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  • Apple TV/HomePod/FaceTime combo device not launching until 2023

    Apple TV/HomePod/FaceTime combo device not launching until 2023

    The rumor: Apple’s wild new device set to revitalize the Apple TV line is still years away, according to Mark Gurman (88.8% accurate, via Power On).

    • Apple is “developing a combined Apple TV, HomePod and FaceTime camera home hub device for release around 2023” Gurman says
    • Gurman first described this device a few months ago—while mentioning it was in early development—but it appears that Apple is still working on it presently

    Our take: If this device that is supposed to be the savior to the Apple TV line doesn’t describe the current situation of the Apple TV & HomePod, then I don’t know what does: it’s confusing and chaotic with no clear path forward. How can Apple nail a product like iPhone or Mac yet be so clueless for their audio/visual suites?

  • Apple announces controversial new child safety features coming later this year

    Apple announces controversial new child safety features coming later this year

    The news: Following rumors of an imminent announcement, Apple has officially confirmed new plans to scan users’ iCloud Photos and bolster child safety on their platforms.

    The new plan takes a 3-pronged approach:

    • Messages app: When sending or receiving sexually explicit material, there will be new pop-ups to help users (children) navigate this with notifications sent out to parents letting them know whether or not their child viewed the content.
    • iCloud photo scanning (US only): Apple is rolling out technology later this year that will scan your iCloud Photos for known Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The system searches for existing content that can be matched to a database of CSAM provided by partners. If illegal content is found after a manual review, a user’s account will be reported and disabled. Apple says there is a one-in-one-trillion chance of a false positive, and will have an appeals process for these cases.
    • Siri and Search guidance improvements: “Apple is also expanding guidance in Siri and Search by providing additional resources to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations. For example, users who ask Siri how they can report CSAM or child exploitation will be pointed to resources for where and how to file a report. Siri and Search are also being updated to intervene when users perform searches for queries related to CSAM. These interventions will explain to users that interest in this topic is harmful and problematic, and provide resources from partners to get help with this issue.”
    • These new features are being rolled out later this year in updates across Apple’s platforms

    Our take: All of these features sound great, and the first and third features are. As for the second feature, we all agree that CSAM is terrible and has no place anywhere, ever. But Apple’s method of finding CSAM is what I’m concerned about: specially, the precedent this sets and the door this opens for finding other illegal content in user’s iCloud Photos down the line.

    Years from now, will we see this photo scanning feature expanded to other illegal content? This is a slippery slope.

  • New report says Apple plans to scan your iPhone for images of child abuse

    New report says Apple plans to scan your iPhone for images of child abuse

    The rumor: Apple is working on new software to scan your photo library for images of child abuse, according to the Financial Times (not yet tracked).

    • The upcoming tool, dubbed neuralMatch “would proactively alert a team of human reviewers if it believes illegal imagery is detected, who would then contact law enforcement if the material can be verified. The scheme will initially roll out only in the US…Apple’s neuralMatch algorithm will continuously scan photos that are stored on a US user’s iPhone and have also been uploaded to its iCloud back-up system. Users’ photos, converted into a string of numbers through a process known as ‘hashing’, will be compared with those on a database of known images of child sexual abuse” FT explains
    • Numerous security researchers, while supportive of ideas to help stop child exploitation, have voiced grave concerns with the means to justify the ends and how this could be exploited in malicious ways by governmental entities in the future

    Our take: I don’t think there’s a single rational person who think that less child abuse imagery in the world is a bad thing. But how Apple plans to get there is concerning.

    Apple has publicly shown their dedication to privacy and security time and time again, but this move jeopardizes that in a way we haven’t seen before. We’ll have to wait for the official word from Apple before making a final decision, but those who study this kind of a thing for a living don’t seem to think it’s a good precedent to set in any way.

  • New video shows AirPower prototype in action

    New video shows AirPower prototype in action

    The leak: A working prototype of the fateful AirPower wireless charging mat has surfaced in a new video, shared by collector Giulio Zompetti.

    • In the new video, you can see how AirPower would have worked when placing a device on the charging mat, complete with a 3D animation of the device placed and overview of all currently charging devices
    • Apple canceled AirPower in March 2019 after announcing it at the iPhone X event in September 2017 and numerous delays

    Our take: This is the first time we’ve ever seen a functional AirPower prototype in the wild. Truly, this would’ve been an incredibly device and although the initial version didn’t meet Apple’s quality standards, there are rumors that something similar is still in the works. I hope something like this sees the light of day eventually.

    https://twitter.com/1nsane_dev/status/1423277245381054472
  • Apple launches redesigned Apple Store at apple.com/store

    Apple launches redesigned Apple Store at apple.com/store

    The news: Apple has launched a redesigned online store for their products following a short maintenance period.

    • There’s a new ‘Store’ tab that allows you to see a better spread of the products Apple sells
    • Product category pages inside of the Store tab now include shopping guides, ways to save, “The Apple Difference” and more

    Check out the gallery below!

    Our take: This new design is a huge upgrade and makes it much easier to see even the small things that Apple has added to their store recently. I hope we see this card-esque styling everywhere on apple.com eventually.

  • The Apple Store is down globally…and no one knows why (update: it’s back)

    The Apple Store is down globally…and no one knows why (update: it’s back)

    Update 4:47pm PST: The Apple Store is back up after being down for just around an hour. Everything looks the same to me so far.

    The news: Apple’s online store is currently down around the world for no apparent reason.

    • “Be right back” Apple says, “We’re making updates to the Apple Store. Check back soon.”

    Our take: This is strange, considering that we just got some new products earlier today. I highly doubt there will be anything new on the store and that this is just maintenance of some kind: but why bring the store down at ~4pm PST in the middle of the day here in the US?

  • Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, Mouse & Trackpad accessories are now sold separately

    Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, Mouse & Trackpad accessories are now sold separately

    The news: Apple’s new Magic accessories that were previously exclusive to the M1 iMac are now available for purchase as standalone products.

    • The new Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID for Mac models with Apple silicon and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad for Mac models with Apple silicon are all available on apple.com now
    • All of the accessories ship with Apple’s exclusive braided Lightning cable for charging

    Our take: Super happy to see Apple sell these accessories separately, but I really wish the Touch ID keyboard were compatible with older Intel-based machines. I would buy one for my 27-inch iMac in a heartbeat if they were.

  • Apple updates Mac Pro with new Radeon Pro GPU options

    Apple updates Mac Pro with new Radeon Pro GPU options

    The news: On Tuesday morning Apple updated their online store with upgraded pre-built Mac Pro and standalone graphics card options from AMD.

    Our take: Some pricey but powerful options for those with a Mac Pro that are looking to spec their machines out even further. Looking at you, MKBHD team…

  • New Apple Watch and Mac models show up in regulatory filings

    New Apple Watch and Mac models show up in regulatory filings

    The news: Apple is preparing to launch new Apple Watch and Mac models, according to fresh filings from the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) who routinely reveals the existence of new products (via Consomac).

    Here’s what the new EEC filings show:

    • 2 new Mac models: A2442 and A2485 that run macOS 12 Monterey
    • 6 new Apple Watch models: A2473, A2474, A2475, A2476, A2477 and A2478 running watchOS 8

    Our take: No surprises here, just more evidence that we are definitely seeing new MacBook Pros and Apple Watches this Fall. iPhones, are coming too, of course.

  • Gurman: AirPods 3 coming this Fall

    Gurman: AirPods 3 coming this Fall

    The rumor: Apple is preparing to unveil AirPods 3 alongside new iPhones this Fall, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate, via Power On).

    • “Look for Apple to debut its new low-end AirPods this fall, around the same time as the next iPhones” Gurman says
    • AirPods 3 have been leaked extensively, but it’s still murky what specific upgrades are coming…aside from a brand-new design

    Our take: I think this hybrid in-ear design is truly going to be game changing for AirPods and spark some fresh interest in a brand that Apple updates only every couple of years. This is the third time we’re hearing new AirPods this Fall, so expect them sometime in the September/October timeframe.

  • Gurman: All Macs will have Apple Silicon inside by November 2022

    Gurman: All Macs will have Apple Silicon inside by November 2022

    The rumor: Apple will hit their two-year transition for Apple Silicon by the end of next year, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate, via Power On).

    • “I think Apple will barely hit its two-year timeline…that leaves the 27-inch iMac, the high-end MacBook Pros, the high-end Mac mini and the Mac Pro as the last remaining Macs to be updated. I’d then expect the iMac to fully transition by the end of next year and the revamped, smaller Mac Pro with Apple Silicon to hit later next year as well. I think Apple will hit that timeline within a month, give or take” Gurman says
    • In this Q&A Section of his weekly newsletter, he reaffirms that new MacBook Pros with Apple Silicon inside are (finally) just around the corner

    Our take: This isn’t necessarily news, as Apple themselves announced that the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon would take two years…but with the incredibly slow rollout thus far there were questions about whether or not they would stick to the schedule. It looks like they are, and that 2022 will be much more busy than 2021.