Apple Insider – Page 94

Posted on January 22, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Apple to launch new affordable iPhone model in March

By Mikey Campbell
Tuesday, January 21, 2020, 05:31 pm PT (08:31 pm ET)

Adding to a raft of rumors surrounding a low-cost iPhone model tentatively dubbed “iPhone SE 2,” a report on Tuesday claims the hotly anticipated iPhone SE-tier follow-up is going into production next month.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports Apple suppliers are slated to begin manufacturing the as-yet-unannounced affordable iPhone variant in February ahead of a public debut in March.

Apple last launched a handset aimed at the mass-market with the iPhone SE in March 2016. That model borrowed a design from iPhone 5s, which was two years old at the time, and packed it with then-current tech including an A9 processor and a 12-megapixel camera. The model was priced at $399.

The tech giant is expected to follow a similar strategy with “iPhone SE 2.” According to analyst predictions, the upcoming handset is anticipated to share an external design with iPhone 8, currently the cheapest iPhone offering at $449. A 4.7-inch screen is also expected, as is the inclusion of a Touch ID home button for biometric authentication and user interface navigation.

Like iPhone SE, the next-generation low-cost iPhone is rumored to boast Apple’s latest processor technology, the A13 Bionic, as well as current-generation camera technology.

A number of trade industry publications have speculated on Apple’s 2020 iPhone roadmap, with some claiming the company might launch two low-cost models in 2020. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested Apple is indeed developing a larger-screened “iPhone SE 2,” but intends to release the handset in 2021. Other rumblings suggest Apple is working on an “SE 2” variant with full-face display and Face ID, though the validity of those assertions are shaky at best due to prohibitive production costs.

Hon Hai, Pegatron and Wistron have been tapped to assemble the next-generation affordable iPhone, according to today’s report.

Posted on January 21, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Rumor: ‘iPhone 12’ will look like a slimmer, taller iPhone 11

By Mikey Campbell
Monday, January 20, 2020, 05:00 pm PT (08:00 pm ET)

Rumblings out of Apple’s East Asian supply chain this week offer fresh insight into this year’s iPhone release cycle, with a report on Monday claiming the company’s 2020 handsets will be similar in design to the iPhone 11 lineup albeit with a few sizing tweaks.

iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

Citing an unnamed Chinese supplier, Mac Otakara reports Apple’s next-generation iPhone range, tentatively dubbed “iPhone 12,” will share a case design with iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.

Until today, most predictions pointed to the adoption of a squared metal frame design that harkens back to iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Noted TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first delivered word of the “significant” design change last September, saying the new frame structure would rely on a “more complex segmentation design, new trenching, and injection molding procedures.”

Today’s report casts doubt on Kuo’s expectations and suggests iPhone will retain a metal chassis with gently bowed edges.

Seemingly confirming rumors that Apple will field three screen sizes in 2020 — 5.4-, 6.1- and 6.7-inch variants — sources claim to have information on chassis dimensions. The height of the smallest 5.4-inch version is said to be between that of the iPhone SE and iPhone 8, while the 6.1-inch model lies between the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Apple’s largest 2020 model, predicted to boast a 6.7-inch screen, will supposedly be slightly taller than this year’s iPhone 11 Pro Max.

The report goes on to say Apple’s 2020 iPhone range will boast a depth of around 7.40 millimeters, much thinner than the 8.1mm iPhone 11 Pro or 8.3mm iPhone 11. Bezel size is expected to be about 2mm, roughly equivalent to current generation iPhones.

All 2020 models are anticipated to benefit from OLED screens, a new “A14” system-on-chip processor and 5G connectivity. The entry-level 5.4- and 6.1-inch iPhones will likely sport dual rear-facing cameras, while the top-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch versions should carry over iPhone 11 Pro’s triple-camera array. High-end iterations are also predicted to gain VCSEL time of flight sensors for depth sensing operations.

Posted on January 21, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Apple working on preventative healthcare technology, CEO Cook reveals

By AppleInsider Staff
Monday, January 20, 2020, 04:16 pm PT (07:16 pm ET)

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday said the company is investigating technology that could help identify health risks at an early stage, similar to heart monitoring features introduced with Apple Watch.

Apple Watch’s new Cycle app tracks menstrual cycles.

Cook commented on Apple’s contributions to the healthcare space during a panel, suggesting what started with heart health tracking on Apple Watch could soon branch out into other areas of interest.

Current Apple Watch models are equipped with sensors capable to detecting atrial fibrillation, or AFib, a common heart arrhythmia that can lead to stroke in some patients. Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 go a step further and include an FDA-approved electrocardiogram function for more accurate readings.

As the first FDA-approved consumer device to incorporate an ECG, Apple Watch is an early entrant in what appears to be a burgeoning crossover sector that joins consumer tech with healthcare.

“I’m seeing that this intersection has not yet been explored very well. There’s not a lot of tech associated with the way people’s healthcare is done unless they get into very serious trouble.”” Cook said in a Q&A session with IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan, according to Silicon Republic. IDA on Monday presented Cook with the inaugural Special Recognition Award for Apple’s 40 years of investment in Ireland

Most Apple Watch heart monitoring features, like AFib detection, are inherently preventative and can potentially reduce healthcare fees or even save lives.

“I think you can take that simple idea of having preventive things and find many more areas where technology intersects healthcare, and I think all of our lives would probably be better off for it,” Cook said. He added that the cost of healthcare can “fundamentally be taken down, probably in a dramatic way” by integrating common healthcare technologies in consumer devices.

“Most of the money in healthcare goes to the cases that weren’t identified early enough,” Cook said. “It will take some time but things that we are doing now — that I’m not going to talk about today — those give me a lot of cause for hope.”

Apple is known to be at work on multiple health-focused initiatives, though none have been formally announced. A recent patent filing from December, for example, suggests the company is developing methods of using Apple Watch to detect Parkinson’s Disease and diagnose tremor symptoms. Similar initiatives, like the sound monitoring Noise app and menstrual cycle tracking Cycle app, were announced and subsequently released with watchOS 6.

The Apple chief also touched on AR, once again calling it the “next big thing” in tech. Cook has long been bullish on the prospects of AR, which are being borne in iOS app releases.

“I think it’s something that doesn’t isolate people. We can use it to enhance our discussion, not substitute it for human connection, which I’ve always deeply worried about in some of the other technologies.”

Posted on January 19, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

New Apple iPhone 11 ads show off Slofies on a snowboard

By Wesley Hilliard
Sunday, January 19, 2020, 03:05 pm PT (06:05 pm ET)

Apple premiered two new iPhone 11 ads on Sunday, showing off the Slofie feature in the hands of a pro snowboarder.

iPhone 11 capturing a Slofie on a snowboard

Slow motion Selfies, or Slofies, are one of Apple’s newest features on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Capable of capturing slow motion video at 1080p and 120fps, the iPhone can help you get a bit more creative with your selfies.

The first spot is called “Whiteout” and shows a professional snowboarder crashing through a snow drift using the front facing camera’s slow-mode feature.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99rHpOIpqCA&w=560&h=315]

The second video “Backflip” is the same snowboarder performing a backflip in slow motion.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IJtfbcYbxc&w=560&h=315]

Apple coined the term “Slofie” and has since used it in all of its marketing. While you might not find yourself on a snowboard or at the other end of a hairdryer, Slofies are a fun, if not silly, capability of the new iPhones.

If you want to try your hand at making Slofies, check out AppleInsider’s iPhone 11 Price Guide to find the best deal.

Posted on January 18, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Tim Cook reveals surprise behind the scenes look at ‘Little America’

By Wesley Hilliard
Saturday, January 18, 2020, 02:29 pm PT (05:29 pm ET)

In a Tweet on Saturday Apple CEO Tim Cook shared a new behind the scenes look at the making of “Little America.”

Apple TV+ Little America’ is now streaming

The new series debuted on Apple TV+ on January 16, and features stories inspired by true events in an anthology format.

When you add up every ambitious dreamer, every daring creator, every impatient striver searching for a better life, you get the story of America. Apple is committed to sharing stories like those in our new series, Little America — stories that matter. pic.twitter.com/9x2bTEad2v

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) January 18, 2020

Little America is written and executive produced by Lee Eisenberg, Kumasi Nanjiani, and Emily V. Gordon. The video depicts the executive producers discussing the show and how it came about.

“We wanted these to be human stories,” says Nanjiani. “These are not stories with any kind of agenda.”

The series was created to represent real stories of immigration to America. “As much as we can, directors are from the same countries of origin as the actors in the episode,” Eisenberg said.

AppleInsider reviewed Little America and considered it a decent show with room to grow. Told in eight separate vignettes, this anthology series examines different people’s immigration experience through time.

Apple TV+ is $5 per month and can be found across all Apple devices, third party set top boxes, and some smart TVs.

Posted on January 17, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Apple TV+ announces biographical docuseries ‘Dear…’ featuring Oprah, Stevie Wonder, more

By AppleInsider Staff
Friday, January 17, 2020, 03:28 pm PT (06:28 pm ET)

Apple on Friday announced “Dear,” a new documentary series produced by R.J. Cutler that takes a deeper look into the lives of iconic figures like Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, journalist Gloria Steinem, gymnast Aly Raisman and more.

According to a brief overview of the series, “Dear” draws inspiration from the company’s “Dear Apple” advertisements that feature customers reading written testimonials about Apple products.

Like “Dear Apple” letters, which typically focus on life-changing events like Apple Watch discovering a heart condition or iPhone automatically calling emergency services after a car crash, the upcoming show uses letters to paint a picture of “internationally recognized leaders.” Along with Winfrey, Wonder, Steinem and Raisman, the 10-episode series will profiles Spike Lee, Lin-Manuel Miranda, model and activist Yara Shahidi, ballet dancer Misty Copeland and Big Bird.

Cutler, an Emmy and Peabody Award winner, will executive produce the project for Apple. The documentarian gained notoriety for Anna Wintour profile “The September Issue” and most recently worked on the “Untitled Billie Eilish Documentary,” which is expected to debut as an Apple TV+ exclusive later this year.

Todd Lubin, Jay Peterson, Jane Cha and Lyle Gamm are also listed as executive producers, with Matador Content and Cutler Productions producing.

Posted on January 16, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Google parent company Alphabet hits $1 trillion market cap

By AppleInsider Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 03:48 pm PT (06:48 pm ET)

Alphabet, parent company of Google, Verily, Waymo and other firms, became the fourth U.S. company to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization on Thursday, just over a month after former Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the reins.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.

Shares of Alphabet hit $1,450.16 at the bell, with intra-day trading up as much as 0.8%, granting the tech giant a market cap of almost exactly $1 trillion.

Alphabet is the fourth U.S. company — and fourth tech sector stock — to hit the milestone after Apple first breached the $1 trillion threshold in August 2018. Amazon followed suit a month later, while Microsoft achieved the lofty valuation in April 2019.

Currently, Apple and Microsoft sit above the $1 trillion mark, while Amazon has since fallen below that line.

Alphabet derives most of its revenue from Google, which acts as an umbrella company for the firm’s bread-and-butter advertising and search income, as well as gains from Android and YouTube. It is fitting, then, that the conglomerate reached today’s high-water mark with former Google CEO Pichai at the helm.

According to CNBC, market analysts are bullish on Pichai, who was minted Alphabet CEO in December after co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin formally announced to step down from their respective corporate positions. Page was serving as Alphabet’s CEO at the time.

Alphabet’s efforts in the cloud are also beginning to pay off, with the company doubling its revenue run rate from $1 billion to $2 billion per quarter between February 2018 and July 2019, the report said. While not a segment leader, the firm is investing heavily in the space and expects similar revenue growth in 2020.

The company is due to report fourth quarter 2019 earnings on Feb. 3.

Posted on January 16, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

FBI reportedly accessed locked iPhone 11 Pro Max with GrayKey third party tool

The FBI recently cracked the encryption of Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone 11 Pro Max, a report said Wednesday, prompting questions as to why the agency is demanding the company assist in accessing two older iPhone models as part of a high-profile case.

GrayKey device. | Source: MalwareBytes

In 2019, FBI investigators working on a case in Ohio were tasked with executing a search warrant on property owned by Baris Ali Koch, reports Forbes. Among the items seized was a locked iPhone 11 Pro Max that, according to the report, investigators subsequently accessed without Apple’s help.

Koch stands accused of misprision of a felony for helping his convicted brother flee the U.S. by providing a duplicate driver’s license and lying to federal agents. He is currently awaiting sentencing.

As part of the investigation into Koch, FBI personnel on Oct. 11, 2019, acquired the suspect’s iPhone 11 Pro Max which, according to Koch’s lawyer, Ameer Mabjish, was locked and protected by a passcode. Mabjish confirmed to Forbes that no passcode was furnished to authorities, nor was Koch forced to unlock the iPhone via Face ID authentication.

Interestingly, a search warrant filed on Oct. 30 reveals the FBI has in its possession a USB drive containing “GrayKey derived forensic analysis” of the iPhone in question. Produced by startup Grayshift, GrayKey is a data forensics tool that enables law enforcement agencies to thwart iPhone security protocols for purposes of data extraction.

While not specified in the Oct. 30 search warrant, the report suggests the FBI successfully deployed GrayKey to gain access to Koch’s iPhone 11 Pro Max.

If officials were indeed able to crack Apple’s latest iPhone security safeguards, it is possible that the FBI and other agencies have a means to access the much older iPhone 5 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets involved in more recent case.

Last week, the FBI asked Apple for assistance in “unlocking” two iPhones owned by Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a Saudi Air Force cadet accused of killing three sailors and injuring eight others in an attack at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., in December. The situation escalated quickly, with Attorney General Bill Barr putting out a public plea for Apple’s compliance on Monday, while President Donald Trump slammed the company for its stance on strong device encryption a day later.

The Department of Justice claims it has exhausted all internal and external options, meaning Apple’s expertise is the only path forward. Officials refuse to enumerate exactly what methods were attempted.

While Apple has cooperated with FBI requests by handing over user data like iCloud backups and account information, it has declined to extract data from Alshamrani’s iPhone as doing so would necessitate the creation of a backdoor. The tech giant is staunchly opposed to such action as it would purportedly threaten the security of all iPhone users.

Pundits speculate Trump, Barr and the DOJ are using the Pensacola case to rope Apple into a precedent-setting legal fight over encryption. Apple faced a similar court battle in 2016 when it refused to unlock an iPhone 5c used by the San Bernardino shooter. In that case the DOJ threatened a showdown but pulled out at the eleventh hour after finding a third party contractor capable of extracting data from the device.

That said, the DOJ might be telling the truth. Apple could have identified and patched the vulnerabilities GrayKey leveraged to break iPhone 11 Pro Max encryption in the intervening months since Koch’s iPhone was seized. Alternatively, GrayKey could be in possession of an exploit that applies only to newer model handsets, though such a scenario is unlikely given Apple’s encryption architecture.

In any case, Apple is reportedly preparing for a legal scrum as it simultaneously works to keep the issue out of court.

Posted on January 15, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Trump tells Apple to ‘step up to the plate’ and unlock Pensacola shooter’s iPhones

By Mikey Campbell
Tuesday, January 14, 2020, 04:12 pm PT (07:12 pm ET)

President Donald Trump waded into the encryption battle on Tuesday with a tweet calling on Apple to “unlock” iPhones at the request of law enforcement agencies, suggesting the company should do so because of help it receives on trade and “other issues.”

“We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements. They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump said in a tweet.

The missive arrives as Apple and the FBI are at loggerheads over a data extraction operation related to a recent terror attack in Pensacola, Fla. Last week, investigators sent a letter to the tech giant asking for assistance in unlocking two iPhones owned by Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a Saudi Air Force cadet accused of killing three sailors and injuring eight others in an attack at the Naval Air Station in December.

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr echoed FBI demands in a public plea on Monday, adding that Apple has yet to provide “substantive assistance” to the investigation. Apple denied Barr’s request in a lengthy statement that rebuts the AG’s claims by offering a detailed account of assistance it has provided and continues to provide to law enforcement officials.

“We reject the characterization that Apple has not provided substantive assistance in the Pensacola investigation. Our responses to their many requests since the attack have been timely, thorough and are ongoing,” Apple’s said in a statement Monday night. “We have always maintained there is no such thing as a backdoor just for the good guys. Backdoors can also be exploited by those who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers.”

Trump in his tweet today implies Apple is in a tit-for-tat relationship with his administration and the U.S. government at large. His mention of help “on TRADE and so many other issues” suggests the company should respond in kind for favorable consideration in the ongoing China trade war. in December, Apple escaped hefty tariffs on iPhone, iPad and Mac when Trump inked a “phase-one” deal that roughly halved duty rates and scrapped a threatened $160 billion worth of new levies on Chinese-made goods.

With pressure applied by the FBI, Barr and now Trump, Apple appears set to face another high-profile battle over device encryption. The company first tangled with the FBI and Justice Department in 2016 when it refused to comply with demands to unlock an iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook vowed to fight a court order that compelled the company to create a special version of iOS with weakened encryption — or a backdoor — saying that doing so would be a threat to all iPhone users.

The DOJ withdrew its demands just prior to a court showdown that would likely have set legal precedent over proper handling of encrypted devices. Instead of going through Apple, the FBI turned to an unnamed third party to penetrate the San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone 5c, a method security experts believe is viable in the current Pensacola case.

Posted on January 14, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Apple’s ‘Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet’ to make appearance at PAX South this week

By AppleInsider Staff
Monday, January 13, 2020, 05:52 pm PT (08:52 pm ET)

Apple will promote its upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet” at the PAX South gaming expo in Texas on Friday, potentially signaling an early screening of the show ahead of an official debut slated for early February.

Though details are scarce, Apple, specifically “Apple TV+ Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet,” is now registered as an exhibitor on a rolling list of PAX South participants maintained on the PAX event website. The expo begins on Friday, Jan. 17 and runs through Jan. 19.

The company has yet to confirm an official presence at the popular annual event, but an appearance would not be too far fetched as “Mythic Quest’s” plot orbits the gaming world.

Starring Rob McElhenney, who created and wrote the series with former “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” collaborator Charlie Day, “Mythic Quest” follows a small gaming studio as it navigates the trials and tribulations of developing a new title. Gaming giant Ubisoft, which pitched the idea to McElhenney, is listed as a producer alongside Lionsgate, 3 Arts Entertainment and McElhenney and Day’s RCG.

Oscar Award winner F. Murray Abraham, Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, Charlotte Nicdao, David Hornsby, Ashly Burch and Jessie Ennis costar.

How Apple plans to publicize the show at PAX South remains unclear, but gatherings like PAX typically feature panels with content creators and, in the case of Hollywood projects, cast and crew.

All nine half-hour episodes of “Mythic Quest” are slated to launch on Feb. 7 as an Apple TV+ exclusive.