now, there is also support for multi-window, allowing you to drag an app from the dock to the screen and it will appear on the side, similar to what you can do on Windows, it will also allow you to drag and drop, images, texts, URL and more from one window to another. The virtual keyboard has also been updated that makes it much easier to add punctuations and numbers by pressing and swiping down to select the number or punctuation on that key. Lastly, is the addition of Markup which is a productivity app that will allow you to draw on images or pictures saved on the iPad, they also made it easy to access notes that are being written when the device sleeps by simply tapping on the screen with the Apple Pencil. It does not stop there, you can also draw on emails making it more personal when sending it, the search feature in iOS can search for notes even if the whole note is written as it can understand handwriting.

HomePod

Rumors were right about a Siri-enabled speaker and it is called the HomePod. The device is a 7-inch tall speaker with the bottom, housing tweeter speakers that drive the sound from the bottom and a subwoofer, driving the bass to the top. The speaker can also detect the room that it is in, this is because the speaker is able to detect the individual channels in a song and redirect them accordingly to fit the room it’s in, and will work together with another identical speaker next to it.

As this is coming from Apple, with the phrase ‘Hey Siri’ the speaker will activate and is ready to perform the commands that you request from asking to play music to switching off the lights in your home. The HomePod will come in White and Space Gray and will be available in the US, UK, and Australia and the rest of the world next year, it will retail for $349.

Overall, what we saw today was pretty interesting advancements and tech that they are bringing to consumers and the promise of productivity on their devices makes it a really good selling point. Did you watch the keynote? Let us know what you were more excited about in the comments.

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Apple silently bumps up the storage space and drops the price on the iPads

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While everyone is too busy fawning over the newly announced iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple has silently made some changes to its iPads. Starting from today, all iPads will have their storage capacity bumped up, much like what Apple did to the iPhone 6.

All current active iPad tablets, ranging from the iPad mini 2 up to the 12.9″ iPad Pro, will now come with a minimum storage capacity of 32GBs. For the iPad Pros, the top of the line iPad Pro will now come with 256GB of storage space.

Besides bumping up the storage space, Apple has also reduced the price of the iPads in general. Previously, the top of the line 12.7″ iPad Pro costs USD1,099. With the new price cut, you can now purchase the 256GB 12.7″ iPad Pro for USD999. This price cut applies to all iPads, with some models receiving a USD100 price drop when compared to its initial price.

Source:
Apple

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Apple silently hides 32-bit iOS apps from App Store

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There have been many signs of Apple moving onto 64-bit apps for its iOS platform. For instance, when opening up a 32-bit app on iOS 10.1 and above, users will receive a warning message stating that the app developer has to update the app to improve its compatibility, a hint for app developers to rewrite their apps in the 64-bit code.

A recent report by Touch Arcade claims that 32-bit apps will not appear in search results in  the app store, another subtle warning by Apple that developers will have to move on to prevent being left out in the near future (hint: iOS 11). Apple’s WWDC will commence later tonight and we’re expecting the Cupertino colossus to unveil iOS 11, which is claimed to 64-bit only.

Chances are the app developers that are still stuck in yesteryear’s 32-bit code will need to act fast as it is likely that Apple will begin pulling the plug on 32-bit support for its iOS platform, leading to the loss of both developers and users. Hiding 32-bit apps from search results on the App Store sounds like a subtle yet drastic move. Thoughts?

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Apple Chief Design Officer Sir Jony Ive set to leave the company after nearly 30 years of service – sparks $9 bil stock price drop

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Sir Jony Ive, former Chief Design Officer at Apple, has left the American giants to start his own design firm, LoveFrom. Follow this news, Apple’s stocks have dipped, incurring a $9 billion loss in the company’s market cap.

According to Gizmodo, $9 billion only represents a one percent drop in market cap. But the investors’ uneasiness is warranted considering Ive’s pivotal role in Apple’s resurgence in the late 90s thanks to the candy-coloured iMac as well as the iPhone later on.

Recent renders of the new iPhone suggest that it could have a square camera module – something that seems out of character for Apple, since their design philosophy is about sleek, effortless aesthetics. One could deduce that Ive’s departure may have some relation to this; but Ive has confirmed that LoveFrom will continue to work with Apple as well as its internal design team.

But of course, Apple won’t be the company’s only client, so it will be interesting to see how long the relationship between both parties last, and what both brands can conjure in the coming years.

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Apple will replace faulty iPhone XR, XS and XS Max’s Smart Battery Case for free

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Apple has announced a replacement program for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR’s Smart Battery Case after discovering that some of them have charging issues.

Those who have purchased the Smart Battery Case for the 2018 iPhone models between January 2019 to October 2019 can replace their cases for free if their case is verified to be eligible for the program. You can do so by going to an Apple Authorised Service Provider.

If your Smart Battery Case is faulty, it will charge intermittently or not charge at all when it’s plugged into power or when you’re trying to charge your iPhone with it. If so, you should definitely get your case checked.

Apple also announced that this program will not extend the standard warranty coverage, but it will cover the affected Smart Battery Case for two years from the first purchase date.

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Apple, SoundCloud, YouTube sued for streaming unlicensed music

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You’d think big-name music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and SoundCloud would be weary of offering unlicensed content to their users – but royalty collection firm Pro Music Rights (PMR) says otherwise; and have sued several companies -including the aforementioned – for doing just that.

PMR basically monitors the usage of music belonging to artists they represent – last year, PMR sued Spotify for over USD 1bil in damages. PMR represents familiar names like Wiz Khalifa, Lil Yachty, Soulja Boy, Fall Out Boy and more.

This time, PMR is handing a wide-sweeping lawsuit to the likes of Amazon, Apple, Google, SoundCloud, Pandora and YouTube; who, according to PMR, have been streaming music without paying royalties. A report by Engadget says that the company then offered a total 10 defendants in the case licensing deals as a form of settlement.

In the lawsuit, the company is also seeking a maximum of USD150,000 compensation for each “willful infringement” of the Copyrights Act.

At the moment, the defendants have not issued their statements on the matter yet – so whether or not the suit is justified is still left to be seen.

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Apple still remembers the Macbook Air

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When the Macbook Air was first launched more than half a decade ago, it turned out to be one of the most sought after laptops from Apple. The Macbook Air sported an extremely slim form factor at the time it was launched, slated to replace the then popular white Macbook.

However, we’ve seen the slimming down of the Macbook Pro models over the last couple of years, including the introduction of an all new 12-inch Macbook, causing the Macbook Air to grow irrelevant as time passed. The once extremely popular laptop is now only a budget option among Apple’s huge plethora of Mac laptops, deemed to face extinction, but Apple has surprised us last night at WWDC 2017.

Apple brought in a whole load of updates to its software and hardware offerings at this year’s WWDC, including an update to all Mac models, both desktop and laptop. To our surprise, the Macbook Air wasn’t left out this time, turning its fate around once again. Although Apple only mentioned the Macbook Air’s upgrade in a brief sentence, it is important to note that the laptop is now running on a speedier Intel chipset.

The Macbook Air now features a faster 1.8GHz dual core Intel Core i5 processor underneath the hood, which we hope will actually make a difference when it comes to performance. The rest of the specs remain the same throughout – 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM, storage options of 128GB or 256GB, and an Intel HD Graphics 6000 GPU.

The updated Macbook Air carries a price tag of RM 4,199 for the 128GB model and RM 4,999 for the 256GB model.

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Apple still top tablet seller, but tablet market isn’t looking good

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People mostly purchase tablets for extras, and it won’t be because it is a necessity. We would understand if a person gets a tablet for college or work use few years ago, but with the growing number of compact slim portable laptops and the increasing size of smartphone displays, the demand for tablets will only decline. The latest statistics tells us that it will be the case moving forward.

Global tablet shipments for Q3 2017 have reduced by 2.3 million units to 40 million as compared to 42.3 million in Q3 2017. That marks a 5.4 percent decline from last year. Apple however, has managed to keep the market afloat by selling a total of 10.3 million tablets in Q3 this year, 1 million more than the same time frame in 2016, accounting for more than a quarter of the market share.

Samsung still sits at second place, with its cut reduced to 15 percent while Amazon takes third place with its range of affordable Fire Tablets, with a 1.3 million increase in shipments from last year, a whopping 38.7 percent improvement. This goes to show that budget tablets could still be in demand.

The future isn’t looking really bright for tablets, but so long as Apple releases more iPads, the market will pretty much stay alive.

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fire tablet
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Apple Store app adds new Siri shortcuts for checking order status

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Apple has launched a new update on their Apple Store app for iOS devices with support for Siri shortcuts which is also an iOS 12 feature. iPhone users could create custom voice commands to check on product availability and the status of a recent order that you’ve placed.

The Siri shortcuts can be used without the need to open the Apple Store app, allowing users to get the information that they want without hassle.

To create the Siri shortcut, simply go into the Apple Store app, click on “My Orders” and you would be able to see a button that writes “Add to Siri” which will allow you to check your order status. Other than that, when viewing an in-store pickup options for an item, you can use the “Add to Siri” button to create custom Siri shortcut.

The Apple Store app is an app designed to let users get info on Apple products and place orders from iOS devices, can be downloaded from the App Store for free.

apple
Apple Store app
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Apple Store is down to prepare for the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro pre-orders

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Apple Store is down but you’re probably more excited than disappointed if you know the reason why. The tech giant is preparing for pre-orders of the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro so once it’s back up, you can start adding the iPhones to cart.

Once it’s back up, the iPhone 11 will be available for pre-order at the price of RM3,399 — cheaper than the initial price of the iPhone XR when it’s launched. The iPhone 11 Pro will be priced at RM4,899 onwards while the iPhone 11 Pro Max will be priced from RM5,299.

The iPhone 11 comes in three storage configurations — 64GB, 128GB and 256GB of storage paired with 4GB RAM. On there other hand, the pro models varies with 64GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage paired with 6GB RAM. While the dual-lens iPhone come in bright, pastel colours, the pricier pro models will come in Gold, Space Grey, Silver and a seemingly popular Midnight Green.

All these iPhones will have improved battery life over their predecessors, but only the pro models will come with an 18W charger out of the box. You will also get an A13 Bionic chip integrated in these phones and if you get the pro models, you’ll have an extra telephoto lens on the rear.

It won’t be long before the store is back up, so just relax and wait for now.

apple
Apple Store
iPhone 11
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Apple sued again for allegedly copying dual-camera design

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It looks like Apple has landed in hot water again – Israeli camera firm Corephotonics has filed a lawsuit against the fruit company.

This is a repeat of the same story back in 2017 and for the same reason – Corephotonics alleges that Apple had stole their patented dual camera design that can be found in the iPhone X, XS and XS Max. The lawsuit has been filed with the US District Court in California.

The patents that Apple allegedly copied include dual aperture zoom digital camera, miniature telephoto lens assembly, dual aperture zoom camera with video support and more.

Image credit: Patently Apple

Patently Apple reports a court document as stating that Corephotonics had spent years designing and demonstrating their technology for Apple in hopes of working out a collaboration between the two companies. The latter had refused and had marketed their newest iPhones with the same designed created by the former.

Ties between the two were more harmonious back in 2014 when each sent members of their respective teams to each other’s bases in California and Tel Aviv as a form of a working relationship until it ceased to happen, reports iMore.

Apple has yet to respond to this, so what remains a questions is if this is a case of big company steals from small company; or small company tries to cash out on big company with a law suit.

apple
california
corephotonics
dual camera
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Apple sued over false claim on the iPhone X series phone features

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Apple is now under fire as a lawsuit was filed against the company, stating that Apple lied about the display specs in its iPhone X series. Two plaintiffs filed the suit in the US District Court of Northern California, accusing Apple for falsely advertising the screen size and pixel counts of the display in its iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS MAX devices. The plaintiffs are said to be seeking class action status, however Apple have yet to give any respond towards the issue.

According to reports, the suit alleges that Apple lied about the screen sizes by counting non-screen areas such as the notch and corners. So the new line of iPhones aren’t “all screen” as marketed, according to the 55-page complaint. For example, iPhone X’s screen size is supposed to be 5.8 inches, but the plaintiffs measured that it’s “only about 5.6875 inches.”

They’ve also added that the iPhone X series phone have lower screen resolution than advertised. “iPhone X is supposed to have a resolution of 2436×1125 pixels, but the product doesn’t contain true pixels with red, green and blue subpixels in each pixel,” according to the complaint. “iPhone X allegedly only has two subpixels per pixel, which is less than advertised,” they added. The lawsuit also alleges iPhone 8 Plus has a higher-quality screen than iPhone X.

The plaintiff’s lawyers did not respond immediately when asked to comment on this case. To view the full lawsuit, log here :
https://www.scribd.com/document/395721345/Apple-Lawsuit#download&from_embed

apple


Apple sues Qualcomm over royalty dispute

351

Qualcomm’s lawsuit with the United States Federal Trade Commission isn’t the only lawsuit that the company needs to take care of as Apple has apparently launched a lawsuit of its own against the chipmaker over royalty disputes.

According to a report by CNBC, Apple claims that Qualcomm has been “charging royalties for technologies they have nothing to do with.” Apple has since issued a statement to the public that claims that Qualcomm has been charging the company “at least five times more in payments than all the other cellular patent licensors” that Apple has made agreements with, even though Qualcomm itself is merely “one of over a dozen comapnies who contributed to basic cellular standards.”

Royalties aren’t the only thing that was brought up in this lawsuit. Apple claims that Qualcomm has also withheld USD1 billion in payment to Apple due to Apple’s role in the South Korean authorities’ antitrust investigation of Qualcomm which has lead to the company being fined USD854 million for unfair trade practices.

Unsurprisingly, Qualcomm has rejected Apple’s accusation, claiming that the company has “intentionally mischaracterized our agreements and negotiations.” Qualcomm further states that Apple has been “actively encouraging regulatory attacks on Qualcomm’s business in various jurisdictions around the world.” Simply put, both companies are going to battle this suit out in the courts, so don’t expect the Apple-Qualcomm saga to end anytime soon.

Source:
Android Authority
,
CNBC

apple
lawsuit
qualcomm
royalties


Apple suspends its Siri grading practice that involved user privacy issues

352

Apple always highlights how firm they are on user privacy, but just like the recent case with Google Assistant, they also have contractors who have been listening to Siri conversations.

It was recently discovered that Apple’s hired contractors have been listening to accidental recordings that include drug deals, sexual encounters and medical conversations. Contractors are hired to grade Siri’s responses in various ways, for example, whether the request for Siri was intentional or accidental, and whether Siri’s response to the said request is adequate.

Now Apple reports that it will temporarily suspend this practice and include the option for users to not participate in the grading process if they’re against their data being used in the future software update. That being said, Apple did not confirm if the Siri recordings will still be saved in its server even though the practice is suspended.

As of now, Apple doesn’t offer the option for users to opt-out of the grading process. The only way to do it is to disable Siri altogether, but that is a more drastic approach compared to Amazon and Google who let their users opt-out of said practice.

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Apple takes the leap in alleged flexible OLED patent

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A new patent approved for Apple has revealed that the Cupertino company is tipped to switch over to a flexible OLED screen by 2018 from its current LCD’s.

Pictures from the patent which was approved last week show Apple’s different designs. Ranging from flat looking displays to curved ones. There is also a triangular design and something ridiculous by today’s standards, a cylinder shaped display.

All these designs are definitely backed by the flexible OLED display with a protective layer on top. Sources suggest that sapphire would be the material for protection. Underneath the display would be a touch sensor, gyroscope and an accelerometer.

It looks like Apple is heading for a big leap in the years to come. It sure seems pretty bizarre considering displays from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and the LG G Flex 2 but we’ll never know how will technology evolve over the next 2-3 years.

But don’t trust the alleged patent too much as it might be a little too hard to swallow, especially for Apple fanboys. Stay tuned!

Source:
USPTO
  Via:
TechnoBuffalo

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Apple teases Hari Raya short film shot on iPhone X

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Not too long ago, you would’ve known that Apple has teamed up with Hong Kong director Peter Chan to release a
Chinese New Year short film
 on YouTube shot on iPhone X, the video has gathered more 2.2 million views and 14K thumbs up at this point of time, it is one of the most successful branded short film that is shot entirely on a smartphone. This time, Apple is about to show off the next short film shot for this festive Hari Raya season, and it has partnered with well known Malaysian director Edmund Yeo to release Setitis Cahaya Di Pagi Raya (A Glimmer of Light on the Dawn of Raya), the short film is set to debut on June 15, 7pm, on Apple Music, you will also be able to view it via Warner Music Malaysia’s YouTube channel and other social media channels.

Similar to Apple’s CNY short 3 Minutes, this Hari Raya short film is filmed entirely on the iPhone X, where director Edmund Yeo takes viewers through the family life of Makcik Rohayah and Kak Ogy, as their house has always been the director’s location choice when it comes to his production work, Edmund tells the unfortunate event of the family where they lost their breadwinner and how Kak Ogy had taken upon the responsibility of providing for the family, while staying positive in life despite living in poverty and on welfare.

By using the iPhone X, it allowed Edmund to capture the people, especially the children in their most genuine moments, as using a huge camera may actually intimidate subjects or make them too self-conscious by a large camera, hence there was no staged acting in the entire film. Setitis Cahaya Di Pagi Raya stars Faizal Tahir and Aziz Harun, who are the two main hosts in the short film talking to Makcik Rohayah and Kak Ogy.

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Apple reportedly testing a 120Hz display for the next iPad mini

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A source from a Korean forum claims that Samsung had shipped Apple an 8.3” display that includes a 120Hz panel for the 2022 iPad mini.

Earlier in Apple’s September event, they announced the newly updated iPad mini which had fans thrilled over the new changes that resembled the iPad Pros and Airs. However, users started to notice a
jelly scroll effect
 where one side of the screen lagged behind the other.

Apple then responded by saying that it was not a problem and that it would not be fixed. Undeterred, several users insisted that including the 120Hz ProMotion technology into the device would fix this issue, which could be the cause of the rumour we see now.

The rest of the specs are rumoured to remain the same for the next generation of iPad minis – think an A15 Bionic chip, 4GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage on the starting model. However, this information is all unverified and no official information has been given to the public yet.

Source
|
Via

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Apple to begin building iPhones in India by April

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Future iPhones may no longer come with an “assembled in China” wording located at the back of the phone as it appears that Apple has reached a deal with India that would see some of the devices being made in the country.

Apple’s intentions to make iPhones in Bengaluru will foster cutting-edge technology ecosystem & supply chain development in the state.

— Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge)
February 2, 2017

Priyank Kharge, the IT minister for the Indian state of Karnataka, has told Bloomberg that manufacturing of the iPhones will begin in the state capital of Bangalore by the end of April. The decision to manufacture iPhones in India comes from a partnership between Apple and Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron. Besides the partnership, Apple has reportedly put forward a list of demands during its negotiations with India’s federal government. One of the clause that was included during the negotiations is a 15-year tax holiday to import components and equipment.

While Kharge has mentioned nothing of Apple’s demands, the man has tweeted that Apple decision to manufacture iPhones in India would “foster cutting-edge technology ecosystem and supply chain development in the state”. Apple’s Tim Cook has reportedly shown confidence in the company’s decision to expand in India, stating that this is a great move in the longer term during the post-earnings call that was held this week. “We are in discussions on a number of things, including retail stores, and fully intend to invest significantly in the country,” Cook says.

Source:
Bloomberg

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Apple to buy new chip maker for display and battery life improvements

377

The recent iPhones from Apple seem to fare pretty bad battery life according to many users complaints, and Apple has been reportedly trying to source for new chip makers for its display to improve battery life. According to source, Apple is set to acquire Renesas SP Drivers, a Renesas Electronics joint venture with Sharp and Taiwan’s Powerchip for a 55% stake for an estimate 50 billion yen ($479 billion). Renesas’ technology is famous for its improvement in image sharpness while maintaining power efficiency.

If the acquisition happens, we may be seeing future iPhones with better display quality and improved battery life despite having small mAh on it. Let’s hope Apple introduces a new type of Retina display for its new iPhone this year.

Source:
Reuters


Apple to create its own Snapchat-like app

297

Actually, Snapchat has been around for a long time now – year 2012 to be exact. However, due to a sudden spike in its popularity, Instagram hopped onto the bandwagon and offered Instagram Stories that is basically a Snapchat lookalike. Now, apparently, according to
Bloomberg News
, Apple is reportedly testing an app that is creepily similar to Snapchat, where you can record viddes and apply filters and drawings to then share it on social media or to those in your contact list.

It is rumored that videos from the app can be shot, edited and uploaded in less than one minute. So far, the prototype features Instagram-like square 1:1 ratio for videos, and the capability to send it to contacts or sync with other social media. So far, this app has not been named yet, however, the team behind this app is the same team responsible for Final Cut Pro and iMovie.

This app is targeted to be released in 2017 together with some new social networking features for the iPhone, with possible social integration within Apple’s iOS that will allow you to easily share to contacts system-wide. However, due to Apple’s stringent privacy and security policies, we might not see these social integrations as it will expose too much of its user’s data. This Snapchat-like app might also be killed off if it doesn’t meet Apple’s timetable and expectations.

Source:
The Verge
,
Bloomberg News

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Apple to debut new Macs on the 27th of October

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A day after Microsoft debuts its new Surfaces, Apple will be holding its own event to introduce the new generation of Macs.

Rumours of a new generation of MacBooks
 have been going around since August, with various sources mentioning that the upcoming MacBooks may or may not sport an OLED touch screen located above the keyboard, fingerprint scanners, and even a stand-alone 5K display.

A new batch of rumours have also recently surfaced, with Japanese website
Macotakara
 revealing that the upcoming MacBook Pros will be eliminating USB 3.0 and Magsafe ports, leaving the laptops with USB Type C and Thunderpolt 3 ports. Furthermore, the website also claims that Apple plans to kill of the 11″ MacBook Air, although the company will reveal a new 13.3″ MacBook Air.

If you’re looking to get a new MacBook sometime in the near future, you should follow the MacBook reveal event on the 27th of October (28th October locally).

Source:
Recode
,
Macotakara

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Apple to fix iPhone 6s battery issues with a software update as more handsets falter

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Recent weeks saw numerous complaints from iPhone 6s users regarding their phones shutting down when the battery percentage reaches 30 percent. Apple has acknowledged the issue and has admitted that a smaller number of iPhone 6s units were affected, leading to a battery exchange program for eligible phones. Since then, more iPhone users, not limited to 6s models have been reporting unexpected shutdowns as well. This led to Apple releasing yet another statement addressing the issue:

“A small number of customers outside of the affected range have also reported an unexpected shutdown. Some of these shutdowns can occur under normal conditions in order for the iPhone to protect its electronics. In an effort to gather more information, we are including additional diagnostic capability in an iOS software update which will be available next week.”

Apple has mentioned earlier that the battery problem is not a safety issue, and the Cupertino giant has stressed yet again that it remains to not be a safety concern. Apple is in the works of a software update which might fix the problem, hence it is possible that some affect iPhone units aren’t actually having problems with their batteries. An iOS software update is slated for a roll out next week, and Apple claims that the software update will help gather information over the coming weeks, to help the company “improve the algorithms” used to manage battery performance and shutdown.

So far, the company hasn’t opened up battery replacement programs for iPhones outside the 6s range. Have you experienced any unexpected shutdowns with your iPhone?

Source:
Apple

6s
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Apple to hold an event on March 21st

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Mark the 21st of March on your calendar Apple fans as that would be the day that Apple would be hosting its event.

Set to be held at the Cupertino campus, this Apple event is expected to officially reveal the
4-inch iPhone 5se
, the
 9.7-inch iPad Pro, as well as new Apple Watches
.

Hardware won’t be the only thing that will be revealed at the event as rumour has it that Apple has been busy testing feature-packed versions of each ot its software platforms, ranging from
iOS 9.3
 to
watchOS 2.2
. Aside from that, Apple might be revealing a standalone update to iTunes that enhances the Apple Music experience. While the hardware does not have a fix release date as of yet, many are expecting that the software updates would be launched during or immediately after the event itself.

So get ready, as Apple plans to “loop us in” in two weeks time.

Source:
9to5Mac


Apple to host iPhone 14 launch event on September 7th

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It’s iPhone 14 time, as we are almost at the end of August 2022, Apple has sent out invites in the wee Malaysian hours to our mailbox notifying us on its next big launch happening on September 8th, 1AM MYT, while our invite merely prepped us to watch the live stream at Apple.com, medias in the US are invited to be physically present at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Apple Park.

As with any Apple events, the tagline for the launch this time is “Far out” with a poster showing glittering stars in the sky, which could possibly suggest that Apple might have improved the iPhone’s zoom and telephoto capabilities, while another assumption would be the ability to finally take proper Astrophotography, which has long become a thing on the Android camp.

According to recent leaks and rumors, Apple is expected to release four new iPhone 14 models, which includes the regular iPhone 14 and 14 Max/Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, we shouldn’t be expecting a mini model this round considering that Apple has cut production for the 13 mini due to low demand, other speculations include the regular iPhone 14 using the current A15 Bionic chip and only the Pro models will be powered by an A16 chip.

In addition to iPhone 14, we also expect to see the Apple Watch Series 8, the new AirPods Pro and a new entry-level iPad with USB-C port, and we should be seeing more leaks in the next few days as we are only two weeks away from the event.

airpods pro
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Apple to introduce an overhauled MacBook Pro soon

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Planning to get a MacBook Pro sometime soon? Well, you might want to hold the purchase off a little longer as reports are coming in that Apple will be debuting an overhauled MacBook Pro sometime soon.

According to Bloomberg, the upcoming MacBook Pro will be thinner and lighter, but not wedge-shaped like the MacBook Air or 12-inch retina MacBook. The bezels around the display, as well as the overall frame of the device is stated to be smaller than the current MacBook Pro. Where the MacBook Air has courted controversy thanks to its lack of ports, the MacBook Pro will not have that particular issue. The MacBook Pro will indeed come with multiple ports, although the type of ports have not been specified yet. It is currently speculated that Apple may be swapping out the standard USB ports, the MagSafe port and the Thunderbolt ports for a Type-C port. As for performance, the MacBook Pro is expected to run on Intel’s Skylake processors.

While design changes and additional ports are great and all, Apple will also be adding two new features to the upcoming MacBook Pro. The first is the addition of a narrow OLED display right above the keyboard. This display functions as a touchscreen, replacing the physical function keys that are currently found on MacBooks. The fact that this is a screen also means that it could do more than just be a substitute for the function keys. The other feature that may be coming to the MacBook Pro is the implementation of a Touch ID sensor in the Mac. This would allow you to unlock your MacBook Pro without needing a password, and it also makes the Mac more secure than before.

No release date was given as to when the new MacBook Pro will be available, although Apple is expected to host an event whereby they’ll reveal the new iPhone in September. That said, Bloomberg is reporting that the MacBook Pro won’t be at the iPhone reveal event, so should that be the case, we can probably expect it in October.

Source:
TechCrunch

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Apple to introduce DIY repair kits to users in 2022

1K

It was recently
reported

that replacing the screen of your iPhone 13 disables Face ID
– the only  biometric login of the device – and this is due to the presence of a tiny control chip under the original screen. Unless this chip is moved to the new screen, you can say goodbye to this specific feature.

This has, of course, sparked some anger and frustration among independent repair technicians – they can’t offer their services to customers if fixing their devices only creates a new problem.

Well, it appears that Apple is finally taking the concerns of their users into consideration as they will soon be introducing the “
Self Service Repair
” program. This program aims to sell “genuine parts and tools” along with instructions on how users can repair their Apple products from the comfort of their own homes.

The first batch of programs will focus on the commonly serviced parts for the iPhone 12 and 13 such as the displays, battery, and camera, with more options coming later. If successful, the company might expand the selections for their other phones as well.

Aside from their smartphones, Apple will also be selling M1 chips to accommodate Mac users.

Although there is no specified date, this program will supposedly launch early next year starting from the United States and slowly roll out to other countries.

Source

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Apple to launch new 10.5-inch iPad, plus more affordable models

353

Over the past couple of years, Apple has been experimenting on its fan base and the consumer market as a whole, launching its devices in new different sizes. For instance, the iPhone saw a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch model, the Macbook returned with a 12-inch screen and the iPad had a new Pro variant with a 12.9-inch display, all of which seem to be performing decently well when it comes to consumer appeal. Digi Times has reported that Apple will be launching a different sized iPad which sits between the 9.7-inch and the 12.9-inch iPad’s.

According to the report, the new iPad model will measure at 10.5 inches, and is slated to launch within the first quarter of 2017. The 10.5-inch iPad is said to sport Apple’s A10X chip underneath the hood, which is the same one found in the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Digi Times has claimed the reason behind this newly sized iPad is to cater to consumers in the education and enterprise line, whom is said to have found the 12.9-inch iPad’s too pricey to obtain and the 9.7-inch model too small. A 10.5-inch iPad will be 0.8-inch larger than the 9.7-inch model in terms of screen size, the same difference between the 8.9-inch iPad Mini and the 9.7-inch iPad.

The same report has also claimed that Apple will also be launching cheaper models of the iPad in order to compete with Android tablets. Apple still remains at the top in terms of the market share of tablet sales, though Android tablets mostly account for the rest of the market share. As of Q3 2016, Apple’s tablet market share stands at 21.5 percent, a decline from Q2’s 25.8 percent. Do you think Apple will be launching an iPad of another size?

Source:
Digi Times

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Apple to reveal new iPad and Apple Watch models in March

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Rumours are circulating on the internet that Apple is planning to reveal a new iPad and a series of new Apple Watch models in an event that will be held in mid-March.

Based on the rumours, Apple will be revealing an iPad with a 9.7-inch screen called the “iPad Air 3”. This tablet is expected to launch alongside the 4-inch iPhone known as the “iPhone 5se”. Other speculations befind the “iPad Air 3” includes a rear-facing LED flash for improved photos in low-light situations, as well as additional speaker grills to match the audio quality of the iPad Pro. Sources have also stated that Apple has been testing versions of the 9.7 inch iPad panel that are compatible with the Apple Pencil.

As for the Apple Watches, the rumours say that multiple new colours are coming for the Sport Bands, Hermes bands, as well as a black version of the Milanese Loop. An additional band line made out of new material is also in the works. Complementing the hardware launches, Apple is also expected to issue software updates on the devices. These updates include iOS 9.3 with Night Shift for the “iPhone 5se” and “iPad Air 3” plus WatchOS 2.2 with the new Maps app for the new Apple Watch models.

Source :
9to5Mac

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Apple TV 4K announced with HDR and live sports content

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Your 4K HDR TV is about to get more useful now, as Apple has finally unveiled the Apple TV 4K in its event today, and it supports HDR with both HDR10 and Dolby Vision profiles. Apple has also announced that most of its video content in the iTunes Store will also be updated to support 4K HDR playback, and current purchased content will automatically be updated if supported, Apple is also working with content providers such as Netflix in enabling 4K HDR playback as well.

With the upgraded capability to playback 4K content, Apple has also upgraded the hardware internals of the Apple TV 4K with the A10 Fusion chip and 3GB of RAM, which delivers two times faster performance and four times better GPU performance than the previous generation, an impressive gameplay demo of Sky in 4K was also shown off at the event to demonstrate the processing power, which we may eventually see more game developers jumping making games for tvOS.

Lastly, sports lovers will be happy to know that Apple is also bringing live sports to the Apple TV 4K, though it isn’t clear which partner Apple will be working to provide the stream and if it will be available right here in Malaysia.

The Apple TV 4K will retail for RM899 for the 32GB model and RM1,099 for the 64GB model, meanwhile the Apple TV 4th Generation 64GB will still be available for RM899, preorders in the US will start September 15 and available on September 22 onwards, other countries will follow soon after.

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Apple TV: Features that never made to the product

355

Sa
msung
 and Apple’s patent war continues, and we’re really surprised on how
Samsung
 is able to grab Apple’s internal e-mails for the trial, as if those emails were being sent to the whole world. According to 9to5mac, there is an interesting email chain between the late Steve Jobs and various executives discussing about the next generation of Apple TV

If you look at the screenshot above, Steve seems to have name out interesting features for the Apple TV, such as running apps, web browser and a magic wand. While running apps and having a web browser on the Apple TV shouldn’t come as a surprise, the magic wand is the most interesting thing that Apple has ever planned.

You can say its a rip off from Nintendo’s Wii motion controller, and probably similar to Samsung’s SMART TV’s gesture controls, the magic wand is doing thing exactly like it. But sadly, it hasn’t even seen light when Steve Jobs left the world, which we think that could become one of the most revolutionary invention if it had been released with the Apple TV. We hope the email screenshot above will come to reality one day, because the current Apple TV is seriously begging for some cool features.

Source:
9to5mac


Apple TV; not Revolution, but Siri and tvOS would be

380

Apple today announced the much-anticipated fourth-generation Apple TV at its “Hey Siri” media event in San Francisco, California. The new Apple TV has been constructed from a foundation encompassing powerful hardware, a modern operating system, a new user experience with deep Siri integration, tools for developers, and most importantly, an App Store.

With the integration of Siri will be the key part of the new Apple TV interface, as it lets users ask Siri to bring up content through multiple apps to find a TV show or movie, and at launch, supported apps include Netflix,
iTunes
, Hulu, HBO, and Showtime. Apple made Siri to answer your questions like who’s starring in a movie, bring up extraneous information like the weather outside, and ask Siri to replay parts of a movie that were missed or fast forward through content.

Apple has shown a demo on a multiplayer version of Crossy Road, with one player using the Apple TV remote and another player using an iPhone as an input device. The Apple TV will support both the iPhone and the
iPod
touch

as an input device. Therefore, Apple TV and iPhone games are going to be available universally, meaning you can start a game on the iPhone then pick it up on the Apple TV.

Powered by a 64-bit A8 chip, with support for key iOS technologies like Metal, GameKit, and UIKIT, all of which will allow developers to bring console-quality games to the device. It will be available with either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, which will be used for downloading apps, and it includes Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO and an IR receiver. Fortunately, the remote can last for up to three months on a single but it will only done through a built-in Lightning connector.

The Apple TV will begin shipping at the end of October in nearly 80 countries with the price at USD 149 (RM 650) for the 32GB version and UDS 199 (RM 870) for 64GB version.

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Apple TV+ is arriving on November 1 for RM19.90/month with support for 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos

344

The Apple Special Event 2019 consisted of the new iPhones, iPad and also the Apple Watch Series 5. However, that’s not all Apple is offering — the company also announced two new subscription-based services and one of them is the Apple TV+.

We’re already expecting Apple TV+ to arrive this year, but now it’s only two months away. Set to launch on November 1, Apple will debut this service in over 100 countries and get more Apple originals every month.

As of now, we’ve already seen several trailers of Apple originals, including “See” featuring Jason Momoa, “The Morning Show” featuring Steve Carell and Jennifer Aniston, and Dickinson featuring Hailee Steinfield and Jane Krakowski. These shows are guaranteed to be ad-free and support 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos.

With just RM19.90/month, the subscription allows access up to six family members and can be downloaded to be watched offline. Apple also offers a seven-day trial, but for those who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or Apple TV will be entitled to one year of free Apple TV+.

For the full summary that gathers all the major announcements made in Apple Event 2019, check out our video down below!

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Apple TV


Apple TV app finally available on PlayStation 4 and 5

493

Apple TV app
 users can finally enjoy watching their shows on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

The Apple TV app will allow users to watch content that they’ve purchased from the iTunes Store or even stream shows from Apple’s own Apple TV+ that is available at a monthly subscription fee at RM19.90.

Apple One: 4 services at an affordable price

If you subscribe to
Apple One
, you can also enjoy a bundle of Apple services. Apple One costs only RM19.90/month, so you’ll be saving RM38.70 each month as compared to subscribing to each service individually. The four services included are Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud storage.

Apple TV also available on Xbox

The Apple TV app is also recently made available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Malaysians who’re excited to enjoy Apple TV on
PlayStation 5
 will have to wait for the console to launch on December 11, 2020.

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How to get 1 year of free Apple TV+ on your new iPhone

438

Congratulations on your purchase of a new iPhone, or any Apple device, because starting today you are entitled to a 1-year free subscription of Apple TV+, which usually costs you RM19.90/month after the trial ends, and here’s how you are going to get that 1-year free subscription instead of the usual 7-day trial.

First, launch the Apple TV+ app on your phone, you might see a big black banner telling you to try the service for a week and pay RM19.90/month after the trial ends, don’t tap on that and go ahead to tap on one of the premieres you would like to watch.

Once inside the introduction page, you will immediately see a big blue button that says ‘Enjoy 1 Year Free’, tap really hard on that.

You will be brought to the next screen that tells you that your new iPhone includes a year of Apple TV+, just hit that big ‘Continue’ button again.

A familiar purchase dialog popsup and all you need to do is to authenticate the purchase, nothing will be charged to your credit card until next year.

Voila, you are all set and get instant access to a plethora of great titles, which includes The Morning Show, See, Dickinson, For All Mankind, The Elephant Queen, Helpsters, Ghost Writer and Snoopy in Space.

Hope your weekend is no longer boring, happy viewing!

By the way, if you want to watch these movies from a non-Apple device, just head on over to https://tv.apple.com on your browser.

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Apple TV streaming service is expected to arrive on 25 March

267

In around 2 weeks’ time, Apple will be organising a launch event with the tagline “It’s show time”, and reports are suggesting that this event will announce the Apple TV streaming service and Apple News subscription service.

Of course, Apple has a predictable pattern when it comes to media invitation so you should already expect minimal details to be shown when it comes to its invite towards the press. On its site, the event is called “Apple Special Event” and will be available for live stream on 25 March at 10am PDT.

Rumors are also reporting that the event will be solely focusing on services instead of products, so it is unlikely for Apple fans to see the new iPad, AirPods and AirPower during this event.

That aside, the Apple News subscription service were previously said to have some issues in terms of negotiations as the Cupertino company demanded half the amount of the service’s revenue, therefore there is a chance that the subscription service might take a longer time before it launch. However, Apple will probably still reveal a little bit more of the subscription service even if it doesn’t make it in time for the launch.

As for the Apple products, let’s hope they’ll appear some time in April.

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Apple unveils iPhone Xs and Xs Max

256

The wait is finally over, as Apple has unveiled the iPhone Xs and Xs Max with screen sizes of 5.8-inches and 6.5-inches respectively. Powered by the A12 Bionic processor, which consist of a 4-core GPU and 6-core CPU, the iPhone Xs is claimed to have 30% faster app launch speeds and 50% improvements in GPU performance, there’s also an improved two-core neural engine that could process over 5 trillion operations per second.

The iPhone Xs now comes with up to 512GB of storage, hardware improvements include IP68 water and dust resistance that allows submersion of up to 2 meters for 30 minutes, wider stereo speakers, a 120Hz touch-sensing OLED display with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, and improved AR performance.

Battery life of the iPhone Xs is now claimed to be 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X, while the iPhone Xs Max can last 1.5 hours longer, which is the largest battery size that Apple has ever installed.

On the camera department, Apple has introduced a new dual camera system, while it still takes 12MP wide-angle and telephoto shots with the same f/1.8 and f/2.4 aperture respectively, the sensor size is now larger for better details and comes with an improved True Tone flash.

Apple has specifically highlighted a Smart HDR feature unique to the iPhone Xs, as it uses the neural engine of the A12 Bionic chip to help capture photos clearly against backlight while ensuring details of the subject are captured with great clarity. Portrait Mode has also been improved with Depth Control, which you can adjust the aperture even after taking a photo; video recording is also improved with wider stereo sound recording and improved dynamic range.

Like what we have reported earlier yesterday, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max does come with dual SIM support and in two different solutions. In the US and some other countries, Apple is working with carriers on offering both an eSIM and physical SIM solution, while in China where eSIM still isn’t supported, it uses the conventional dual physical SIM solution which has been present on Android phones.

iPhone Xs and Xs Max will be made available in stores on September 21 with prices starting from $999 and $1099 respectively, storage capacities are available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB, and it will be available in a new Gold finish apart from the usual Silver finish.

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Apple officially unveils MacOS 11 (Big Sur) officially unveiled: Emphasis on usability and customization

503

Apple is finally retiring the
macOS X
 system after almost 20 years in service and will be replacing it with the brand spanking new
macOS Big Sur
, or macOS 11 for simplicity’s sake.

New look macOS

Image credit: Apple

It introduces important overhauls across the board, starting with a design refresh. Windows now have more translucent elements in it, while solids have a muted, almost matte look. Both elements make windows in Big Sur more minimalistic than ever.

There are added symbols in toolbars and sidebars for better clarity when using apps. On top of that, buttons and controls that’ll appear when needed, and hide when not – Apple is really leaning into the minimalist path.

Customization is key

Image credit: Apple

To improve on intuitiveness are the customizable menu bar and customizable Control Centre that’ll look a lot like on iOS. From there, you’ll find quick access to settings like
Wi-Fi
, Bluetooth,
AirDrop
, brightness and more.

Faster than Chrome

Image credit: Apple

Safari is also apparently much faster and boast better security than previous iterations. Apple claims that it’s 50 percent faster at loading webpages than Chrome. Each window will display more tabs and have favicons activated by default to make identifying tabs easier.

On the privacy front, Safari’s new Privacy Report adds more visibility to how the browser protects a user’s data; users can also fine-tune how certain sites will work with extensions.

Better messaging

Image credit: Apple

Next on the list to receive the face lift treatment is he Messages app – users can now better manage their conversations by pinning their
favourite
 chats to the top. The ‘search’ functionality now organizes results into categories like photos, links and more.

When it comes to group messages, users can now use inline replies to directly respond to specific message; or send a direct message to someone in the group by typing their name. Feels a lot like what WhatsApp can do, but we’re glad it’s made its way to Messages too.

Privacy matters

Image credit: Apple

One key focus in any new software release in 2020 is in the user privacy department; macOS Big Sur lists privacy information like food nutrition labels – as Apple describes it – which helps users understand privacy practices better before downloading an app.

The upcoming macOS Big Sur update looks promising and there could be more packed into the system; for now, we’ll need to wait and see if it’s worthy of replacing the long-standing macOS X for future Mac systems.

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Apple unveils macOS Catalina that will soon let you use your iPad as an extended display

874

In the midst of introducing all the new exciting updates coming to Apple products, Apple also talked about the upcoming operating system for its Mac, macOS Catalina.

Image credit: Apple

Perhaps the most exciting feature of macOS Catalina is its Sidecar feature or its iPad app support in Mac. With Sidecar, iPad will officially be able to act as an extended display for Mac and high-precision drawing platform across supported Mac apps. This will greatly benefit creative minds that focuses on art or even editing. On the other hand, Apple introduced new APIs and tools for developers to port iPad apps over to Mac, so Mac users will finally be able to use their favourite iPad apps in their Macs. Apple also revealed three apps that are coming to Mac — Jira Cloud, Twitter and Asphalt 9 — and said that there will be more.

Image credit: Apple

In addition to increasing the security with macOS Catalina, Apple also added Voice Control to Mac so that users can control their Mac with voice alone. All Macs with T2 Security Chip will also come with an Activation Lock support and the new Find My app will help users easily track and locate their lost or stolen Mac.

Image credit: Apple

With the announcement of macOS Catalina, it was also confirmed that iTunes will be replaced by Apple’s standalone apps — Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV. For syncing, users just need their cables and perform the sync in the new entertainment apps. They can also backup or restore their device via the sidebar of Finder. Moreover, Screen Time is also coming to Mac so in the near future Mac users will also get insights on the time spent on apps and websites for better screen time management.

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Apple unveils new MacBook Air with Retina Display

414

Apple has officially unveiled the next generation MacBook Air, which finally comes with a Retina Display and an updated design that is in line with the rest of the MacBook family. Unlike the previous generation, it only comes in a 13-inch model, so if you want a smaller machine, you have the MacBook 12 as an alternative.

The MacBook Air sports a third generation Butterfly mechanism keyboard, the Force Touch trackpad has also been increased to 20% larger than its predecessor, Touch ID is present along with the T2 chip that stores your security information and supports Hey Siri.

In terms of ports selection, the new MacBook Air comes with two ThunderBolt 3 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Weighing at 1.24kg, the MacBook Air comes powered with 8th Gen Intel dual core CPU with integrated graphics, you will be able to configure up to 16GB of RAM and 1.5TB SSD, there’s no discrete graphics and Touch Bar option that makes it a lot more affordable than the MacBook Pro, so its a pretty decent choice if you require power and portability while not needing those features.

Apple will start to ship the MacBook Air on 7th November and has begin sales today, it will retail for $1,199 (RM5,015) with a base configuration of a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD. Local pricing will be updated at this spot at a later time.

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Apple unveils the iPad Pro along with two accessories, a Smart Keyboard cover and Apple Pencil stylus

325

The long awaited rumours have finally come to life, Apple has finally unveiled its new and bigger 12.9-inch
tablet

and called it
the iPad

Pro. Apple has packed
the
iPad

Pro with an all new A9X processor that delivers up to 1.8x faster performance and 8x graphics performance than its predecessor, which actually allows the CPU to power its 5.6 million pixel packed display at a 4:3 aspect ratio 2732 x 2048 resolution. In other hardware aspects,
the
iPad

Pro has four speakers and has the same impressive 10-hour battery life.
Apple has clearly marketed
the
iPad

Pro at productive and creative users this time with the increased screen size as well as two new accessories to the
tablet

– the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. The Smart Keyboard is a keyboard cover designed exclusively for
the iPad

Pro and connects to the device via a
Surface
Pro

like touch connector, which offers the productive user a much better typing experience on the
tablet
. On the other hand, the Apple Pencil is a battery powered pressure sensitive stylus that allows designers and artists to work on the tablet’s huge display, the Pencil also features a Lightning connector that gets power from
the iPad

Pro’s Lightning port.

The
iPad

Pro will come in Space Grey, Silver and Gold color options while storage will start from 32GB up to 128GB. And the price? You guessed it, its not cheap at all as the WiFi only base storage model already starts from US$799 (RM3500), which is close to a MacBook Pro and the price goes up to US$1079 (RM4700) for the 128GB WiFi+Cellular model.
The iPad

Pro will be available starting on November and in the meantime, Apple has also introduced
the iPad

Mini 4 that uses the A8X processor on
the iPad

Air 2, while
the iPad

Mini 2 is currently the company’s available entry level
tablet

model.

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Apple unveils the new iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV on September 9

314

It’s been a while since the previous generation iPhone had been released and it’s time for the next generation iPhone to surface soon and Apple got a good news for the people that wait for it because the new iPhone expected to be unveiling in the second week of September, most likely on September 9. There were reports with notes that alongside the new iPhone, the Cupertino-based company will also announce the
iPad
 Pro as well as the next-generation Apple TV, something which is in-line with what already been unveiled earlier.

Besides that, the reports also shown as it’s the next iPhone that will be called the iPhone 6S and it will feature a Force Touch display and the Series 7000 aluminium, which is up to 60% tougher than the current aluminium alloy. In addition, the device will feature a Force Touch display, an A9 processor, an improved camera system, and a faster LTE chip.

The new iPhone that will be unveiled on September 9 which Apple might open the pre-orders right away when it’s announced and are likely to kick off on Friday, September 11. However, the new iPads and Apple TV expected to release together on September 18, which one week after the new iPhones has been released.

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Apple unveils the pricing of the new MacBook Pros in Malaysia

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Apple recently updated the MacBook Pros with the 8th Generation Intel Core processors, finally bringing their premium laptop segment up-to-date and now we have the official pricing in Malaysia.

The 13-inch laptops now come with an 8th Gen Core i5 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, alongside 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 256GB or 512GB of SSD storage. Other than that, they both come with the same Intel Iris Plus Graphics 665 and four Thunderbolt 3 ports. The 256GB and 512GB variants will retail for RM7,499 and RM8,299 respectively.

The bigger 15-inch variants now come with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor clocked at 2.2GHz, Radeon pro 555X and 256GB of SSD storage which will cost RM9,999. The second 15-inch variant comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor clocked at 2.6GHz, Radeon Pro 560X and 512GB of SSD storage which cost RM11,599.

All variants of the 13-inch and 15-inch models can be purchased from
Apple’s official website
 or any authorised Apple resellers nationwide.

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Apple’s upcoming iPads may be bigger than usual; AR glasses coming in 2022

327

Following the footsteps of the
iPhone SE
, rumor has it Apple plans to launch two new iPad models that will come with more affordable price tags — the new iPad and iPad mini.

However, these iPads will not be launching at the same time; the 10.8-inch iPad will be launched in the second half of this year while the 9-inch iPad mini will be launched in the first half of 2021. The new sizing of the iPads can also mean two things — either Apple is increasing the overall size of the tablets, or decreasing the size of the bezels. We’re going with the latter since it will mean that these iPads are catching up with the
iPad Pro
’s design.

That’s not all Apple has planned; back in 2019,
Bloomberg
 has already reported that Apple will be launching an AR headset codenamed N301 and a pair of AR glasses after that. According to several sources, the AR glasses will be launched earliest by 2022 while the AR headset could be sooner. The
AR Glasses
 will be sporting high-resolution display, touch panels, voice activation and even head gestures.

On the other hand, the AR headset has been reported to resemble the Oculus Quest, but with lighter materials and a slimmer design. Facebook has been reported to be manufacturing a
successor
 to the current Oculus Quest that is slimmer and lighter, so this new VR headset could be more similar to Apple’s upcoming AR headset instead.

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