MacRumors

Apple has been involved in a long-running iPhone trademark dispute in Brazil, which was revived today by IGB Electronica, a Brazilian consumer electronics company that originally registered the "iPhone" name in 2000.

IGB Electronica fought a multi-year battle with Apple in an attempt to get exclusive rights to the "iPhone" trademark, but ultimately lost, and now the case has been brought to the Supreme Federal Court in Brazil, according to Brazilian site Tecnoblog (via Reddit).

IGB Electronica under the name Gradiente produced a line of IPHONE-branded Android smartphones in Brazil in 2012, and there was a period of time where the Brazilian company was given exclusive rights to the iPhone trademark. That ruling didn't last, though, and Apple and IGB ultimately both wound up with rights to use the name in the country.

Apple has sought to prevent IGB from using the trademark, while IGB has been attempting to regain its exclusive access to the branding. A decision in 2018 upheld a 2013 ruling that gave both brands permission to use the trademark.

With the most recent lawsuit, IGB is aiming to reverse that 2018 decision, but the case could take years to get a ruling from the Supreme Federal Court in the country. IGB has been in judicial recovery since 2018 and has lost close to 1 billion Brazilian Reals, so the company may be hoping for a payout from Apple to end the dispute.

An alleged photo of an iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro logic board is circulating on social media, as noted by the Twitter account L0vetodream. It is unclear exactly which model the board corresponds with at this time or if it is legitimate.

The board does not provide us with many visual clues, but one notable aspect is that it has a more elongated design as opposed to the more compact boards seen in recent higher-end iPhone models. Fine print indicates that the board was manufactured in the 40th week of 2019, aka the first week of October.

It appears that Samsung will remain one of Apple's suppliers of flash storage for iPhones. Earlier this month, leaker Jon Prosser claimed that the entire iPhone 12 lineup will start with 128GB of storage, up from 64GB currently.

Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple's rumored over-ear headphones will enter mass production in mid 2020. A report from The Information today corroborates this timeframe, noting that suppliers Goertek and Luxshare will assemble at least a portion of the headphones in Vietnam and begin shipments to Apple in June or July.

As previously rumored, the report claims that the headphones will feature noise cancellation. Apple already sells over-ear Beats Studio3 with noise cancellation, but leaker Jon Prosser recently claimed that the new headphones will be branded as AirPods Studio.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple has tested at least two versions of the headphones, including a "premium version with leather-like fabrics" and a "fitness-focused model that uses lighter, breathable materials with small perforations," adding that at least one version could feature magnetically swappable parts.

Prosser has claimed that the AirPods Studio will retail for $349, with an announcement expected as early as WWDC next month.

Front Page Tech host and leaker Jon Prosser today shared several alleged details about Apple's rumored augmented reality glasses, including an "Apple Glass" marketing name, $499 starting price, prescription lens option, and more.

• The marketing name will be "Apple Glass"
• The glasses will start at $499 with the option for prescription lenses at an extra cost
• There will be displays in both lenses that can be interacted with using gestures
• The glasses will rely on a paired iPhone, similar to the original Apple Watch
• An early prototype featured LiDAR and wireless charging
• Apple originally planned to unveil the glasses as a "One More Thing" surprise at its iPhone event in the fall, but restrictions on in-person gatherings could push back the announcement to a March 2021 event
• Apple is targeting a late 2021 or early 2022 release

Apple is also rumored to be working on a more traditional AR/VR headset that resembles Facebook's Oculus Quest, with previous reports suggesting that the headset will be released prior to the glasses. Earlier this year, a leaked build of iOS 14 revealed a new app codenamed "Gobi" that Apple appears to be using to test new augmented reality experiences.

Prosser also claimed that this year's iPhone event could be held in October, rather than September as usual, due to the global health crisis. Multiple analysts including Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu have indicated that the highest-end 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max might not be available to order until October due to supply chain disruptions.

When Adobe introduced Photoshop for iPad back in November, it promised to provide regular updates to add missing features that are available on the desktop but not in the tablet version of the software.

Adobe is making good on that promise and today has a Photoshop for iPad update out that introduces two useful features: Curves and Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity adjustments.

Curves are designed to allow ‌iPad‌ Photoshop users to make adjustments to the color and the tone of the image, editing contrast, exposure, saturation, highlights, shadows, and color balance in a non-destructive way. The initial version of the Curves tool includes adjustments of total curves for all channels, multi-node selections, and a feature that lets the app recognize when you want to tap and drag a node or select it.

As for ‌Apple Pencil‌, Adobe is adding options to adjust the pressure sensitivity of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ for more precise brushing and effects when using brush-based tools. A new pressure sensitivity slider provides greater pressure values applied with less force at the end of the range and greater force for maximum pressure at the higher end of the range.

Adobe is also updating Adobe Fresco today, adding a multicolor eyedrop for selecting multiple colors, capture shapes, vector trimming tools for cleaning up vector art, support for Photoshop Mixer brushes, advancements to the ruler tool (pinning and pixel-length measurements), better blending for Live Oil brushes, new keyboard shortcuts, and more, with full details available in Adobe's blog post covering the update.

Adobe Fresco and Adobe Photoshop can both be downloaded from the App Store for free, but there are subscriptions required to use the software. Adobe Photoshop for ‌iPad‌ is available for all Creative Cloud plans that include Photoshop access, while Adobe Fresco is $9.99 per month after a 7-day free trial on a standalone basis or available through Creative Cloud plans.

Adobe today announced the launch of its traditional spring update for Creative Cloud apps that include Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Character Animator. Adobe says that this year's updates focus on efficiency and performance for maximizing creativity.

Both Premiere Pro and After Effects include ProRes RAW support, offering a cross-platform solution for Apple ProRES RAW workflows, and automatic audio hardware switching is available on Mac for After Effects, Media Encoder, Audition, Character Animator, Prelude, Premiere Pro, and Premiere Rush. That means when you swap audio devices or plug in headphones, your Mac recognizes the hardware and the Adobe app automatically switches to it.

Premiere Pro is gaining an improved Pen tool with better support for Bezier curves and more precision for lines and shapes, plus filter effects that show attributes limited to keyframes or adjusted parameters for focusing what's currently active.

Adobe is improving the speed of Auto Reframe in Premiere Pro, enhancing the tool that's designed to reformat and reposition video in different aspect ratios for users who need to create videos for multiple social media and content platforms. Premiere Pro is also gaining support for audio files in Creative Cloud Libraries.

In After Effects, Adobe is adding Tapered Shape Strokes for creating tapered, wavy, pointed, or rounded strokes on shape layers, which can then be animated for stylized looks and motion designs.

There's also a Concentric Shape Repeater available in the Offset Paths shape to create copies of a path that radiate outward or inward for retro designs. New Mask and Shape cursor indicators in After Effects clearly display which tool is in use to prevent unnecessary un-dos when creating shapes and masks.

Adobe Premiere Rush for iOS is being updated with a tool for resizing projects to the 4:5 aspect ratio used for Facebook and Instagram, and back camera switching allows users to capture video from all of the rear camera options on an iPhone. Premiere Rush is also gaining an option to import media directly from the Files app.

Character Animator features improvements to audio triggers and timeline filtering, along with a new collection of background puppets to work with.

All of Adobe's Creative Cloud updates will be available starting today, with additional information on what's new available on Adobe's site. Adobe's full Creative Cloud plans, which cover the complete range of Adobe CC software, start at $52.99 per month.

Apple's iPhones continue to rank highest when it comes to customer satisfaction, according to new data shared today by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Apple held its top spot with a customer satisfaction rating of 82 out of 100, up one percent from 81 in 2019. Apple just edged out Samsung, which earned an overall customer satisfaction rating of 81. According to ACSI, iPhone owners are more satisfied with battery life than in previous years.

Apple in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro added bigger batteries and introduced significantly improved battery life.

For customer satisfaction, Apple (+1% to 82) and Samsung (unchanged at 81) continue to wrangle as a small gain puts Apple on top. Apple's overall iPhone revenue rose 8% year over year in the 2019 holiday quarter with strong sales for its iPhone 11 series, which offers advanced cameras and improved battery life. ACSI data show that Apple customers overall are more pleased with their device's battery life compared to a year ago.

When it came to satisfaction rankings based on individual smartphones, however, Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 edged out Apple devices with a score of 85.

The Galaxy S9+, the Galaxy S10, and Apple's 2018 XS Max all earned customer satisfaction scores of 84. Apple's 2019 iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max earned a scores of 82, while the iPhone 11 Pro earned a score of 81.

Apple and Samsung together dominated the individual brand rankings, and 17 of the 18 models that earned a score of 80 or above came from either Samsung or Apple.

The number-one phone is Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 with an ACSI score of 85. The Note 9 rates best in class for both phone features and video quality. The Galaxy S9+ and S10 follow at 84, tied with Apple's iPhone XS Max. All of these models are older, released in 2018, with the exception of the S10. All four also have screen sizes of 6.1 inches or more.

Today's report also covered customer satisfaction with mobile network operators. T-Mobile took the lead and Sprint came in last, though the data collected ahead of when the merger between the two companies was completed.

In network quality rankings, Verizon came in first, followed by AT&T, with T-Mobile taking the third spot.

The ACSI's Wireless Service and Cellular Telephone report is based on interviews with 27,346 customers chosen at random and contacted by email between April 15, 2019 and March 20, 2020. Survey data was entered into ASCI's "cause-and-effect econometric model," which is designed to estimate customer satisfaction as the result of survey-measured inputs of customer expectations, perceptions of quality, and perceptions of value.

Hive, the U.K. smart connected home company backed by British Gas, has quietly added Apple HomeKit support to its range of smart home products.

First spotted by iMore, the support is part of a software update that began rolling out late last week. When the soft launch is complete, Hive's ‌HomeKit‌ compatible accessories include all its Active Smart Plug, Heating, and Connected Lighting products.

The development comes some time after Hive said it was working on supporting ‌HomeKit‌ in its product line. The company made the original announcement after rolling out Siri Shortcuts support in June 2019.

To get Hive products up and running with ‌HomeKit‌, owners will need the latest Hive Hub or the Hub 360, both of which can be updated to version 10.28.0 of the software via the Hive app.

After the update is installed, owners should open the menu in the Hive app and tap Install Devices, where they'll find the ‌HomeKit‌ option with setup instructions at the bottom of the menu.

Apple is purchasing older movies and shows for its TV+ streaming service in a bid to build a back catalog of content that puts it in a better position to rival the huge libraries available on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, reports Bloomberg.

The company’s video-programming executives have taken pitches from Hollywood studios about licensing older content for TV+ and have bought some shows and movies, according to people familiar with the matter.

Apple reportedly plans to keep its television streaming service focused on original shows, and hasn't bought any huge franchises or blockbusters for its back catalog, according to sources cited in the report. Nevertheless, it's a statement of intent from Apple and an acknowledgement that successful streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ tend to have a mix of old and new shows to keep audiences coming back.

Netflix for example has thousands of titles that viewers can choose from, while Apple TV+ currently has fewer than 30 original movies and shows in its catalog. As the report notes, however, at $4.99 per month, ‌Apple TV‌+ costs half the price of a standard Netflix subscription.

Another advantage ‌Apple TV‌+ has over its rivals is that it's free for a year for anyone who buys an Apple device, and students who have a student subscription to ‌Apple Music‌ for $4.99 per month can also get access to ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+ at no additional charge, so the company can expose viewers to its television service before they even sign up.

Apple has so far avoided buying rights to old shows, and has instead looked to host individual services through its TV app in the form of ‌Apple TV‌ Channels, which include the likes of HBO, Starz, SHOWTIME, and EPIX. However, according to Bloomberg's sources, this approach has yielded mixed results.

Though about 10 million people had signed up for TV+ by February, only about half that number actively used the service, according to the people familiar with the matter.

Compare that to Disney+, which signed up over 10 million users on the day it launched in the U.S. and has since attracted over 50 million subscribers. Netflix meanwhile has 182.8 million subscribers globally, making it one of the world's largest entertainment services, and the company added nearly 16 million customers in the first quarter of this year.

• How to Subscribe to Apple TV Channels Using the Apple TV App

Today's news suggests something of a turnaround for the company's plans for ‌Apple TV‌+. During Apple's February shareholder meeting, CEO Tim Cook was asked why Apple didn't make an effort to get the rights to the upcoming Friends reunion show that will be airing on HBO Max.

Cook said that recycled content is "not what ‌Apple TV‌+ is about." ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+ is "about original programming," he said. "It doesn't feel right for Apple to just go out and take a rerun."

Former Apple executive and iOS chief Scott Forstall will make a rare public appearance this week at Code.org's Code Break event. He will appear alongside Grammy Award winning rapper and songwriter Macklemore.

Described as the "world's largest live interactive classroom," Code Break aims to engage with computer science students during the ongoing stay-at-home measures, and features weekly computer science challenges for students of all abilities, even those without computers.

Forstall was reportedly ousted from Apple in October 2012, following the botched launch of Apple Maps. Forstall has maintained a quiet presence since then, although he did sit down with journalist John Markoff for an interview at the Computer History Museum in June 2017. Otherwise his main focus has been Broadway production.

Anyone interested can sign up at the Code.org website, which has more information about the event. The Code Break stream is live every Wednesday at 10.00 a.m. Pacific Time / 1.00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Update: The full video is now available to watch.

The BBC has launched a new experimental online service that lets users watch or listen to BBC programs, prodcasts, and radio with others over the internet at the same time.

Called BBC Together, the online tool is available on Taster, the BBC's experimental platform, which can be accessed via any web browser. The way it works is that one user finds the link of a program or video clip they want to watch with others – from BBC iPlayer, Sounds or Bitesize, BBC News and Sport websites – and then they paste it into the BBC Together service.

This creates a new group session, which can be shared via a link with friends or family. Each link can currently be watched by up to 50 participants, and the host user can pause, rewind, and fast-forward the content, or choose a new program for everyone to watch at once.

If the idea sounds familiar, you're probably thinking of Netflix Party, an extension for Google's Chrome web browser that lets users watch Netflix films and TV shows simultaneously. The service has seen a boost in numbers since the stay-at-home measures came into effect, so BBC Together could also prove a hit, although the Beeb says it's still just a test run for now.

HTC is working on new "HTC U Ear" earbuds that look like they took some design cues from Apple's AirPods. Photos of the upcoming earbuds were found in regulatory documents by Android Police (via The Verge).

Design wise, the U Ear earbuds from HTC could be mistaken for black AirPods, featuring the same general design for the in-ear portion and a stem that hangs outside of the ear. The earbuds do have one major difference though - there are charging pins on the front.

The charging case looks similar to the AirPods Charging Case as well, though not identical, and it does open up length wise like the Powerbeats Pro case rather than at the top like the AirPods case. It also appears to come with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging purposes.

Since Apple launched the AirPods in 2016, almost all major tech companies have come out with their own wire-free earbuds, but most have unique designs and don't look close to identical to the super popular AirPods.