Apple-FBI Dispute Heats Up, 'iPhone SE' and 9.7-Inch 'iPad Pro' Rumors, iPhone 7, Siri for Mac - MacRumors

Apple CEO Tim Cook: FBI's Backdoor Would Be 'Software Equivalent of Cancer' The dispute between Apple and the FBI over whether Apple can be required to build a custom version of iOS to enable the FBI to unlock the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists has continued to be the major story in the news this week, with both sides seeking to lay out their cases. For its part, Apple has been vocal that the creation of such a backdoor would set a dangerous precedent that would compromise the privacy of hundreds of millions of users. In a half-hour interview with ABC News, Tim Cook outlined Apple's belief that the modified operating system would be the "software equivalent of cancer" amid concerns that it could fall into the wrong hands or be misused by law enforcement already seeking to expand access to additional devices. The dispute will continue through the courts, with Apple this week filing its official request for the order to comply with the FBI's request to be vacated, citing Apple's belief that the request is illegal and unconstitutional. To follow the latest developments, make sure to check out our dedicated news hub for all of our stories on this topic.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Feb 26, 2016 iPhone 7 Suppliers Prepare for Dual-Lens Camera, Possible Stereo Speakers We're continuing to hear a few rumors about the iPhone 7, expected to debut around the usual September timeframe, and the latest reports indicate Apple's suppliers are beginning to gear up for production of the new device. Chipmakers for the audio and camera systems are said to be preparing their production lines for the iPhone 7, which is expected to include changes in both of those areas such as a possible second speaker taking the place of the headphone jack and a new dual-lens camera on at least the larger iPhone 7 Plus model. At Mobile World Congress this week, we saw a demonstration of a dual-lens camera system from Corephotonics, and while Apple's implementation will likely be somewhat different, the demonstration provides a good idea of what is possible with two lenses.   Read Full Article 4-Inch 'iPhone SE' and 9.7-Inch 'iPad Pro' to Use A9 and A9X Processors With a new 4-inch iPhone and flagship iPad due to be introduced in just a few weeks, we're hearing some additional tidbits about the upcoming devices. Notably, both devices are said to be using cutting-edge chips, including an A9 chip in the new iPhone and the A9X chip from last fall's iPad Pro making its way into the new iPad. We're also starting to hear some new possibilities for the names of these products, with the 4-inch iPhone that was previously expected to be called the "iPhone 5se" now rumored to arrive with an "iPhone SE" name and a design that looks nearly identical to the iPhone 5 and 5s. The assumed "iPad Air 3" is also said to actually be branded as an "iPad Pro," adopting many of the same features such as a Smart Connector, Smart Keyboard accessory, four-speaker design, and Apple Pencil support from its larger sibling.   Read Full Article Siri Coming to the Mac Menu Bar in OS X 10.12 Later This Year Apple is expected to provide the first glimpses of OS X 10.12 and iOS 10 at WWDC in June, but we're starting to hear out first tidbits about what we can expect from the forthcoming updates. OS X 10.12 will reportedly incorporate Siri for the first time, making it easy to access information and otherwise interact with your Mac by voice right from a menu bar icon. In other news, Apple is reportedly planning significant enhancements to the Photos apps in OS X 10.12 and iOS 10, bringing back a number of the editing features that were lost when Apple transitioned from iPhoto to Photos. Higher-end editing features previously found in Aperture are, however, not expected to make the transition to Photos.   Read Full Article Apple Pencil Navigation Functionality to Return in Next iOS 9.3 Beta Throughout the first four iOS 9.3 betas, some users have been frustrated to learn that Apple has removed one key functionality of the Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro: the ability to navigate around pages and apps by dragging the Pencil to scroll. With the removal persisting throughout the betas and no acknowledgment from Apple that it was a "known issue," it was looking more and more like this was an intentional change on Apple's part. Following significant media coverage of the change, however, Apple has issued a statement reassuring users that the feature will be returning in the next iOS 9.3 beta once some refinements have been implemented.   Read Full Article Tim Cook Teases Apple Car: 'It's Going to Be Christmas Eve for a While' Rumors about Apple's car project continue to circulate, and Tim Cook has been directly asked about the company's plans several times in recent weeks. The first instance came in an interview with Fortune earlier this month and published this week. Challenged to publicly lay out Apple's car efforts in the face of overwhelming rumors and evidence, Cook responded by simply saying "Yeah, I'm probably not going to do that." He went on to outline his common refrain that Apple is a "curious" company that explores and debates a lot of different things. And just today at Apple's annual shareholders meeting, Cook was again asked about the Apple Car project. Offering a bit more of a tease about Apple's plans, Cook noted "It's going to be Christmas Eve for a while."   Read Full Article 'Dune Case' for PCs Copies Mac Pro's Cylindrical Design Finally, one of our most popular articles this week addressed a new Kickstarter project for the "Dune Case," a PC case that bears a distinct resemblance to Apple's cylindrical Mac Pro design. The case has generated significant discussion about the copycat nature and whether Apple will be able to challenge the project based on those similarities. And while the overall look of the Dune Case is similar to the Mac Pro, the interior design is significantly different as it is designed to house standard PC components rather than Apple's custom design and arrangement.   Read Full Article

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Apple and FBI Face Off Over Encryption, iPhone 7 Rumors, 'Error 53' and '1970 Date Bug' Updates - MacRumors

Tim Cook: Apple Won't Create 'Backdoor' to Help FBI Access San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone Earlier this week, Apple was ordered to comply with an FBI request to help authorities access information stored on the iPhone 5c used by one of the shooters in last year's San Bernardino, California terrorist attack. Within hours, Tim Cook posted an open letter on Apple's site outlining his objections to the demand over the precedent it would set in Apple being forced to compromise user privacy and security. The standoff has sparked new public discussion about encryption, privacy, and national security, with tech executives such as Google's Sundar Pichai, presidential candidates like Donald Trump, and the general public all weighing in with their thoughts.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Feb 18, 2016 iPhone 7 Predicted to Gain Second Speaker in Shift to Lightning Headphones It's been rumored for some time that the iPhone 7 will not include a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack, with Apple looking to push users toward Lightning or wireless headphone solutions, but a new analyst report claims Apple may use the space gained with the removal of the headphone jack to add a second speaker on the bottom of the device. The analysts also believe the iPhone 7's Lightning headphones won't support noise cancelation features at first, but may do so in next year's iPhone 7s lineup. In other iPhone 7 rumors, Apple is said to be increasing its use of single-chip electromagnetic interference shielding on the device's main logic board, allowing chips to be placed closer together without electrical signals interfering with each other as power and frequencies increase.   Read Full Article Apple Releases Updated Version of iOS 9.2.1 to Fix Devices Bricked by 'Error 53' One of the bigger stories last week centered around a so-called "Error 53" some users have been running into after replacing their Touch ID home buttons with third-party parts, leaving their devices bricked and unusable. After initially saying the issue was a security measure designed to ensure hardware integrity of the fingerprint sensor system, Apple this week released a new update to address the issue on affected devices. Apple now says the error message was part of a factory test that should not have been exposed to the public. With the new update, users' devices will no longer be bricked after a home button replacement, although Touch ID will be disabled unless a genuine Apple part is used and properly authorized with the device.   Read Full Article Apple Will Fix 'January 1, 1970' Date Bug in Upcoming iOS Update Another significant bug gaining attention this week is affecting users who set their dates on their iOS devices to January 1, 1970, the earliest possible date allowed by the software. The bug is a doozy, forcing the device into a constant reboot cycle that renders it unusable without some inconvenient or tricky steps such as opening up the device and disconnecting the battery. Apple has acknowledged the bug and says a fix is on the way, but it's unclear when that update will be released.   Read Full Article Apple Launches USB-C Charge Cable Replacement Program for Retina MacBook Apple late last week launched a new program to replace defective USB-C cables that shipped both with the company's new Retina MacBook and as standalone accessories. The defective cables could cause charging issues with the notebook, and Apple is sending out free replacements to all users. Some users have already begun receiving their new cables, as Apple is automatically sending them out to those for whom it has contact information.   Read Full Article Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi Discuss Bloated Software Accusations, Upcoming iTunes Plans Apple executives Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi recently appeared on an episode of John Gruber's The Talk Show podcast, sharing their thoughts on a number of different topics. One of the most interesting discussions centered around perceptions of declining software quality and complaints about software such as iTunes having become bloated by trying to do too much. Cue noted that Apple will be delivering an improved version of iTunes on the desktop next month to make things easier for music users, presumably alongside OS X 10.11.4.    Read Full Article

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New Betas of iOS 9.3 and More, Mac Pro Repair Program, 'Error 53' - MacRumors

Apple Seeds Third Beta of iOS 9.3 and More to Developers Apple this week released a new round of beta operating system updates to testers, led by the third beta of iOS 9.3 for both developers and public beta testers. Apple continues to tweak things in each beta, this time adding support for Wi-Fi Calling on Verizon and fixing a bug that prevented some T-Mobile users from being able to load data in certain apps. The new Apple TV also saw an update with another beta of tvOS 9.2, and Apple continues to make significant changes with each beta. Dictation and Siri support are much improved in this latest beta, with users now able to use dictation in search and password fields and able to call up Siri to search the App Store from anywhere in the operating system. Make sure to check out our highlight video! On the Mac side, Apple released a new beta of OS X 10.11.4, which notably fixes an annoying issue with Twitter-shortened t.co links sometimes refusing to load in Safari. Finally, Apple issued a new watchOS 2.2 beta, but while Apple continues to fix bugs and make other minor improvements, no major changes since the previous beta were immediately visible.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Feb 12, 2016 Apple Launches Repair Program for Late 2013 Mac Pro Video Issues Owners of the latest Mac Pro might want to check to see if they're covered by a new repair program quietly launched by Apple late last week to cover video issues with machines manufactured within a brief window early last year. The program covers users experiencing an array of video-related problems on machines with D500 or D700 graphics cards through May 2018. Users seeing video issues on their Mac Pros should contact Apple or an authorized Apple service provider. Repairs are estimated to take 3–5 days and will include replacement of both graphics cards within affected machines.   Read Full Article Users Facing 'Error 53' Bricking Message After Third-Party iPhone 6 Home Button Repairs A report last week drew some attention to an "error 53" message some iPhone owners have been experiencing following third-party home button repairs, with the error leaving their iPhones unusable. The unhelpfully titled error occurs when the iPhone determines there have been unauthorized changes made to components of the Touch ID system, with the phone being disabled in order to thwart potentially malicious hardware from capturing sensitive fingerprint data. The situation is unsurprisingly drawing scrutiny from regulators and law firms who believe completely disabling the device may be an overreaction, and one law firm has indeed already filed a class action lawsuit against Apple over the issue. We've heard at least some Apple retail stores have been authorized to perform out-of-warranty replacements of third-party components in order to address the issue for affected customers.   Read Full Article 12-Inch Retina MacBooks Discounted $300 for Limited Time B&H Photo has just launched a very nice sale on the current Retina MacBook, knocking $300 off the regular price for both 256 GB and 512 GB configurations. The deal runs for only a few days, so make sure to check it out if you're interested. Also remember to stop by our deals roundup for all of the latest bargains. Best Buy has a solid Apple sale going on now, and Target is joining in with $100 off a number of Apple Watch models.   Read Full Article Apple Possibly Working With Energous on Extended Range Wireless Charging for Future iPhones Following a report from several weeks ago claiming Apple is working on long-range wireless charging technology for future iPhones, one analyst has shared his belief that Apple is working with Energous on the new technology. Building on that possibility, we took a fresh look at what Energous has been up to with its "WattUp" technology that uses radio frequency to charge devices from up to 15 feet away. Energous looks to be the current leader in the long-range wireless charging industry, so regardless of whether Apple is working with Energous or not, the WattUp system is an interesting example of what we might be able to expect in future iPhones.    Read Full Article Apple Stores Now Offering Belkin Screen Protector Application Apple and Belkin have partnered up on a cool new offering that allows customers to purchase a Belkin iPhone screen protector from any of Apple's retail stores and have the protectors applied to their phones by an Apple employee using new "ScreenCare+" systems developed by Belkin. The new systems make it easy for employees to line up the protector with an iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, or 6s Plus for a high-quality installation free of bubbles and dust.   Read Full Article

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First iPhone 7 Design Details, March 15 Event, iPad Air 3 Rumors - MacRumors

First Details on iPhone 7 Design: Flush Rear Camera, No Antenna Bands Across the Back We're starting to get our first hints about what the iPhone 7 will look like when it launches later this year, with a source indicating it will appear very similar to the iPhone 6 and 6s. Perhaps the most notable changes to the appearance of the rear of the device will be a camera that is flush with the casing rather than protruding as on the current models and the removal of antenna bands across the back, allowing for a cleaner look. We've also been hearing increasing rumors about a potential dual-lens camera for the larger iPhone 7 Plus model. Apple is reportedly testing samples of the cameras from its suppliers as Sony notes a number of major smartphone manufacturers will begin including the advanced technology over the next year or so. Looking beyond the iPhone 7, a recent report from Bloomberg claims Apple is investigating long-range wireless charging technology that could appear in the iPhone as soon as 2017.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Feb 04, 2016 Apple's iPad Air 3 and 'iPhone 5se' Event May Take Place March 15 Apple has long been rumored to be planning a March media event to make some announcements such as the iPad Air 3, a new 4-inch "iPhone 5se," and some Apple Watch-related updates, and multiple reliable sources are now reporting the event will be held on Tuesday, March 15. The iPad Air 3 has been in the news a bit this week, with a new design drawing and several case leaks suggesting the device will have essentially identical dimensions to the current iPad Air 2. It does appear, however, that the new iPad will include a four-speaker design similar to the iPad Pro, a new LED flash for the rear camera, and perhaps a Smart Connector for interfacing with accessories such as keyboard cases from Apple and third-party manufacturers.   Read Full Article Apple Ceases Free iTunes Radio Streaming Worldwide Following through on a plan announced in mid-January, Apple last week ended free streaming of iTunes Radio stations, limiting access to those users who have subscribed to or are on a free trial of Apple Music. Beats 1 remains accessible to all listeners free of charge. iTunes Radio was Apple's initial streaming music service that competed most closely with Pandora, offering ad-supported stations with limited skipping. A planned worldwide rollout failed to take place, with only the U.S. and Australia gaining the feature before Apple refocused its streaming efforts on Beats Music's subscription model.   Read Full Article Apple Deals Roundup: Get the Best Deals on Apple Products and Accessories We've launched a new Apple Deals roundup on MacRumors, making it easy for our readers to keep on top of some of the best bargains. Near the top you'll find our regularly updated "Weekly Deals" section where we highlight some excellent short-term deals on Apple products, accessories, apps, and more. Down below you can see pricing tables for most of Apple's main product lines, making it easy to compare prices across some of the biggest online vendors to make sure you're getting the best deal possible. If you're looking for other content that's a bit different from our regular news and rumor coverage, make sure to check out some of our recent guides, including our Guide to Buying Refurbished Apple Products and Getting Started With HomeKit: A Beginner's Guide. We'll have more of this type of content coming in the future, so keep your eyes open!   Read Full Article Google Briefly Surpasses Apple as World's Most Valuable Company Apple has been the world's most valuable company for several years now, as measured by the total value of the company's shares, but a recent slide in Apple's stock price over fears of slowing growth enabled Google's parent company Alphabet to briefly surpass Apple this week for the crown. Alphabet was pushed over the top by a strong earnings report that drove an 8 percent increase in its stock price, but the shares have since given back those gains and more, leaving Apple once again on top.   Read Full Article Apple Has Secret Team Working on Virtual Reality Headset Virtual reality has been another topic of interest for the Apple rumor mill in recent weeks, and a new report claims Apple does indeed have a "secret" team working on a virtual reality headset similar to the Oculus Rift and Microsoft HoloLens. Apple's plans aren't entirely clear, but recent acquisitions and hires are sparking considerable speculation. Just last week, Tim Cook called virtual reality a "really cool" technology with "interesting applications."   Read Full Article

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