MacRumors

3D content has begun appearing in the Apple TV app ahead of next year's Vision Pro headset launch (via FlatPanelsHD).

tvOS 17.2's redesigned ‌Apple TV‌ app shows a large selection of movies with a small 3D icon that resembles a headset alongside other icons for the likes of Dolby Atmos and 4K. Since the movies are unplayable in 3D via the TV app without a Vision Pro headset, it is currently unclear what resolution and frame rate they play in. 3D titles seen in the ‌Apple TV‌ app include Jurassic World Dominion, Pacific Rim Uprising, Shrek, Trolls, Warcraft, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Mortal Engines, Everest, Kung Fu Panda 3, and more.

Apple showcased a 3D version of Avatar: The Way of Water to demonstrate some of the entertainment capabilities of the Vision Pro headset when it was unveiled in June and touted the ability to play 2D, 3D, and "immersive" movies on the device, including in a virtual cinema. Apple is also expected to offer Apple TV+ content in a new, immersive 3D video format, including Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The Vision Pro headset launches early next year.

Apple on Wednesday increased its estimated trade-in values for select iPad and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to the company's website.

Apple increased trade-in values for the iPad Pro, iPad Air, entry-level iPad, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch Series 7, which could incentivize customers to upgrade these devices heading into the holiday shopping season. Trade-in values for iPhones, Macs, and other iPad and Apple Watch models did not change at this time.

Apple's trade-in changes are outlined below:

Device	Current Trade-In Value	Previous Trade-In Value
iPad Pro	Up to $580	Up to $510
iPad Air	Up to $325	Up to $315
iPad	Up to $260	Up to $170
Apple Watch Ultra	Up to $425	Up to $380
Apple Watch Series 7	Up to $160	Up to $155

Apple also adjusted trade-in values for select Android smartphones.

Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website or at an Apple Store, and the credit can be applied to the purchase of a new Apple product or placed on an Apple gift card for later use. Apple's trade-in page offers a complete list of values for devices.

Encrypted messaging app Signal has announced it is testing public account usernames so that users don't have to share their phone number to connect through the service.

Currently, signing up to Signal requires that you share your phone number with other users when connecting with them. While the new method still requires an account to be associated with a number during setup, it is not subsequently shared when contacting other users, making the communication even more private and secure.

According to Signal VP of engineering Jim O'Leary, the username test is currently limited to a separate build in the platform's Staging Environment and remains "pre-beta," so it may cause crashes and other bugs to occur since it fundamentally changes the way that accounts are identified in the Signal ecosystem.

Users who install the build will be able to share their usernames via a QR code or a link, allowing them to use it as a way for others to contact them, no phone number required. There is also an option to turn off phone number discovery in the app under Settings ➝ Privacy ➝ Phone number ➝ Who can find my number.

Signal has been working on usernames since at least 2019, but it is not known when the feature will be ready for primetime. Using the pre-beta build on desktop and iOS today requires some technical knowhow involving code compiling, more information about which can be found in the Signal forums.

Apple has suffered a setback in its €13 billion ($14 billion) tax dispute with Brussels after an advisor to the EU's highest court said the company's victory in an earlier ruling should be thrown out (via Financial Times).

Giovanni Pitruzzella, advocate-general of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), said on Thursday that Apple's win in the EU General Court "should be set aside" because it is riddled with mistakes.

While such opinions by advocates-general are non-binding, the top EU tribunal follows such advice in the majority of cases, and it is set to issue its binding ruling in the coming months.

In 2020, the General Court said it supported the EU's right to investigate national tax arrangements, but it ultimately overturned a ruling by the European Commission stating that Apple should pay €13 billion euros in tax to the Irish government.

Following Apple's appeal, the EU's second-highest court said the EU authority, led by antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, had failed to show that Apple had received an illegal economic advantage in Ireland over tax.

Four years earlier, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the EC's original decision "total political crap" and said that Apple believed it would be reversed. "The decision is wrong, and it's not based on law or facts, it's based on politics. And I think it's very important that we stand up and say that very loudly," said Cook at the time.

However, Pitruzzella said on Thursday the General Court ruling had "committed a series of errors" and "failed to assess correctly the substance and consequences of certain methodological errors." Pitruzzella said the court needed "to carry out a new assessment" as a result.

Responding to the opinion of the advocates-general, Apple said on Thursday that the lower court "was very clear that Apple received no selective advantage and no State aid, and we believe that should be upheld."

An ECJ ruling is expected next year.

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.

Apple at WWDC 2024 will reveal a turbo-charged version of Siri powered by large language models (LLMs) that will debut in iOS 18, but some new cutting-edge generative AI features could be exclusive to iPhone 16 models, according to a new rumor.

Last month, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman revealed that Apple is developing a large array of features that use generative AI, including a "smarter version of Siri" and new LLM-based AI features that will be baked into iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.

Gurman said Apple was still debating whether to limit generative AI to on-device processing, deploy it via the cloud, or adopt a hybrid approach combining the two. It was not mentioned either way whether some AI features would require specific hardware architecture or trickle down to all models capable of running iOS 18.

However, according to new information independently shared by the leaker @Tech_Reve, iOS 18 will bring the company's new LLM to millions of existing devices by using cloud-based AI, while new on-device AI features will likely remain exclusive to the iPhone 16.

In terms of iOS 18 features, Gurman's sources mention a revamped interaction between ‌Siri‌ and the Messages app, enabling users to field complex questions and auto-complete sentences more effectively. We may also see auto-generated Apple Music playlists and integration with productivity apps like Pages and Keynote, such as AI-assisted writing and slide deck creation. Where this patina of AI integration crosses over into new hardware requirements is still unknown.

Apple is designing new A-series chips for the iPhone 16 lineup, built on TSMC's latest N3E 3-nanometer node. Efficiency and performance improvements are of course expected, but there could be other benefits that feed into Apple's AI intentions. Notably, TSMC is the sole manufacturer for Nvidia's powerful H100 and A100 AI processors, the hardware that powers AI tools like ChatGPT and which also comprises the majority of AI data centers.

All models in the iPhone 16 series are also rumored to have an extra button that we don't know the purpose of yet. Internal versions of the iPhone 16 that Apple is working on include an extra capacitive button, known internally as the "Capture Button."

The button is located on the same side as the Power button, and is a capacitive button that is able to detect pressure and touch, providing haptic feedback when pressed. There has been no word yet on what this button might be used for, but it could conceivably have unforeseen practical AI applications.

Apple is said to be on course to spend $1 billion per year on AI research, with some of the company's biggest executive names overseeing development, including senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi, senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy John Giannandrea, and senior vice president of services Eddy Cue.

Disney today said that it will soon combine Disney+ and Hulu into one streaming service, with a unified app to be available in a beta capacity next month.

Disney CEO Bob Iger first announced plans to merge Hulu and Disney+ into a single app earlier this year. The app will first be offered to those who subscribe to the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, providing those customers with one app to access all their content. Right now, Disney offers a combined bundle that features Disney+ and Hulu, but subscribers need to download two separate apps. Pricing for the app has not been announced, but the current ad-supported Hulu and Disney+ bundle costs $9.99 per month, while the version without ads costs $19.99 per month.

During today's fourth quarter earnings call, Iger confirmed that Disney is on track to roll out the unified app in the United States starting in December, with an official launch to follow in spring 2024.

Disney earlier this month said that it will pay Comcast over $8 billion to purchase Comcast's Hulu shares, which would see Disney being the sole owner of Hulu and will allow for the combined app.

Disney in October increased the price of both Disney+ and Hulu in an effort to bring in more revenue. Ad-free Disney+ is now priced at $13.99 per month, while ad-free Hulu costs $17.99 per month.

LG and Samsung plan to begin mass production of OLED display panels for the next-generation iPad Pro models around February 2024, according to a report today from South Korea's Chosun Ilbo. The news was highlighted by the website OLED-Info.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models with OLED displays, an M3 chip, and an aluminum Magic Keyboard to launch next year. With mass production of the OLED displays reportedly not beginning until February, it seems unlikely that the next iPad Pro models would be ready to launch in March, a common month for Apple to announce new products. It seems more likely that the next iPad Pro models would be announced at WWDC in June or later, but Apple's plans could still change.

The current iPad Pro models are equipped with LCD panels, and the 12.9-inch model also features mini-LED backlighting for increased brightness and a higher contrast ratio. OLED technology would eliminate the need for backlighting, with benefits including even higher contrast ratio with deeper blacks, lower power consumption, and more. Apple is expected to use very thin hybrid OLED displays with a combination of flexible and rigid materials, which could allow for the next iPad Pro models to be slightly thinner.

There have been rumors about the iPad Pro adopting OLED technology for several years, and it seems that it will finally happen next year. The next iPad Air, iPad mini, and entry-level iPad are all expected to stick with LCD panels.

Apple last updated the iPad Pro line in October 2022, with key new features at the time including the M2 chip, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, hover functionality for the second-generation Apple Pencil, and support for ProRes video recording.

Popular accessory maker Nomad today announced the launch of three new products that are designed for use in vehicles. The Mount, Charge Mount, and 70W Car Charger offer charging and mounting solutions for the car.

Priced at $45, the Mount is a simple MagSafe-compatible accessory that is designed to attach to horizontal and vertical vehicle vents. It features a slim design with a polycarbonate and glass body. As this is just a mount, it does not offer in-car charging.

The $80 Charge Mount has the same design as the Mount, but it comes with a USB-C cable and an 18W USB-C Car Charger. It is able to charge an iPhone at up to 7.5W and it works with any of the MagSafe iPhones.

Nomad's $60 70W Car Charger plugs into the 12V socket in the car and offers two USB-C ports for charging iPhones and even Macs. The full 70W is available to a single device if only one USB-C port is in use, otherwise the power is split between the two devices (50W to the blue port and 20W to the other port). The Car Charger features GaN technology for a slim build, but it does not come with USB-C cables so you will need to supply your own.

All of the new car accessories can be purchased today from the Nomad website.

The 2023 remake of popular game Resident Evil 4 is set to be available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac on Wednesday, December 20. Capcom updated its website with the launch date this week.

Resident Evil 4 is one of the console games that can be played on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro models with A17 Pro chip. The A17 Pro chip features hardware-accelerated ray tracing and improved GPU capabilities that make console-quality gaming possible.

The title will be playable on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max, iPads that are equipped with an M1 or later, and all Apple silicon Macs.

Capcom plans to charge $59.99 for Resident Evil 4 on the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, which is the same price as the game on consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Additional DLC content like new areas and weapon packs will be available at prices ranging from $2.99 to $19.99.

Capcom released the Resident Evil 4 remake on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in March. Compared to the original 2005 title, the updated version includes overhauled graphics, new characters, and updated gameplay elements like crafting items and ammo from resources.

Pre-orders for Resident Evil 4 are available on the App Store, and Capcom says that there will be a demo available for those who want to try the game out before buying.

Amazon and Walmart today introduced a new all-time low price on the AirPods 2, available for just $69.00, down from $129.00. This is $30 below the average $99.00 deal price we've been tracking all year, and a fantastic early Black Friday deal.

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

This model of the AirPods is from 2019 and it includes the Lightning Charging Case. Although a few years outdated at this point, the AirPods 2 are perfect for anyone on your list who isn't an audiophile and are asking for a nice pair of wireless earbuds, especially at this price.

If you're on the hunt for AirPods this holiday shopping season, definitely visit our dedicated guide highlighting all of The Best Early Black Friday AirPods Deals. You'll find great discounts on AirPods 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Max.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

Update: Amazon has ended this sale, but it remains at Walmart.

As the end of 2023 approaches, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year.

Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories.

Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021.

iPhone Mini

Apple discontinued the iPhone 13 mini in September after introducing the iPhone 15 series, and this marked the end of the iPhone mini entirely, although a refurbished iPhone 12 mini remains available on Apple's online store in the U.S. for now.

Equipped with a 5.4-inch display with slim bezels, the iPhone mini was a favorite among fans of smaller smartphones, but market research firms said the model had low sales relative to other iPhone models. Apple decided not to release an iPhone 14 mini last year, but it had kept the iPhone 13 mini available as a lower-cost option.

The smallest iPhone that Apple sells brand new is now the iPhone SE with a 4.7-inch display, but it has a very outdated design with a Home button and thicker bezels, and the next iPhone SE is rumored to have a larger 6.1-inch display.

13-Inch MacBook Pro

Apple finally discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro last week following its "Scary Fast" event. The laptop had a seven-year-old design, and it was the final Mac equipped with a Touch Bar instead of physical function keys.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro was effectively replaced with the new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the standard M3 chip, although the former started at $1,299 and the latter starts at $1,599. The 14-inch model does offer several upgrades over the 13-inch model, such as the M3 chip, a 120Hz ProMotion display, a 1080p camera, and more ports.

MagSafe Battery Pack

Apple discontinued the MagSafe Battery Pack in September after introducing the iPhone 15 series.

Released in 2021, the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ was priced at $99 and attaches magnetically to the back of the iPhone 12 and newer, providing hours of additional battery life. While all iPhone 15 models are now equipped with a USB-C port, the battery pack has a Lightning charging port, so it effectively became outdated.

MagSafe Duo Charger

Apple discontinued the MagSafe Duo Charger in September after introducing the iPhone 15 series.

Released in 2020, the MagSafe Duo Charger was a $129 foldable charging mat with both a MagSafe charger for iPhones and an Apple Watch magnetic charging puck. Like the MagSafe Battery Pack, it had a Lightning charging port.

Leather Accessories

Apple stopped selling leather accessories in September, including leather versions of iPhone cases, the MagSafe Wallet, Apple Watch bands, and more, as part of the company's environmental responsibility efforts. Apple introduced a new FineWoven fabric material for accessories that it says has a "significantly lower" carbon footprint than leather, but customers have complained about the new iPhone cases being prone to scratches and stains.

Honorable Mentions

Apple also discontinued its iTunes Movie Trailers app and the Apple Music Voice Plan this year.

Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that will expand to retail locations on Friday, November 10. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including all-time low prices on AirPods 2 and Apple Watch Series 9.

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

Walmart's Black Friday Schedule

Walmart's Black Friday sale has begun online for Walmart+ members, and this exclusivity window will last until 3 p.m. ET. After this time, anyone will be able to shop the sale on Walmart's website for the next two days, and then in stores on Friday.

This same pattern will be found during Black Friday week as well. New deals will appear online at 12 p.m. ET Wednesday, November 22, only for Walmart+ members. Then the sale will open up to everyone that afternoon, followed by in stores on Friday, November 24 - Black Friday.

• Wednesday, November 8 - Deals start online at 12 p.m. ET for Walmart+ members and 3 p.m. ET for everyone else
• Friday, November 10 - Deals start in stores
• Wednesday, November 22 - Deals start online at 12 p.m. ET for Walmart+ members and 3 p.m. ET for everyone else
• Friday, November 24 - Black Friday deals start in stores
• Monday, November 27 - Cyber Monday deals start online

Walmart+ Membership

If you aren't a Walmart+ member, you can get 50 percent off a membership for a limited time during this event. You'll pay $49 for one year of Walmart+, and this offer is only running until later this afternoon at 2:59 p.m. ET.

Deals Available Now

Like many retailers, Walmart's Black Friday offerings are wide and varied. You'll find major markdowns on video games, appliances, TVs, smart home products, speakers, headphones, and more. We've divided up some of the major discount categories in the sections below, and remember that while many of these sales are live now, some won't appear until later in the day if you aren't a Walmart+ member.

Apple

Walmart is coming out of the gate with some heavy-hitter Apple deals, starting with the AirPods 2 at just $69.00, down from $129.00. This is a new all-time low price that's beating the typical sale that we see on this pair by about $30.

For the Apple Watch, these are the first major discounts we've tracked on the new Series 9 models. You can get $50 off both the 41mm and 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 9 at Walmart, and both are new record low prices.

• AirPods 2 - $69.00, down from $129.00
• Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm GPS) - $349.00, down from $399.00
• Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm GPS) - $379.00, down from $429.00
• Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm Cellular) - $449.00, down from $499.00
• Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm Cellular) - $479.00, down from $529.00

TVs

• Onn 50-inch 4K UHD LED Smart TV - $148.00, down from $218.00
• Vizio 50-inch 4K UHD LED Smart TV - $248.00, down from $319.00
• Samsung 55-inch 4K Smart TV - $298.00, down from $349.00
• Hisense 75-inch 4K UHD LED Smart TV - $398.00, down from $449.00
• Sony 65-inch Bravia 4K HDR OLED Smart TV - $1,398.00, down from $2,198.00

Video Games

• Sony PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller - $49.00, down from $69.00
• PlayStation 5 Disc Console + Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Bundle - $499.00, down from $559.00

Audio

• Sony Truly Wireless In-Ear Headphones - $29.00, down from $98.00
• Skullcandy Hesh ANC On-Ear Wireless Headphones - $49.00, down from $119.00
• Skullcandy Barrel Party Speaker - $79.00, down from $169.00
• Samsung B-Series Soundbar, Speakers, Subwoofer Bundle - $139.00, down from $239.00

Streaming Devices

• Roku Premiere - $19.00, down from $34.00
• Roku Ultra LT 4K with Voice Remote - $34.00, down from $80.00

Computers

• Lenovo Ideapad 15.6-inch Laptop - $249.00, down from $339.00
• HP 15.6-inch Laptop - $329.00, down from $399.00
• MSI 15-inch Gaming Laptop - $479.00, down from $629.00

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2023.

Apple today announced that Taylor Swift has been named Apple Music's Artist of the Year for 2023 after reaching "a new realm of superstardom this year."

Swift released a new album last month called 1989 (Taylor's Version), and she has been on tour this year. Apple says in the first 10 months of 2023, Swift had 65 songs reach Apple Music's Global Daily Top 100, which was more than any other artist.

"I am so honored to be Apple Music's Artist of the Year," said Swift. "Thank you to every single one of you for making this year the most incredible, joyful, celebratory year ever. From streaming the music nonstop to screaming it together in real life at the shows, dancing chaotically in movie theaters, none of this would have been possible without you. Thank you so much."

"Taylor Swift's impact on music is absolutely undeniable — not just this record-breaking year, but throughout her entire career," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and Beats. "She is a generation-defining artist and a true change agent in the music industry, and there is no doubt that her impact and influence will be felt for years to come. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate her achievements."

Swift will receive a physical Apple Music Award featuring Apple's custom 12-inch silicon wafer.

WhatsApp has introduced a new privacy feature that lets you hide your IP address from whoever you call over the encrypted communications platform.

As it stands, one-to-one calls over WhatsApp are established as a direct peer-to-peer connection between users. While this ensures the best possible voice quality, it means the connected devices must reveal their IP addresses to each other.

According to WhatsApp, the new privacy setting introduced today works differently by relaying all of your calls through WhatsApp's servers to obfuscate your location, rather than connecting you directly to the person you are calling. Meta engineers elaborated on the feature in a blog post:

Most calling products people use today have peer-to-peer connections between participants. This direct connection allows for faster data transfers and better call quality, but it also means that participants need to know each other’s IP addresses so that call data packets can be delivered to the correct device – meaning that the IP addresses are visible to both callers on a 1:1 call. IP addresses may contain information that some of our most privacy-conscious users are mindful of, such as broad geographical location or internet provider.

To address this concern, we introduced a new feature on WhatsApp that allows you to protect your IP address during calls. With this feature enabled, all your calls will be relayed through WhatsApp’s servers, ensuring that other parties in the call cannot see your IP address and subsequently deduce your general geographical location.

At the same time, all relayed calls through WhatsApp's servers remain end-to-end encrypted, so no-one – not even WhatsApp – can listen to them.

Before you consider using the new call relay privacy setting, WhatsApp says to bear in mind that call quality might be reduced as a result. To enable the setting, make sure you have updated to the latest version of WhatsApp, then follow these steps.

1. In WhatsApp, tap Settings ➝ Privacy.
2. Tap Advanced.
3. Toggle on the switch next to Protect IP address in calls.

Note that group calls are always relayed through WhatsApp's servers by default.

In June, WhatsApp added a Silence Unknown Callers feature for the encrypted messaging platform. Like the similar option in iOS, the feature is designed to automatically screen out spam, scams, and calls from unknown people for increased protection.

Apple released macOS Sonoma 14.1.1 on Tuesday with "important bug fixes." While the release notes did not specify which bugs were fixed, we have confirmed that the update resolves a software update issue with M3 Macs and an Adobe Photoshop bug.

At least some 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac models equipped with the standard M3 chip shipped with an unreleased build of macOS Ventura 13.5 installed, and macOS 14.1 was not showing up as an available software update in the System Settings app. Fortunately, it is now possible to update these Macs to macOS 14.1.1. MacBook Pro models with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips were not affected by this issue.

macOS 14.1.1 also fixes a bug that prevented users from clicking on a section of the toolbar in Photoshop on macOS 14.1, as noted by @JonyIveParody on X.

Apple also released macOS Ventura 13.6.2 with bug fixes. The update resolves an issue where 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon chips "start up to a black screen or circled exclamation point after the built-in display's default refresh rate is changed," according to an Apple support document.

macOS 14.1.1 and macOS 13.6.2 do not have any published security patches, despite Apple's release notes saying each update includes security fixes.

Apple today announced that it plans to hold its next Swift Student Challenge in February 2024, marking the first time the company has provided advanced notice to give students time to prepare. The Swift Student Challenge tasks students with creating an innovative coding project using the Swift Playgrounds app.

This year's Swift Student Challenge will have 350 winners, and there will be a category that recognizes a total of 50 Distinguished Winners for standout submissions. All of the Distinguished Winners will be invited to Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, where they will be able to connect with their peers and the Apple team, while all winners will be granted a free one-year membership in the Apple Developer program.

"At Apple, we believe that everyone can learn to code and build apps, and we're proud to support and recognize aspiring student developers with the Swift Student Challenge each year," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Education & Enterprise Marketing. "We know that students are eager to learn coding skills to solve challenges they care about -- whether it's building an app to help peers identify mental health resources or supporting sustainability efforts on campus -- and want to know how to get started. Apple is releasing new coding resources for students and educators, working with our community partners on dedicated Swift programming, and sharing advance notice of the Swift Student Challenge timeline for 2024. We can't wait to see the app playgrounds students submit next year."

Apple has been holding an annual Swift Student Challenge for several years now, but it is typically announced when the dates for WWDC are announced, and past winners have been invited to attend the Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple says that this year's 50 Distinguished Winners will be invited to Cupertino "next summer."

Starting in February 2024, students will have three weeks to submit their app playgrounds to Apple. Apple judges entries on technical accomplishment, creativity of ideas, and content of written responses explaining the project. Students can sign up on the Apple Developer website to be notified when submissions open.

Along with the Swift Student Challenge, Apple is launching for new Everyone Can Code projects that students can use to learn to create apps and refine their app development skills. The new projects task students with designing a simple app, building with stacks and shapes, building custom shapes, and designing an app icon.

Google and European telecom groups have urged EU regulators to designate iMessage a "core" service that would force Apple to make the communications platform interoperable with competing chat services, reports the Financial Times.

In a letter sent to the European Commission, the EU's executive body, the signatories including Google and some of Europe's largest telecoms operators claimed that Apple's service meets the qualitative thresholds of the act, and should therefore be captured by the rules to "benefit European consumers and businesses."

The "fundamental nature" of iMessage as "an important gateway between business users and their customers is without doubt justification for Apple’s designation as gatekeeper for its iMessage service," argued Google, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica and Orange in the letter. They said consumers would be better off as a result of the designation because "enriched messaging" is only available between Apple users, according to the report.

Apple declined to comment on the report, but pointed to an earlier statement that said:

"iMessage is a great service that Apple users love because it provides an easy way to communicate with friends and family while offering industry-leading privacy and security protections.

"Consumers today have access to a wide variety of messaging apps, and often use many at once, which reflects how easy it is to switch between them. iMessage is designed and marketed for personal consumer communications, and we look forward to explaining to the commission why iMessage is outside the scope of the DMA."

Apple in September contested the EU regulator labeling them as "gatekeepers" ahead of the publication of the first list of services to be regulated by the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The legislation introduces new rules that apply to services considered to be core platform services and forces them to open up their various services and platforms to other companies and developers. For example, Apple could be forced to allow third-party companies and rival apps like Meta's WhatsApp to integrate directly with iMessage.

However, Apple argued that iMessage does not meet the number of users required for the DMA's rules to apply, and should not be obliged to comply with it. "iMessage does not constitute an important gateway in the union for business users to reach end users due to its small scale relative to other messaging services," Apple reportedly told the commission.

Analysts estimate that iMessage has as many as one billion users around the world, but Apple has not disclosed any official numbers about the service for several years. Whether iMessage will be included on the EU's initial list of gatekeeper services will depend on how it defines the market in which it operates.

The EU's investigation into iMessage is ongoing, and the European Commission has until February to come to a decision.

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.

Following the unveiling of new MacBook Pro models last week, Apple surprised some with the introduction of a base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip, which replaced the discontinued M2 13-inch MacBook Pro in Apple's Mac lineup.

Starting at $1,599, the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro comes with 8GB of unified memory. That makes it $300 more expensive than the $1,299 starting price of the now-discontinued ‌M2‌ 13-inch MacBook Pro with 8GB. Users can opt for 16GB or 24GB at checkout, but these configuration options cost an extra $200 and $400 at purchase, respectively, and cannot be upgraded at a later date because of Apple's unified memory architecture.

This has left Apple open to criticism from users who argue that 8GB is not a sufficient amount of RAM for most creative professional workflows, and that 16GB should be the bare minimum for a machine that is marketed as "Pro," rather than an additional several hundred dollar outlay.

In a recent interview with Chinese ML engineer and content creator Lin YilYi, Apple's VP of worldwide product marketing Bob Borchers has directly responded to this criticism. After YilYi characterized the base M3 MacBook Pro coming with 8GB of RAM as the "one major concern" of prospective buyers, Borchers replied:

Comparing our memory to other system's memory actually isn't equivalent, because of the fact that we have such an efficient use of memory, and we use memory compression, and we have a unified memory architecture.

Actually, 8GB on an M3 MacBook Pro is probably analogous to 16GB on other systems. We just happen to be able to use it much more efficiently. And so what I would say is I would have people come in and try what they want to do on their systems, and they will I think see incredible performance. If you look at the raw data and capabilities of these systems, it really is phenomenal. And this is the place where I think people need to see beyond the specs, and actually go and look beyond the capabilities, and listen to trusted people like you who have actually used the systems.

People need to look beyond the specifications and actually go and understand how that technology is being used. That's the true test.

While the 14-inch MacBook Pro with 8GB of unified memory is $300 more expensive than the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro it replaces, there are a number of other benefits worth considering aside from the faster processor, such as the larger, brighter mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display, support for 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates, and better battery life. Other improvements include additional ports, a better 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a six-speaker sound system, Wi-Fi 6E support, and Bluetooth 5.3.

What do you think about the 8GB of unified memory supplied in the base configuration of M3 MacBook Pro? Does it suit your requirements, or make the "Pro" machine grossly underpowered for your use case? Let us know in the comments.