Apple's Activation Lock Checking Tool Removed, Record Earnings, Apple Watch Theater Mode - MacRumors

Brought to you by: Apple Removes Tool to Check if an iPhone or iPad is Activation Locked Apple late last week removed its online tool that allowed users to check an iOS device's serial number to see whether it was activation locked to an Apple ID. The tool was popular with those purchasing used devices, as it enabled them to make sure Activation Lock had been disabled before completing a transaction, thereby avoiding the potential for significant hassle. Perhaps just as interesting as the removal itself is the apparent reason for it: Dedicated hackers and thieves had used the tool as part of a process to hack devices that had been activation locked. The hacking technique may also explain why some users have occasionally found their brand-new devices locked to another Apple ID.   Read Full Article Sponsored Stories Your Shortcut to the Best Apps for Mac Setapp gives you a growing suite of hand-picked apps in one signup. There’s no store — just a folder on your Mac, and no hidden costs — just a flat monthly fee. It's simple, like shortcuts should be. We hand pick the apps, so you don’t have to: there’s no need to dig through hundreds of App Store listings, search for reviews, and compare prices: with Setapp, you always have the best app for the job. It’s like getting all the apples, while someone else does the picking. You already own every upgrade: Setapp gives you access to shiny new software versions without charging any extra for upgrades. Every app you see on Setapp is yours — and we do mean the app, not just the current version. Free to try: Setapp is packed with stellar apps, and you get to try them free of charge for a whole month.   Visit Sponsor Popular Stories Feb 02, 2017 Apple Reports Record Results for 1Q 2017: $17.9B Profit on $78.4B Revenue, 78.3M iPhones Apple has released its financial results for the holiday quarter ending in December, setting new all-time company records for overall revenue and earnings per share, as well as revenue for iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, and Services. Apple's Services segment, which includes such offerings as Apple Music, the App Store, Apple Pay, and iCloud, saw particularly strong growth and Apple stated it aims to double that segment's performance within four years. Strong iPhone sales on the back of the iPhone 7 launch, combined with Samsung's problems with exploding Note7 devices, allowed Apple to retake the lead in the worldwide smartphone market. iPad remains a weak spot for Apple, however, with sales continuing to decline even as it still leads the overall tablet market. Tim Cook promised "exciting things" coming for the iPad, which was hampered by a lack of new models in the quarter.   Read Full Article Hands-On With the New Theater Mode in watchOS 3.2 Following last week's betas of iOS 10.3, macOS 10.12.4, and tvOS 10.2, Apple this week seeded developers with the first test build of watchOS 3.2. The release gives us our first look at the new "Theater Mode" for Apple Watch, so we went hands-on with the feature to see what it has to offer. Theater Mode is a quick Control Center shortcut that silences your Apple Watch and turns off the raise to wake function of the display, preventing your watch from disturbing others in dark theaters. In Theater Mode, notifications will continue to generate haptic feedback, and the screen can still be manually activated by tapping or through the crown or side button.   Read Full Article Apple and Amazon Adopt Opposing Strategies as Smart Home War Heats Up With Amazon's Alexa-enabled Echo platform taking the home automation market by storm recently, Reuters has taken a look at the different approaches being taken by Amazon and Apple in the market. While Amazon has embraced an open approach that has allowed other companies to quickly add Alexa support to hundreds of devices, Apple has opted to emphasize security and ease of use with its closed HomeKit system. Apple requires HomeKit manufacturers to use certified chips and assembly factories for their products to ensure compliance with Apple's standards, and Apple's own testing of each product can take several months.   Read Full Article iOS 10.3 Beta Says 32-Bit Legacy Apps Will Not Work With Future Versions of iOS Apple recently started warning users about older 32-bit iOS apps that may experience performance issues, and a change to the warnings in the new iOS 10.3 beta suggests Apple may soon prevent those apps from working entirely. Apple has required that all new and updated apps be optimized for 64-bit architecture for several years, but many older apps have not been subjected to that requirement due to their lack of updates. Discontinuing support for these apps is undoubtedly intended to encourage developers to update their apps, but many legacy apps that are no longer under development or which Apple has opted not to approve may find themselves disappearing in the coming months as Apple continues its effort to clean up the App Store.    Read Full Article Apple Developing ARM-Based Mac Chip to Handle Low-Power Functions Alongside Intel Processors Apple is still planning to rely on Intel processors for future Macs, but according to a new report from Bloomberg, the company is looking to add a new custom ARM-based chip to Macs that would take over some functionality from the main processor. The chip, which is said to be a variation on the new T1 chip used in the MacBook Pro to power the Touch Bar and Touch ID, would handle the low-power Power Nap features that happen in the background while a Mac is sleeping. Those features include mail fetching, syncing of iCloud and Photos updates across devices, Find My Mac location updates, and more. Shifting those functions to a more efficient ARM chip could significantly improve battery life for sleeping devices.   Read Full Article

This email was sent to dasdisdusonline.apple@blogger.com Click here to unsubscribe or Update subscription preferences View in Browser | Subscribe to this mailing list. MacRumors.com, LLC 4870 Sadler Rd. Suite #300 Glen Allen, VA 23060 USA