MacRumors

Apple is exploring ways to let developers provide custom voice synthesizers on iOS by way of a new developer framework named VoiceProvider, which could debut as early as iOS 14, according to information obtained by MacRumors.

Voice synthesizer extensions would be bundled with apps from the App Store, and then could be offered to the system to replace the default speech voice, which could be important for languages and dialects that Apple does not support. This could potentially extend to an API for the HomePod, although this is not for certain.

The framework appears to be in the early stages of development, so there is a chance that it might not be ready in time for iOS 14.

Sensor Tower, an analytics platform that aggregates data on app downloads and usage for developers, has been secretly collecting data from millions of Android and iOS users who have installed popular VPN and ad-blocking apps, reports Buzzfeed News.

These apps, which are owned by Sensor Tower, do not disclose that their user data powers Sensor Tower's analytics platforms. iOS and Android users have downloaded the apps more than 35 million times.

Some of Sensor Tower's 20 or more apps on iOS and Android include Adblock Focus and Luna VPN, with the former having been removed by Apple after Buzzfeed News alerted Apple's App Store team about the existence of the app. Free and Unlimited VPN and Mobile Data were also on the Google Play Store, but Google has since removed Mobile Data.

When installed, Sensor Tower's apps are designed to prompt users to install a root certificate, which lets Sensor Tower monitor all traffic and data passing through the phone. Sensor Tower bypasses Apple and Google's restrictions on root certificate privileges by requiring users to install the certificate through an external website.

Sensor Tower told Buzzfeed News that it collects anonymized usage and analytics data to determine the popularity, usage trends, and revenue of apps. Ownership of the apps was not disclosed due to "competitive reasons," according to Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower.

"When you consider the relationship between these types of apps and an analytics company, it makes a lot of sense -- especially considering our history as a startup," he said, adding that the company originally started with the goal of building an ad blocker. (He was unable to provide media coverage or other evidence of this early focus.)

He went on to explain that many of the apps are now defunct or are "in the process of sunsetting," which Buzzfeed points out is because they were removed from Apple and Google's App Stores due to policy violations.

An Apple spokesperson confirmed that a dozen Sensor Tower apps had previously been removed from the iOS ‌App Store‌ due to violations. Both Google and Apple are continuing to investigate Sensor Tower's apps, and more information on Sensor Tower's data collection practices can be found over at Buzzfeed News.

iOS users should be wary of installing VPN and ad-blocking apps from unknown developers, and should avoid apps that ask for certificates to be installed.

Along with allowing corporate employees to work from home for the next week, Apple has also told its hourly and retail employees that it is providing unlimited sick leave to those experiencing coronavirus symptoms.

Apple's hourly employees, which includes retail staff, are not required to submit a doctor's note if time off is required, according to details obtained by 9to5Mac. Apple's new policy will make it easier for employees who have COVID-19 symptoms to take necessary time off of work.

Apple has not closed any of its retail stores located in the United States at this time, but as we reported earlier today, Today at Apple sessions have been canceled in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area, which are two areas with the most coronavirus cases in the U.S.

Apple is also tweaking some of its stores to cut down on the number of chairs at the Genius bar and the number of seating cubes in the Forum, which will provide more physical space between customers. Device cleanings are also being done more regularly to limit the spread of germs.

Apple over the weekend sent out a memo suggesting corporate employees in the United States, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the UK work from home for the next week. Many other tech companies have recommended similar measures for their employees in an effort to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further.

Apple has canceled all of its Today at Apple sessions in Apple retail locations in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area, two of the places in the United States that are seeing some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks.

Searching for Today at Apple sessions in the SF Bay Area or around Seattle provides results that say there are currently no classes available. Apple has also canceled all Field Trip programs, which allowed teachers to take students to Apple Stores.

Apple sent out notices to stores in these areas asking them to cancel all sessions from March 8 to March 29, according to an Apple retail source that spoke with MacRumors. Apple has also canceled Today at Apple sessions in Italy.

In addition to canceling Today at Apple sessions, Apple has ordered extra cleanings of display products throughout the day, and the number of chairs at the Genius Bar and cubes in the Forum area have been reduced to add additional space between customers.

In areas with severe coronavirus outbreaks in Italy, South Korea, and China, Apple has closed stores entirely, which is still an option if the outbreak in the United States grows worse. Right now, it appears that Today at Apple sessions have only been canceled in Washington and the SF Bay Area, but these shutdowns could also spread to other stores if additional areas see significant coronavirus infections.

Apple today updated its support document on cleaning Apple products with new information that confirms it's okay to to use a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes for the purpose of cleaning germs from your devices.

Prior to now, Apple's cleaning guidelines have recommended against all cleaners, warning that the chemicals have the potential to damage the oleophobic coating on iPhone and iPad displays. Apple still warns against aerosol sprays, ammonia, window cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, compressed air, and abrasives:

Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces.

Apple also says to avoid spraying cleaners directly onto your devices and to avoid getting moisture into the openings.

Apple's updated guidelines come as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world. Given that most people use their iPhones and other devices constantly, it's important to be able to disinfect them to cut down on virus spread through surfaces.

It's not entirely clear how long the virus lasts on surfaces, but various studies have found that it can survive on glass or plastic for as little as two hours or as long as nine days.

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern tested Apple's new guidelines over the course of the last week. Using a new ‌iPhone‌ 8, she wiped the display 1,095 times with Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, the estimated equivalent of the number of times an ‌iPhone‌ might be cleaned over the course of three years.

After all the wiping, the oleophobic coating on the ‌iPhone‌'s display was in good condition with no perceived damage.

Apple in iPadOS 13 introduced support for external mice as an Accessibility feature, and in iPadOS 14, Apple is set to expand cursor support to make using a mouse or a trackpad on iPadOS similar to using a mouse or trackpad on the Mac.

Apple is rumored to be working on a ‌Smart Keyboard‌ for the iPad Pro that includes a trackpad that will work with the new cursor capabilities, and code found in leaked iOS 14 snippets shared by 9to5Mac provides details on some of the functionality we can expect.

• No Persistent Cursor - When using a trackpad or mouse with an iOS device, the cursor will disappear after a few seconds of not being used, unlike on a Mac where the cursor is always visible. It will reappear after the trackpad or mouse is activated again.
• Multiple Pointers - As on the Mac, you'll see multiple pointers depending on what you're doing. A standard arrow pointer will be visible most of the time, but it will switch to a hand when overing over links.
• Right-Click - Gestures will be supported, such as a tap with two fingers to right click.
• Tap to Click - Tap to Click, a feature present on the Mac's trackpad, will also be available on the ‌iPad Pro‌ ‌Smart Keyboard‌ trackpad.

Code in iOS 14 allegedly contains references to two new ‌Smart Keyboard‌ model identifiers, which suggests that the ‌Smart Keyboard‌ with Trackpad will be available for multiple iPad models. That could perhaps mean the 11 and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

While there's no detail on the physical shape of the accessories, the functionality suggests the upcoming Smart Keyboards will feature a standard laptop-like design that includes a keyboard above the trackpad.

Along with the ability to detect blood oxygen saturation, the Apple Watch Series 6 and watchOS 7 are also expected to bring new watch faces, watch face sharing capabilities, and more.

In a new report out today that's based on code found in leaked iOS 14 snippets, 9to5Mac shares upcoming Apple Watch features.

• Share Your Face - watchOS 7 will allow users to share specific watch face configurations with one another.
• Infograph Pro Watch Face - There's a new Infograph Pro watch face that includes a tachymeter. A tachymeter can be used to compute speed based on travel time.
• Photos Watch Faces - In watchOS 7, watch faces created from photos can be made using a shared album in addition to individual photos and groups of photos from albums.
• Parental Controls - watchOS 7 will add features for managing an Apple Watch for a child with a parent's phone.
• Schooltime - Allows parents to manage which apps and complications can be used during specific hours.
• Control Center - Control center will feature new toggles for sleep mode and noise detection.
• Architecture - In watchOS 7, apps are no longer based on extensions, which is a holdover from when apps required a phone app to function. That was eliminated in watchOS 6, and now in watchOS 7, apps will not have an extension base.

Apple Watch Series 6 and watchOS 7 are expected to include a sleep tracking feature, which has been rumored many times before. The feature is allegedly confirmed within the iOS 14 code, and a user will be able to set a personalized sleep goal in the Health app on iPhone, which will also offer up recommendations for improving sleep.

Details on watchOS 7 will be unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, but anything that also requires Apple Watch Series 6 will be hidden until the fall when new Apple Watch models are expected to debut.

New icons for Apple's unannounced over-ear headphones have been discovered in leaked code for iOS 14 today (via 9to5Mac). The icons appear to relate to two different colors of the headphones: one white and one black, potentially similar to color options offered for the HomePod in White and Space Gray.

The icons found in the iOS 14 code relate to use in the operating system's battery and charging widget, similar to where you'll currently see AirPods and Beats headphones appear today. The design of the headphones falls in line with what is largely expected from Apple's first party over-ear headphones, with two large, padded cups that appear in style to the Beats Studio3 line.

The over-ear Apple headphones have been rumored for a few years now, and could include features like auto-pausing and auto-resuming when removing and replacing the headphones, noise cancelation, and quick connection to iOS devices. Because the new icons were uncovered in leaked iOS 14 code, this could mean the headphones will launch after iOS 14 in the fall, but of course nothing is confirmed as of yet.

Since 2018, rumors have predicted launch dates for these headphones that continuously miss their mark, from launching in late 2018 to sometime in the second half of 2019. Apple is reportedly planning to target the high-end audio market with the device, with active noise canceling features and high-quality build, all of which could be causing ongoing delays in the manufacturing process as the company tries to perfect the design.

German blog WinFuture.de today shared what it claims are "official" marketing photos of the rumored Powerbeats4 earphones, which will apparently be offered in white, black, and red color options.

In line with Apple's recent FCC filing, the Powerbeats4 are expected to have a more curved design that is similar to the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌, with the same angled in-ear fit and wraparound earhooks. Like the Powerbeats3, the Powerbeats4 will still have a wire, although repositioned below the bottom of each earhook.

As expected, the report claims the Powerbeats4 will be equipped with the same Apple-designed H1 chip as the Powerbeats Pro, which should result in hands-free "Hey Siri" support, longer talk time and up to a 1.5x faster connection time for phone calls, up to 30 percent lower gaming latency, and more.

The report adds that the Powerbeats4 will feature the same sound quality as Powerbeats Pro, along with up to 15 hours of battery life and charging via Lightning. Pricing remains unclear, but Powerbeats Pro are priced at $249.95 in the United States, while the three-year-old Powerbeats3 retail for $199.95.

Apple received FCC approval for new Powerbeats last month, and that usually signals an upcoming release, so Powerbeats4 could be announced any day now with a press release. However, it's worth noting that with the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, plans are easily subject to change.

Apple's ban on its engineers from traveling to Asia in the wake of the coronavirus has affected the development of its next-generation iPhone which could result in a delayed fall launch, claims a new report today from DigiTimes.

According to the supply chain-focused Taiwanese publication, Apple has extended the deadline by one month to the end of April for the removal of a set of travel restrictions preventing its engineers from making business trips to Asia, and the restrictions have delayed the engineering verification tests (EVTs) for the 5G iPhones at manufacturing facilities in China.

Related supply chain makers had originally expected the rescheduled EVT procedures to be carried out by the end of March enabling the kick-off of volume production of the new iPhone devices in June, said the sources, adding that a further delay of EVT tests to the end of April could postpone the volume production by another 1-2 months.

Judging from the revised EVT schedule, Apple's product launch for the next-generation iPhone devices could to be postponed to October, said the sources.

The claim follows a Bloomberg article published over the weekend that quotes a report from Bank of America analysts suggesting Apple's 5G iPhone release could be delayed by a month this fall.

Apple's travel restrictions were first reported late last month. The restrictions apply to several countries hit by the coronavirus outbreak, including China, which is an issue because Apple engineers often visit China at this time of year to prepare for the manufacturing of new iPhones.

Production of new devices usually kicks off in the summer, but during the first months of the year, Apple employees visit China to perfect assembly processes with manufacturing partners like Foxconn.

These delays could eat into the time Apple needs to finalize orders for chips and other ‌iPhone‌ components that need to be made well in advance of when full production begins. However, supply chain experts told Reuters in late February that Apple still has time to keep the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ schedule on track, despite the travel restrictions.

"We have instituted specific travel restrictions in a few countries including China, South Korea, and Italy," Apple said in a memo sent out to employees last week. Apple is recommending that employees manage meetings through phone calls and video chats instead.

Apple plans to release four new ‌iPhone‌ models in the fall, according to respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The all-OLED lineup is said to consist of 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models, all of which will support 5G.

DigiTimes predicts that overall shipments of 5G-enabled smartphones will be much lower in the first-half of 2020 than originally expected, due to the influence of the outbreak.

Apple is working on a new Apple Watch feature that detects blood oxygen levels, according to newly discovered code snippets in iOS 14 (via 9to5Mac).

Blood oxygen saturation naturally fluctuates throughout the day, but large variations can be linked to health issues. For example, 95-100 percent oxygen in the blood is considered normal, but a drop below that percentage could be a sign of a serious respiratory or cardiac problem.

At the center of Apple's new feature is a new health notification based on blood oxygen levels – when Apple Watch blood oxygen saturation drops below a certain threshold, the wearer is alerted, just like existing heart rate notifications.

Apple holds patents for blood oxygen monitoring, and early prototypes of the first Apple Watch featured sensors that measured blood oxygen monitoring among other biometrics, but many of these functions never made it into the final product because of consistency issues.

When the original ‌Apple Watch‌ was released back in 2015, iFixit actually discovered that Apple's heart sensors have the capability to monitor blood oxygen levels, but Apple has never activated it.

It remains to be seen whether the latest incarnation of the feature will rely on new hardware in the Apple Watch Series 6 or if it will come as a software update as part of watchOS 7, both of which are expected to arrive this year. Rumors persist that sleep tracking will also be included in the next Apple Watch model.

Other smartwatch and fitness tracker makers including Google-owned Fitbit already offer blood oxygen monitoring features in some of their devices, so Apple is playing catch-up in this regard, but that could mean the company has a more advanced implementation of the feature in the works.

Former Apple executive and Be Inc. founder Jean-Louis Gassée explores the possibility of Apple's move to Arm-based Macs in the near future.

The speculation comes amidst of increasing rumors that Apple will be launching Arm-based Macs as early as 2021.

Gassée explains he was previously skeptical about the ability for Arm-based processors to achieve performance parity with current Intel offerings, but now says he was "wrong". Gassée points to a startup called Ampere Computing that offers high-power Arm-based processors that compete head-to-head with high-end Intel chips:

Ampere top of the line chips consume less power, about 210 watts, than a competing Xeon CPU needing as much as 400 wats, for about the same amount of computing power — hence investors' interest in a device that could progressively supplant Intel products in tens of millions of servers around the world. Ampere shows us that the ARM architecture can yield the class of chips a Mac Pro would need.

Apple, of course, designs its own custom Arm processors, but it seems at least one other company is pushing the limits of performance with the Arm architecture. Apple's custom processors have quickly ramped up to performance that is comparable to its recent Mac laptops powered by Intel processors.

Serious rumors about Apple replacing Intel chips with Arm chips in its Macs started in 2018 with a detailed report from Bloomberg. The most recent rumor has placed the transition at stating in early 2021.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has today offered employees at most of its global offices the ability to work from home, and announced new policies in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Employees at several global offices have been told to "feel free to work remotely if your job allows,” for the week of March 9 to 13, according to an internal memo that was obtained by Bloomberg and later confirmed by an Apple spokesman.

This extends the company’s policy from Friday, which encouraged employees in California and Seattle to work remotely, to almost all of Apple's corporate locations in South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the U.K.

In addition to this, Apple is now implementing new efforts to expand deep cleaning procedures and maximize interpersonal space. Fewer places will be available at Today at Apple sessions and the Genius Bar to reduce human density in Apple stores.

On the corporate side, Apple is rolling out managerial changes to prevent the spread of coronavirus for employees who still have to come in due to the demands of their work.

In line with other major tech companies, Apple has guaranteed that it will continue to pay hourly contract workers their normal wages globally.

Apple has been significantly impacted by the coronavirus given its global presence and supply chain based in China, resulting in major stock price fluctuation. There have been reports of iPhone shortages and analysts predict that the upcoming 5G iPhone may now be delayed.