iOS Blog: Apple Seeds Second Beta of watchOS 3.2.3 to Developers
May 30, 2017 10:03 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.2.3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first watchOS 3.2.3 beta and a little over two weeks after releasing watchOS 3.2.2, a minor bug fix update.

Registered developers can download the watchOS 3.2.3 update through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. For the beta to be installed, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.


Apple only provides watchOS betas to developers because there's no way to downgrade software on an Apple Watch. Non-developers will need to wait for the public release to get the update.

No notable features or bug fixes were discovered in the first beta of watchOS 3.2.3, suggesting the update focuses primarily on under-the-hood improvements.

watchOS 3.2.3 is likely to be one of the last updates to the watchOS 3 operating system, as Apple is expected to introduce a new version of watchOS at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)


Mac Blog: Apple Seeds Second Beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.6 to Developers
May 30, 2017 10:02 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.6 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the first 10.12.6 beta and a little over two weeks after introducing macOS Sierra 10.12.5, a minor bug fix update.

macOS Sierra 10.12.6 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.


No significant features or notable bug fixes were found in the first macOS Sierra 10.12.6 beta, and because Apple does not provide beta release notes, we may not know what’s included in the update until it sees a public release.

macOS Sierra 10.12.6 is likely to be one of the final updates to the Sierra operating system as Apple transitions to macOS 10.13, which will be introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Related Roundup: macOS Sierra

iOS Blog: Apple Seeds Second Beta of tvOS 10.2.2 to Developers
May 30, 2017 10:01 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the first beta of tvOS 10.2.2 and a little over two weeks after releasing tvOS 10.2.1, a minor bug fix update.

tvOS 10.2.2 is available for the fourth-generation Apple TV. Registered developers can download the update by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and installing the beta software using iTunes.


Due to the installation requirements, tvOS betas are only available for developers, so tvOS 10.2.2 will not be publicly available until the final version of the software is released.

No major feature changes or bug fixes were discovered in the first beta of tvOS 10.2.2, and it appears to focus on minor under-the-hood improvements.

tvOS 10 will soon be followed by a new version of tvOS, which Apple is expected to introduce at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Apple Seeds Second Beta of iOS 10.3.3 to Developers
May 30, 2017 9:59 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 10.3.3 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the first beta and a little over two weeks following the release of iOS 10.3.2, a minor bug fix update.

Registered developers can download iOS 10.3.3 beta 2 from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile is installed.


No significant features or notable bug fixes were found in the first beta, suggesting iOS 10.3.3, like iOS 10.3.2, is an update that's minor in scale and designed to introduce security improvements and address bugs. It does introduce new wallpapers for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, though.

iOS 10.3.3 could be one of the last updates to iOS 10, as Apple is beginning to shift its focus to iOS 11. iOS 11 will make its debut at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off on June 5. iOS 11 will be in testing for several months before seeing a fall public release.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
iOS Blog: North Korean Company Ignores Apple Trademarks and Launches Tablet Called 'Ryonghung iPad'
May 30, 2017 9:13 am PDT by Mitchel Broussard
North Korea technology company Ryonghung has recently released a new tablet using the trademarked name of Apple's popular device, the iPad. The company's tablet is called the "Ryonghung iPad" and lets users read the news, work on documents, and perform other actions across more than 40 different pre-installed apps (via Gizmodo).

Tech specs for the Ryonghung iPad detail a device with 1GB RAM, an 8GB hard disk, a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, HDMI compatibility, a keyboard, and "network connection" capabilities. The advertising material details a few apps as well, relating to programs like a calculator, a health encyclopedia, a medical app, and an agricultural program.


As NK News pointed out, the heavy use of "iPad" in the device's marketing material violates Apple's trademarks.
A North Korean company is advertising a domestic tablet computer under the copyrighted name of one of Apple Inc.’s flagship products – the “iPad” – the DPRK’s latest edition of Foreign Trade magazine shows. The term “iPad” is registered as an Apple trademark on its website and while there are occasions when the company’s terms can be used, these generally need Apple’s authorization.
A different version of the Ryonghung iPad first appeared in North Korea in 2013, although then it lacked the "iPad" moniker and was called the "Ryonghung-trademarked tablet computer" by the media. North Korean versions of Apple devices have been seen in the past, with a computer bearing resemblance to the iMac showing up at a trade fair in Pyongyang in 2015. Created by a company called Blue Sky, the computer was an all-in-one device with an aluminum finish, black bezels, and white keyboard and mouse accessories.

Similarly, in 2014 reports surfaced of North Korea's "Red Star" Linux operating system and its overall resemblance to OS X at the time. The Red Star OS included a similar dock, wallpapers, tool bar, and more visual similarities to Apple's MacBook and iMac computer operating system. However, the Ryonghung iPad appears to be the first device launched out of North Korea that directly uses Apple branding.

Apple was asked if it would enter a trademark dispute with the North Korea-based company over the iPad brand, but a representative of the Cupertino company has yet to respond.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Intel's Upcoming Coffee Lake Processors Up to 30% Faster Than Kaby Lake Chips Coming to Mac Notebooks
May 30, 2017 8:20 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Intel today said one of its eighth-generation "Coffee Lake" processors delivered more than a 30 percent performance boost over an equivalent seventh-generation "Kaby Lake" processor in recent testing. Both generations of chips are suitable for Apple notebooks, such as the 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro.


"We will have more to say about the 8th Gen Intel Core processor in the future but it's exciting to share that in the latest testing, we're seeing a performance improvement of more than 30 percent over the 7th Gen Intel Core processor," said Gregory Bryant, a senior executive at Intel.

Using the benchmark tool SYSmark 2014 v1.5 on Windows 10, Intel compared an unreleased Core i7 quad-core processor with an unspecified base clock speed, and Turbo Boost up to 4GHz, against its Core i7-7500U dual-core processor with a base clock speed of 2.7GHz and Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz.

Both are 15W chips, creating the possibility of a quad-core 13-inch MacBook Pro with Coffee Lake in the future.

Intel aims to make its Coffee Lake lineup available to computer makers in the second half of this year, and the eighth-generation processors should provide the usual benefits of faster performance and longer battery life in future Macs.

Apple has yet to update its Mac lineup with Kaby Lake processors in the first place, but the company reportedly plans to announce new 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro models equipped with the seventh-generation chips at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference next week.

It's still too early to say when we'll see the first Mac with Coffee Lake, but it likely won't be until at least late 2017 or early 2018 given Intel's roadmap.

Earlier this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple plans to launch a nondescript "15-inch MacBook" with 32GB of desktop-class RAM. He said the notebook will enter mass production in the early September quarter, but it's uncertain if Coffee Lake processors will be readily available by then.

Intel today also unveiled its Core X-series processor family for desktop computers, ranging from quad-core options to the high-end Core i9 Extreme Edition with 18 cores. The processors, codenamed "Basin Falls," are "coming soon." More details and tech specs are listed in this fact sheet and slideshow.


Apple has promised to release a high-end iMac for professional users later this year, and Intel's new Core X-series processors appear to be appropriate for the desktop computer if the company wishes to use them. However, a rumor points towards Apple using Intel's Xeon E3 processors for at least some of the new iMacs.

Apple's current Mac lineup uses a mix of Intel's older Haswell, Broadwell, Skylake, and Ivy Bridge processors. Coffee Lake will be an iteration of Kaby Lake, based on a 14nm process, and it's not to be confused with Intel's upcoming "Cannonlake" processors based on an all-new 10nm process.

iOS Blog: Apple's Domination of Component Supply Chain Said to Be Constraining Nintendo Switch Production
May 30, 2017 8:11 am PDT by Mitchel Broussard
A new article by The Wall Street Journal today has taken a look into the increased pressure put on suppliers of NAND flash memory units, as well as other smartphone components, and how Apple might be indirectly affecting the supply of the Nintendo Switch. According to people in the industry, smartphone makers -- namely Apple -- and their increasing ramp-up on component manufacturing for high-end devices have led to dwindling supplies of Nintendo Switch.

Specifically, Nintendo is lacking components related to NAND flash-memory chips, liquid-crystal displays, and the motors used in the Switch's HD Rumble feature. NAND memory chip supplies are said to be placed mainly upon the shoulders of Toshiba's struggling NAND chip unit, which is still up for sale despite legal troubles that have plagued the company over the past few weeks. In April, Apple was rumored to be looking into spending several billion for a "substantial stake" in Toshiba's NAND chip unit.


Apple's manufacturing ramp-up on the upcoming "iPhone 8" is said to be behind some of the supply chain constraints faced by Nintendo, as well as ongoing demand for the iPhone 7. Currently, Apple manufactures iPhone 7 with an LCD display and various internal sizes of NAND memory. The Nintendo Switch has a multi-touch LCD display and 32GB of internal memory.
People in the industry say the rapid expansion of web-based services for corporations has driven demand for computer servers that use flash memory. Continued demand for Apple’s iPhone 7 and a 10th anniversary model of the iPhone expected later this year are also keeping parts makers at full capacity, helping power Japan’s economy to its longest growth streak since 2006.

“Demand for our NAND flash memory has been overwhelmingly greater than supply, and the situation is likely to stay for the rest of this year,” said a spokeswoman at Toshiba Corp.
For Nintendo, the company has said it hopes to make as many as 20 million Switch units by the end of its financial year, in March 2018. Thanks to supply constraints, the actual sales target of the year is 10 million units, although "strong demand suggests it can sell many more - if it can make them." In its first month on the market, Nintendo sold 2.74 million Switch units.

Analysts watching the supply chain said that Nintendo's rivals "offer better terms" than the video game company, and that smartphone makers like Apple specifically "issue larger orders than Nintendo." This leads to manufacturers giving preference to companies other than Nintendo, and subsequent shortages for its products. Increased spending to secure more parts at a faster rate for the Switch isn't a possibility for Nintendo, as president Tatsumi Kimishima doesn't want the console's $299 retail price to increase.

iOS Blog: Apple Pay Rumored to Arrive in Ukraine in Q2 2018
May 30, 2017 7:19 am PDT by Mitchel Broussard
Apple Pay will continue its worldwide expansion next year, with a new report suggesting that Apple is planning to launch its mobile payments wallet in Ukraine in the second quarter of 2018. The news comes from PaySpace Magazine (via Tehnot.com) [Google Translate], which reported on the announcement of a new digital banking service, Alfa Digital, a division of financial institution Alfa-Bank.

During the announcement, Alfa-Bank Ukraine's head of e-business, Maxim Patrin, mentioned that Apple Pay is set to debut in Ukraine sometime in Q2 2018. Patrin's source of the news is said to come from an anonymous tipster in one of the payment systems currently in operation on the Ukrainian market.


Alfa Digital is said to be keeping a close eye on the Ukrainian debut of popular digital wallets like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, and plans to support the addition of cards issued by Alfa-Bank into Apple Pay whenever it launches. Patrin didn't mention any further details about the launch.
In the second quarter of 2018 Apple Pay payment service can run on the Ukrainian market. This was stated by the head of "Alfa-Bank Ukraine" e-business, Maxim Patrin, citing an anonymous source in one of the payment systems that operate on the Ukrainian market.
Ukraine currently lacks Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay, instead relying on contactless payment solutions like Privat24 to let users pay for items using their smartphone. Samsung Pay is rumored to beat Apple Pay to Ukraine, with a potential launch of Samsung's mobile wallet sometime in the middle of 2017.

The latest Apple Pay launch took place in Italy in the middle of May, with users in the country able to add Visa and MasterCards issued by Boon, Carrefour, and UniCredit into their iPhone. Apple Pay is now available in the United States, UK, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Ireland, and Italy.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
iOS Blog: Andy Rubin's Essential Products Announces Modular Smartphone and Amazon Echo Rival
May 30, 2017 5:18 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
New company Essential Products announced its debut products today, including a modular titanium smartphone with an edge-to-edge display and an Amazon Echo competitor. Andy Rubin, the founder of Essential and the original creator of the Android OS platform, announced the devices ahead of a talk he is scheduled to give later on Tuesday at the Code Conference.

The company's logo-free Essential Phone features a 5.71-inch edge-to-edge QHD display that reaches all the way to the top of the phone and runs around the 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The unique design is in contrast to Samsung's Galaxy S8, which retains a minimal bezel to house the camera and associated components.


The phone is constructed from titanium and ceramic, allowing it to survive a drop test "without blemish, unlike the aluminum competitor devices," the company claims. Apart from the fingerprint sensor and camera lenses, the rear of the device also features a modular accessory system that works via a pair of magnetic pins.

Initially, the "Click" cordless connector pins will hook up to the company's 360-degree camera and phone dock, with more modular products planned that Essential promises will "keep your phone cord-free, future-proof, and always up-to-date". A USB-C connector at the bottom of the phone provides the only other connectivity; no headphone jack is included.

The Essential Phone is powered by a Qualcomm 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and has 128GB of storage, while its 13-megapixel rear-mounted dual lens camera includes a monochrome sensor and supports 4K at 30 frames per second. The phone runs some form of Android, but the company promises no extraneous software is pre-installed. Available in black, grey, white, and "Ocean Depths" colors, the phone will launch in the U.S. later this summer and cost $699.


Onto the company's new Amazon Echo competitor, the Essential Home. Details are still scant on the product, but here's what we know. The intelligent assistant device has a relatively inconspicuous puck-like shape with a sloping top that's dominated by a round touchscreen, which allows users to control music, ask general interest questions, set times, and control lights. It can be activated with a question, a tap, or even a "glance", according to Essential, suggesting some form of face detection.

The Essential Home will run the company's open platform Ambient OS, allowing it to interface with existing smart home products as well as SmartThings, HomeKit, Nest, and other popular standards. The intelligent assistant will also support notifications and reminders with contextual information displayed on-screen. Processing of user data is said to remain local to the device wherever possible. Pricing is yet to be announced, but the Essential Home is expected to ship later this summer.

Wired today published a write-up of Rubin's new Essential venture that provides some interesting background on the company. You can read the article here.

Tag: Essential
Mac Blog: Latest Apple Park Drone Video Catches a Glimpse of Historic Glendenning Barn
May 30, 2017 5:14 am PDT by Mitchel Broussard
This morning Matthew Roberts shared a new drone video of Apple Park on his YouTube channel, representing the latest addition to the drone videographer's ongoing monthly aerial coverage of Apple's new campus. Roberts' Apple Park coverage dates back to March 2016, and fellow drone pilot Duncan Sinfield has been providing aerial footage for Apple's new workspace since 2015.

In the new video, a closer glimpse at the Steve Jobs Theater is provided, with some of the window coverings having been removed since the last update. The auditorium is still one of the areas of the campus that's under heavy construction, as it isn't expected to officially open until sometime later this year.


Roberts also captured one of the first glimpses of the historic Glendenning Barn that Apple has finished reconstructing and placed at Apple Park. Built in 1916, the historic Cupertino barn has deep ties to the city's agricultural past and was located at the planned site for Apple Campus 2.

During preparation for the construction of Apple Park, Apple carefully deconstructed the building plank by plank and made notes on how to rebuild it exactly the same. Now, the company has done just that and remade the Glendenning Barn at Apple Park, residing next to the employee fitness center and in the middle of what will eventually be a larger collection of fruit trees once landscaping on the campus is finished.


Other spots at Apple Park highlighted in Roberts' new video include the parking garage, R&D facility, and the Spaceship building itself. Yesterday, Apple quietly updated Apple Maps to include 3D models of these buildings in the mapping app, as well as access roads around Apple Park.

Apple recently gave Wired a behind-the-scenes look into Apple Park, including tidbits about Steve Jobs' connection to the campus, a look into the "Ring" building's original design, and detailed images of the campus' construction and interiors.

15-Inch MacBook Pro Delivery Estimates Slip Ahead of New Models Expected Next Week
May 29, 2017 12:18 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has updated its online store to indicate that 15-inch MacBook Pro orders placed today are now estimated for free delivery between June 6-8 in the United States, coinciding with its Worldwide Developers Conference next week.


The delivery estimates lend credence to a report claiming Apple plans to announce new MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook models at the WWDC keynote on June 5. The notebooks are expected to receive internal improvements only, including an upgrade to Intel's faster Kaby Lake processors.

13-inch MacBook Pro models remain in stock for delivery as early as tomorrow in the United States and several other countries. It's unclear if that's because Apple plans to refresh only the 15-inch MacBook Pro next week, or if supplies of the 13-inch models are simply more plentiful ahead of WWDC.

Kaby Lake processors appropriate for a 13-inch MacBook Pro appear to be readily available, so a refresh shouldn't be ruled out.

Nevertheless, Apple has staggered the release of the MacBook Pro in the past. In 2015, for example, it released a 13-inch model in March, and a 15-inch model in May. In 2012, Apple unveiled the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display at WWDC in June, while a 13-inch model didn't launch until October.

A spot check shows 15-inch MacBook Pro delivery estimates are similarly as long in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, and several other countries.

Apple last refreshed the MacBook Pro in October 2016, after the notebook went 527 days without being updated. By comparison, only 220 days will have passed if Apple launches new MacBook Pro models on June 5, below the average timeframe of 320 days between any two MacBook Pro generations.

(Thanks, Martin!)

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, WWDC 2017
Tag: Apple retail
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution)
Apple Shares Three New Ads in 'Switch to iPhone' Campaign
May 29, 2017 9:15 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared a new "Contacts" ad on its YouTube channel as part of its ongoing "Switch to iPhone" campaign.


The 15-second spot shows people jumping from "your phone" to "iPhone," with the tagline "it's that easy" and a link to Apple's new Switch website.

The overhauled webpage promotes how easy it is for Android users to switch to iPhone using the free Move to iOS app on the Google Play store.

Apple also shared "Smooth" and "Security" ads with an emphasis on the iPhone's security updates and hardware and software that "just works."



Apple shared five other "Switch to iPhone" ads in the series last week: Photos, Jump, Fast, Privacy, and Music.

Tag: Apple ads
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