MacRumors

A court in Florida has dismissed a consumer lawsuit alleging that Apple intentionally "broke" FaceTime on older iPhones as a cost-saving measure (via Bloomberg Law).

In 2017, a similar class-action lawsuit was brought against Apple in California that claimed Apple broke ‌FaceTime‌ in iOS 6 to force users to upgrade to iOS 7. According to the lawsuit, Apple forced users to upgrade so it could avoid payments on a data deal with Akamai.

Apple agreed in February to settle the lawsuit in California, but the federal court in the Florida case ruled on Tuesday that the claims against Apple did not meet timeliness requirements. According to U.S. District Court Judge Raag Singhal, the complainants had several chances to file suit against Apple, but didn't lodge their complaint until August 2019.

Apple used two connection methods when it launched ‌FaceTime‌ in 2010: a peer-to-peer method that created a direct connection between two iPhones, and a relay method that used data servers from content delivery network company Akamai Technologies.

Apple's peer-to-peer ‌FaceTime‌ technology was found to infringe on VirnetX's patents in 2012, however, so the company began to shift toward the relay method, which used Akamai's servers. Within a year, Apple was paying $50 million in fees to Akamai, according to testimony from the VirnetX trial.

Apple eventually solved the problem by creating new peer-to-peer technology that would debut in iOS 7. The class-action lawsuits, however, alleged that Apple created a fake bug that caused a digital certificate to prematurely expire on April 16, 2014, breaking ‌FaceTime‌ on iOS 6.

The lawsuits claimed that breaking ‌FaceTime‌ in iOS 6 allowed Apple to save money because it would no longer need to support users who did not upgrade to iOS 7.

NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock, is launching for free to some Comcast customers tomorrow, reports Reuters.

The service, which has been in the works for quite some time, will see a wide launch in July 2020 with upwards of 7,500 hours of programming that includes NBC shows and Universal movies, but it is launching early for some Comcast customers.

Peacock will feature a library of existing TV shows and movies like "30 Rock" and "Jurassic Park," along with a limited slate of original TV shows. Peacock is also set to include live sports access, curated shorts, breaking news coverage, and more. Providing access to live sports and live news will allow NBC to differentiate the Peacock service from Disney+, Netflix, and Apple TV+.

People who subscribe to Comcast's Xfinity X1 or Flex TV services will be able to access Peacock Premium for free starting Wednesday. The Premium package will include more than 15,000 hours of content.

Peacock Premium will launch for everyone on July 15 and it will cost $5 per month. A free version will also be available in July, but it won't have quite as much content, and there will be an ad-free tier as well that's priced at $10 per month.

Apple released the first Apple Watch in 2015, but prior to when the original model was released, Apple worked on the design for several years. With every new device, Apple makes multiple prototypes, and today, a few Apple Watch prototypes surfaced on the internet.

As highlighted by Vice's Motherboard, prototype collector Giulio Zompetti has shared images of a handful of Apple Watch prototypes that he's collected, all of which look similar to the first Apple Watch that Apple debuted, but with some unique differences in design and sensor placement.

Zompetti said that the Apple Watch prototypes were sourced from e-waste facilities, and while they're all broken, key components are intact and it is possible to repair them. His plan is to fix them and then sell them for thousands.

Some of the Apple Watches have a unique logo that's previously been seen on iPhone prototypes, and there are markings that suggest they are authentic, such as QR codes and serial numbers seen on other Apple prototypes.

Zompetti originally shared the images on Twitter earlier this month, and while no real interesting information can be gleaned from the prototypes, it's always fun to see Apple's early work on popular devices.

Apple's AirPods with Wireless Charging Case have reached a new low price of $149.98 today on Amazon, down from a regular price of $199.00. At $49 off, this is the lowest price we've ever seen for a new pair of AirPods with Wireless Charging Case on Amazon, and $20 below the typical sale price of $169.00.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

These AirPods are from 2019 and come with a case that supports wireless charging on Qi-compatible charging mats. So, if you have a modern iPhone that you wirelessly charge, you'll be able to set down the AirPods on the same mat to fuel up the Bluetooth earphones.

At this time, you can also save on AirPods Pro on Amazon, priced at $234.98, down from $249.00. While not quite as steep a discount, this continues to be the best price we've tracked on the AirPods Pro and the best price we've seen across numerous retailers for a new model of AirPods Pro.

We track the Best Deals on every model of the AirPods in our dedicated guide. Right now, that also includes the AirPods with Charging Case at $139.00, and the standalone Wireless Charging Case for AirPods at $69.00.

Apple today announced the release of a new mobility data trends tool using information collected from from Apple Maps, which is designed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by providing helpful insights to local governments and health authorities.

Apple believes that the data could be used as a foundation for new public policies by showing changes in the volume of people driving, walking, or taking public transit.

The mobility data site uses aggregated data collected from ‌Apple Maps‌ to show mobility trends for major cities and 63 countries or regions. Apple generates the data by counting the number of requests made to ‌Apple Maps‌ for directions.

The data sets are compared to reflect a change in the number of people who are driving, walking, or taking public transit, and Apple says that data availability in a particular place is subject to factors like minimum thresholds for direction requests made per day. With the tool, users can search by city, country, or region to see how routing requests have shifted since January 13, 2020, leading up to today. Apple also provides a complete downloadable data set that features daily changes in requests for directions by transportation type for all available countries and cities.

Mobility data sourced from ‌Apple Maps‌ is not associated with a user's Apple ID and Apple does not keep a history of where a user has been. Data collected by Maps, such as search terms, navigation routing, and traffic information is associated with random, rotating identifiers that continually reset, which prevents a profile of movements and searches from being built.

Along with debuting its mobility trends tool, Apple today also highlighted some of the other efforts that it has made in the fight against COVID-19, such as sourcing and donating more than 30 million face masks, and creating and designing face shields.

Apple helped Stanford Medicine build a new app for first responders to screen symptoms, and has added new features to Siri and Maps. ‌Siri‌ Audio Briefs help users receive the latest news and information through the pandemic through short podcasts, and ‌Siri‌ can provide resources if asked questions about coronavirus.

In Maps, Apple is prioritizing grocery, food delivery, and medical services, and Apple has provided learning tools to parents and a selection of curated telehealth apps through the App Store.

Apple has also created a COVID-19 app and website in partnership with the CDC and others to serve as a screening tool, and it is partnering with Google on an initiative that will see the two building a Bluetooth-based privacy-focused platform for tracking COVID-19 exposure.

Facebook's experimental NPE Team today has launched a new app called "Kit" or "Keep in Touch" for connecting with close friends over Messenger on the Apple Watch.

To get started, users scan a QR code on the Apple Watch, or enter an access code at fb.com/devices. Then, users select a Messenger contact and can quickly send that person a message, voice recording, emoji, or their location with a single tap.

While the main Facebook Messenger app already supports the Apple Watch, TechCrunch notes that Kit is focused on keeping in touch with close contacts, such as a significant other, best friend, or family member. Kit is essentially a simplified version of the Messenger app on Apple Watch for keeping in touch with only a few people.

This is the second app released by Facebook's NPE Team in the last week after "Tuned," a messaging app designed to provide a "private space" for couples to connect. "NPE" stands for "New Product Experimentation."

Kit is free on the App Store for Apple Watch only. It appears to be limited to Canada for now.

Hundreds of thousands of Zoom accounts are being sold or given away for free on the dark web and hacker forums, according to a new report by BleepingComputer.

Zoom has surged in popularity in recent weeks as the number of people working from home has increased, but concerns about the videoconferencing app's security have also made the headlines. However, the availability of Zoom accounts on the dark web does not appear to be a direct consequence of the app's failings.

Rather, the sale of the login details are said to be the result of "credential stuffing attacks," where hackers attempt to log in to Zoom using accounts leaked in older data breaches.

Successful logins are then collated into lists and sold on or offered for free to other hackers, with the intention of using them in zoom-bombing pranks or for malicious reasons.

The accounts are reportedly being shared via text sharing sites as lists of email addresses and password combinations. The accounts can include a victim's email address, password, personal meeting URL, and their HostKey.

Cybersecurity firm Cyble, which was able to purchase 530,000 Zoom credentials for less than a penny each at $0.0020 per account, said the Zoom accounts began appearing in the hacker community at the beginning of April, with hackers offering the accounts to build reputation.

The finding underscores the importance of using unique passwords for each website where an account is registered. Concerned users are encouraged to check if their email address has been leaked in data breaches using the Have I Been Pwned website or Cyble's AmIBreached data breach notification service, and change their Zoom password if used elsewhere.

The 2020 iPad Pro models are equipped with an A12Z processor that is the same as the A12X processor in the 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ models but with an extra GPU core enabled, TechInsights confirmed today.

Speculation that Apple was using the same chip began shortly after the new iPad Pros launched and benchmarks found little in the way of performance improvements.

Apple didn't highlight changes to CPU performance, but there is one difference - the A12Z features an 8-core GPU, while the A12X has a 7-core GPU.

Information provided in March by TechInsights suggested that the A12X was simply an 8-core GPU chip with one GPU core disabled, indicating the A12Z is a re-binned A12X with that latent GPU core enabled.

At the time, TechInsights said that it planned to conduct a floorplan analysis to determine whether there are any differences between the A12X and the A12Z, which has now been completed, and the GPU chips are the same. A full report on TechInsights findings will be available on its website to those with a subscription.

It is not unusual for chip manufacturers to disable one core of a processor when a chip isn't meeting yield levels, and that's perhaps what happened with the A12X. The manufacturing of the chip has now improved enough that yields have gotten better and all 8 cores are functional, resulting in the A12Z chip.

Apple today in a press briefing indicated that its upcoming COVID-19 contact tracing system with Google will have a verification flow, meaning that users will be required to submit proof in order to report that they have tested positive for the disease.

As an example, Apple said that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 could receive a QR code with their test results and then scan that QR code within the contact tracing system for confirmation purposes, but the exact implementation remains to be seen. Apple said verification will be handled by an external entity and could vary by region.

Verification will be a very important step in Apple's and Google's contact tracing system, preventing users from falsely reporting that they have tested positive for COVID-19 and inflicting unnecessary worry on others.

Apple also ensured that the contact tracing system will not be enforced by governments and will instead function on an opt-in basis.

Apple and Google revealed plans for their contact tracing system earlier this week. The joint effort will use Bluetooth to alert users when they have potentially come in close contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19, while respecting user privacy.

Read our coverage of the announcement for more details.

Apple in March released new 13.4 software designed for the HomePod, alongside of the release of iOS 13.4 and tvOS 13.4. 9to5Mac recently looked at the ‌HomePod‌ code and says that Apple made a curious change with the new software -- the ‌HomePod‌ operating system is now based on tvOS instead of iOS.

watchOS, tvOS, and the software that run on the ‌HomePod‌ are all variants of iOS, but each one is differentiated by tweaks made for the device the software is intended to run on, featuring unique interfaces, APIs, and more.

Unlike prior versions of the ‌HomePod‌ software, which were based on the operating system found on the iPhone and iPad, the ‌HomePod‌'s software is now derived from tvOS. Because the operating systems are the same at the core, this hasn't resulted in any fundamental changes to the way that the ‌HomePod‌ works.

9to5Mac believes that shifting the ‌HomePod‌ software to a tvOS base has the potential to save Apple some work, as both the Apple TV and the ‌HomePod‌ are always-on devices that are plugged in to power and won't need the same optimizations as versions of iOS. Both devices also operate as a Home hub for HomeKit, which may also be a key reason why the two now share code.

It's also possible that iOS 14 will end support for devices with the A8 chip, such as the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 4, and the ‌HomePod‌ is equipped with an A8 chip. Due to the possible end of support in iOS 14, swapping over to a tvOS base will allow Apple to keep pushing ‌HomePod‌ updates for the foreseeable future.

Rumors have suggested that Apple is developing a new smaller version of the ‌HomePod‌ that's more affordable, which is set to launch in 2020, and that's another possible reason for the code shift. 9to5Mac says that there are two new models of the ‌HomePod‌ referenced in iOS 13.4, though there is no additional information about them.

Just this morning, a Bloomberg report said that Apple is working on a new HomePod speaker that will be about half the size of the original, while maintaining the same design. Though it has faced delays, Apple is planning to launch the new ‌HomePod‌ in the second half of the year. It will feature a lower price the current ‌HomePod‌, helping Apple compete with cheaper speaker options from companies like Amazon and Google.

On a separate but related note, 9to5Mac says that a "trusted source" has said that the next-generation ‌Apple TV‌ that's been rumored for months now could be equipped with the same A14 chip that Apple is planning to use in the iPhone 12, which suggests a fall launch for the device. Both a new ‌Apple TV‌ and an updated ‌HomePod‌ could perhaps see similar launch dates this September or October, but there's no concrete word on launch timing for either product.

Apple last week sent a letter to a group of U.S. senators who had questioned the privacy and security of the COVID-19 app and website that Apple designed in partnership with the CDC, the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and FEMA.

In the letter [PDF], published on Friday and highlighted today by Bloomberg, Apple provided specific answers to each of the questions the senators had asked, and clarified that the app and website were built with privacy as a priority.

Consistent with Apple's strong dedication to user privacy, the COVID-19 app and website were built to protect the privacy and security of users' data. As you note, use of the tools do not require a sign-in or association with a user's Apple ID, and users' individual responses are not sent to Apple or any government organization. Access to important information and guidance regarding individual health or the health of a loved one should not require individuals to compromise their privacy rights. Rather, it is in times like these, that our commitment to protecting those rights is most important. Our COVID-19 app and website were designed with that in mind.

The senators asked for specific details on Apple's agreements with the federal government and/or state governments, with Apple clarifying that Apple entered into an agreement with HHS through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health and the CDC for the development of the website.

Strong privacy terms were included, such as express consent required for any data transfer, the aggregation and de-identification of any information received by the CDC, and an agreement that any information obtained by the app is strictly to be used for improving the COVID-19 Triage Tools that are included.

The letter clarifies that the app and the screening site are not covered or subject to HIPAA laws in the United States as no health insurance companies or health care providers are privy to the information.

Apple says it does not collect any information entered into the website or the app, and applies the same data minimization principles to the COVID-19 tool as it does to other products. The only data that is stored is data necessary to support the operation of the app, which includes non-personally identifiable analytics information regarding the use of the website and app, such as total number of visits, whether crashes have occurred, and whether the screener tool has been started, canceled, or completed.

Apple confirmed that it commits to refrain from using data collected on the website and app for commercial purposes, and will never sell information to third-parties. Apple's full letter to the U.S. senators can be read on the web for those interested.

The COVID-19 app and website have been available since late March, and Apple recently improved both tools with links to state guidelines and self-care information. Apple late last week also announced a new partnership with Google that will see the two tech companies developing a privacy-focused opt-in contact tracing tool that will be added to iPhone and Android smartphones.