MacRumors

In iOS 15, Apple has added a new feature called Live Text that can recognize text when it appears in your camera's viewfinder or in a photo you've taken and let you perform several actions with it.

For example, if you take a picture of a storefront that displays a phone number, you can capture that number to place a call or add to your contacts. You can also copy Live Text from your photos for making use of elsewhere. It's an incredibly simple, useful feature, and here's how it works in its simplest form.

1. Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Find a photo that has some words on show, such as a restaurant menu or product tag.
3. Pinch to zoom the photo if the text appears small.
4. Press and hold on the words, then drag the ends of the selection tool to highlight all the text that you want to copy.
5. Take your finger off the screen, then select Copy from the contextual popup menu.
6. Finally, switch to an app that supports text input, press and hold your finger where the cursor is located, then select Paste from the popup menu.

Did you know that Live Text also features optical character recognition? That means if you have a picture of a handwritten note in your photos, you can still copy it and then paste it as digital text.

Live Text also works with the camera app and other images on the iPhone, plus there are other features in addition to copy/paste including Look Up and Translate, so you can translate foreign language text found in a photo. Live Text works with the Spotlight search on the iPhone as well, which lets text in photos be located through a standard iPhone search. For more on what's new in the Photos app, we have a dedicated iOS 15 Photos guide that highlights all of the new features.

United States President Joe Biden plans to direct the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to create new right to repair rules that would affect tech companies like Apple, reports Bloomberg.

The rules would prevent manufacturers from limiting consumers' options for repairing products at independent repair shops or on their own, and the presidential directive is expected to mention mobile phone developers as an area for possible regulation. The FTC will be able to decide on the size and the scope of the order, so it is not yet clear how Apple might be impacted.

Multiple states have proposed right to repair legislation, which Apple has continually lobbied against. Apple claims that allowing independent repair shops to work on Apple devices without oversight would lead to security, safety, and quality issues. Many of the right to repair bills that have circulated call on tech companies to provide repair manuals and easy access to device components for repair purposes.

Apple does its own repairs in house at Apple retail stores and repair centers around the world, but it also works with Apple Authorized Service Providers to provide repair options. AASPs are managed by Apple and must meet Apple requirements, with some repairs and components limited.

When Right to Repair bills began surfacing, Apple also launched a worldwide Independent Repair Program that is designed to provide repair shops that are not AASPs with genuine parts, tools, repair manuals, and diagnostics for performing out-of-warranty repairs on Apple devices.

Repair shops have complained that Apple's program is too limited as it requires an Apple-certified technician to perform the repairs (available under a free program), and some parts are not provided to independent repair shops.

Biden's executive order is expected to be released in the coming days, and White House economic adviser Brian Deese on Friday said that it is meant to spur "greater competition in the economy" as well as lower prices for American families.

Back in November, the European Parliament also voted to develop new Right to Repair rules that will require companies to provide explicit information about the repairability and lifespan of products on consumer packaging. Under the terms of this order, manufacturers will need to provide a repair score, something that France has already enacted.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.

A new version of Super Stickman Golf 3 is set to launch on Apple Arcade in the near future, according to an announcement made today by Noodlecake Studios.

Super Stickman Golf 3+ is a revamped version of the original game, which was a popular 2D golf game filled with unique courses, power ups, collectible cards, different game modes, and more.

On ‌Apple Arcade‌, Super Stickman Golf 3+ includes an unlocked premium upgrade, an XP doubler and Last Shot indicator, all 48 courses from the original game, daily races and rewards, and unlimited turn based matches.

There are no in-app purchases or ads as this is an ‌Apple Arcade‌ title, and Noodlecake says there's a rebalanced Bux system for unlocking different hats that change the gameplay and various ball trails. There are both turn-based and real-time multiplayer modes, so players can compete with up to eight people.

Along with Super Stickman Golf 3+, Nitrome's Super Leap Day is also set to come to ‌Apple Arcade‌. Super Leap Day is a single-button platformer where the developers introduce a new level to play each day.

Both of these titles are listed as coming soon and should be released in the near future.

Update: Basketball game Ultimate Rivals: The Court is also coming soon to ‌Apple Arcade‌.

Kensington today unveiled its new StudioCaddy, a modular, multi-device charger that works with iPhones, AirPods, iPads, and Macs. The StudioCaddy is aimed at households that have multiple Apple products and want a single convenient place to keep them organized and charged up.

Design wise, the StudioCaddy is uncomplicated, with a streamlined look that fits in well with any decor. It's made from materials like plastic, aluminum, and a stitched fabric, and it feels like it has a durable build quality. The different pieces of the dock connect magnetically together.

There's a Qi-based charging station for the iPhone and the AirPods, featuring a vertical Qi wireless charging spot for the iPhone and a flat spot for the AirPods or AirPods Pro. Since this is just Qi, either of these spots can also be used for other devices too. For iOS devices, charging maxes out at 7.5W, but 10W charging is available for Android devices.

At the side, there's a USB-C and and a USB-A port for charging additional devices, and you can use these with the laptop and tablet stand of the StudioCaddy. A MacBook or an iPad can fit into one of the StudioCaddy's storage slots, charging through the attached cables, which are sold separately.

The tablet/laptop stand works with any size MacBook, including the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is convenient if you need an overnight storage spot. You can leave the StudioCaddy's pieces attached together magnetically or separate them out across your desk for a custom setup.

Kensington is charging $179 for the StudioCaddy, which is expensive, but it is a solid multi-device charging station for those who need an all-in-one solution. More information is available on the Kensington website.

Apple could offer its ProMotion display technology, which allows for a higher 120Hz refresh rate, across all models of the 2022 iPhone lineup after it's expected to debut the technology in the iPhone for the first time later this year.

It's been widely reported that Apple plans to include a 120Hz refresh rate in this year's iPhone 13 lineup, but exclusive to only the high-end iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The lower-end iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are not expected to include ProMotion technology. For the iPhone 13 lineup, Apple is enlisting two separate suppliers for its displays.

For the LTPO displays on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple will use panels produced by Samsung, which reportedly began production in May. On the other hand, for the lower-end iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, which will feature LTPS displays, Apple will rely on LG.

For the 2022 iPhones, Apple is switching up the structure of its mobile lineup. Unlike the iPhone 12 and upcoming iPhone 13, which feature one 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and one 6.7-inch model, the tentatively named "iPhone 14" series in 2022 will consist of two 6.1-inch and two 6.7-inch models.

With that new lineup, a new report from The Elec offers some color as to the state of Apple's display suppliers next year. The report says that LG, which currently only produces LTPS displays for Apple's low-end iPhones, will convert its production lines to supply Apple with displays capable of a 120Hz refresh rate.

If true, both of Apple’s main display suppliers, Samsung and LG, will be able to provide LTPO OLED displays, which may give Apple the option to include ProMotion technology across its entire ‌iPhone‌ 14 lineup.

While purely speculative, there are reasons to believe Apple may indeed go down this route. Currently, besides different screen sizes and finishes, the high-end and low-end iPhones share the same fundamental iPhone design. All models consist of the same notch-based design that first appeared in the iPhone X, making the only real differences between battery capacities and varying camera capabilities.

Next year, Apple could be planning its most significant design change to the iPhone in years, potentially abandoning the notch in favor of a "punch-hole" design for some models. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, some models of the 2022 iPhone series won't feature a notch but instead a "punch-hole display design" that's similar to some of Samsung's high-end Galaxy smartphones.

Kuo says the new design will debut in the high-end models at a minimum, possibly meaning the lower-end devices will retain the same notch-based design. In the iPhone 13 lineup, Apple will likely market the ProMotion display technology as the reason the higher-end iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max deserve their "Pro" nomenclature.

If the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature a "punch-hole" screen design, the high-end models of the lineup will be further differentiated from the non-Pro devices. That differentiation may provide Apple with leeway to expand the 120Hz refresh rate to all models without potentially devaluing the prestige its "Pro" devices hold.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is attending the Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho this week alongside many high-profile guests, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, according to NPR. Described as a "summer camp for billionaires," the annual media conference is hosted by private investment firm Allen & Company and allows media and tech moguls to negotiate deals in between leisure activities such as golfing and whitewater rafting.

Variety previously revealed the guest list for this year's conference. In addition to Cook and Zuckerberg, notable invitees included billionaire investor Warren Buffett, Disney CEO Bob Chapek, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, ViacomCBS chairman Shari Redstone, "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan, Dell CEO Michael Dell, and others. However, the report noted that not everyone on the guest list chooses to attend.

After being canceled last year due to the pandemic, the Sun Valley Conference returns this year with health and safety measures in place, with attendees required to present a negative PCR test result obtained within 72 hours prior to arrival, according to Vanity Fair. The report added that many presentations and events will take place outdoors.

Cook has attended the Sun Valley Conference multiple times, often alongside Apple's services chief Eddy Cue. While details are typically kept under wraps, it was recently reported that during a private meeting at the conference in 2019, Cook urged Zuckerberg to delete all user information Facebook had collected from third-party apps.

With so many media executives gathering in one place, the Sun Valley Conference likely provides Cook with an opportunity to negotiate Apple TV+ content deals. Should any details emerge from this year's conference, we will share them.

Apple is planning to launch the "M2" chip with redesigned MacBook Air models in the first half of 2022, according to the leaker known as "Dylandkt."

On Twitter, Dylandkt claimed that a new ‌MacBook Air‌ model is "on track" to launch in the first half of 2022, featuring an ‌M2‌ chip and a more colorful design. They also claimed that the "M1X" chip is being reserved for high-end "Pro" Macs, which could include the MacBook Pro and a larger, more powerful iMac model.

‌Dylandkt‌'s claim is not entirely new, given that Jon Prosser has previously said that the next-generation ‌MacBook Air‌ will feature a complete redesign, a range of iMac-like color options, and an ‌M2‌ chip.

‌Dylandkt‌ has been resolute in previous comments about the "M1X" being destined for the next-generation ‌MacBook Pro‌, while the "‌M2‌" will apparently be a lower-end chip for the ‌MacBook Air‌, but it is worth noting that this does not seem to fit very well with the specific thoughts of reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman about Apple's upcoming custom silicon chips for the Mac.

Nevertheless, ‌Dylandkt‌ has correctly predicted details about a number of Apple's recent product launches. As early as November 2020, Dylandkt claimed that the next-generation iPad Pro would feature an M1 chip. This was five months before the device emerged. Before the launch of the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ earlier this year, ‌Dylandkt‌ correctly predicted that the new, redesigned ‌iMac‌ would replace the smaller entry-level ‌iMac‌ only and feature an ‌M1‌ chip rather than an M1X. ‌Dylandkt‌'s claim about the ‌MacBook Air‌ with the ‌M2‌ chip may therefore be more believable.

If you've installed the public beta of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or macOS Monterey on any of your devices, you may have already tried out some of the new features Apple has added to the Notes app, such as the ability to use @ user mentions in shared notes and the long-desired support for tags.

However, some users have discovered that notes containing instances of these two new features don't show up in some earlier versions of iOS and macOS, so it's best just to stay away from them if you have any other devices still running older versions of Apple's desktop or mobile operating systems.

As reported by 9to5Mac, if the Notes app identifies a device in your iCloud account running a version earlier than iOS 14.5 or macOS 11.3, it will alert you to the fact that tagged notes or notes containing mentions will be hidden on those devices.

On the plus side, if your other devices are fully up-to-date and running iOS 14.5 or macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later, then it appears that any notes using @ mentions or tags are able to be opened by those versions.

As always with beta software, it's inadvisable to install these version on devices that you rely on for work or anything else important, especially if you're using multiple devices on the same Apple account, this example being a case in point.

A new image shared by the Weibo account "UnclePanPan," brought to light on Twitter by DuanRui, shows an iPhone 12 Pro in a case allegedly designed for the upcoming iPhone 13 Pro, revealing the true extent of the camera modules size increase for the upcoming high-end iPhone.

Dummy models of the entire iPhone 13 lineup were shared last week, showing repositioned camera modules for the standard iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini. The new image shared today offers us a closer look at the size increase of the camera module for the upcoming iPhone 13 Pro Max compared to the camera module on the current high-end iPhone.

Schematics previously seen by MacRumors revealed that the upcoming iPhones will feature a thicker overall design and a larger camera bump on the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro to more closely match its larger sibling. The larger camera modules are likely due to the rumored inclusion of sensor-shift stabilization for all models of the lineup and improved Ultra Wide capabilities on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

While the information we know so far indicates a larger camera module, it's important to take the image shared on Weibo with a grain of salt. Case makers often base their initial case designs for upcoming iPhones purely based off of leaks and rumors, meaning the image may not be a true representation of the camera module's size increase.

Update: DuanRui has followed up with additional images and clarifications on the case image initial shared by the Weibo account "UnclePanPan." The image initially shared was a case designed for the iPhone 13 Pro, not the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Another set of images shared by another Weibo account allegedly shows a case designed for the iPhone 13 Pro Max, with a smaller camera module size increase compared to the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Taiwanese Apple supplier Pegatron will remain a major assembler of smaller iPhones and will share orders for this year's forthcoming iPhone 13 mini with Foxconn, claims a new report from DigiTimes.

Pegatron has obtained orders for the upcoming 5.4-inch iPhone model, as well as a portion of orders for another upcoming iPhone model that will feature a 6.1-inch display, according to market sources.

This year's iPhone 13 mini is expected to be the last 5.4-inch model that Apple will offer in its flagship lineup, owing to poor sales, according to reliable sources. Apple does not plan to introduce a 5.4-inch iPhone 14 mini, with the mini line ending after the iPhone 13.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple in 2022 will instead offer two 6.1-inch iPhones and two 6.7-inch iPhones, so both the standard iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro will be available in those two size options.

Pegatron is Apple's second-largest ‌iPhone‌ assembler after Foxconn, and in February spent $14.2 million to buy land rights for building a factory in Chennai, India. The outlay followed a proposal approved in late 2020 by its board of directors to spend $150 million on building its first ‌iPhone‌ manufacturing plant in the country.

Regular readers may recall that Apple suspended its partnership with Pegatron in November 2020 after it discovered that the major iPhone supplier was committing labor violations at a student workers' program.

Apple put Pegatron on probation as a result of the violations, and while supplier's current ‌iPhone‌ business was not expected to be affected, it was originally forecast to lose some iPhone 12 orders to other Apple supplier Luxshare.

The latest information was shared in ‌DigiTimes‌' paywalled "Before Going to Press" section, so there are no further details yet, but the full report should be released later on Tuesday.

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Update: The full report, now released, reveals that both Pegatron and Foxconn will share orders for iPhone 13 mini, although Pegatron has seen orders for the smaller form factor iPhone reduce significantly this year due to lower-than-expected sales of the iPhone 12 mini.

While Pegatron is also likely to land a small portion of the orders for the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 13 model in the new iPhone lineup, Foxconn will remain the primary assembler for the entire 2021 iPhone series. China-based Luxshare will also become one of Apple's iPhone production partners this year, according to ‌DigiTimes‌' sources.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Pokémon GO launching on iPhone, allowing people to get out in the world and catch Pokémon using augmented reality, and developer Niantic is celebrating with several in-app events over the next week and a bit.

Between Tuesday, July 6 at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday, July 15 at 8:00 p.m. local time, players will have the chance to capture a Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon in the wild, and Darumaka will also be appearing more frequently. Fireworks will also be returning to the Pokémon GO map in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the game.

Niantic outlined the complete in-game events and bonuses that will be available during the celebration week in a blog post. Players are advised to be aware of their surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO.

Pokémon GO has received several major updates over the last five years, including an improved AR+ experience, Raid Battles, Field Research, and more. The game can be downloaded for free on the App Store, with PokéCoins and other in-app purchases available.

The ceramic Apple Watch Edition dated back to 2014, despite the high-end model not launching until 2016 with the Apple Watch Series 2, according to newly-shared images of a prototype casing.

The images, shared on Twitter by the prototype collector known as "DongleBookPro," show a prototype white ceramic original Apple Watch casing that was manufactured in 2014. The device runs internal software for testing purposes and it was made long before the first release of watchOS, but it looks largely identical to the white ceramic Apple Watch Edition that launched in 2016.

The images of the 2014 prototype show that Apple had reached a far stage of development on the ceramic Apple Watch Edition, but for unclear reasons, the company elected to only offer the original Apple Watch Edition in 18-carat gold, and held back the ceramic casing to replace the gold version in the lineup when the Series 2 launched in 2016.

Apple marketed the ceramic white Apple Watch Edition as a high-end option starting at $1,249, owing to its extremely unique finish.

At the time, Apple lauded the ceramic casing as strong, light, and scratch-resistant, being four times as hard as the stainless steel finish, while also featuring a "pearly, lustrous finish" that is extremely resistant to scratches and tarnishing.

The process of creating the Apple Watch Edition case begins with a high-strength zirconia powder that's combined with alumina to achieve its rich, white color. Each case is then compression molded, sintered, and polished using a diamond slurry, which results in a remarkably smooth surface and an exquisite shine. With this precise level of workmanship, every Apple Watch Edition case takes days to make.

Apple introduced a white ceramic Apple Watch Edition with the Series 2, and went on to expand the ceramic options by introducing a gray version with the Series 3. While there was no ceramic Apple Watch Edition for Series 4 models, Apple revived the high-end white ceramic Edition model for the Series 5. With the latest Apple Watch Series 6, there is again no ceramic version, with the Edition models featuring a cheaper titanium casing only.

Some fans of the unique white finish hope to see a ceramic option for the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7, which is seemingly made more likely by the alternating availability of the model in recent years, but there is no word on whether such a casing will again become available with the launch of the Series 7 later this year.

Apple is "ramping up efforts to decentralize out of Silicon Valley," following difficulties recruiting and retaining talent at its Apple Park headquarters in California, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.

In the second edition of his new Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, Gurman suggests that Apple is prepared to jettison its tradition of attracting technologists to Cupertino in favor of opening offices in places where operation costs are less high and living costs aren't as prohibitive for its employees.

The company is said to be "losing talent" because employees are struggling to afford the high cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, despite being high earners by most standards. Anecdotally, many engineers who have spoken to Gurman have complained that they've been unable to balance living expenses with things like college tuition for their children and long-term savings.

At the same time, under the pressure of being the world's most valuable company, Apple is said to have realized that "it can no longer wait for the best designers and engineers to gravitate toward its spaceship," and must instead go to where those people already live, which would also make building a diverse workforce less difficult.

From Gurman's newsletter:

Some members of Apple's executive team had been pushing to decentralize out of Cupertino for years before a fuller realization came into place more recently. Johny Srouji, Apple's head of custom silicon, was one of the strongest proponents of such a shift, I'm told. His group opened up offices in Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, Israel and parts of Asia years ago. It has since expanded in Germany, Oregon and San Diego.

Eddy Cue, Apple's online services chief, has also pushed for decentralization, investing in multiple Los Angeles offices and a location in Nashville. The chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, has internally discussed the cost benefits of a more global workforce, and Deirdre O'Brien, the retail and HR chief, has evangelized for the diversity benefits.

Decentralization across the company is entering full swing, and Apple has engaged in a costly expansion from the sunny coasts of LA and San Diego to the Pacific Northwest of Oregon and Washington, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Iowa's Midwest, the Eastern Seaboard of Massachusetts, Miami and New York.

The plans come as Apple prepares to pilot a hybrid work model for its global retail employees that would sometimes allow them to work from home. The move also follows recent reports of corporate staff voicing their displeasure about the company's plan to return to three days of in-person work a week starting in September.

Mobile advertisers are beginning to spend significantly more money targeting Android users thanks to Apple's implementation of a framework on iOS, severely impacting the amount of data companies can collect about users on iPhone and iPad.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, following the April roll-out of ATT, or the App Tracking Transparency framework, which requires that all apps on iPhone and ‌iPad‌ ask for users consent before tracking their activity across other apps, advertisers have begun to lower their spending on Apple's platform.

According to early data from the ad-measurement firm Branch Metrics Inc, seen by The Journal, less than 33% of iOS users have permitted apps to track them across other apps. The remaining 67% of iOS users opted not to permit apps to track their activity. As a result, the amount of advertiser spending on Apple's mobile platform has fallen by about one-third between June 1 and July 1, while spending on Android rose over 10% for the same month, according to ad-measurement firm Tenjin Inc.

After the tracking change took effect in April, many users of Apple's iOS operating system have received a high volume of prompts from apps asking permission to track them—requests that most have declined. Less than 33% of iOS users opt in to tracking, according to ad-measurement firm Branch Metrics Inc.

As more of that information has emerged, advertisers have adjusted their buying strategies. Spending on iOS mobile advertising has fallen by about one-third between June 1 and July 1, according to ad-measurement firm Tenjin Inc. Android spending rose 10% over the same period, Tenjin said.

Digital-ad agency Tinuiti Inc. has seen a similar pattern in its clients' spending, research director Andy Taylor said. When iOS users opted out of tracking, Tinuiti advertisers couldn't bid on them, he said. That dearth of iOS users drove up demand—and ad prices—for Android users. About 72.8% of smartphones world-wide use the Android operating system, and about 26.4% use iOS, according to Statcounter.

One reason digital advertisers say they're spending less on Apple's mobile platform is due to the lack of "granular data that made mobile ads on iOS devices effective and justified their prices."

Without proper user tracking, advertisers have significantly less data about a user's interests, preferences, and more. Advertisers and companies, such as Facebook, use that data to compile a profile of a user. The type of data collected from tracking helps advertisers to ensure that their ads are being targeted to potential customers

Digital advertisers say they have lost much of the granular data that made mobile ads on iOS devices effective and justified their prices. In recent months, ad-buyers have deployed their iOS ad spending in much less targeted ways than were previously possible, marketers and ad-tech companies say. The shortage of user data to fuel Facebook Inc.'s suite of powerful ad-targeting tools reduces their effectiveness and appeal among some advertisers, ad agencies say

While several advertisers are being impacted by ATT, Facebook has been the most vocal and critical of the new change. Ever since Apple began to beta test the framework, which was shipped as part of the iOS and iPadOS 14.5 updates, Facebook accused Apple of impacting small businesses who rely on advertising as a means of keeping their doors open. Facebook also proclaimed that the framework was anti-competitive because, in its view, it gives Apple an upper hand for running its own mobile advertising business on iOS devices.

Apple has been informed by China's cyberspace regulator that it must remove the Didi Chuxing ride hailing app from the Chinese App Store following concerns about the Uber rival's possible misuse of personal data.

The app in question is owned by Didi Global, which Apple has $1 billion invested in. Bloomberg reports that the ban was announced on Sunday by the Cyberspace Administration of China, citing serious violations on the company's collection and usage of personal information, without going into detail.

The regulator on Sunday ordered Didi to rectify its problems following legal requirements and national standards, and take steps to protect the personal information of its users.

The decision means that Apple and other app store operators on other platforms will have to remove the Didi Chuxing from their listings. The "unusually swift" decision is said to have come just two days after the regulator said it was conducting a cybersecurity review of Didi Global Inc.

The ban was effective immediately, but users who downloaded the app before Sunday are still able to order rides and other services. Didi said it had already halted new user registrations as of July 3 and was now working to rectify its app in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Apple in 2016 invested $1 billion in the Chinese ride-hailing company. The move was described by CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ at the time as a "strategic investment" that would help Apple better understand the Chinese market. Following its investment, Apple was given a Didi Chuxing board seat.

It's unclear what impact the ban could have on Apple's stake in Didi, but the decision follows broader moves by Beijing to curb the influence of China's largest internet corporations and tighten the ownership of the personal data of hundreds of millions of users held by the likes of Alibaba, Tencent, and others.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.

Popular open-source audio editing software Audacity is facing "spyware" allegations from users for recent privacy policy changes that suggest the desktop app is collecting user data and sharing it with third parties, including state regulators where applicable.

Two months ago, Audacity was acquired by Muse Group, which owns other audio-related projects including the Ultimate Guitar website and the MuseScore app. According to Fosspost, changes to the privacy policy section on the Audacity website indicate that several personal data collection mechanisms have since been added by the parent company.

The type of data collected now includes the computer's processor, operating system and version, the user's IP address, and any crash reports, fatal error codes and messages generated by their machine. More concerning perhaps is the inclusion of a vague section listing data that must be collected "for legal enforcement, litigation, and authorities' requests (if any)."

The storage of said data is located in servers in the U.S., Russia, and the European Economic Area. For example, IP addresses are stored in an identifiable way for a day before being hashed and then stored in servers for a year, leaving users identifiable via government data requests.

In addition, the new policy prevents people under the age of 13 from using the software, which is a violation of the GPL license that Audacity uses.

Understandably, the policy changes have upset Audacity users, who have taken to Reddit and GitHub to question why an offline desktop app needs to "phone home" at all, and there is already discussion about forking Audacity into a separate open-source project that's free from the Muse Group's ownership and questionable data collection practices.

The upcoming 2021 iPhone will be named "iPhone 13" with the naming scheme of "mini," "Pro," and "Pro Max" variants for the entire lineup, according to the Economic Daily News.

According to the report, citing sources and "supply chain" checks, Apple plans to market the upcoming iPhones as the "iPhone 13." Furthermore, the report says that Apple will stick with the "mini," "Pro," and "Pro Max" terms for the different variants, all set to launch in September.

From the report (machine translation):

Apple's new iPhone this year has entered the countdown stage of stocking, and the supply chain has reported that this year's new phone will be named iPhone 13. In the assembly order allocation, Hon Hai (2317) is still the big winner, including all orders for the top 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max. , 68% of the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 is also handled by Hon Hai, and about 60% of the orders for the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro are also taken by Hon Hai, assisting Hon Hai in the second half of the peak season camp.

According to the supply chain, this year’s new iPhone will return to the situation announced in September of the previous year. The foundry will start shipping in the third quarter, and the peak of the pull will fall in the fourth quarter. Apple will launch four new models, namely the 6.7-inch iPhone 13. Pro Max, 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro, and 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch models, also named iPhone 13.

The report follows recent discussion surrounding the name of the upcoming iPhones. A survey indicated that one out of five iPhone and iPad users are put off by the prospect of an "iPhone 13" due to triskaidekaphobia, a fear of the number thirteen. Instead, 38% of survey participants said they would like Apple to drop the corresponding number altogether and name each iPhone release moving forward based on the year, such as iPhone (2021).

Just 13% of iPhone and ‌iPad‌ users surveyed said they would like Apple to name the upcoming iPhone the "iPhone 12S." Apple last used the "S" suffix in an iPhone name with the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max in 2018, one year after the iPhone X. The "S" nomenclature is usually reserved for smaller incremental updates in annual iPhone releases. The iPhone 6S, for example, offered only minor improvements compared to the iPhone 6 a year earlier.

Based on what we know so far, the 2021 iPhone will feature some notable improvements, such as a more advanced display thanks to ProMotion 120Hz variable refresh rate and always-on capabilities. However, Apple may feel that the changes in the new iPhones warrant an entire number increase, rather than simply tacking on an "S" for the first time in three years.

Apple's crackdown on Chinese apps that tried to bypass its new privacy rules has successfully thwarted a coordinated effort to create a new way of tracking iPhones for advertising in the country, according to a new report today.

Introduced in iOS 14.5, Apple's App Tracking Transparency rules require apps that access an iPhone's ad identifier or IDFA must ask a user's permission before tracking is allowed. As reported by the Financial Times in March, however, the change spurred ad and tech groups in China to develop a new way of tracking users without their consent, called CAID.

Along with the state-backed China Advertising Association (CAA), tech groups led by Baidu, Tencent, and TikTok parent ByteDance began testing CAID to see if it would let them identify users even if they refused to let apps use IDFA. Aware of the tests, Apple responded by blocking updates to several Chinese apps that it had caught using CAID in App Store submissions.

According to FT's latest paywalled report, that made the groups involved in testing CAID think again, and the project has since struggled to find support in mainland China and beyond.

Several people in China and Hong Kong said that, following Apple's retaliation, CAID lost support and the whole project failed to gain traction.

"This is a clear victory for Apple, and also consumer privacy, as the tech giants of China have been forced to back down and comply with Apple's rules," said Rich Bishop, chief executive of AppInChina, a leading publisher of international software in China.

"The Chinese app ecosystem was collectively baiting the bull with CAID, under the theory that Apple couldn't afford to ban every major app in the market," added Alex Bauer, head of product marketing at adtech group Branch.

"Apple called their bluff, and seems to have reasserted control over the situation by aggressively rapping knuckles on early adopters, before the consortium gained any real momentum."

ByteDance did not respond to FT's requests for comment, while Tencent and Baidu declined to comment. Apple meanwhile simply reiterated that its "App Store terms and guidelines apply equally to all developers around the world" and that "apps that are found to disregard the user's choice will be rejected".

Despite being backed by the state-backed CAA and the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a research institute directly under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, it's not clear if these groups had the full backing of Beijing.

Similarly, it's unknown if all the groups involved knew that use of CAID was a violation of Apple's policies, although some of those involved reportedly said they believed CAID had Apple's "stamp of approval."

Either way, it appears that Apple's early crackdown on apps that tried to circumvent App Tracking Transparency has had the intended effect of discouraging similar attempts, while successfully avoiding a showdown with the Chinese authorities over its wider use.

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